Monday, May 5, 2008

Not the End

Our final week of classes is this week. As I mentioned in the beginning, I began this blog for a specific course on regional material culture. Both the course and the blog have been very interesting learning experiences. I was also fortunate to be completing an internship with a curatorial department while taking the course and writing the blog, so all three experiences with objects helped reinforce each other.

I'd like to think that I now have a greater understanding of how objects can both reflect and affect a myriad of things. From social standing to philosophical world view to regional patterns, something as simple as a wooden chair or a pottery bowl can tell the careful and practiced observer volumes. Becoming that careful and practiced observer is a way for me to both improve my knowledge of museum collections and convey that knowledge to visitors.

I plan to continue this blog, in a more broadly structured way. I'll continue to post recent museum news and reflect on stories as I go. I also hope to foster some dialogue with other blogs dedicated to emerging museum professionals (like this one). To that end, I may open up comments at some point to encourage readers to weigh in. I'm looking forward to the future of Museophilia!

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