As an African American woman and a museum professional, I believe that
we, as a community, can rectify this problem of underrepresentation not
so much by outreach but perhaps by "reaching" out. I have been blessed
to have worked in two institutions that believe in bringing the museum
(and its professionals) to the community--an idea that is superb when
you are targeting a group of individuals who have never identified
themselves with a museum let alone identify themselves as working in a
museum. The first institution that I worked in was the Studio Museum in
Harlem. I started as an intern and was then promoted to program
coordinator for community programming. My main project was to bring the
art/artists to the public schools of Harlem. If any of you are familiar
with Harlem, and I say this with love, visiting a museum or a museum
program is the least of their concerns. At any rate, artists were placed
in the schools for 6 to 9 months. The children would create art that
would eventually be displayed in their own exhibition. The most
successful part of this project was providing the opportunity to allow
these children to represent themselves in a setting that they assumed
had nothing to do with them. At the end, these children believed that we
(as staff) were nice, that this (the museum)was nice and that maybe they
could grow up to do what we did--it's a beginning. The second
institution is the Smithsonian's Anacostia Museum. I accepted the position
as registrar while still attending the George Washington University's Museum
Studies program. With ethics on the brain and seriousness in my heart, I
can not tell you how appalled I was when my director told me to go to
the public schools and tell them what exactly it is a registrar does;
how an object actually is taken care of; etc. I had put professional
passion before passion for "my people." Not realizing that this would be
my one time to actually tell this community about a job that they would
otherwise never know of let alone know that they too can be one, I
grunted and groaned until the end of my class. When these kids finished
telling me about condition reports, loan agreements, DOG's, shipping,
etc. I was ready to get some 171's together. I can not thank my former
director enough for "forcing" me to work with that project. I now know
that there is a community of kids that can add "registrar" as well as
designer, curator, and historian to their list of things they would like
to do when they "grow up." I know these two situations involved children
but where else to start? You have to plant the seed and hope that the
watering will take place within. I know that I have gone on too long,
but one last thing. In regards to Laura Mahoney's statement re:
experience prior to internship, keep this one scenario in mind when you
are reviewing intern applications. While registrar at Anacostia, I
always operated with volunteers and interns. There was one young lady
who did not have a job and never had any museum experience (in her
words,she simply wondered what it would be like). She was separated from
her husband and had a five month old baby. The only transportation she
had was the bus. I accepted her for as you said, "when you have no staff
you are willing to take anyone (paraphrased)." This person turned out to
be one of my best volunteers. Why? Because she had passion. (Some of us
are still looking for that in our fields.) When she did not have a
sitter we would set the playpen up in the office and get to work. It's
all about sacrifice. Everyone on this list was given a first chance. Why
is it that after we become a little seasoned we forget our past?

Lauri Hinksman Asst. National Collections Coordinator National
Collections Program, Smithsonian Institution.

RM 3109, Arts and Industries building, MRC 404
Phone: 357-3127 ext. 42 FAX: 357-2395
Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be
dissappointed!