Creating Our Fossil Drawer

~Marcie Rodriguez

We have tool boxes at work which we use to teach students geology and archeology. Today I began the process of installing safety foam into the draws to protect the artifacts and geologic specimens. I started with our fossil drawer. Working with the foam cutter, I was able to cut out the places for the fossils to sit. This is the first time that I am totally on my own with constructing something like this. I was a bit nervous at first, and was frustrated when at first the cuts I made were not up to the standard I hold myself too. I soon realized I needed to take a deep breath, and do partial cuts with a razor before using the hot wire knife, so I could guide myself. At the end, I was very proud of what I had made, and very excited to make the next drawer. 

Installing A New Art Exhibit

~Marcie Rodriguez

I had an amazing experience this week. While I will give you all the details of the when, where, and who of this exhibit after it opens, I got the joy of helping to install an art exhibit at the gallery that I am taking to design class through. It was exciting to work with a professional artist, and to see an exhibit like it unfold. It was also fun to exercise my theater experience, getting up on ladders and helping to design lights. 

I felt an immediate connection with the exhibit, it's inspiration coming from growing up in the high desert. Coming from down here in the low desert, I can draw connections between the two. It was a wonderful experience all the way around. Also, I got to hang a dead rabbit... so that was a thing. You never know what I am going to be up too next, but I guarantee, it will be an adventure. 

New Tools, More Fun!

~Marcie Rodriguez

Today's adventure was a lot of fun. We have these wonderful tool boxes, that we use to show geological samples, and eventually we want to put artifacts in. We have to prep the drawers before we can do that, by lining the bottom of the drawers with foam. To cut the foam, we got a new hot wire knife, which arrived yesterday (finally!). I begun to practice today with cutting shapes out of leftover pieces that were unusable. It's going to take a little practice, but I hope to get really go at it. And, most importantly, I didn't burn myself, not even once (that is a miracle!). 

The Importance of Visitors

Marcie,

I had an experience yesterday that reminded me of the importance of visitors. The museum I am currently working at was closed a year ago and we have no staff, and I was really busy in the lab in the back. The doors were all locked and it should be clear we are not open, but a couple walked around the whole building and made a big effort to wave me down through a window. I went to the door to tell them we were closed, but their story was compelling.

This couple has been on a quest to see all 58 National Parks in the country. In the last two weeks they were crossing off all the Alaskan parks. They have been to 57 parks and next week they will visit park #58. Though we are not in a National Park, the museum was on their list of things to see.

I let them in and let them walk though the galleries. What are the risks? that someone steals something, breaks something, gets hurt. I was thinking today that the real risk is that someone leaves your museum disappointed. Museums exist because people value them and want to see them. If we forget that, our museums will all be closed, just like this one. The biggest risk to museums is that someone thinks you are rude, or too busy, or too pretentious.

No matter what your job title is, or what your job description is, your real job is to make sure visitors enjoy your museum. No matter what it takes. That is the job of everyone at the museum. That is how we will preserve artifacts and tell stories.

Two Museums

~Marcie Rodriguez

I spent today doing some professional development, which meant I got to go museum hopping! I went in expecting to learn about different exhibit styles, but instead I got a very clear lesson on visitor engagement. I went to two museums, The San Diego Air and Space Museum and The Museum of Photographic Arts. In the Air and Space Museum, I was greeted by someone who seemed be uninterested in my being there. The museum was filled with "do not touch" signs, and the "hands on" activities cost extra. The MOPA had a warm and friendly attendant to greet me, and I felt much more comfortable. The way museum staff and volunteers engage with visitors can completely alter the way the visitor sees the museum, and can make the difference on whether they return or not. 

A New Experience

~Marcie Rodriguez

Today was the first day that I balanced work and my new class schedule. I have a gallery design class, where I help maintain, design, and install art work in a college art gallery. It will be exciting to work in a different environment, but it comes with it's own set of challenges. It became very clear to me today that I no longer handle situations and work like a student does. All though I often still feel green, I am a professional, and I expect a certain level of work of myself, which is often above the expectation of others. I suppose I have taken my museum motto to heart: Never Accept Less than Excellence. 

End of Summer Cleaning

~Marcie Rodriguez

Today was spent cleaning and organizing our archives lab. To some this may seem like a doldrums task, but I found it very refreshing. It gave me a chance to reassess what supplies we have, particularly ones that are for education and administration. I found a bunch of old metal tray files, and  I used them to built the other employees shelves (one each!) so they can each have a personal inbox for paperwork. It came together very nicely, each one got a historic photo, a newspaper article about the museum, and an oversized image to decorate it. It was a nice solution to what to do with these items. Instead of storing all of them, I was able to give them a purpose, and help get us more organized.

Come follow me on my journey into the world of museums!

~Marcie Rodriguez

Hello world! My name is Marcie, and I am just beginning in my museum career. I am the Education Coordinator at the Imperial Valley Desert Museum, and have been for the last 6 months. I have a lot to learn, but I am excited to move forward, and I am happy to share my journey with you.

Before we move forward, lets move back. After finding myself in the middle of a divorce, with a child to raise on my own, I realized I needed to change into a field that was stable, but still allowed me to be creative. I stepped into an Imperial Valley College history class, taught by Dr. Bradford Wright, and I found my voice. I soon moved on to the local San Diego State University, Imperial Valley Campus. While there, I took a class with a Dr. Neal Hitch, who gave me the opportunity to volunteer at the Imperial Valley Desert Museum. Before I knew it, I was hired on staff to do education programing!