The sudden and dramatic shift out of museum employment (right at a moment when a global pandemic altered every aspect of our lives) was a bit like an out of body experience. It was the last time I was in that building, until just this past week. I took this photo of my empty desk and office after I packed up all my things (March 2020). And I’m hoping that by sharing my own process for getting here, it’ll be helpful for others too. But I’ve learned, and I’m growing, and I’m moving forward with a sense of optimism. If you had an experience that was anything like mine, the memories have likely also brought a lot of complex and difficult emotions back to the surface. And now, on this two year anniversary, I’m ready to share some of that process.Ī lot of you have been going through your own “it’s been two years since…” moments this month. The anger hung on for a while even as the initial shock and panic of losing my “job security” wore off.īut here’s the thing… over time, I was able to work through this anger in ways that have helped me to move on. I felt ashamed, embarrassed, and experienced a lot of self doubt. A part of me at the time couldn’t help but feel that it was somehow my fault. Anger at the museum, of course-at those who made this decision-but also anger at myself. What I remember most was the seething anger I felt. It was quite literally a moment that threw me off balance more than almost any other single moment in my life thus far. I distinctly recall the acidy taste in the back of my mouth after the brief, life-altering Zoom call. Of all the things that happened in the chaotic month that was March 2020, this is the event I remember most. And, again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a part of Art Museum Teaching.Ī week after the COVID pandemic shut down most museums across the country, I joined the ranks of thousands of museum workers who were laid off from their jobs. I’ll be expanding this publication throughout this year, adding different types of content and programs to offer strategies, support, and guidance. I invite you to Subscribe to my Substack, and join this growing community of changemakers. The Art Museum Teaching site has been around for 10 years now, and I am grateful for the community that has formed here (and or everyone who has contributed to this site over these years). IMPORTANT NOTE: I want to let the Art Museum Teaching community know that I am moving my writing over to my new Substack publication called “Agents of Change.” I started this publication around the end of last year, and I’ve been posting there each month on topics that emerge from my book, Museums as Agents of Change, and issues related to change and how we can all become changemakers.
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