With the close of the spring semester, UNMAM’s pilot course developed in collaboration with the UNM Museum Studies Program, “Contemporary Perspectives on the Art Museum,” (MSST 486/586) also wrapped up.

The one-credit course introduced students to the wide range of roles and behind-the-scenes work in contemporary art museums. Designed to help museum studies students better understand both practicum opportunities and professional pathways, the course offered an inside look at museum careers and the issues shaping museums today. 

Exploring Museum Careers and Current Issues 

Through conversations with museum professionals, including directors, curators, collection managers and exhibition designers – many of them UNMAM staff members – students explored topics such as curation in the academic museum, diversity in collections management, digital time-based media evaluation and management, and New Mexico’s role in the global art world. 

The seven students enrolled in the course leave with new professional connections across the area’s museum community and a broader understanding of careers in museums and cultural work. 

Loa Traxler, Director of UNM’s Museum Studies Program, was instructor of record, with Christina Cook as Teaching Assistant. Cook is the Graduate Assistant to UNMAM Director Arif Khan and a Hibben Fellow in the UNM Museum Studies Program. Cook explained the impetus to create the class. “When we were thinking about how to deeply engage students at the art museum, this course felt like a natural fit – the art museum can be a hub for academic discussion, experience-based learning and professional development. As a student, the opportunity to design this course was incredible; how often do you get to make a class you want to take yourself? Thanks again to UNMAM, our partner organizations, and my fellow students for your trust!”

Khan notes that the course reinforced UNMAM’s role as a teaching museum that supports students academically and professionally. “We’ve heard from students that the course exceeded their expectations and that they wish it could have been longer. That kind of feedback affirms the role UNMAM plays as an active partner in their education,” he said. 

Learning Beyond the Classroom 

To showcase a variety of institutional models and perspectives, the class visited several area museums and galleries, including the Museum of International Folk Art and Art Vault, both in Santa Fe, and 516 Arts in Albuquerque.  

“It was great to go behind the scenes, outside of our textbooks, and meet the people who make the museum run, and to be able to compare and contrast the multitude of roles in each museum,” said Lauren Thomson, a graduate student in the course. 

Khan emphasized the importance of collaboration and community partnerships in shaping the course. “What made the course especially meaningful was the generosity of our partners. Students were welcomed into spaces where they could learn from professionals and better understand the many dimensions of museum work,” he said. “Guest speakers also generously shared their time and experience, giving students real-world points of view,” Khan said.

He adds that the feedback from students was overwhelmingly positive and that the Museum Studies program and UNMAM staff are exploring opportunities to offer the course again.

Institutional Partners and Contributors 

We extend our gratitude to the staff at the off-site institutions who hosted class visits: 

• Laura Addison, Curator of European & American Folk Art Collections, Museum of International Folk Art

• Lila Pickus, Exhibition Designer & Project Manager, New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs 

• Kathleen Richards, Santa Fe Art Spaces Director & Exhibitions Manager, ArtVault

• Daniel Ulibarri, Programs Coordinator, 516 Arts

We also thank the guest lecturers, speakers and staff members who contributed expertise and support to the course:  

• Lance Bad Heart Bull, Collections Specialist, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Broad Diversity Apprenticeship program, first cohort and UNM alumnus

• Evelynn Bird, IPM Recovery Conservation Technician, National Museum of the American Indian; Graduate Fellow, Garman Art Conservation Department, SUNY Buffalo State; Broad Diversity Apprenticeship Program, second cohort

UNMAM Staff Contributors 

• Ethan Aronson, Manager of Visitor Experience 

• Kathy Freise, Communication & Outreach Specialist 

• Angel Jiang, Curator of Prints & Drawings 

• Arif Khan, Director 

• Joseph McKee, Collections Associate 

• Andrea Perez-Martinez, Collections Manager 

• Mary Statzer, Senior Curator 

Administrative Support 

UNM Museum Studies Program 

• Anne Marie Carpenter, Program Administrator & Student Advisor 

• Loa Traxler, Director 

UNMAM 

• Devin E. Geraci, Associate Director of Operations