A Minor in Museum Studies provides hands on Training For Shaum in Museum Collections

December 9, 2014

Katherine Shaum is a graduate student at the University of New Mexico working on a master’s degree in Anthropology with an emphasis on Public Archaeology. As a Graduate Assistant (GA) in Museum Studies, she assist the Curator of Ethnology at the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology with the collections. These collections are surprisingly varied, ranging from hundreds of kachina dolls, Navajo rugs, and Native American baskets to Maya textiles, contemporary Pueblo pottery, and African sculpture and metalwork.           

Katherine’s responsibilities include researching the origins and artists behind recently donated objects, accessioning objects in the database and on paper, guiding visiting researchers and students, assisting with moves and inventories, and cleaning and treating objects.  This experience has been valuable to her as she is hoping to continue her work in anthropology and archeology in a museum or in the field after graduation.