Case studies: Curator: Laura MacCulloch

Laura is curator of British Art at the National Museums Liverpool.

I look after all the paintings and sculptures in our collection. We are the only national museum outside London and our collection of both British and European art from the twelfth century onwards is unique.

As curator I am responsible for looking after the collection for the public. This includes making sure we know as much as possible about our items and making that information accessible to everyone, from other researchers to the general public. I am also responsible for monitoring the condition of the collection, but I don’t do conservation work.

To ensure that the collection is available for people to see, I plan exhibitions that are intended to throw new light onto the art.

My first degree was in history and history of art at the University of Birmingham. After two years working overseas, I decided I wanted to continue my studies with an MPhil. After that I started a PhD, which I’m just finishing. It was the first of the collaborative PhDs funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) combining vocational training with academic study. As part of the PhD, I worked at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BMAG), cataloguing their collection of works by Ford Madox Brown and writing comprehensive research notes. This catalogue forms part of my thesis. I also curated an exhibition. I funded my writing-up year by working on BMAG’s new pre-Raphaelite website.

During my first degree, I volunteered at the Barber Institute, the University of Birmingham gallery, assisting the education officer. Even though I knew I wanted to be a curator, educational work in a gallery is still useful. After my MPhil, I had a paid internship at the Barber Institute as a gallery assistant. As well as curating an exhibition of drawings and prints, I was involved in education work and marketing.

After this I worked as an assistant curatorial technician. Again this work added to my range of skills. It is very important to feel comfortable handling pieces of art.

I stated my present job in Liverpool earlier this year. I knew that curator jobs are few and far between so I was prepared to move wherever was necessary.

The broad approach of my first degree is proving useful now that I’m working with a large collection at Liverpool. My MPhil helped me develop my research skills in addition to specialising in a particular period. I would particularly recommend the AHRC collaborative PhD as it enables you to reach publishing standard in your research at the same time as gaining vocational experience.

If you want to move into museum work, you need to start building up your CV right from the start, so make sure you actively seek and take opportunities. It is essential to get as much practical experience as you can. It brings to life the theoretical side of your studies and is almost essential later when applying for jobs.

AGCAS

Sourced by Susanne Christian, AGCAS

Date: 

October 2009

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