One of my graduate courses required a group project as part of a block about the Learning Design Studio. Our project developed a Google Site for our work. This is a copy of my contributions to the group effort, reformatted for this website. The project starts here.
Museum staff persona: Mary Lovett
Photo by Charlotta Wasteson is licensed under CC BY 2.0
- Gender: Female
- Age: 62
- Lives in Houston.
- Likes do genealogy in her spare time. “why yes, I am from those Lovetts. Y’ll see all those schools and roads ’round here? They’re named after my grand-uncle twice removed, Edgar Lovett . And did you know, Lyle Lovett just happen to be kin, too… such a nice boy, we’re just so proud of him, and he sure ‘nough can sing!”
Education and experience
Mary has a Bachelor’s degree in Art History from the University of Houston . Before joining the 1940 Air Terminal Museum, she worked at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston , which is one of the largest museums in the US. She left to make her mark in a smaller museum.
Role and responsibilities
Mary’s official job is Gallery Interpretation Specialist, which is a job in the museum’s Department of Learning. Her job is to make sure all museum visitors are able to access and engage with the museum pieces. This is called ‘gallery interpretation’, and her job involves all aspects of the interpretive process, including writing interpretive plans, developing new interpretive tools and technologies, and assessing those tools. In doing so, she works the docents, curators, educators, conservators, and other staff.
Technical skills
Much of Mary’s job requires writing, public speaking, and verbal communication, and as such she is familiar with Microsoft Word and PowerPoint. She also has knowledge of the specialty software commonly used in the archival and cataloging processes in museums.
Subject domain skills and knowledge
Mary has extensive experience and expertise in art history, interpretive theory, museology, and evaluation practices.
Motivation and desires
Mary will likely retire from the museum within the next five years. She is very interested in leaving on a high note, and making her mark by bringing an amazing project to fruition at ‘her’ museum.
Goals and expectations
Part of Mary’s job is to stay abreast of new and emerging technologies that can positively affect gallery interpretation.
Obstacles to success
For most of her working career, Mary worked at a very large and lavishly funded museum. She wanted to move to a smaller museum, but the smaller budgets is still something of a shock to her. She sometimes gets enthused about technologies, and makes informal positive replies to proposals, only to have it regretfully turned down by Jennifer as too costly.
Unique assets
Mary has a very rich and deep knowledge of museology.
Next: The challenge