Museum Registrar Christina Thompson joined me on the podcast for a fantastic conversation about the years she spent as a costumed historical interpreter in central Iowa. With a professional background in museum collections work and an insatiable love of learning, Christina brought both passion and expertise to the different roles she embodied at sites throughout the fictional historical town of Walnut Hill.

During our chat, she explains how historical interpreters are trained, and the many hats (both symbolic and literal) they may wear throughout a single workday. Historical interpreters are often the only museum staff or volunteers at a particular site, which means they are responsible for everything! Whether it's managing visitor services and safety, leading tours or programming for visitors and school groups, cleaning and site upkeep, collections care, or any additional duties that the site requires (such as farming, making brooms, demonstrating printing presses, or in Christina's case, a lot of cooking), historical interpreters really are the heart and soul of a living history museum. 

I had so much fun talking with Christina and I hope you enjoy the episode, too.

Christina Thompson has a Master of Arts degree in Humanities and Social Thought with an Advanced Certificate in Museum Studies from NYU. She has been an Historical Interpreter and Domestic Coordinator at Living History Farms in Urbandale, Iowa, and a Museum Technician at the State Historical Society of Iowa. For the past three years, Christina has been an Anthropology Collections and Registration Assistant at the Field Museum in Chicago.

Please note:

The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast do not reflect the views of their respective employers.

I'm trying something different this month - I'm releasing this short trailer to get everyone excited for my upcoming episode featuring current museum registrar and former historical interpreter Christina Thompson. This episode will drop this Thursday, October 9th.

Exhibitsmith the Podcast is back! I'm bringing new voices to the podcast, to have engaging discussions about the roles museums, archives, and libraries play in our world. We talk about how and why these institutions matter, and how everyone can do their part to both support them and benefit from them. Please subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform so you don't miss an exciting new episode.

Today I am relaunching the fourth episode. I hope you enjoy it.

[This episode originally aired on April 1, 2024.]

Who knew a tent could be so exciting?!

I certainly didn't. But the fourth graders did.

Let’s talk about the power of authenticity. Authenticity is real. True. And when it comes to objects, it might just be what turns something ordinary into something extraordinary. On today’s episode, I’ll be sharing a very creative example of how one museum decided to interpret one of their most special artifacts, to great success.

Do you know what a school librarian does all day? How about a Librarian in charge of *four* school libraries? District Library Media Specialist Jill Sullivan-Bennin joined me on the podcast to talk about the many (many) hats she wears every day at the Sherrard Community School District in Western Illinois.

She has been associated with the Sherrard Community School District since 2000. From 2000 until 2007 she taught junior high and later, high school English. From 2007-2010 Jill was a District Reading Specialist, before returning to the high school classroom, where she stayed until transitioning to the library in 2014.

Please note:

The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast do not reflect the views of their respective employers.

Today I am relaunching the third episode. I hope you enjoy it.

[This episode originally aired on March 1, 2024.]

Today, I'm sharing a story about a day that changed my perspective on museum behind the scenes tours forever. All it took were some hard-to-please kids, a few old typewriters, and a little unexpected museum magic.

Exhibitsmith the Podcast is back! I'm working behind the scenes to bring new voices to the podcast, to have engaging discussions about the roles museums, archives, and libraries play in our world. We talk about how and why these institutions matter, and how everyone can do their part to both support them and benefit from them. Please subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform so you don't miss an exciting new episode.

Today I am relaunching the third episode. I hope you enjoy it.

[This episode originally aired on March 1, 2024.]

Today, I'm sharing a story about a day that changed my perspective on museum behind the scenes tours forever. All it took were some hard-to-please kids, a few old typewriters, and a little unexpected museum magic.

Exhibitsmith the Podcast is back! I'm working behind the scenes to bring new voices to the podcast, to have engaging discussions about the roles museums, archives, and libraries play in our world. We talk about how and why these institutions matter, and how everyone can do their part to both support them and benefit from them. Please subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform so you don't miss an exciting new episode.

Art Museum Director Nathan Kemler joined me on the podcast to talk about why museums matter and how museums can be leaders in community engagement. We discuss the inspiring ways Nathan and his staff make their collection accessible to throughout the Grand Valley State University campus, as well as how they collaborate with the community at large to fulfill their mission.

I hope you enjoy the episode!

Nathan is the Director of Galleries and Collections at the Grand Valley State University Art Museum, a role he has held since 2020. Nathan joined the Museum staff in 2008, and before being named Director, he served as the Museum’s collections manager, curator of collections management, and the assistant director of galleries and collections. Nathan recently received the President's Award from the Michigan Museums Association for his services to the Michigan museum community.

Please note:

The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast do not reflect the views of their respective employers.

Exhibitsmith the Podcast is back! I'm working behind the scenes to bring new voices to the podcast, to have engaging discussions about the roles museums, archives, and libraries play in our world. We talk about how and why these institutions matter, and how everyone can do their part to both support them and benefit from them. Please subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform so you don't miss an exciting new episode.

Today I am relaunching the second episode, which is a personal story that I feature in my Downsizing Heirlooms and Collectibles program. I hope you enjoy it.

[This episode originally aired on March 1, 2024.]

You have permission to get rid of things the easy way. If you need a sign from the universe to do it, here it is! I recently purged some old things that were taking up space, but the processed proved to be harder than I had anticipated. Listen to my story to find out how I kept my spring cleaning stress free.

Archivist Dave Hofer joined me on the podcast to talk about his mid-life career change, the transferable skills he didn't realize he had, and how to leverage yourself to reach your career goals. We also chat about digitization and recording technology and how things have changed in the archives over the past 20+ years.

I hope you enjoy the episode!

Dave Hofer is an Archivist and Librarian with experience at the Art Institute of Chicago, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago History Museum, WTTW/WFMT, and Cook County Jail. His work includes arranging and processing archival collections, creating metadata for digital collections, and all of the day-to-day tasks including properly housing materials, organizing flat file contents, and hauling around boxes of . . . stuff.

Dave is an Access and Reference Archivist at the Art Institute of Chicago. This episode was recorded in the Spring of 2024, before he assumed that role.

Please note:

The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast do not reflect the views of their respective employers.

Surprise - the podcast is back and it's better than ever. We have some fantastic interviews to share, from colleagues who work in museums, archives, and libraries. We'll talk about why these jobs - and institutions - are important, how to deal with family heirlooms and "stuff", how to leverage yourself for career success, and so much more. We will also be re-releasing our episodes from Season One and I'll be adding a few more episodes on my own, too. Our first interview drops on July 7th, so please subscribe today!