Milwaukee Art Museum

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Research Questions:

How does preservation and conservation of art impact the future? 

How can education guide future efforts to preserve art in a culture accustomed to throwing away “old” or “broken” items? 

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Day 5: Despite The Pandemic

Date & Time: 3-14-2020 9:30am - 5:15pm

Duties: Baumgartner Galleria Entrance Attendant 

Today was an unusual one, the news of the COVID-19 virus being classified as a global pandemic has been declared today. People are advised to stay at home, take precautions and keep clean. The morning meeting became quick due to all gatherings and events being canceled due to the pandemic. After talking with some security guards who were stationed near me, it became apparent how recent events are impacting people differently. When the museum opened, it wasn’t long until people began to show, but 2 hours into the opening of the museum we had only obtained 13 guests so far. This was highly unusual for the museum on a Saturday. As the day progressed the count rose but still came at only half the usual visitors. Throughout my shift I was thanked by visitors for being open and for keeping cleanliness in mind. Although I did a “open to close” shift again at the museum, I made time go by quicker by doing a few sketches of the building in my buckets of free time. When I came home for my shift, I was called by the museum saying they are unfortunately shutting down due to the pandemic. I’m thankful I got to spend the last day there, as well as the other experiences and people I had come to know at the museum. I hope that soon our lives can get back to normal. 

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Day 4: Conquest

Date & Time: 3-7-2020 9:30am - 1:30pm

Duties: Mezzanine Wayfinder & Windhover Hall Feature Exhibition Attendant

Another Saturday like any other, the diverse groups of people came to visit the art museum to see the feature exhibition at the main entrance away from where I was located. Although my position was to float around the gallery floor, I did meet many people coming from all over to see the exhibitions and many where sad upon learning that the “Portraits of Milwaukee” was done. Overall my position today continues to teach me about community and social interactions; and discovering how many people appreciate art!

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Day 3: Opening & Closing

Date & Time: 2-29-2020, 9:30am - 5:15pm

Duties: Mezzanine Wayfinder & Windhover Hall Feature Exhibition Attendant

This is the first time I had worked from the opening of the museum to the closing at 5pm. The opening of the museum was routine, although I was caught off-guard due to the end of the month yoga session that flooded the museum before it had opened. After the museum had cleared out I went to my first position that was mainly floating around the gallery guiding guests. Although it doesn’t have much to do with my duties, many more guests felt comfortable walking up to me due to my attire and new lanyard (I sadly still don’t have a badge). I felt more comfortable and helpful this morning, I learned a lot! As the day continued on I moved to the feature exhibition at the front of the museum. I was happy to be in a seated position in which I had to make sure people had tickets and weren’t bringing food or drink into the exhibition similarly to what I have been doing on my first two days. The shift felt longer than usual, as time went on the slower the business became. It’s strange that this shift felt long while at my other job a shift like this goes by very quickly. The staff was very surprised that a volunteer stayed the entire day!

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Personal Mission Statement 2020 Talk

When thinking about a personal mission statement I tend to either dismiss the idea completely or dive into a serious rambling speech. Being a senior at MIAD the topic of “what comes after” is brought up on a daily basis. It seems so close, yet so far from reality many of us switch from fawning over the idea to avoiding the topic in hopes of delaying setting foot in the real world. My mission statement for myself is to not only prosper but to foster confidence in myself and my practice as an artist. Throughout thesis preparation I have taken major steps in taking myself seriously and creating a business. I want to harness openness and sustainability in my growing family and everyday habits to live a life with less pressuring money problems and more introspective practices that I share with others through my abilities. I set my goal after graduation to find a job that I love and that is in the realm of creating art or being around art to ingrain the importance of expression and practice that I believe has crumbled over time. I love to teach and inspire individuals to strive for their goals as well, that’s why I choose the art museum as my place to offer my services. 

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Day 2: Paper & Pen

Date & Time: 2-22-2020, 9:30am - 1:30pm

Duty: Baumgartner Galleria Entrance Attendant

I entered the building again a half hour before it opened to be a part of the ritual of going over the days events. This time I was finally given a badge to signify my place in the building instead of looking like an overconfident tourist or some crazy women who has a terrible obsession with the museum. The Saturday started off slowly at first, only 20-30 people in the first two hours. It was nice to be alone and to have time with a pen, paper and rambling thoughts. Although around lunchtime it definitely ramped up and I was forced to be on high alert. I felt good about directing people, their smiling responses where enough gratitude to get me through the time. Although it felt slower today, I still felt like did my assigned tasks and continued to learn the types of people that come to the Milwaukee Art Museum.

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Day 1: 600+

Date & Time: 2-15-2020, 9:30am - 1:30pm

Duty: Baumgartner Galleria Entrance Attendant

I entered the building a half hour before it opened (9:30am) and I was a part of a opening get together that got together the team to go over today’s events. As my shift started I was introduced to the women I would be shadowing and we went over our responsibilities. Making sure people had their tickets, backpacks in front etc. I figured it would be a slow experience so I had brought a notebook with me to pass the time. Quickly I found out this was not the case; as a barrage of people were eager to get into the exhibition I was protecting. I also learned that my volunteering position was not too much different than my current job as far as customer service skills go. It was very easy to help people who seemed lost, answer questions and stop people from doing things they weren’t allowed to do. Overall; I found my first day exhilarating and being the most exciting part of my week so far. It really made me understand the different and similar experiences in customer service that I experience here and at my job.  I look forward to my next shift! 

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Beginnings:

I’m a MIAD senior in NSP, Cassie tasked with soaking in all the information possible in our community. I’m thinking about lending my service to the Milwaukee Art Museum. As a kid I’ve always been fascinated by art history, and the building itself. This blog is about my journey each day I’m there.