Museums are educational organizations that collect, preserve, and present important artifacts and/or works of art for the public to view and study. Museums may be organized by their collections (art, history, natural history) or by their intended audiences (children's museums). Possible occupational titles include: museum director, curator, collections manager, archivist, museum technician, conservator, researcher, exhibit designer, educator, editor, photographer, and librarian.
Arts Administration handles the business component of the performing, visual, literary, and cultural arts and facilitates connections between artists and audiences. Possible occupational titles may include the following: executive director, program coordinator, volunteer coordinator, and director/coordinator/assistant for many departments such as development/fundraising, outreach, audience development, marketing, publicity, publications, education, business, accounting, legal, and human resources.
Things to Consider
Visit museums, obtain internships, and volunteer. Both education and internships are important when considering a career in museums. A degree in art history or the fine arts is often crucial for a curatorial job in an art museum, while liberal arts coursework or experience in writing, editing, research is helpful to those seeking support, educational, or administrative roles. Undergraduate study in the area of a museum's focus (e.g., history or the natural sciences) is typically beneficial to individuals seeking museum work. Degrees are also offered in museum studies.
Managerial skills are fundamental to arts administration. Get involved in the organization for presenting or performing groups at school and in New Haven. Help your friends and colleagues produce a concert, put up a show, organize an installation, or coordinate a conference. Learn as much as possible by assisting with a variety of tasks. Develop administrative and management skills. Procure an internship (paid or unpaid), talk with professionals in the field, attend information sessions and panels, and support the arts.
