Fleming Students

At Connection and Art-Making, a workshop led by Brian Nichols (left) and Jane Lowbeer (right), sandwiching MMC volunteer, Mackenzie. October 26, 2024

By: Kat Murphy

Artspace has been a great place for me to develop my skills and assist with community relations. As a recent graduate of the Museum Management and Curatorship (MMC) program, I have enjoyed being able to provide current students from the MMC program with volunteer opportunities. Since the fall, we have been working in collaboration with MMC students on a variety of projects. There are often times that we also attract students from the Cultural Heritage Conservation and Management program as volunteers too.

Many of these volunteers can often be found at the Gallery Attendant desk by our front entrance or in the Maker Space assisting artists with their projects. 

And we recently started working with MMC students to host a fundraising project of theirs in support of the exhibits they are creating. Follow along on their social media to learn more about that! 

It is strange being on the other side of everything.

Just last year I was one of the students looking for volunteer opportunities and places where we could host fundraising and work on our assignments. I remember how much I enjoyed partnering with the Peterborough Museum and Archives to collaborate on a drag storytime event with Betty Baker. My group and I ran it as part of our fundraising objective and also to complete one of our assignments where we were required to put on a public event at a place of our choosing. It was a wonderful time and an incredible experience.

I am grateful for the opportunity to give back and be able to support the new students as they work towards similar objectives and goals.

It is quite odd though, considering it has only been a year. I would not have expected to end up where I am now working a fulfilling job in my field so soon after finishing school.