Archives, Catalogs, and Collections at the Fabric Workshop and Museum
Semester: Spring 2024
Praxis Course: HART B420 Museum Studies Fieldwork Seminar
Faculty Advisor: Matthew Feliz
Field Site: Fabric Workshop and Museum
Field Supervisor: Justin Hall
Praxis Poster:
Mary-Grace Culbertson_Poster_Final S24
Further Context:
This semester I did an internship at the Fabric Workshop and Museum. Since this was my second semester at the FWM, I was already fairly acquainted with the collection and the tasks I’d be expected to do. Most of what I worked on this semester was related to organizing and streamlining information so that it could be easily accessed.
My first task was to compile a document that made readily available information regarding objects owned by the museum. To do this, I had to gather all information related to the object, like material, dimensions, and photo. I also had to delve into some files to determine what kind of contract the museum had with the artists and what it outlines in regard to object ownership. This was an interesting glimpse into the logistics of museums and collection building. The evolution of the contracts from the beginning of the museum to the present day was fascinating as the older contracts give most rights to the museum while the newer ones are more specific and individualized. This task took me quite some time and amounted to something close to 50 pages. I was relieved to be done with this task and rewarded by the completion of the file!
My next tasks were all in a similar vein of collections inventory. I did some work in locating objects and recording that in Excel sheets. I then updated this information on their collection database CollectionSpace. My final project of the semester involved doing some more work on CollectionSpace making exhibition records. This process included making a file for each exhibition that has happened at the FWM and attaching necessary files to it (this included the gallery checklist, wall text, and press release). I was able to make records for every year through 2012.
Overall, I really enjoyed my internship at the Fabric Workshop and Museum. I learned so much about museum processes and developed important organizational skills that will benefit the museum in future years. I feel so lucky for this experience and want to express my deepest gratitude for the FWM and for Bryn Mawr’s praxis program for allowing me to take part in this opportunity.