So you want to break into the museum field
Some things I wish I knew before starting my first job in the arts
Two years ago, I gave up on ever working in the arts. I was on my path to graduating with a B.A. in Art History, a degree I would tell people I pursued ‘just for fun.’ I poured years of my life studying obscure architecture and artists because at least it was ‘more interesting than getting a communications degree.’ I finagled my way into the History Honors Thesis class because I ‘felt like it would look good on job apps.’
Something was compelling me to downplay my passion for the arts whenever I was asked about it by people outside of my circle. Practicality, maybe. Or perhaps judgements from others who pursued college majors with a higher employment rate.
Inside, I knew living post-college without any art world touchpoint would mean a life lived unfulfilled. Yet, my fate was already sealed. I couldn’t get a single internship or job in the arts during college. I went to office hours and had a job at the campus paper and wrote the museum-focused honors thesis. The one offer that I passed on was an unpaid internship to teach art history to kindergarteners. At the time, I also didn't deal with rejection very well. So, I ruled out ever working in an arts institution.
Along came the justifications to ease my disappointment.
“I’d probably be working alone and in a dark basement” or "The people would be horribly pretentious” or “There wouldn’t be open jobs that weren’t in fundraising or curatorial” were my excuses. All but one of these statements is somewhat true of actually working at a museum. Hint: my office has a non-operable window.
My pessimism towards working at a museum mostly came from being uninformed. I hadn’t spoken to a lot of people who had the jobs I wanted at museums. I didn’t do my research on how to break into the field. I didn’t even know which jobs I wanted. Applying to everything was my initial strategy that quickly burnt me out and didn’t get me to where I am today.
This piece is meant to help folks out who are in this same position I’m referencing: inspired but growing frustrated and confused about where to even start. Whether you have no background in the arts or eat, sleep, and breathe museums, I know you’ll find a helpful tidbit here.
Some real facts we must address
I don’t mean to scare you off from aspiring to work in the arts but rather, help you approach this in a way that’s realistic and attainable for you, no matter what existing experience you possess.
Like many fields, the arts are underfunded, teams are small, and most roles require additional degrees. In today’s landscape, funding is even tighter, jobs are more competitive, and cultural institutions are shrinking their teams. Last month, one of my coworkers was impacted by our museum’s layoffs, dwindling our tiny marketing team of four people down to three. It was an event that completely shifted morale even after months of trimming funding due to withdrawal of many federal grants.
Circumstances are simply unfortunate right now, but this doesn’t mean you should give up. The art world job hunt becomes more approachable once you recognize the piece that makes you unique and where it fits into the art world puzzle.
Here’s all the steps I’d take to kickstart an exploration of working in the arts and start applying to opportunities truly tailored to my skills, qualifications, and interests:
