Interview by Michelle Hickey
Michelle: When you went to Bucknell what did you study? What was your experience as a student like?
Cait: I was accepted to Bucknell as major Undecided, thinking in the back of my mind that I would pursue Economics. It only took me a class or two to realize that while that disciple fascinated me (and still does) it wasn’t the best course of study for me. At some point during Freshman year I declared Sociology with a Legal Studies concentration, as well as a Spanish major. It wasn’t until the 2nd half of my Bucknell experience that I took my first Art History class. Studying Art History, for me, captured so many disciplines of interest simultaneously that it felt like a “steal” to get it all under one major. I felt had to major in Art History, too! Since I was rather late in declaring my Art History major, and since I refused to give up the other two majors I was so close to completing, I got permission to overload certain course credits during my semester abroad (Spring 2007, Buenos Aires, Argentina) and also during Senior year to complete all three majors in time for graduating in 4 years.
Michelle: What did you get out of Bucknell that still helps you today? If you could go back would you do anything differently?
Cait: It’s nearly impossible for me to say what from Bucknell still helps me today, as it was such a formative period of my life in general! I can say with confidence, however, that I developed a sense of curiosity tempered by conscientious work habits, which still helps me today. It was really in college where I learned that curiosity in and of itself is not valuable; to me, curiosity is only of value when one learns to manage it and channel it into productive avenues. That balance is important in the real world.
I try not to entertain these shoulda/coulda/woulda questions, but I’ll try: when writing papers –it was very common in all three of my majors to have large semester writing projects, essay style exams etc.—if I could do back, I would have adhered better to the desired lengths for writing assignments. Often times I went over the limit, literally writing 15 pages when it was assigned as an 8-10 pager. Of course at the time I thought I was going above and beyond and being a noble student, but looking back, learning how to be concise and practicing self editing would have been useful exercises for me. I’m someone who automatically says in 10 words what could be stated in 2, so when adjusting to effective writing in the real world I was constantly asking myself (and still do) “does that line actually contribute something to your message?” To this day I work on my writing skills.
Michelle: Is grad school a necessity for your profession? If not, do you suggest getting a masters before starting a career or going straight to work after undergrad?
Cait: Yes and No. In the museum world, Curatorial departments do require further degrees. Typically a Master’s will get you into you a research position, but more often than not, for major exhibition planning, Curators will look for the candidates with PhDs (or ABD “all but dissertation”). I worked in that arena for a few years and was at the point where I needed to decide one way or another tostay and pursue further degrees, or make a departmental change. I chose the latter. Working in Curatorial allowed me to interact with many departments across the museum, through which I realized I am well suited for Registrar work, and was fortunately able to make the transition from Curatorial to Registrar. Here in Registrar, I would say that experience is valued over formal education. Registrars on the whole are very learned people who know incredible amounts about art history, but since they are not heavily involved in the history of these objects we deal with, academic concerns are secondary to experience and practical skills. Many places of higher education these days are developing collection management programs (eg NYU’s Certificate in Art & Collections Management), which I’m sure is a worthwhile and full of info, but I believe –and colleagues and superiors in my current job concur—this is a field where the more you do and the more you’ve seen, the better you are, regardless of formal degrees. Fortunately, I’m someone who keeps their eyes/ears open, so I’m excited to soak up as much as I can during the work day and continue on this path for what I hope will be a rewarding career.
As for my suggestion regarding work versus further schooling, I will personally always say –as I did to myself, and to both younger sisters of mine—that unless you have your eye on a prize that cannot be reached without a very specific further degree, I suggest working straight out of college. As an employee –even if it’s not an ideal job setting– you will learn more about your professional strengths and weaknesses than if you continue to function as a student. Learn those qualities about yourself, then reconsider school, as necessary.
Michelle: I know you have just moved to a new position at MoMA. Can you tell me a little about what that job entails and a little about the position you had before that?
Cait: As mentioned earlier, I used to work in MoMA’s Curatorial side, for Painting & Sculpture (our museum’s research end is divided by media). Here’s the portion of my résumé that speaks to that role: Administrative Assistant to the Department of Painting and Sculpture; support exhibitions and publications organized by Anne Umland, The Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Curator of Painting & Sculpture: Picasso: Guitars 1912-1914 and René Magritte: 1926-1938; as direct support for curator, coordinate calendar and travel; organize and maintain filing system; manage shifting priorities; assist correspondence with lenders, scholars and various art professionals; provide occasional research assistance toward collection review and potential acquisitions; coordinate with museum colleagues as necessary throughout exhibition planning and regarding ongoing collection management; as departmental support, responsibilities include arranging archive access for curatorial staff and outside researchers; fielding myriad artist and visitor inquiries; facilitating informal tours of collection and special exhibition galleries. In my new role in Registrar, I’m doing totally different work, but I’m sure all those skills from Curatorial are essential to who I am as a worker today and that I could not have made this transition without those years of experience. Registrar is broken into the Collection and Exhibition sids –the Collection registrars manage the permanent collection and arrange outgoing loans to other institutions while the Exhibition registrars oversee complex installation schedules for incoming loans from all sorts of lending institutions, dealers and collectors, domestic and international. My role is split since I am an entry level Registrar (my guess is they want to expose me to a lot and see where I excel; I hope) but I’m principally assigned to international exhibitions, likely because of all the experience I had building exhibitions and managing lender relationships while working on the Curatorial end. I consider it a privilege and an asset to my current role (Registrar) that I was able to have seen the other side (Curatorial).
Michelle: What’s an average day like for you?
Cait: An average day is dependent on what stage we’re at relative to an exhibition’s opening or closing. During peak installation or de-installation (the 3 weeks leading up to and following the exhibition’s public dates) we’re juggling many incoming couriers, unpacking works, condition checking, and doing our best to keep to the install schedule that is so closely subject to art handling and budget concerns. Updating our database with various internal move requests and shipping orders takes my time, as does insurance monitoring, lender correspondence and myriad other behind the scenes tasks involved with managing these objects! Beyond this, I’ll know more after I’ve worked in this role for another 6 months –there’s a learning curve for me!
Michelle: What do you enjoy most about your job? What do you find challenging?
Cait: Currently what I enjoy most about my job is the increased interaction with people and art objects. Working with couriers, while subject to many last minute changes and human error, has the potential to be very enjoyable, if not enlightening. Unpacking a historically significant art work (most of which I’ve written about in term papers, or been quizzed on in art history classes –the real icons!) with someone from another culture who usually knows much about that object and is excited to be there with you on the exhibition floor with is a good time. I’m also detail oriented so marking up the condition reports with conservation observations and following procedures is actually fun for me, too! The most enjoyable part of my job that I foresee will be the courier trips. Once my various certifications are in place (e.g. independent condition checking, TSA, etc.) I’ll be able to accompany works on outgoing loan or those we’re collecting from overseas for display in NYC. I’m someone who is at my best self while traveling and I react well to stressful situations abroad, not to mention that I’m obsessed with exploring new places, so I can’t wait for the day I can serve as a courier for MoMA. The most challenging part of my job is something that I just mentioned above –my line of work is subject to many last minute changes and human error. All one can do to hedge against those frustrations is be as prepared as possible at all times. Preparation is key.
Michelle: What do you like/dislike about working at MoMA in particular?
Cait: The greatness of MoMA’s history accounts for much of what I like about working here, plus our incredible resources. This place is teeming with knowledge and power. What I dislike is the institutionalization, which can create “work flow” complications. Such is an inevitability at any work place –corporate, museum, or a blend of the two!—of this size, however.
Michelle: What skills are essential for your job? How did you acquire them?
Cait: It is essential to be prepared, always, as mentioned above. The ability to predict what might be useful, what might save time, or what someone might ask will prevent miscommunications and error, which you’ll aim to avoid if you’re hoping to have a chance at a productive day. I acquired the skill of advance preparation by being a conscientious student at Bucknell and then really developed that skill during my first few works working in NYC, asking myself at every turn “Does this email answer everything? What will they expect me to do next, and should I get that ball rolling already? Could this be misinterpreted or am I being universally clear? Where do I stand regarding this deadline, and if it’s approaching, should I set anything in motion, or follow up somewhere? What’s my strategy and how am I tracking actions? Etc.
Michelle: What experiences you had, actions you took, and connections you made led you to the position you have today?
Cait: Everything gets you somewhere, so I’d credit each and every of my post Bucknell experiences (ie internships at galleries in Chelsea, part time work at Phillips de Pury auction house, several years work experience at art lending firm, Art Capital Group) but if I had to connect to one action: I took night classes offered by MoMA for my personal enjoyment. Through those courses I became friendly with the teacher, who used to work for MoMA’s Education department. She clued me into the job opening in Painting & Sculpture (although by law MoMA posts any and all job openings on its website since it’s a non-profit). She offered to walk my resume to the HR department, which, if nothing else, means that someone, somewhere had to at least look at the first page of my resume!
Michelle: What advice can you give to someone who aspires to pursue museum work like yours? How could a student get started?
Cait: Students should do anything they can to get experience interning at a museum. When it’s inevitably unpaid, I’d encourage you to rationalize this decision by working nights or weekends at another job to supplement your income. Museums are complex, unique work places and it is extremely favorable in the eyes of a future employer to know that you have already operated within that structure. Gaining experience with the database “The Museum System” (also referred to as CEMS) is attractive, too, as it’s a tricky method of organizing data but I can assure you it is a vital part of our system of organization as a museum.
Michelle: Can you suggest any internships or opportunities for someone pursuing a career in museum work?
Cait: MoMA offers a 12 month internship and seasonal internship program. It’s a formal process and all info is provided online. I’m not certain the process at other museums, but as mentioned, if museum work is of interest to you, do anything you can to get into one for whatever length of time you can. Even if it’s not a collection you’re interested in –for example, if you’re interested in early modern works on paper, but can’t find a volunteering opportunity at the Morgan, so you accept a contemporary role with the New Museum –just do it. In some way, at their core, all museums function the same, so any museum role is better than none.
Michelle: What do you do when you’re not working? Is most of your time spent at work, or do you have time for recreational things too?
Cait: I have worked an incredible amount since Bucknell, most intensely the past 2+ years in Painting & Sculpture. With my transition to Registrar I am trying to mark that change by establishing more professional / personal boundaries for myself. I’m happy to report that I’ve experienced a solid month of what I consider to be a balanced life –here’s hoping that continues! In my spare time I travel as much as possible (and as financially feasible –art world jobs do not exactly remunerate well, alas), cook vegan recipes (this takes up a lot of my evenings during the week), read (typically just on the weekends, mainly newspapers and auto/biographies), exercise (pilates and anything outdoors), watch Sunday football, laugh with family (I live with my sisters, thank goodness) and friends, and I’m sure countless other things.
Michelle: What made you decide to go into museum work?
Cait: I wish I could tell you. This work found me!
Michelle: Would it be OK for my professor or other students to follow up with you later on if they have any questions? If so, what is the best way for them to get in touch with you?
Cait: Of course. I am best reached by email Caitlin.marie.kelly@gmail.com.
