ArtHistoryandMuseum

< crickets > Sad face, I'd really like some insights to improve for application cycle 2014! I'll give this another go on the Humanities forum. Yale University, Boston University, Bard Graduate Center, UT Austin (Art History, or material culture in American Studies)... Now that I have a better grasp of the application process, and I am firming up what exactly I want to study, I hope to be as fortunate next spring to receive admission in a department of a truly excellent fit. Based on the information I provided in my post (and the fact I have an art history undergrad background) -- if anyone had any thoughts on university programs in art history I should also consider for Fall 2014, I'd be very grateful for the counsel.

Regarding the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture, I would expect it is easier for information finding in the future, to keep this and any responses in a single area. That said, I'd also appreciate if I should post this topic in another section of GradCafe (e.g. history, interdisciplinary studies).

Hello everyone: I was unsuccessful this year, and I'd like to submit a stronger application for 2014. Whether you are a current fellow, recipient of an interview invite, graduate of the program (or another field) at the University of Delaware, unsuccessful applicant, or have any information about this unique master's program, I would love to have your thoughts: I recognize successful candidates have all kinds of backgrounds -- varying academic degrees, different experiences in museums, disparate intellectual interests -- how can I make what I have going for me (MA in Museum Studies, couple of paid museum internships, curiosity about the passage from the styles of Chippendale/Rococo to Federal during the American Revolution) attractive to the committee? What do you suspect made you shine during the review of applications? With the hopes of making it in the second time, what are the things I should be doing over the next several months to prepare? Visit more auction houses? See particular museums? Sit in a class? I've subscribed to AFA and read The Magazine Antiques. What about books, publications, articles, theorists, or authors you'd recommend? Hindsight, they say, is twenty-twenty. What are the things that you wished you had included in your application, or done personally to ready yourself for the rigors of the program? Related to the studies of decorative arts, design, and American material culture -- what other graduate programs were you considering, or applied for? Boston University's American and New England Studies? Bard Graduate Center? Yale's Art History Department (WPEAC grad: Edward Cooke, Jr)? Did you get funding (as I shied away particularly from BGC for fear of the high costs of living)? Did you matriculate in any of these or other academic programs, instead of Winterthur? Any regrets? Since being involved with Winterthur, what were or are your academic plans for the future? Did this involvement, in any capacity, help you? I'd like to work with decorative arts and furniture, ideally in a university setting, but I'm open to the possibility of auction house work. I'm particularly interested in artifacts from the 17th century through the 19th. Do you have any other suggestions for a Fall 2014 hopeful? Lastly, I'd really like to hear any encouraging stories! Were any of you a repeat applicant, and then had success of an interview or admission? I'd also like to hear from alumni or students of University of Delaware, who were in other fields e.g. art history, history, museum studies, and who recommend striving for a PhD at the same institution instead (I already have a MA in Museum Studies)? Did any of you apply for both Winterthur and another program at UD in the same cycle? As PhD is the route I want to go eventually, I would be interested in a PhD program at UD which works with Winterthur, as I would love the adjacent ability to work with the early American collections and colonial revival interiors of Winterthur Museum. However, I worry without making it into WPAMC, I won't get enough training in connoisseurship, and all the wonderful things that the Winterthur Program does, such as the field trips, extensive study of decorative arts/furniture, museum work placements. Any thoughts? These questions all go without saying: I'll also be working to improve my writing sample, statement of purpose, supplemental essay, and GRE scores, in that order.

Throwing an idea out there -- I wonder if spending time on university websites would help distinguish major differences, or assist your comprehensive review any, say BU's American and New England Studies?

As I am interested in material and visual culture in early America, I'm also curious about these fields, overlaps and distinguishing features.

While I am unable to recommend any professor personally, I hope the following list is of help to you, or for anyone else searching. Spinoza -- Daniel Schwartz in GWU's History dept Kant -- Mark A. Cheetham in Toronto's Fine Art dept (he wrote Kant, Art, and Art History: Moments of Discipline) Schelling -- Unfortunately, I was not able to find a professor with publications/work on the 19th c. philosopher. Doesn't mean, of course, a program supporting the study of Friedrich von Schelling does not exist.... Diderot -- Kristel Smentek in MIT's Architecture dept (she's an art historian) Nietzsche -- Ara Merjian in NYU's Art History dept

The slicing of the apple distracts me for about a few minutes from refreshing my browser and email... and so do the peanut buttery and wet apple-ly fingers. Perfect distraction snack. Plus, it's healthy, too! Well, mostly healthy :-)

Apples and peanut butter!

Thank you so much! A calming manatee is indeed what I needed :-)

Williams College has a terminal MA program.

As for your rigor of training to write well (during your studes of philosophy), sure that's useful for any PhD program. As for the question is your background appropriate and you'd get in - I'd read through this site, as a start. You'll hear things, like, no one can adequately predict your chances of admission. You won't actually know until you try. Good luck!

I took an undergrad course at an Ivy League university in Aesthetics (analytic). The authors we read in that class never came up in my art history courses in undergrad. As for the continental tradition - I think you'll find a better connection - what are the subjects or theorists you are interested specifically? I think identifying, say, "Kant" or "feminist theory", will help you discover fitting art history departments, or POIs.

I'm also curious. What if your application for your top school doesn't totally reflect who you are? I've been coming to the conclusion as of late that I made some errors (not typos). In terms of department "fit," I believe I could have provided better examples of what I am truly capable of. Instead of listing merely what I read of the POIs, for instance I could have provided analysis between some of their publications. Also, I could have explained my reasoning for a few things in my SOP in a stronger way (my current words may be leading to an unintended outcome.) Finally, there was aspect of my application I did my best with, but ultimately realized I should have asked for some guidance from the university before submitting my application. The disappointment, and feeling absolutely terrible about myself, is one aspect hanging heavy on my heart, I feel awful that I worry that I've wasted everyone's time (my LOR writers and the adcom), ...when I truly believe the sort of person that the graduate program seeks, is here all along. Given that some people have heard from the university (according to the results survey), guess this means I should be bracing myself for a rejection... and reapply next year? Extreme sad face.

Unfortunately, I did not attend CAA, but noted there's a hot conversation going on the topic of whether artists and art historians should remain tied together, on the Facebook page of "Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art".

"This, this my life I'm chasing a dream..." Edward Maya -- This Is My Life http://youtu.be/j8MYxuMxaRg

How is the iPad useful to my work? I use my iPad 2 to display images and writing, as I use my laptop to type/compose. I also use to read on the iPad (documents, articles, magazines) because on a laptop its exhausting to scroll/read, and while my iPhone is doable, it is often too small and my eyes get squinty. Reading on an iPad is almost booklike, and feels more comfortable to me to hold than reading lengthy pieces on a laptop. In its iBooks app, the iPad has a nice highlighter feature which compiles into notes at the end, which can be helpful... although, it is pretty simple to accidentally set or delete a highlighted section, too! As for a disadvantage, I do not like typing on the iPad. I've never gotten comfortable with it. I know really should opt for an external keyboard because I'm always going back to my laptop to type long things.

I don't know you, but in a way, I think we are kindred spirits, in that we are both interdisciplinary. My undergrad involved rare books/bookbinding, I seek a PhD, and I would like to advance in the field of museums. :-) I suppose to some, that's exciting/advantageous, to others not as decided/concentrated. I, on the other hand, see interconnections and benefits... In the end, we have to make decisions in life (which we may not know the full ramifications for), which are based on our current interests, the opportunities offered, and plans for the future, and have to hope it all works out!

No problem, I'm happy to share what I know. Keep in mind that doing internships, having in-field experiences, and meeting with potential employers, you may not want to go any further, and that's OK. While the experience may heighten your interest to pursue the specific type of work, the experiences jut might also tell you that collections work in a museum setting, may not be for you. Either way, it's helpful. Additionally, I wanted to mention something about PhDs, in case you also are interested in that. For collections roles in a museum, obtaining a PhD may actually hurt your applications. Because of their nature (data entry and databases), museum employers look to a PhD candidate as not truly interested, or overqualified for collections work. I have not ever hired personally for a position in a museum, so perhaps take it not too rigidly, but I have heard this advice from a mid-career museum collections professional, who worked for a large art museum in the US. I think I've heard it from other people, too. That said, it is primarily collections management positions that you want to think carefully about committing yourself to a PhD. A PhD in Art History may be, however, helpful for some internships -- such as those art history, curatorial internships at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC.

Sure, I'm happy help with what I can! I do have a Master's in Museum Studies and several years of museum experience, but remember, I am not an expert. That said, your hunch about collections managers caring for objects is accurate. Sometimes, with a lack of professional staff, collections managers do have to perform conservation tasks. Just keep in mind if you do any work on a piece: always do your research thoroughly first, and whatever you do, make sure it is reversible. It would be my guess that roles in collections management are more common than conservation staff. For not all museums have a dedicated core of conservation staff, but many have positions in collections. As for resume and experience building, I'd start with an internship. Ideally, paid, but if you have to work elsewhere (to do the unpaid internship), I'd make sure you are volunteering your time for less than 15 hours a week, or 2 days a week. You don't want to be taken advantage of, nor do you want to conflict with a full-time work schedule... or even time for yourself. As for internships themselves, be willing to go anywhere in the country. The job is often short and not a forever assignment, so be willing take a job wherever it is... especially if it comes with housing. That is the ideal perk. Plus, if you don't get paid, at least you have a roof over your head. (Unless the museum forbids it, you could always seek a second job, too.) Internships and other museum jobs are advertised all over: Global Museums, AAM, CAA, etc. You'll have to comb them over and figure out what appeals to you. I'd recommend regional museum listings. In my area, there are New England Museum Association job postings online (I think you can Google "NEMA JOBS", you'll find it), and at the end of the webpage, there's a bunch of paid and unpaid internships. Note: many museum internships are for the summer, and applications are due early -- like now, and in the spring. Because you are an undergrad, unless you get a full-time gig, I'd go for the internships now, because you may be ineligible later. I recently earned a MA in Museum Studies... and sometimes intern employers seek my background as helpful (less training/less errors, yet hire with less pay), and others see me as over-qualified. Also, sometimes a job post says it seeks "college undergrad/grads AND recent grads," sometimes not. That is clue, too. As for assistant positions, like "collections assistant", they come in part-time and full-time positions, and the window to apply for them is often shorter. Like I said, employers want candidates already experienced. That means with some sort of database knowledge (e.g. Past Perfect), and a background with collections handing, data entry, etc. Finally, sometimes being the intern, gets you hired when positions open at the museum. It has been my experience in museums, and as a applicant outside of a museum, that museums are "turning internal" and looking at the applicants in house as a preference. In other words, you may advance due to a foot in a door. That is all about luck, timing, loyalty, and hard work. Prove yourself with any opportunity and you'll never know where it can take you.

Also, I would recommend not putting in a salary number in your application, unless requested. During the interview, or when the offer is being made, should be a salary discussion. Does anyone else have an opinion?

For survey of salaries and benefits in the area, my first instinct is checking with regional museum associations. Currently, I'm in the NEMA region and definitely NEMA does a survey of this -- I believe NY is in the region of MAAM (mid-atlantic museums association). You'll have to keep in mind that the results are averages between states and may not reflect individually a big city. In other words, hard to say if this average is a competitive wage for your museums you are exactly applying for. As for the number you are throwing out there, that's about right... but you'll have to keep in mind a few things, whether the museum is small/medium/large (larger museums may have more resources, and sometimes not), and where the museum is physically located. You'll also have to think about your own needs and what the lowest financially you'd take or need to live off, and put a number up there that is higher. Read the job description carefully -- sometimes there is fixed funding associated/allotted for the position, and you won't be able to stray higher or lower. With a number in mind, museums can balance how close/far you are from it, with their needs and restrictions. Throw a low number, you'll be a bargain, but throw a high number -- they might take that into account with your application (perhaps as a deterrent). Finally, the salary number should ideally reflect your qualifications, and the years/quality of museum experience. Again, ideally :-)

Registrar and collection manager, and conservator, are two career paths in the museum field, and require different training. I'm more on the research/curatorial side of the museum, so my knowledge may be weak answering. However here are some generalizations to offer the basic idea of the distinctions among the roles you hold interest: *Collections managers handle objects, note conditions, conduct inventories, and maintain/update databases of the collections. Bigger museums have the flexibility to divvy the tasks up, smaller museums may have limited staff and have to be a Jill/Jack of all trades. Sometimes collections tasks can be trained in an internship, or on the job, but a Master's degree in Museum Studies can be of particular help (the program may assist you getting those collections internships, or field training, you need to do the job correctly... and initially, get hired to do it.) Note: more employers expect you to have the professional skills before coming on board, and fewer are training on the job. This has to do with an over saturated job market, and tighter budgets in museums. University of Delaware's SWAT is a good example of excellent field training. University of Colorado-Boulder may be another, as CU has not just one museum but two, along with its Museum and Field Studies master's program, however I'm less familiar with CU.) *Registrars track objects - in and outside the institution. The registrar also handle the plans of the movement of objects, such as couriering art to another location, uploading/packing into the truck, etc. Thus, travel with the artwork, can be involved. Sometimes that is delegated, however to another lucky staff member :-) As for registrar training, collections management experience can be helpful (some museums additionally overlap the two), so can participating in registrar listserves online, and attending conferences such as the one upcoming on in Chicago -- Association of Registrars and Collections Specialists -- for networking and information. *Conservators care for, repairs, restores, and investigates the physical object. You usually do need a science background, and academic/professional training in a place for conservation. Personally, I've worked in a museum which had grads, and grad candidates, from the Winterthur/Uni of Delaware conservation program. Winterthur is a well-known program (respected for cutting-edge research using tools/expertise of conservation), I'd look into their requirements for admission, expectations of their students, and what students are doing post-program in terms of employment to see if that is a viable option and of interest to you. If you want hands-on training with bookbinding, North Benet Street School in Boston may be worth your time exploring. Northeast Document Center, as an example, may be then a potential employer. I wonder if rare book collections in athenaeums, libraries, or universities, would also be an employer you'd eventually seek? You say you studied art history, and perhaps art conservation, or collections managing, would be a better match with your academic training so far?

Did you check the results page yet? You can search for those schools, as well as look at past years for comparison/rough estimates of when you'll get a reply.

Hello m-ttl. I looked into Bard, too. I'm hugely interested in decorative arts, American furniture, and design. For the financial and geographic reasons you list, I decided not to apply. This is despite knowing an acquaintance who matriculated there and a curator I respect deeply who encouraged me to check it out. However, should you be available, you could apply for a (funded) summer program to get a taste of it! Here are the details: http://bgc.bard.edu/neh-institute The application is due early March. I hope this is of some help!

I just stumbled on these posts which may be of interest to you: "PhD in English? What the F%$@#K! have you been doing for the last ten years?" http://www.selloutyoursoul.com/2011/03/22/jobs-for-phds-outside-of-academia/ & "35 Awesome Jobs for English Majors" http://www.selloutyoursoul.com/2011/12/19/jobs-for-english-majors/ The blog does look like promoting a book, but take what you can from it! Good luck!