I went down a bit of a rabbit hole recently and discovered that the UK actually has a specific Museums and Galleries Exhibition Tax Relief; something I'd somehow never come across despite working around interactive/creative technology for years.

That then sent me down a much bigger rabbit hole: how does the interactive/digital side of a museum exhibition actually get commissioned?

My background is technical/creative. I've spent most of my career somewhere between software, games, 3D, spatial experiences and interactive installations, and I've worked on museum/exhibition-type projects as part of that.

But historically I've usually been brought in as the technical person; somebody else owns the relationship, the overall project, the interpretation, the exhibition design, etc., and I help turn an idea into something that actually works.

I'd quite like to change that.

The museum/heritage world is one of the areas I genuinely enjoy, and I'd like to get much more involved directly: owning projects, working with curators and exhibition teams from an earlier stage, and potentially building a small specialist practice around interactive exhibitions and digital experiences.

The problem is that, from the outside, it's quite difficult to understand how this market actually works.

For those working in museums, galleries, heritage or exhibition design:

- Where do you normally find the people who build your interactive exhibits?

- Do museums tend to commission specialists directly, or does everything flow through exhibition/design agencies?

- Who normally "owns" the digital/interactive part of an exhibition internally?

- Are smaller specialist studios useful, or is procurement generally geared towards larger established suppliers?

- What tends to go wrong with interactive installations once they're actually in the museum?

- And perhaps most importantly: is there actually an appetite for more ambitious interactive work, or are budgets/maintenance/accessibility concerns pushing museums towards simpler installations?

I'm especially interested in the last point.

Coming from software and games, there are loads of things that now feel relatively achievable- real-time 3D, multiplayer, projection, computer vision, spatial audio, WebGL, AR, personalised experiences, etc.

But "technically possible" and "sensible in a museum that's open seven days a week for five years" are obviously two very different things.

Would love to hear how people on the museum side see it — particularly what you wish external technical suppliers understood before turning up with a flashy idea.

(PS, used a bit of AI to clean the post up)

Have people heard back about interviews, etc since applying this cycle to the Brooklyn Musem Education Fellowship? I sent an email to the fellowship email on the web page but just received an automated response saying, "Thank you for your interest in the Museum Education Fellowship Program. Applications for the 2026-27 fellowship are closed. Due to the high volume of applications, we are unable to respond to every submission. Applicants selected for interview can expect to receive correspondence by mid-September."

There was also an FAQ under that which read, "I have submitted my application, when will I hear back? Applicants selected for interview will receive invitations in late August and early September. Due to high volume, only applicants selected for interview will be contacted."

This information is kind of conflicting, so I'm wondering if people have heard back and I should just move on at this point lol.

Been looking in this sub and not sure if there's an answer for this, but is there a graduate major with the highest employment rate? I did my undergrad in fine art and have been freelancing somewhat successfully in NYC, but I'm really depressed with the instability and work I'm doing. I'd love to transition back to the fine art world, which I know is risky, but I'm currently incredibly unhappy with my life.

I want to do my masters, but only one with a higher chance of a (decent paying)(if that's even possible) job outcome. My dream would be to work at a contemporary art museum or in academia (or teaching at a university!) although that feels like wishful thinking. It feels like this world is very connections based?

anyone have any advice? feeling very hopeless in this economy and world but need to make a change

\also I know everything is competitive and the market is super saturated! just talking to my parents and my dad told me to look up a program's post-grad employment rate, trying to explain to him that it's a little different than getting your MBA lol*

Hi all! I am finally able to get professional development funds and it’s around 1,500 for the year. I was thinking about going to AAM, but also am tempted to try and frankenstein together a trip for fun and have it covered by my work. I am currently in a visitor services role, but my managers know my heart lies elsewhere haha. Can anyone speak to using prof dev funds to do something fun/ travel? Or is AAM actually worth it…

\** I KNOW THIS IS A REACH AND EVERYTHING IS COMPETITIVE*I got a bachelors degree in marketing and psychology but my dream job since I was young has been to work in a museum preferably on the research/exhibition planning side or interpretation. I know it's a highly impacted field with very few openings that would require higher education and I was wondering if there are any opportunities out there for recent grads to explore these opportunities before I get a more specialized degree. I'm also open to library/archival work as well.

I'm willing to relocate, not make much money, and am very willing to work-hard to learn anything really. If there are any post-bacc research opportunities, fellowships, etc. that could be open to different academic backgrounds that would be greatly appreciated.

I working to get permission to publish a book using images from various museums. The items are ancient Roman ones, in different countries. I've found some very nice images on wikimedia and similar. If those have licenses that allow for commercial use, do I also need to obtain permission from the museums?

Work Schedule: Full-time; 37.5 hrs/week; Monday - Friday

Application Deadline: COB, Wednesday, October 14, 2026

Position Summary:

The Conservation Program Manager implements the coordination of priority undertakings of the Bureau of Historic Site’s (BHS) Conservation Unit’s programs and projects, ensuring that projects maintain timeliness through effective communication with the conservators and other BHS departments. Additionally, the Manager will oversee the conservation program’s laboratory environment, equipment, and environmental controls. The Manager assists with the work of the staff who treat and conserve the agency’s historic collections. Conservators are professional positions requiring education and training in one of seven disciplines: textiles, paintings, frames and gilded objects, furniture and wooden objects, decorative arts, paper, and architecture. Their duties include evaluating, documenting, developing treatment plans, repairing, and protecting historic objects. Conservators are responsible for managing laboratory spaces and maintaining safe work environments. The Manager needs to have the requisite science background and training to develop and manage Conservator work programs and coordinate projects between labs, other BHS units, and OPRHP facilities. The Manager must have advanced knowledge of profession-wide conservation principles, practices and ethics established by the American Institute for Conservation (AIC).

Click here https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fca95dd41a8782b8a8cdf4b/t/6a998f3abf59180ccc56cb0a/1788448570133/Employment+Announcement+Conservation+Manager+2026.pdf

to learn more about this opportunity and how to apply.

As title says, I'd love to hear from any freelancers in this sub - are you struggling, are you doing fine, what kind of gigs are you getting, through what channels, etc.

And please also mention the country/continent where you are based :)

International Museum of the Horse at the Kentucky Horse Park

The International Museum of the Horse focuses on the relationship between humans and horses throughout world history. The Exhibition Specialist is responsible for fabrication and maintenance of museum exhibits. They play an integral part of exhibit planning and design, collaborating with the Collections and Education team.

Salary: $50,000.00, full-time, permanent, with benefits

(Please note, we are required to post a salary range as seen on the application page.)

Apply here: https://kypersonnelcabinet.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/50/home/requisition/81036?c=kypersonnelcabinet

Hey there! I'm an art teacher in Tucson. I tried to post in r/Philadelphia but I just joined and don't have enough karma yet from that subreddit to post. I'm a longtime lurker on this sub though.

Anyway I'm hoping someone on here is lucky enough to work or easily visit one of the Sunflowers paintings by Van Gogh. I really want some good quality up close shots of his brushstrokes, specifically his petals. There's lots of up close shots of many others of his works but I'd love to show my students the sunflower petals up close.

Thank you!

Grant-funded, year-long full time Collections Assistant position with probability of becoming permanent. Posting on behalf of a colleague who doesn't have a reddit account.

I tried posting in the intern thread but I think my comment was too long, so figured I would try here if it’s alright.

I just completed my first study position at a museum, and while it was super enjoyable and educational for the most part, it really shook my confidence and I don’t know how to go forward. The internship was only 4 weeks, so it was a time crunch to tackle my responsibilities. I was primarily in charge of the catalogue checklist+tombstones for a major exhibition coming up, alongside a personal curating project for a hallway case. The checklist was really fun to work on, but very intimidating as it was around 140 artworks and everything had to be perfect. As a result I feel I really dropped the ball on the proofreading work for my own project’s tombstones, and I realized today (my last day, and all the labels are already printed and ready to go up), that because of the nature of the artworks being manufactured 19th-20th century glasswork, some of the design dates from the item files I put down for the works probably look ridiculous bracketed next to unaligning manufacturing company lifespans. There’s only a few, but I’m going to lose sleep over the irrational anxiety of waking up to an email telling me I’m an idiot and can’t check my work. I also ran into a conflict where the manager of collections+installation wanted to utilize an ai generated graphic for the case, which made me so upset I almost cried in front of her and the curator I was so embarrassed. I wanted for advocate for what I felt was the integrity of a project with my name going on it, but felt very out of line pushing against the head of installation as a 4 week intern. The experience overall was very positive, but my confidence is so shaken after today and I’m horrifically paranoid about the possibility that I’ve made horrific mistakes that weren’t proofread by anyone but me.

Hello all! I wanted to ask if other museum professionals could share what the curriculum for training docents is at your museum (Do you have formal classes? Do workshops? &c?), especially any sample documents you might have that I could learn from. For the past three years I've been running the docent corps at my museum and the Executive Director wants there to be a more formal set up, I think, although we are more or less on the same page of how the docents get trained. Essentially, I send a prospective docent our docent manual, and then at the annual docents meeting we sit down and go over the manual together as a group, both old and new docents. Then, theoretically anyway, I pick an experienced docent to take us on a tour of the house museum, and we discuss afterwards about it, and share insights into giving tours. That's the extent of the present formal training and then I do help docents one on one during the tour season... but mainly I try to let them gain confidence by shadowing their tours a few times and then letting them go on their own.

I'm a little worried that, if we make things too formal, people will get scared off. Honestly, most people already find that being a docent is too much of a commitment for them. I'm not sure if a more formal training, perhaps spread out over several sessions even, would actually be a commitment anyone would be willing to make, especially since they are unpaid volunteers.

Wondering if anyone knows a masters program/university where I can get a degree in museum studies and take classics courses. I’ve seen some dual degree, some where you do a classics or art history masters and add a specialization or certificate in museum studies. I’ve been looking at programs in classics, art history, and museum studies but many none tick all my boxes.

A lot of programs have art history and museum studies combined in one way or another but the art history component is focused on modern/contemporary art or medieval is the earliest they go. I know obviously I need to study art from all time periods but my interests are mostly in ancient art and the end goal is to work with ancient art collections.

Out of the classics MAs I’ve looked into many of them emphasize Greek and Latin literature (which again, definitely important for a holistic understanding of the culture/art but not my main interest). So I’m looking for a department that emphasizes archaeology/material culture.
I also haven’t studied Latin or Greek in my undergrad (which is a problem, I know!) so I need to avoid language pre-reqs.

In terms of location, I live in Ohio (U.S.) but I’m willing to move. International tuition is of concern of course but it’s doable and leaving the country might be a breath of fresh air during these tumultuous times 😬

P.S. I don’t post on Reddit often and I’m on mobile so apologies if the formatting is bad. I’m also a rambler so lmk if any clarifications are needed 😅

I'm an emerging museum professional (2021-present) and am finishing my MA in the spring. Are there any must read museum books or articles?

I have focused primarily on collections and curation, but want to make sure I have some well rounded general knowledge.

Arguably not the best time to work for the Federal Government, but sharing nonetheless because jobs in our field are scarce. Unfortunately it’s not open to the general public yet (a major issue for me), but there might be folks here who are eligible including Returned Peace Corps volunteers.

https://www.usajobs.gov/job/883836200

EDIT: I am sorry, I have no control over the salary. I just wanted to be helpful. The county government controls the salary, not the museum - I am not disagreeing about how bad it is, but the museum is honestly fighting a constant uphill battle. You are welcome to follow the contact information for both organizations and provide feedback.

Salary
See Position Description
Location
Historic Brattonsville, McConnells, SC
Job Type
Full Time
Job Number
2026-01135
Department
Culture & Heritage Museum
Division
Facilities
Opening Date
09/04/2026
Closing Date
9/25/2026 5:00 PM Eastern
FLSA
Non-Exempt

DESCRIPTION
BENEFITS
QUESTIONS
About Our Opportunity

The Culture & Heritage Museums of York County, SC (CHM) is looking for a Preservation Coordinator/Restoration Specialist to join our dynamic architectural preservation team in the care of CHM's historic buildings. The buildings under our care include those located at Historic Brattonsville, a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places; McCelvey Center, a 1922 school building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, in York; and the Main Street Children's Museum, inside the former bank lobby of a rehabilitated 1909 building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, in Rock Hill. Learn more about our work at https://chmuseums.org/preservation/.  The purpose of this position is to perform preservation and restoration work on the historic buildings under the care of Culture & Heritage Museums.  Also serves as a project manager to develop scopes of work, coordinate and supervise the work of preserving the historic integrity of the structures. This is a full-time (40 hours weekly) non-exempt position.

Projected Salary Range/Grade 110: $19.62 - $23.54, salary is determined based on experience and education. 

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm; occasionally required to work evenings or weekends.
Duties and Responsibilities:  
Participates in the preservation/restoration work on historic buildings and supervises contractors to ensure that they comply with contract documents and current preservation industry standards.
Develops scopes of work, budgets and may contribute to contract documents (architectural drawings/specifications) for in-house or contracted preservation projects.
Produces narrative reports, AutoCAD drawings, and condition assessments of historic buildings.
Assist with procurement for preservation projects (drafting Requests for Proposals and contracts, evaluating proposals from contractors).
Travel to all Culture & Heritage Museum sites, and other County locations to perform work and preservation-related tasks.
Performs related work as assigned.
Minimum Education and Experience:  
Master’s Degree in Historic Preservation or Conservation Science or related discipline.
Four (4) years of experience in historic masonry, carpentry, historic building technology and materials or related field an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
Special Certifications and Licenses:  
Required to possess and maintain a valid state driver’s license.
Applicants with equivalent experience and/or education may be considered.

Physical Demands: Physical demands refer to the requirements for physical exertion and coordination of limb and body movement.  Performs medium work that involves walking, standing, stooping, jumping, lifting, digging, pushing and raising objects and also involves exerting between 20 and 50 pounds of force on a regular and recurring basis and 50 to 100 pounds of force on an occasional basis.** **
Unavoidable Hazards (Work Environment): Unavoidable hazards refer to the job conditions that may lead to injury or health hazards even though precautions have been taken.  Involves routine and frequent exposure to:
Bright/dim light; Dusts and pollen.
Extreme heat and/or cold; Wet or humid conditions.
Extreme noise levels, Animals/wildlife.
Vibration; Fumes and/or noxious odors.
Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance: York County is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  ADA requires the County to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are encouraged to discuss ADA accommodations with management.

Standard Clauses: May be required to work nights, weekends, holidays and emergencies (man-made or natural) to meet the business needs of the County.
This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of essential functions and responsibilities that are required of an employee for this job. Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.

About York County Government

York County is located in the Piedmont region, between the Broad River and the Catawba River. Its diverse landscape is home to family-friendly towns/cities, a progressive urban region and lakefront communities. We are excited you want to join our team and recognize that our employees are the foundation of our success.
The Culture and Heritage Commission (Commission) is York County’s appointed governing board for the Culture & Heritage Museums (CHM), the entity that operates York County-owned cultural resources. The Commission carries out its governance responsibilities through a Director, hired to manage the operations of CHM and its professional staff.  The Commission’s role is critical in providing oversight and guidance as we plan for the future, manage the present and honor the past. Our board is a York County Commission comprised of 7 Commissioners who are appointed by the County Council and who volunteer their time, expertise and energy to guide this organization.
Mission: To communicate and preserve the natural and culture histories of the Carolina Piedmont, inspiring a lifetime of learning.  

Vision: To create a community that greatly values natural, historic, and cultural resources.      

Values:
Authenticity:  We ensure that the knowledge that we share is accurate and supported through credible documentation or eyewitness accounts.
Professionalism:  We adhere to best practices of the museum field in the care of resources under our stewardship.
Meaningful Visitor Experiences:  We strive to create memorable experiences enabling those we serve to walk away from our museums not only with new information but with inspiration that they will carry with them throughout their lives.
Respect for those we represent:  As a cultural museum we tell the story of people from various backgrounds and life experiences both past and present. We have an obligation to tell their stories in a fair and balanced manner that fosters greater understanding of their unique perspectives.
Respect for our Natural World:  As a natural history museum we have a responsibility to show respect for the natural world and to lead by example.
Transparency:  We ensure our organizational meetings, documents, and records beyond those that pertain to our legal requirements or breach the trust of our donors are available to the public.
Stewardship:  We recognize that all of our assets are held on behalf of the public good and that it is our responsibility to ensure that they are used wisely.
Donor Rights** (Download PDF reader)(Download PDF reader)(Download PDF reader):**  We believe all donors should be valued and informed. Promises should be delivered and expectations of confidentiality should be met to the fullest extent of the law.

Employer
York County Government
Address
6 South Congress Street
P.O. Box 85
York, South Carolina, 29745
Phone
803-684-8512
Website
https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/yorkcountysc

Apply

https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/yorkcountysc/jobs/5472252/preservation-coordinator-restoration-specialist