MUSM 4084:
Museum Professionalism
During the summer of 2020 I took a course through the University of Iowa's museum studies program entitled Museum Professionalism. The course included readings related to working in museums, conversations with museum professionals, class discussions, and project work. This page showcases some of the work completed in my role as the Communications Associate at the African American Museum of Iowa during my time in this course, as well as a list of career resources developed as part of the course.
Professional Work
Bridge Banners
These banners were designed to replace older banners on the Martin King Luther, Jr. Memorial Bridge in Cedar Rapids, IA. Fellow museum staff had noted that the name of the bridge was too small on previous banners and a discussion was had about using a new color scheme. These banners were designed using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
Juneteenth Virtual Celebration
Due to COVID-19 concerns, the AAMI's annual Juneteenth celebration was moved online. Developing this online event was the most intensive project completed over the summer. Work for this project included developing a webpage for the event, working with sponsors to obtain graphics and videos, editing and posting videos, and creating promotions for the event. As a fundraiser, I designed a t-shirt using Bonfire. This fundraiser raised $1,622. I also worked with the Iowa BIG program and Andrew's Bar exam to develop and promote an online trivia event, which raised an additional $1,750.
Constant Contact Email
Juneteenth videos were edited using Adobe Premiere. This video was an original concept that I developed and worked with the AAMI's Executive Director to complete.
Click image to view.
Juneteenth Video Sample
Shirt Sale Facebook Promotion
Iowa Griot 20.2
The Iowa Griot is the AAMI's member newsletter, which is sent three times a year. This issue was the third issue designed entirely in-house using the new layout and color scheme. I designed this newsletter using Adobe InDesign and a template called "News Magazine," which I adapted with new fonts and page layouts. This specific issue addressed current work from home conditions and the effects of Black Lives Matter protest on the Museum and the Cedar Rapids Community.
Career Resources
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Joyful Museums - Website on creating positive museum workplace cultures
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Big Interview - Interview practice website
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AAM Professional Development - Resources for professional development from the American Alliance of Museums
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GEMM Five Things You Need to Know - Resources for addressing gender bias in the museum field
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r/museumpros - Subreddit for discussions related to working in museums and other GLAM institutions
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Top Ten Cover Letter Writing Tips - Article from The Balance Careers
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Job Scan - Job description and resume keyword search
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Iowa Museum Emerging Professionals - Facebook group
Job Boards: