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Museum curator

Name: Lindie Ward

Current position: Assistant curator, Decorative Arts and Design, Powerhouse Museum

What does the position involve?

Curatorial work involves management of the Museum collection, that is, storage and care of objects, acquisition by purchase or gifts of new objects according to museum policy. Planning future exhibitions and organising and researching imminent exhibitions.

What advice would you give to a Year 12 student considering pursuing a similar career?

This is a highly competitive area. Academic qualifications are vital, history and archaeology are probably most suitable but subjects relevant to Museum collections are of course very useful. A museum studies course is also very helpful.

What do you see are the future directions of your industry?

Our work is becoming more intense and more interactive with a big focus on IT. Publishing both on the web and otherwise has become a major part of our work. We offer more and more temporary exhibitions because the public need to know that fresh themes and ideas are continually being presented. Competition between institutions is intense and there is a tendency for projects to become more self-funding with the help of sponsorship.