Welcome!

Hello, and welcome to my blog! My name is Margaret and I am studying Collections and Curating Practices MScR at the Edinburgh College of Art. I will be using this blog to think critically about the group project I will be working on this year. It will be a place to delve into our findings and show how the project comes together as we flesh out the ways to approach the brief.

I pursued my undergraduate degree at the University of South Carolina, where I studied History and Art History. I was able to participate in an internship as well at the McKissick Museum. This experience really sparked my interest in museums and their functionality. During my internship I primarily worked with Collections. I was able to get acquainted with their systems as well as focus on my particular interests within the collection, which allowed for a wide variety of tasks. However, because of the small size of the museum itself, I was able to work with different sections such as Curating and Exhibitions as well. This allowed for a well-rounded experience, and has made me appreciate my time there.

This is a quilt I worked with during my internship at McKissick Museum. http://mckissick.pastperfectonline.com/webobject/B1EC6EE1-942F-4EAE-B989-264467275143

My undergraduate degree covered a broad range of times and places. Despite this I found myself focusing on gender and art. I found myself particularly interested in the Medieval period, though that program was very small so I hope to pursue that more here at the University of Edinburgh. Though I find myself to be very adaptable to my areas of interest, which quite often do not align themselves easily. Which is perhaps why this program appeals to me so strongly. I hope to be able to influence the way I approach collections and exhibits, both professionally as well as personally. The opportunity here to work in and with such a varied range of museums, collections, and individuals provides a diverse array of experiences and learning opportunities which is exactly what I had hoped to gain through this experience.