#exhibitinstallationisabitch

A few scenes from the process of installing a traveling exhibit over the last week or so:

The panels arrived last Friday in 7 large boxes.  They had to be unpacked and any damage issues noted on a report due 48 hours after the panels' arrival.  Hence, working all day last Saturday.

Working on exhibit labels later in the week.  This cryptic and silly note refers to a label for a small portrait of a gentleman's third wife (the second to be named Frances and nicknamed Fanny).

Took this shot just an hour before the exhibit opening!

Goodbyes

Back to my old museum today for a one-day appearance running the April school vacation workshop.

The kids at the workshop built this planter with junk bricks from an old courtyard.  They raked the courtyard, bagged leaves, built the planter, planted perennials in it, and scattered wildflower seeds in the back portion of the courtyard - all in less than an hour.  Go them!

Going to miss this 1710 space.

New Environment

Movin' on up!  This is my new desk at the museum where I recently become Co-Director.  I've worked here for three years, at another desk about ten feet away, but this feels like a nice change.  My new desk is in an office that I share with our bookkeeper  who's only in a few hours a week.  My old desk was in a general area at the top of the stairs that everyone walks in and out of all the time.

The curator, who's also my counterpart as Co-Director, recently ok'd plants in the non-museum part of the building, i.e. the office addition.  So I went a little nuts - I bought 7 plants for the three office spaces and moved her dying spider plant into a sunny window situation.  Having greenery all around has been lovely!

I don't have a window, which I did want, but as you can see from the photo above, the mirror above my desk reflects the light from the window opposite and I have a lovely view of a copper beech tree framed in in if I just look up.  Hooray for new spaces and new beginnings!

Opening Up

Almost open for business! Traveling George Washington exhibit on loan from Mount Vernon begins 4/26!

A Day in the Life

A fairly typical day in my life at the moment:

Rearranging books in a historic house bookcase in preparation for an upcoming exhibit.

And then working from my living room desk for awhile after I got home.

The Long View

A bit of news: at the end of February, I officially accepted a promotion at one of my three museums. As of next week, I'll be leaving one museum, where I've worked since the summer of 2009, and becoming Co-Director of another museum, where I've been since the spring of 2010. I'll keep my third job for the time being, for the love of it (and for the extra income).

It's an exciting change and one that will hopefully bring some focus as well as some stress. For the last three years, I've worked three jobs in three different towns (while living in a fourth). It's been manageable but certainly not stress-free. The idea of working the job closest to home nearly full-time (~35 hours/week) and keeping my most-beloved other job as a side gig?  Heaven.

So with just two more work days to go at one museum, today was one of the last times I'll see the million dollar view above.  But here's to new beginnings and happy endings!

Ancient Tools

Atlatl throwing. Long, tiring day today, but still, I get paid to do this!