I am currently in my final semester and have been working on multiple research projects on the history of collecting to modern day collection practices as well as working on a class-wide project with the Lesbian Herstory Archives to digitize and make accessible a variety of audio tapes. I am looking forward to finding a position in a collections department or digital archive where I can apply what I have learned while here at Pratt to be an innovative and forward-thinking steward of cultural heritage.
I found my passion for collections management prior to my schooling in New York City. Working directly with the supervisory curator and head registrar, I gained unique experience at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum in object care and information management. I was able to work hands-on with many exhibition installations, loan handling, and with the storage area, in which I realized the importance of proper organization, communication, and standards in this field. It is this intersection with technology that allows us to do this more efficiently than before, and I am interested to see what more changes this advancement brings.
Over my time here at Pratt, I have been further honing my skills and knowledge at the Pratt Materials Lab. It has been here that I have been able to gain experience in circulating and teaching collections and the impact accessibility and proper management can make on visitors and researchers. I have also been developing a blog that will focus on “the life cycle of objects”, exploring their birth (creation), death (destruction), and everything in between (gifted, sold, broken, exhibited, lost).
I am incredibly passionate about the care, research, and sharing of cultural materials and art; they hold energies and stories that continue to breathe, extending history beyond human limits and allowing the past to remain present.
Marilyn Ray 