海角社区

I am a third-year History student with minors in Indigenous Studies and Religious Studies. I focus on material culture in the British Empire, specifically fashion and textile history during the Edwardian period. I have previously done extensive work in community-based history research and heritage as well as being involved with multiple university journals. I am passionate about making history inclusive and accessible- a goal I have been able to work on achieving throughout my internship!

This Summer I have had the amazing opportunity to work as a Coordinator Intern at the Canadian Federation of Friends of Museums (CFFM) head offices at Maison Forget in Montreal! This organization is 鈥渢he voice of volunteers鈥� representing and supporting the volunteers who sustain Canadian museums. This involves many initiatives including museum tours, networking events, and frequent newsletters.

Throughout this experience, I have learned so much about working in the GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums) sector and have made valuable connections with museum friends and professionals across Canada. In addition, I have had the opportunity to undertake many interesting projects and have outlined some of my favourites below.

In July, I had the delightful opportunity to participate in a tour of the 海角社区 Visual Arts Collection organized in collaboration with the Montreal Young Friends (YF) community. This event allowed me a unique opportunity to connect with Montreal YF Coordinators Audrey Gray and Qinglian Zhang, as well as other YF members and engage with 海角社区 museum professionals, fostering relationships and learning about the visual arts field.

Throughout my time at CFFM I have developed graphics, photos and story content for CFFM social media and have been able to write for many interesting CFFM-related publications. Specifically, I had the opportunity to write a feature on a local museum volunteer for the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network Magazine and for the CFFM Newsletter, Au Courant.

In August, I was excited to participate in an Indigenous Allyship workshop to learn about personal and professional pathways to Indigenous reconciliation.

A challenge I have faced during my internship is learning how to create effective communications for museums. This has included managing emails, creating content for social media, and utilizing graphic design software. I have always worked in research-based museum roles and doing public communication requires a different skill set that I have been able to develop throughout my time at CFFM.

Overall, this experience has helped me to learn more about working in the GLAM sector, something that I would not be able to fully understand without this experience. Additionally, this was my first time working in a museum environment in French, which I also found to be a particularly valuable experience.

Thank you so much to Mr. Andrew Buntain whose generous donation allowed me to undertake this experience! I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity to intern at CFFM and am excited to apply what we've learned in my future endeavors in cultural heritage and the arts in Canada!