Artifact

ARTIFACT/HNRS 300VH (009)
TUESDAYS, 5-6:15 p.m., FALL 2021
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS MUSEUM

Step behind the scenes in this forum to explore, experience and engage with the University of Arkansas Museum.

With cultural and natural materials from around the world, the museum’s collections can satisfy students with a variety of interests who are pursuing majors across campus. This course is perfect for those interested in a museum career.

Maybe you like museums, but don’t necessarily want to work in one ? No problem! It takes a variety of skill sets to operate a museum, such as advertising, writing, teaching, designing and constructing, researching, handling finances, and building community relations. There are surprising ways you can combine your interests with museums and this forum will provide hands-on experience with a selection of them!

In order to delve into these various roles in the field, it’s important to understand the artifacts that are frequently at the heart of museum operations. To do so, students will use object-based learning and material culture studies to explore artifacts in the collections and how they connect us across space and time.

Led by University of Arkansas Museum Curator Laurel Lamb, students will engage in activities related to collections care, artifact conservation, administration, exhibit design, education and engagement, and marketing and public relations. Ongoing trends and questions in the museum world will also be explored, such as: "How can museums be relevant for their 21st century audiences?" and "What IS the definition of a museum in the 21st century?" 

About Laurel Lamb:

Laurel Lamb is a curator at the University of Arkansas Museum, where she cares for the collections and leads public outreach efforts. Lamb earned her graduate degree in heritage preservation with a concentration in public history from Georgia State University in Atlanta. In her years within the museum field she has worked at a variety of institutions, from a natural history museum to a corporate archive to an art museum. She has a special interest in collections accessibility and engagement, as well as material culture studies.