Heritage Advisor, Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, Central Regional Office

I completed a Master of Museum and Heritage Studies in 2008. After graduating from Victoria University of Wellington with a BA in Classical Studies and Art History, I worked as a contemporary jeweller and then travelled to the UK, where I worked in several museums. Returning to postgraduate study allowed me to combine both these career interests within my dissertation topic. My study focused on the attitudes and motivations behind the collecting of contemporary decorative arts, specifically jewellery, in New Zealand museums and galleries. By surveying the extent of contemporary jewellery held in museum collections, and interviewing curators responsible for shaping these collections, I explored the art vs. craft debate in a specifically New Zealand context and placed this against a background of current international museum practice.

One of the strengths of the Museum and Heritage Studies course is the work experience gained through the placements. I undertook three work placements as part of my two year masters degree, designing and implementing a visitor research study at The Dowse Art Museum, Lower Hutt, working on a collection management project at Puke Ariki, New Plymouth, and cataloguing some of the History-textiles collection at Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. I found that my background in Art History and Classics was very complementary to Museum Heritage Studies, and I was thrilled to participate in the 2006 Greek Field Trip as an elective course taken through the Classics Programme. Since graduating I have gained a position in the Central Regional Office of Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga as a Heritage Advisor, researching and assessing historic places and historic areas for inclusion on the national Register.