My opinion:
If we hope to give the trainee the most valuable learning
experience in the shortest period of time, then we would need to do a lot of
advance planning -- for example, the trainee may "shadow" at one museum while
marketing work is done, she would move on to another museum for experience in
research and label-writing, and another while fabrication is being done, another
while design planning is done, and another for installation and lighting,
etc. At the Yakima Valley Museum, there is no guarantee that a trainee
could walk in at any time and experience the tasks that best suit her needs, and
we certainly can't change our work schedule to suit such a program.
Maybe other museums are different, but at this museum a
trainee would need to be here for several months to experience the diverse tasks
involved in exhibit production (and this called "internship"), and only with
advance planning could the trainee step in and experience a specific task that
is needed for her training (for example, a trainee can visit our museum for the
first 2 weeks of February to experience exhibit installation and
lighting).
All in all, I'd rather encourage lengthy internships. I
think that they are better for both the museum and the student.
If we are talking about a "working professional" gaining new
skills from "senior professionals", then all he/she need do is call and make an
appointment to visit, tour, talk, shadow, whatever. Maybe a database of
the museums and individuals where certain skills "reside" is the best way to
deal with this need?
-Andy Granitto
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2007 12:04
PM
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] exhibit design
training?
We are looking for condensed exhibition design training opportunities,(or
perhaps shadowing opportunities) where we can send someone who is
learning on the job. Not full blown college/university programs.
Any ideas?
Thank you,
Greta Brunschwyler, Vice President, High Desert Museum, Bend, Oregon
541/382-4754 [log in to unmask]
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