Berlin's museums are slammed in new German government report

plus: there'll be FIVE winners of Museum of the Year this time, and treasures dug up in lockdown are revealed by the British Museum

Jul 23, 2020

hallo once more. it’s Thursday which means it’s the full bells and whistles edition of maxwell museums - i’m delighted to be in your inbox. i’m also really pleased to say that a section that has not been seen for a while makes a very welcome return, as my exhibition recommendations appear again now that, you know, there are actual exhibitions to see.

i’m also thrilled to say that my interviewee this week is one of the panelists for my (very first!) live online event next week. it’s for curators or budding curators and I CANNOT WAIT. read on to see the interview, or save yourself time and skip straight to getting your ticket by clicking here.

let’s dive in!

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catch up // NEWS

flowerbed finds. lockdown meant more people went digging around in their gardens. the British Museum reveals some of the historical treasures that this uncovered. the Sun

ouch. an astonishing new report by the German government slams the body that runs Berlin’s museums. it says it’s “dysfunctional, outdated and out of touch” and should be abolished. RFI

frightening news. one-third of US museums may not survive the year due to the pandemic a new survey reveals. NPR

Parr resigns. photographer Martin Parr quits as director of Bristol Photo Festival over a racism row. the Guardian

gongs galore. Art Fund’s Museum of the Year competition has Turner Prize’d itself and this year will recognise 5 joint winners. Belfast Telegraph

Iraq abduction. a German art curator has been kidnapped in Baghdad and is the latest in a series of abductions of anti-government activists. Deutsche Welle

#yawn. the pearl-clutching “dumbing down” brigade are back thanks to an instagram post from the Uffizi. although tbf the caption is ridiculous. the Telegraph

on your marks. the Games might be off this year, but a new $91 million-Olympic museum is definitely ON. it celebrates the US Olympic team and opens in Colorado this month. Associated Press

new arrival. a 3,000-year-old Egyptian statue which was held by the company archives of the collapsed Thomas Cook travel firm has been bought by a Leicester museum. BBC News

mini Monets and teeny Turners. these microscopic artworks for dolls houses have been created by a woman in Yorkshire and they’re SO GOOD! Daily Mail

St Fagan's National Museum of History in Wales is the current Art Fund Museum of the Year champion. Photo: © Marc Atkins / Art Fund 2019

listen up // INTERVIEW

blow someone’s mind by telling them that curators don’t just work in museums or galleries. Frances Reed is Events and Exhibitions Coordinator at the Royal College of Nursing Library and Heritage Centre in London, and she’s curated 10+ exhibitions on the history of nursing and healthcare at the Centre since joining in 2015. the 2019 exhibition, the Wandering Womb, has just been nominated for the Temporary or Touring Exhibition of the Year award at the 2020 Museums and Heritage Awards, alongside Tate Britain's Steve McQueen Year 3. this is a trade union that puts on shows for and by their members, as well as for the public. for budding curators, it shows that there are many career options outside of traditional museums.

and budding curators can also get a leg up by grabbing a ticket to my first ever online event, which Frances will be speaking at! maxwell museums presents: how to be a boss curator is your chance to hear from 3 expert curators on how they got to where they are. they'll offer up their experience to help you stand out from the crowd in the curatorial world and totally boss it 💪. Frances will appear alongside Brendan Cormier from the Victoria and Albert Museum and Dr Sushma Jansari from the British Museum. tickets are selling fast so grab them here.

firstly, congratulations on the award nomination. how does that feel?

Thanks! I’m feeling really chuffed, very grateful and the team are very excited. A lot of expertise went into the exhibition, from nurse specialists and historians to our designer who created the fabulous graphics. It’s also a real privilege to share the shortlist with some great museums and collections.

It was lovely to share the news with wider College too. The nomination is a cause for celebration at what is an extremely busy time for the organisation and our members. I’m so glad that our public space, dedicated to telling stories about nursing and health, is being recognised in this way.

what do you think it was about that exhibition that the awards panel picked up on?

We wanted the exhibition to show how history has shaped health care for women and what that means for women today. This meant confronting some difficult subjects. For our coinciding event series, we hosted a period poverty fundraiser, a comedy night on periods, and activities including pin-the-mirena-on-the-uterus. I like to think it was these creative responses to taboo issues that struck a chord with the panel. All aspects of the project were led by our members: nurses. So it is a great example of co-curation.

I also secured some fantastic exhibition loans, from lenders including the Science Museum and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. The objects – from pink pills to specula through the ages – really boosted the display and complemented our own collection of nursing diaries, pamphlets and papers.

how is your job and institution different to a typical museum. does that have opportunities and challenges?

The RCN is a trade union and professional college. So it certainly feels like a very unique environment to be a museum professional in. Our exhibitions programme was brand new when I arrived, and I’ve had some amazing support and encouragement to try new things. Building an exhibitions programme up from the ground means there’s lots of space for learning, testing, developing, as well as failing and trying again!

Our exhibition spaces are within the library, so there are limits to what we can do in the space. But that just means we can be more creative with the space we do have and ambitious with all the activities that accompany the exhibitions.

The biggest opportunity for me is the range of people and expertise I get to work with. Every single one of our exhibitions is co-curated with RCN members. This means our audiences and members have an essential and meaningful role, and keeps our exhibition messages informed, current and diverse.

what does an average day look like in this COVID era?

At the moment, like many, very different to usual! We're learning a lot about digital events, and the benefits of reaching audiences in Europe and beyond. I’ve also been running a series of online creative workshops in drawing, poetry and meditation. These are for our nursing members and provide a space to take some time out from the day they’ve just had. So I think at the moment, our average day has become about staying flexible and responsive to our audiences.

you got an MA in Museum Studies. did that help you in your career do you think?

For my current role, a postgrad qualification (whether museums or similar) was essential. So yes, having an MA helped get me the job I have. But I don’t think this should be an absolute requirement and I know some organisations are starting to strip it from their specs. For me, getting the work experience within museum environments is the best way to grow and build confidence.

Museum studies is definitely a good way to learn about the variety of roles that you can pursue in the sector, particularly if you are unsure. I loved going on visits as part of our management course and I did an amazing work placement that taught me about learning and access. We did academic courses on critical thinking, alongside collections management and care modules. So it’s incredibly varied.

what advice would you give budding curators just starting out?

If you are interested in a masters, think about other ways that you can build experience alongside the degree. Perhaps you study part-time with a heritage job on the go, maybe you can volunteer, and stay in touch with online conversations. The museum sector is brilliant at sharing expertise and guidance. Talk to people and arrange visits.

My other bit of advice, whatever route you take into the sector, is keep audiences in mind all the time. That’s why we do what we do. Which sounds corny, but when you’re in a ‘back of house’ role it’s easy to lose touch with the visitor that walks through the door. Like many, I started my career in front of house roles and summer temping. It’s often seen a stepping stone, or a foot in. But it’s one of the most useful professional experiences I’ve had.

‘maxwell museums presents: how to be a boss curator’ is on 29 July. get your tickets here

get up // WHAT’S NEW

hurrah! this section is BACK! long-time readers will know that an important part of my newsletter is a round-up of all the new exhibitions and events you need to see. but COVID put paid to that. but i’m delighted to say that as museums are properly reopening now, it returns! i like to make sure that this section is truly global, so its all the most exciting shows from all over the world. get clicking and visiting if you can.

Among the Trees at the Hayward Gallery, London - 37 artists celebrate and reimagine how we think about trees and forests. reopens 1 August
Hyundai Commission: Kara Walker at Tate Modern, London - the mammoth 13m-tall water fountain Fons Americanus has been extended. reopens 27 July
Bill Brandt / Henry Moore at the Hepworth Wakefield - explore the parallel and intersecting paths of these two great artists of the 20th century. reopens 1 August
El Greco: Ambition and Defiance at the Art Institute of Chicago - blockbuster show with 57 major works from around the world charting his development. reopens 30 July

last up // AND FINALLY

can you help the Science Museum Group identify what these 10 objects are that they’ve found in their collection? they have no idea.