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Museum Technician Career Interview
Greg Harris has worked as a museum technician at the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago and at the Art Institute of Chicago and is currently an assistant curator at the DePaul University Art Museum.
Museum Technician Career Path
While Greg was in college, he worked as a preparator at the Museum of Contemporary Photography and as a curatorial intern at the Art Institute of Chicago
“Working in these entry-level museum positions exposed me to museum curatorial research and installation work and made me want to pursue museum work as a career,” he says.
Museum Technician Experiences
Greg has worked in the museum field for 6 years: 1.5 years as an intern, 1 year as an art installer, 2.5 years as a researcher and collections photographer, and he is now an assistant curator. Greg started his career at the Museum of Contemporary Photography and today works at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Greg earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in photography at Columbia College of Chicago and a Master of Arts in art history at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Museum Technician Degree Programs
A Master of Arts degree in art history is necessary for further advancement in museum work. However, for entry-level positions, some experience and knowledge of current and historical art are necessary.
Museum Technician Job Description
“A museum technician is generally responsible for installing exhibitions and moving art objects,” Greg explains. “The responsibilities sometimes extend into curatorial tasks, such as research, writing, and organizing exhibitions.”
Museum Technician Daily Routine
On a normal day, Greg would install exhibitions; frame artwork; conduct research; write didactic exhibition texts; lead tours of exhibitions; correspond with artists, collectors, donors, and dealers; and catalog and organize museum collections.
Museum Technician: Steps to Success
“Curiosity and a desire to keep learning new things are very important,” says Greg. “The ability to write and speak articulately goes a long way. You also need to be careful and detail-oriented since you’re dealing with very valuable and often irreplaceable objects. You need to be able to work well with others – many of the projects are collaborative.”
Museum Technician Job Opportunities
To get into any kind of museum work, it’s not always easy to find the right opportunity. “As with all jobs, you need the right experience, which sometimes takes time to get,” Greg advises. A large part about finding museum technician jobs is networking: you need to know the right people to find the right job. “It helps if you have a strong recommendation from a respected person in the field,” Greg adds. “There are a lot of aspiring art historians and curators out there looking for a foot in the door.”
Museum Technician Career Favorite Aspect
“Being able to look at (and touch) art all day and to be surrounded by people who are very passionate about art,” says Greg.
Museum Technician’s Future Ambitions
Greg hopes to use the experience and education he has accrued to become a museum curator.
Advice for Prospective Museum Technicians
“Be willing to take on any task and don’t have an attitude about certain things being below what you think is your level,” Greg recommends. “You have to demonstrate that you can handle the simple things before you’ll get to take on the more interesting ones. Also, pay attention to the people who you work with – you can learn a lot just by observing the people who do the job you hope to have someday.”
