AA at the MFA

Led by Professor Lanfranco Aceti, Director of Arts Administration at Boston University in collaboration with Herbert Jones, volunteer and Intern programs Manager at the Museum of Fine Arts, 25 Students from The Art World class had the opportunity to visit the MFA. During the visit students engaged with guest speakers from the MFA, including Justina Crawford, Manager of Lectures and Courses; Josephine Ho, Development Officer at Museum Council; and Herbert Jones, Volunteer & Intern Program Manager, talk about their roles inside the organization and their experience of working in the museum.

Topics discussed were how educational programs are developed inside the museum, how the Museum Council cultivates the younger generation of members and donors, as well as how the museum organizes its volunteer and intern system. After each talk, students had the chance to ask their own questions.

Some of the questions touched upon current topical issues: how to develop programs concerning the demand of underrepresented audiences, how to coordinate with other departments inside the museum, and how to allocate resources inside each department. Students had the chance to come into contact with professionals from one of the most prestigious museums in the world. The museum professionals were also able to discuss with students the challenges that prospective professionals in arts administrators face as well as exchange insights, concerns, and suggestions.

After the lecture, students participated in a Group Run activity which encouraged them to explore the current special exhibitions inside the museum. Each group of students was provided with five hints relating to one of the five special exhibitions and given the task of identifying from the clues their assigned exhibition. The group reconvened and discussed the exhibition as well as a chosen art work that each group selected.

Thanks to the support of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and in particular Herbert Jones, who is also an alumni of the Arts Administration program at Boston University, this was an incredible experience for students who participated in this event.

The AASA students who supported the Department of Arts Administration in the organizational set up of the event were delighted by the outcome. The AASA together with Professor Lanfranco Aceti looks forward to delivering more meaningful events like this in collaboration with arts organizations within the Boston Area for the Arts Administration students, alumni, and faculty.

This event was organized by the following AASA students Huixuan Liu, Hanyi Wang, Lishan He, Huo Ran, Samantha Lovewell and Xiaoyu Yao.

Image Credit: Photographer Sam Brew