#MuseumFromHome – Guelph Museums edition
In order to flatten the COVID-19 curve, the Museum is temporarily closed until further notice. The Guelph Museums team is hard at work from home to keep things running behind the scenes. Two weeks in – let’s check in with our #WorkFromHome crew and see what everyone’s working on.
Dawn Owen, Curator
In the days before Covid-19 protocols sent us all home, the curatorial team at Guelph Museums put the finishing touches on two major exhibitions! Guelph Circa 1999 and Lay of the Land were on view for only two days before the shutdown. Both shows continue until September 6, so stay tuned.
We’re now at work on a bunch of new projects, all planned as displays in the Museum but we’re curating for our socials too. Coming sooner-than-later: No Word for Art with Naomi Smith and Liberation 75: A Guelph Soldier in the Second World War (with Faces to Graves). Prep on our fall exhibitions (opening September 19) is underway: Witchcraft (working title) and a co-creative collab with Alex Bulmer and Red Dress Productions.
Laura Coady, Curatorial Assistant
I’m afraid what I’m up to is rather dull – I’m working on back end collections management tasks with the end goals of improving our donation intake process and improving the digitization of key mini-collections for researchers and public members.
Judi Prigione, Administrative Coordinator
I am fortunate that many of my duties as Administrative Coordinator for Guelph Museums, can be completed from home. I have been busy completing financial transactions, responding to emails and postponing delivery of gift shop orders, all under the watchful direction of my new on-site supervisor, Ella. She is a tenacious terrier who keeps me on task.
Prior to the closure, I was Guelph Museums’ lead on the project dedicated to the implementation of the PerfectMind software that replaced our point of sale and facility booking programs. This new program went live at the end of February. I am using this opportunity to complete some administrative tasks that were on the backburner while I worked on this special project. I look forward to our reopening and hope everyone will be able to see our wonderful new exhibitions and visit the Hilltop Shop. We have some great new items in the gift shop that I think everyone will love!
Linda Fazzari, Bookings & Facility Rentals Coordinator
While working from home, I’m monitoring emails, the bookings calendar and postponing events/bookings. Looking ahead to other booked events/programs and getting a list together if the need to cancel/postpone will be required. In addition….participating in the WFH activities on-line! (Guelph Museums Facebook )
Sarah Ball, Community Relations Coordinator
I sure have been busy while working from home! I’ve been curating content for our social media channels, collaborating with our visitor experiences and curatorial teams to bring the Museum to you while our physical sites are closed. Check us out on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter! My biggest challenge so far? Keeping my cats off my keyboard.
Emma Tennier Stuart, Visitor Experience Assistant
As a Visitor Experience Assistant at Guelph Museums, I was worried that the museum being closed to visitors might make my job a little difficult… But it turns out I’ve had plenty to do!
Between planning great activities and events for when we re-open to the public, creating craft tutorials, helping with online museum activities, joining the research team for our upcoming Witchcraft exhibit, and developing an online kids’ activity book (coming soon!), I’ve certainly been keeping busy.
And as if I didn’t already have enough to do, I’m working from my living room, where an unfinished puzzle is constantly taunting me, and tempting me to step away from my computer..
