356: How to Break Into Museum Curating with Alexis Albion, International Spy Museum [Espresso Shots]

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Dr. Alexis Albion is the lead curator at the new International Spy Museum in Washington, DC which reopened in a brand new building in May 2019.  In this role, Dr. Albion was responsible for conceptualizing the 5 main galleries of the museum and ensuring the content appealed to as wide an audience as possible. Prior to joining the Spy Museum, Dr Albion worked at The World Bank Group and the US State Department.  However, she got her first significant hands on experience in the intelligence world, after finishing her PhD in 2002, when she was hired as a professional staff member of the 9/11 Commission after the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States.  Dr. Albion did not study museum curating in college or in graduate school and was a history major at Princeton University.  Her professional journey is a great example of how following your interests can lead you to truly unexpected places. Press play on this episode if you want to learn more about how to break into this fun and fascinating career!

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT IN THIS EPISODE:

• What to expect when searching for an entry-level position in museum curating
• Why a love for museums and storytelling are necessary skills to enter into this field
• Whether or not a major in museum studies or curation is required to work in museum curation
• When is the right time to start looking at possibly getting a master’s degree in museum studies or another subject you’re interested in 
• Why it’s important to never stop exercising your creativity in whatever career you are in
• Which part of museum curation may pose the biggest challenge to someone in this field
• Why to listen to Alexis’ main Time4Coffee interview episode #244 to learn more about what it’s like to be a museum curator