Loren - MMHP graduate

Loren's two practicums, combined with the amazing people who took her under their wings, led her to a job as a Project Registrar in the Museum sector.

My naturally curious nature and a love of museums instilled in me as a child, together with my passion for the material cultural aspects of Classical Studies at high school led me to complete tertiary studies in Anthropology and Classical Studies at Otago University. Unsure of my next steps I took a gap year and travelled overseas. On returning to New Zealand I discovered the Museum and Heritage course at Victoria University of Wellington and realised exactly where my skills, passions and education were leading me.

When at the University, I started working towards the old format masters (MMHS), but when given the opportunity to be one of the first to complete the newly introduced practical masters (MMHP) I happily accepted. The practical elements of the course were the main reason I chose this programme. As a person who needs multiple styles of learning to be successful I found I thrived when I was able to take theory and apply it in the real world. It is a growing feeling in the industry that practical application and mentorship is the most effective way to learn the realities and compromises which must be made in the industry, and after completing my course at Victoria University of Wellington, I couldn’t agree more.

As part of my course requirements I completed a placement at the Royal New Zealand Police Museum under Casimar Larkin followed by an internship at Pataka Art + Museum under Laureen Sadlier. The variety of skills, tasks and roles I was exposed to in these institutions was invaluable, including the rarer opportunities of shifting an entire collection, deaccessioning, following protocol for legal items/evidence and learning taonga best practice.

These two practicums combined with the amazing people who took me under their wings, allowed me to gain my first postgraduate job in the industry at the Invercargill Public Art Gallery (IPAG) as the Assistant Project Registrar. I am currently still employed by IPAG, and thoroughly enjoy being a member of a fun, close knit team of three young museum professionals.