The Witte Museum, a San Antonio staple: many a Texan child has spent countless hours within its arched façade. Not just a museum, no, a cultural institution harboring some of Texas’ greatest treasures, it’s history. From an early age I found myself within its walls weaving through its many galleries, rushing to soak in its next surprise. As an adult I’m pleased to find myself in the same position as I was then, only this time in a slightly different context. To my delight I was able to become a Collections Intern at the Witte Museum. It seems rather apropos that I should lay the foundation of a career on a path that had already been started long before I even knew. Coming full circle with the Witte was so meaningful because I now understand the true importance and value of a museum and its collections, rather than simply seeing it for its aesthetic purposes. My internship moved the spotlight onto collections management, what truly goes on behind the scenes and who the man behind the curtain really is: The time and manpower behind the exhibits that thrill us, the artifacts and specimens that make us wonder. Collections Management is not for the faint of heart, for within its storage facility you might find yourself in a different world all together.
References
Conniff, Richard. “Our Natural History, Endangered.” The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 1 April. 2016. Web. 14 April 2016.
Golembiewski, Kate. “The Lost Victorian Art of Egg Collecting.” The Atlantic. The Atlantic Monthly Group, 25 March. 2016. Web. 14 April 2016.
Kemp, Christopher. “Museums: The endangered dead.” Nature. International Weekly Journal of Science, 18 February. 2015. Web.14 April 2016.