Customer Service Manager
Resume:
Lauren A. McDonald
Dedicated, passionate, organized Museum Professional and Art Historian with expertise in handling and cataloguing art and historical objects. Seeks to support the preservation efforts of museums through a career in Registration and Collections for an art or history museum.
Education
MLS, Library Sciences, Texas Woman’s University, Denton, TX, Summer 2011
Courses: Information Organization and Retrieval, Foundations of Library and Information Studies
MA, Art History/Museum Studies, University of Denver, Denver, CO, 2007 – 2009
MA awarded November 23, 2009
Museum Studies Concentration
Art History Courses: Japanese Art; Dada and Surrealism; the Goddess in Art; Seminar in Bosch
and Bruegel; Seminar in Twentieth Century Chinese Painting
Museum Studies Courses: Learning in Museums; Art History Methods; Research Practicum, Museum Methods; Introduction to Conservation
Thesis: “The Dongba Cultural Triangle: Connecting Art and Women in Naxi Religious Belief."
Denver Art Museum Internship – Registration Department, Spring 2009
Worked closely with professionals at the Denver Art Museum
BFA, Art History, French Minor, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, 2002 – 2006
Cum Laude
Dean's List Honors, 2002 – 2004
Member of the National Honor Society
Metals and Jewelry Making Club Member
Professional Experience
Internship, The Sheerar Museum of Stillwater History, Stillwater, OK, December 7, 2011 – Present
• Assisting with exhibit expansion and renovation project by clearing the space, designing, painting, and exhibit preparation.
• Interning under the Registrar, helping with management of historical objects, photographs, and archival documents in the museum’s collections.
• Updating the Past Perfect database, numbering and photographing objects.
Volunteer, Tulsa Children’s Museum, Tulsa, OK, December 1, 2011 – January 2012
• Wrote a weekly blog for the Museum’s website based on family subject matter and community events.
• Assisted with Breakfast with Santa, an annual holiday event.
• Helped with exhibits and outreach programs such as the Dream Exhibit and Reclaim This! Old Stuff, New Art.
Adjunct Instructor, Art History, Lone Star College – North Harris, Houston, TX, January 2011 – May 2011
• Taught Art History Survey II.
• Prepared lectures and Power Point presentations.
• Graded student work.
Adjunct Instructor, Art History, Lone Star College – North Harris, Houston, TX, August 2010 – October 2010
• Taught Art History Survey II.
• Prepared lectures and Power Point presentations.
• Graded student work.
Internship, The Heritage Society, Houston, TX, November 2009 – May 2011
• Researched and handled 19th – early 20th century objects associated with Houston and Texas history from the 17,000 objects of the permanent collections.
• Regularly conducted inventories of “Nichols-Rice-Cherry”, an onsite historical house containing over 350 objects. Conducted condition reports, photographed objects, and updated the Past Perfect collections database.
• Assisted with major deaccessions project. Evaluated the textile collections (consisting of 2,000 objects including men’s, women’s and children’s costumes; quilts, coverlets and table linens; accessories including a large number of hats, handkerchiefs, scarves, and shoes).
• Helped decorate for Candlelight 2010 historic holiday festival.
• Assisted with setup of the following exhibits: Rain or Shine: How Houston Developed Space City Baseball, A Tejano Son of Texas, Greetings from Houston: Vintage Postcard views of the city, More Than a Toy: Dolls from the Victorian Era, Culture in Frontier Texas
Internship, Collections, Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO, June 2009 – August 2009
• Assisted the Collections Manager with moving approximately 7,000 art objects, furniture, textiles, and paintings, into a temporary storage space.
• Cleared art objects from offsite storage.
• Assisted in the reorganization and re-rolling of approximately 1,800 textiles.
• Assisted the Collections Manager with creating a mock-up of a sixteen foot Inuit kayak.
• Became familiar with Argus, the museum’s collections database.
Internship, Registration, Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO, March 2009 – June 2009
• Worked in the Registrar’s Office, focusing mainly on long term filing projects.
• Helped number objects and with maintenance of outdoor sculpture.
Study Abroad, University of South Florida Program, Paris, France, June - July 2005
• Collaborated with contemporary Parisian artists. Interviewed local artists. Conducted research comparing the work of the local artists to the contemporary art movement in Paris.
• Worked intimately with the Palais de Tokyo and the Centre Pompidou and was involved in behind the scenes activities.
Additional Training
Oklahoma Museum Association (OMA) District 1 Meeting and Program on Inventorying Collections,
Tulsa Air and Space Museum, Tulsa, OK, March 19, 2012.
Conferences and Presentations
The Mystery of Language: An Exploration of René Magritte's Use of Semiotics and Poetry
University of Denver’s School of Art and Art History Eighth Annual Student Symposium, February 20, 2009.
Community Involvement
Volunteer, Houston Antiques Dealers Association, Fall Antiques Show and Sale, Houston, TX, September 17, 2010
Took tickets and passed out pamphlets at the Heritage Society booth. Assisted a photographer with marketing shots.
Volunteer, The Heritage Society, Houston, TX, November 2009 – December 2009
Participated in preparation for the annual holiday festival, Candlelight. Arranged hospitality tables, took tickets, and directed visitors.
Volunteer, Rothko Chapel, Houston, TX, September 2009 – October 2009
Helped with greeting, member services, and mail-outs.
Professional Memberships
Oklahoma Museums Association
Oklahoma Registrars Association
Technical Skills
Databases - Past Perfect, Argus
Other Work Experience
Bakery Team Member, Whole Foods Market, Tulsa, OK, January 2012 – Present
Setting and maintaining bakery displays, preparing products for retail, drink preparation, customer service
Bookseller, Half Price Books, Houston, TX, October 2009 – October 2011
Buying, selling, and pricing books. Inventory processing and product display. Shelving and organization skills. Head of “fulfillment” (online orders).
Bookseller, Borders Books, Lone Tree, CO, February 2008 – June 2008
Inventory processing, shelving and organization skills.
Holiday Bookseller, Tattered Cover Bookstore, Denver, CO November 2007 – December 2007
Shelving, organization, and customer service skills.
Bookseller, Half Price Books, Lewisville, TX, May 2006 – June 2007
Buying, selling, and pricing books. Inventory processing and product display. shelving and organization skills.
References
Available upon request
Contact this candidate