Molly McIntosh is currently in her first semester of the Master of Arts in Art History and Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies. She is enrolled in Methodology and Approaches of Art History and Museum Studies II: Collections, Curation, and Controversy.

Where did you go as an undergraduate and what did you study?

I studied at the University of St. Thomas and majored in History.

What were you doing before you decided to switch gears and get your Master of Arts in Art History and Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies?

I volunteered at a local historical society – the Aitkin County Historical Society and the MilleLacs Indian Museum while continuing to work at the Minnesota State Capitol as a historic interpreter.

What drew you to the University St. Thomas?

I mainly came for the museum studies program. I had been made familiar with it beforehand from some of my professors in the history program. They said it was a good fit for me because I was always talking about museums. I was offered a museum fellowship with the Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) at the History Center. This is a fellowship that they do once or twice a year to help young professionals navigate the museum field. I accepted that, and it was awesome!

Were you designated to one department during the fellowship or did you do a little bit of everything?

The Museum Fellows do a little bit of everything. We get to meet a lot of professionals at the Minnesota Historical Society from different areas. I got to learn a little bit about grant writing, the process of asking for donations, the educational side of it, as well as programming and finance. People from MNHS would come and do a talk in front of the class about what they do and then you did a lot of reading on their area of expertise, which was intensive. We ended with a week-long trip to Chicago to see over a dozen museums. It was a great experience!

What advice would you give someone thinking of applying to the M.A. in Art History and Museum Studies Certificate program?

If it was for the Graduate Museum Studies Certificate I would definitely tell them to do internships, volunteer, or try to secure a position within some historical society or within a museum and feel your way through. There are so many paths that you can take in museums.

What are you currently interested in? 

When it comes to art history, I’ve explored a lot into the history of tattoo art, body art, and some body modification. I think it is a form of art that is really underappreciated, especially considering it has an unconventional canvas. There are some fantastic tattoo artists in the world and here in Minnesota that are underappreciated because their art comes from a different medium. I would like to see more tattoo artists and graffiti artists in particular, being given the chance to display their art in a formal way and given the time of day for what their talents are. I would like to see their work considered in the same way that people appreciate the old masters or contemporary works.

How are your classes this semester? 

My classes are going great. I enjoy the challenge of upper-level courses and the gratification of learning things that pertain to the career field I aspire to work in. I’ve also made great new friends with like-minded people as passionate as I am about art and museums.

What has been your biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge with graduate school is the time and the expense. You’ll see a lot of people in graduate school from all walks of life, some people more settled and those that aren’t more settled. I went to undergraduate here mainly on scholarships and grants. I was very lucky to graduate with very minimal loans. I didn’t come from a particularly well-off family. Graduate school, for me, is working three jobs and working six days a week and devoting myself to what I am really passionate about. It makes it all worth it in the end, but you just need to remember you are going to school for something you are passionate about.

Taylor Menendez is currently in her first semester in the M.A. Art History. She is enrolled in Methodology and Approaches of Art History, The Sacred in Unexpected Places, and Museum Studies II: Collections, Curation, and Controversy.

Where did you go as an undergrad and what did you study?

I went to Buena Vista University in Iowa. I studied studio art and Spanish. I especially liked installation art. For my capstone I created a large installation project.

What drew you to the University St. Thomas?

I was trying to decide if I wanted to get my MFA or M.A. in Art History. I wanted to go into museum studies, so I chose the Art History route instead of being a starving artist. St. Thomas had an art history program, but also a museum studies certificate as well.

What advice would you give someone thinking of coming to UST Graduate Art History?

Even if you live far away, still go for it. I can tell after the first couple of weeks here that this place has high standards for their students and professors really care about your future.

What are you currently interested in?  

I really like Dadaism and especially Marcel Duchamp – pioneer of the movement. But also, I like 70s performance art such as feminist artist Carolee Schneemann. I can’t forget my love for contemporary art. Being an artist myself, I am always trying to find inspiration. You find a lot of that in artists that are living today.

How are your classes this semester?

Pretty good – it is a lot more reading than I am used to. I’m used to a lot of studio time, but I am keeping up. I don’t have a full-time job, just a part-time job at the Asmat Museum. I feel like I have plenty of time to do my homework for now. 

What has been your biggest challenge?

Moving here was really hard. Just trying to find a place. Trying to rent an apartment and schedule visits was difficult being so far away. I’ve never lived in huge city with more than 10,000 people. First, my husband had to find a job to see if he could move here with me. Then, we had to figure out which area we wanted to live in. It’s the little things – what hospital should I go to? Grocery store? You are relearning everything and trying to trust people.

Brittany is currently in her first semester in the M.A. Art History/Certificate in Museum Studies. She is enrolled in Methodology and Approaches of Art History and Museum Studies II: Collections, Curation, and Controversy.

Where did you go as an undergrad and what did you study?

As an undergraduate, I went to the Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI). I have my degrees in art history and illustration. In addition, I have a certificate of specialization in Asian art.

What was your career before you decided to switch gears and get your M.A. in Art History and Certificate in Museum Studies?

I am a freelance illustrator, but I work full-time at a screen-printing facility as a graphic designer.

What drew you to the University St. Thomas?

This was the closest school that offered the program. I also went here during the graduate symposium last September. That way I could talk to Heather Shirey (Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies) and get a feel for the department. I even talked to some of my professors from KCAI if they had heard anything about St. Thomas. They had good words about the school. One of the teachers whose opinions I value the most mentioned how she loved this school.

What advice would you give someone thinking of applying for the joint M.A. in Art History and Museum Studies Certificate program at St. Thomas?

I would tell them to make sure they are super dedicated because the workload is intense. I work full time, I freelance, travel and do two classes – it’s a lot. Just make sure you’re invested in it.

What are you currently interested in?

My favorite things to study are social climates in art and how they influence paranormal art. My favorite focus has been Japanese woodblock prints from the Ukiyo-e period, particularly focusing on their yōkai prints because as the political climate changes you see a difference in what kind of art is being produced and what kind of stories people are being told. I am really interested in that.

How are your classes this semester?

I think my classes are going well. My methods class is good – assignments and discussions have been good. 

What has been your biggest challenge?

My biggest challenge has been learning how to balance everything. Also, reading critically. I’ve realized having discussions in class that I tend to take a lot of things at face value. I’ve had to teach myself to criticize the readings because normally I just read and think, yeah that’s the facts. I have had to retrain myself to read. This has been the most difficult for me.

Marit Anderson is currently in her first semester in the M.A. Art History/Certificate in Museum Studies. She is enrolled in Methodology and Approaches of Art History and Museum Studies II: Collections, Curation, and Controversy.

Where did you go as an undergrad and what did you study?

I went to the University of Minnesota and studied Art History.

What drew you to the University St. Thomas?

Jayme Yahr (Assistant Professor and Director, Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies) came to a presentation where the University of Minnesota had graduate schools come in from the area. They talked about their program. This sounded like the best program because it has the Museum Studies component.

What advice would you give someone thinking of applying to the Graduate Art History/Museum Studies Certificate program at St. Thomas?

Be prepared for how much work there is.

What are you currently interested in? Why are you interested in that specifically?

I am really interested in Medieval art – specifically reliquaries. Reliquaries interest me because of their connections to Medieval Funerary/Death Culture and how that culture manifested in the church. Funerary/death culture is always something I’ve been surrounded by and interested in. Growing up, my dad worked in the funeral industry, and I am currently working for him (in the office, not out in the field) while I complete my grad school coursework.

How are your classes this semester? What are you liking so far?

They are going well. I’m really enjoying Museum Studies II: Collections, Curation and Controversy. I want to work with collections, so I’ve really been loving what I’ve been learning in the collections unit. Specifically, I really enjoyed the Collections Management Project, because it allowed us to really look at and critique how a real museum manages their collections. Even though it was a lot of work, I learned a lot from it. 

What has been your biggest challenge?

Just trying not to do everything. At first, I was going to do everything, but I had to take a step back. I was going to try and submit a paper for something, but not related to a class. Then I realized I can’t do that.

Jayne Barden-Oddan is currently in her second semester in the M.A. Art History/Museum Studies Certificate program. She is enrolled in Methodology and Approaches of Art History and Museum Studies II: Collections, Curation, and Controversy this fall.

Where did you go as an undergrad and what did you study?

I graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BA in Art History.

What was your career before deciding to switch gears to your M.A. in Art History and Certificate in Museum Studies?

I am a radiologic technologist (x-ray technologist). I have worked in the field for 37 years and I am currently employed at St. Francis hospital.

What drew you to the University St. Thomas?

The Museum Studies program drew me to St. Thomas. It is a field of study I wanted to pursue; St. Thomas is one of the few colleges that offer a certificate program.

What advice would you give someone thinking of coming to UST Graduate Art History/Museum Studies Certificate program?

I would encourage her/him to take advantage of the professional workshops offered at St. Thomas.

What are you currently interested in?

My current interest is in 19^th Century photography.

How are your classes this semester?

I am really excited to be in both classes, Methodology Approaches and Museum Studies II.  They are classes that are laying a foundation as I move forward in the field of art history. 

What has been your biggest challenge?

I would like to attend all the seminars, workshops and conferences, but is sometimes a challenge with my work schedule and classes.