Join Aprille P. Tijam and Claire Messenger talking about ‘what makes us passionate about museums’?
Why I LOVE museums #MuseumPassion by Claire Messenger, Manager, International Training Programme
On 15 October the museum community was encouraged to share stories or objects that make us passionate about museums and their collections for #MuseumPassion day.
For me, working in a museum was never something I considered before joining the British Museum MANY years ago. Now though, museums, culture and heritage are so much part of my life – both professionally and personally. As many of you who follow me on Facebook will know, even my holidays MUST take in a museum visit (or more)!!
Museums – and the International Training Programme – have become a passion for me. Seeing what museums can do to connect people, not just locally or regionally, but worldwide, is just incredible. Over the past 14 years of the ITP, I have seen life-long relationships – both professional and personal – grow and strengthen based on a love of heritage and culture. Colleagues from all over the world meet at the British Museum and forge friendships while sharing skills, knowledge and perhaps most importantly, experiences based around the museum sector.
What museums – and their collections – can do to foster a greater understanding of people, cultures, religions, traditions and history helps us to understand each other, our lives and our loves, and is something that never fails to amaze and inspire me.
Why I work in a Museum #MuseumPassion? by Aprille P. Tijam, Senior Manager for Exhibitions and Collections, Ayala Museum (Philippines, ITP Fellow 2019)
As a museum practitioner for more than 20 years, I’ve discovered a deeper meaning in my work life. I realized that being in this field, I have the honor of being a guardian of Philippine arts and culture, along with many others who have chosen to preserve, protect and promote this area of our society and country. Our culture connects us with each other, with our community, and with the rest of the world. I enjoy my work at Ayala Museum because I continue to learn every day, get the chance to handle valuable paintings and precious objects, and meet people from different walks of life who share the same passion.
While there is regular in house work cycle in place, my work at Ayala Museum is not limited within the walls of my museum. Part of my job is to connect to the community—local and international—where objects represented in my museum’s collection came from or where we source our exhibition components. I work with colleagues in reaching out to lenders for loans of artworks and objects (private and institutional), bring traveling exhibitions nationwide, courier loaned artworks for overseas exhibitions, conduct research on our collection, and visit different kinds of museums all over the world.