Javier Plasencia Joins the USF Museum Studies Team

January 11, 2021 by usfmuseumstudiesblog

The USF Museum Studies M.A. Program is thrilled to announce that Javier (Javi) Plasencia has just started as our new Program Manager! We recently sat down for an interview with Javi. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your career path? How did you make your way to the USF Museum Studies community? I’ve worked in a variety of capacities over the years- in higher education, in museums, in arts non-profits and within the public sector, so my […]

Categories: Museum Studies, Uncategorized

Thank You Museum Colleagues!

December 28, 2020 by usfmuseumstudiesblog

2020 has been a wild ride, and this Fall semester was no exception. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, this past academic semester has been unlike any in the Museum Studies Program’s history. Held entirely online, the semester necessitated the use of some creative solutions, and­–as necessity is the mother of invention–our faculty found ingenious ways to adapt. Despite the inability to meet in person and a host of other technical and logistical hurdles, the one constant throughout the […]

Categories: Collaborations, Museum Studies, Site Visits, Uncategorized • Tags: gratitude, guest lecturers, museum studies

Congratulations Class of 2020!

December 16, 2020 by usfmuseumstudiesblog

Last Friday, December 11th, the Museum Studies M.A. Program celebrated as 15 stellar students graduated from the program. In the spirit of 2020, this year’s graduation looked a bit different. Rather than convene at Saint Ignatius Church for a formal ceremony, the graduates, their families, faculty, and staff gathered in a Zoom room to recognize these students’ incredible accomplishments. This cohort has demonstrated a remarkable determination and dedication to succeed. In the face of a global pandemic, a racial justice […]

Categories: Alumni, Community, Museum Studies, Uncategorized • Tags: Alumni, community, graduation, museum studies

Alumni Connect: GLBT Historical Society

December 14, 2020 by usfmuseumstudiesblog

A member of the inaugural Museum Studies cohort, alumna Nalini Elias has made her mark within the museum world since graduating in 2014. After completing her studies at USF, Nalini was offered a position as the Education Programs Coordinator for the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, CA, where she worked for nearly three years developing community outreach initiatives and curating participatory exhibitions. In Spring 2018, she returned to San Francisco to work at the GLBT Historical Society […]

Categories: Uncategorized

Organized Chaos: Creating an Exhibition During a Pandemic

November 30, 2020 by usfmuseumstudiesblog

This semester’s Museum Studies Curatorial Practicum class was unlike any other. Not only was the entire course taught remotely, but the class had to prepare an art exhibition online as well. The challenges that come with creating an exhibition from scratch were compounded by time zone variations and technical difficulties. In the end, the class created a thought-provoking exhibition for the USF community to enjoy in COVID-safe ways. Become The Monuments That Cannot Fall is the first survey exhibition of […]

Categories: Uncategorized

Meet the Class of 2021!

November 16, 2020 by usfmuseumstudiesblog

The Museum Studies program was honored to welcome a new cohort of students to its ranks in August of this year. Despite having started their academic journey in the midst of a global pandemic, the Class of 2021 has shown its grit and resilience from day one and has hit the ground running. And while the class isn’t physically on campus, these students are bringing their breadth of skills and talents to immediately make an impact on the USF community. […]

Categories: Community, Museum Studies • Tags: community, education, museum studies, students, USF

I, Too, Bear Witness: Prison Museums as Sites of Conscience

November 2, 2020 by usfmuseumstudiesblog

by Alexa Canova-Parker (Class of 2021) On September 24, 2020, the University of San Francisco’s (USF) Museum Studies Program and the Thacher Gallery co-presented Prison Museums as Sites of Conscience, a virtual public lecture by Sean Kelley of the Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site (ESP). Dr. Paula Birnbaum, USF Professor and Academic Director of the MUSE program, served as moderator. The lecture was presented in conjunction with the Thacher exhibition A Matter of Liberation: Artwork from Prison Renaissance, on view […]

Categories: Community, Exhibits, Museum Studies, Social Justice • Tags: Eastern State Penitentiary, Prison Renaissance, social justice, students, Thacher Gallery, University of San Francisco Museum Studies, USF Museum Studies

Celebrating the “Museum of Marjorie”

September 7, 2020 by usfmuseumstudiesblog

On August 31, 2020, over eighty members of the USF Museum Studies community convened at a Zoom retirement party to celebrate the career of Marjorie Schwarzer. An award-winning writer, critic, and educator, Schwarzer served as the founding Administrative Director of the program since 2012, following her tenure as professor and chair of the Department of Museum Studies at John F. Kennedy University for over 15 years. Prior to her teaching career she held leadership positions in museums — including the […]

Categories: Alumni, Collaborations, Forums, Museum Studies

Steven Tulsky demystifies management and finance for emerging museum professionals

August 31, 2020 by usfmuseumstudiesblog

By Iyari Arteaga (MA, 2020) To continue our conversation with our faculty members, today we highlight professor Steven Tulsky, who has co-taught Cultural and Financial Management with professor Marjorie Schwarzer since 2015 (the course will be renamed Museum Management in Spring 2021), as he shares his own career path, passion for the non-profit sector, and goals for the course.  Q. Steve, tell us a little about yourself and your career path? ST: I am a very un-corporate person who somehow ended up for a time in […]

Categories: Interviews, Museum Studies • Tags: Cultural and Financial Management, finance, interview, leadership, management, Museum Management, museum studies, non-profit sector, USF faculty, volunteer