About the Project
This podcast series highlights the voices of various museum officers and members of the gift shop staff at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art. As the individuals on the Museum team who interface with the public most frequently and spend the most time in the galleries, they have valuable perspectives on the institution that tend to be overlooked. I created Between the Lions to provide a platform for their stories. After exploring the Bowdoin Special Collections & Archives website, I learned that the BCMA’s newsletter was called Between the Lions from 1987 to 1991. I chose this title for the podcast as a way to simultaneously honor a piece of the Museum’s history, which exceeds two centuries, and acknowledge all of the people working “between the lions” who keep the Museum running today.
The podcast consists of six episodes between 15 and 22 minutes long. The first three feature shop staff members and were recorded in the Media Commons, located in the basement of Hawthorne-Longfellow Library. The last three feature museum officers and were recorded in the BCMA offices. I asked the interviewees about what compelled them to apply for a position at the museum, their career pathways, and memorable interactions with visitors, among other topics. I loved conducting these interviews because they felt more like conversations. One main takeaway from this project was that all six individuals spoke about interacting with museum visitors as one of the best parts of their jobs: listening to life stories, connecting over shared hometowns, helping children become interested in exhibitions, and seeing the awestruck look on guests’ faces when they see certain pieces for the first time in real life. Teaching, inspiring, and bringing people together is why museum staff take on the work they do. It was very special to hear about visitors’ enthusiasm from those who have witnessed it firsthand.
Finally, I chose to develop this project into a podcast so the interviewees’ voices could be heard in a literal sense. I think the audio format fosters a level of intimacy and authenticity that could not be replicated by a transcript alone. These are real people, and I wholeheartedly believe that the pauses, stutters, and laughs help capture their personalities. I hope you enjoy listening to Between the Lions!
Credits
I would like to thank my supervisor, Emily Jacobs (Postbaccalaureate Curatorial Assistant and Manager of Student Programs), for all of her help and guidance this summer. I would also like to thank David Francis (Senior Interactive Developer), Rachel Rodrigues (Museum Shop Manager), Steve Perkins (Manager of Cultural Property), and Amanda Skinner (Assistant Director of Museum Communications) for their support of this project. Finally, thank you to the entire shop staff and cohort of museum guards for your work every day. The Museum wouldn’t be the place it is without you.