Nearing the end of my time at the Georgia Museum of Art, I am the most certain I have ever been of the path ahead of me. Months of tour arrangement, record keeping, art project development and much more have ensured that I know without a doubt that my place is absolutely in a museum and that I made the right decision to pursue a museum studies degree. I have the Georgia Museum of Art to thank endlessly for being a constant inspiration and source of support this past year.
I joined the museum as the education programs assistant, still unsure of my aim for my future career. As a recently graduated English major, I knew I had some interest in museums based on hours spent exploring various institutions in years past and the classes that often sent me to the UGA’s Special Collections Library; I just didn’t know where those interests and experiences could take me. Maybe it’s been a funny mix of computer work, phone calls and arts-and-crafts testing all mixed in with helping with tours, but every moment of working at the museum has been an amazing learning experience. Every tour where children gasped in awe at works of art or excitedly showed me their final project in the classroom has encouraged me to continue to work in this field, inspiring future generations.
My gratitude to my fellow museum staff is overwhelming for their part in this assuredness. From absolutely priceless advice from the education team to laughter around puzzles with curators and the events team to long conversations with gallery guides, my time here has been beyond amazing. I’m so glad that I have had the opportunity to be a part of this museum and a part in our fantastic community.
Madison will be working on her masters degree in museum studies at the University of Colorado in Boulder. We wish her all the best!
