Kiri Griffin

Kiri Griffin's thesis focused on the relationship between private collectors who shared their collections publicly and the publicly funded heritage sector.

I returned to the Museum and Heritage Studies Programme at Victoria University of Wellington to undertake a Master of Arts in Museum and Heritage studies in 2011. The thesis focused on the relationship between private collectors who shared their collections publicly and the publicly funded heritage sector. It consisted of audio-visual interviews with private collectors of all manner of media - art, textiles, mass-produced ceramics, natural history and geological specimens, vehicles and memorabilia. The interviews sought to better understand the collecting activities of these private collectors, their motivation to share their collections publicly and their perspective regarding publicly funded heritage institutions.

My interest in this area developed from my previous academic and professional experiences. After completing a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Media at Otago University, I worked in libraries and archives in Wellington, and undertook a Post Graduate Diploma in Archives and Records Management at Victoria University. I was introduced to the Museum and Heritage Studies Programme, when I cross-credited papers from the programme to complete the diploma. At the conclusion of this qualification I took up the position of Research Librarian at The New Zealand Film Archive. Each of these experiences touched on the significance of private collectors to the field of cultural heritage, and encouraged me to think further about the role of the private collector. The Master of Arts in Museum and Heritage Studies provided the perfect opportunity to further interrogate this theme. Upon the completion of this qualification I have continued to work with private collectors both in my new role as Documentation Archivist at The New Zealand Film Archive and most recently in a three month sabbatical to work for The Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum in Washington D.C. An opportunity made possible because of the support from The New Zealand Film Archive and Conal McCarthy Programme Director of the Museum and Heritage Studies at Victoria University of Wellington.

Kiri's thesis is entitled: Private tastes and public desires: exploring the perspectives and practices of private collectors who share their collections publicly.