Programs
SUNY Brockport has established both an undergraduate minor in Museum Studies and a graduate program in Public History. Students who wish to pursue Museum Studies or Public History further have many options in the region and throughout the United State. The National Council on Public History has compiled a list of public history and related programs that can be found here. The Smithsonian has also compiled a directory of graduate and undergraduate programs focusing on museum studies throughout the United States.
Nearby colleges that have programs include Syracuse University, which has a graduate program in museum studies. They also have a Documentary Film & History MA program. Cooperstown Graduate Program (CGP) at SUNY Oneonta is recognized as one of the premiere programs for museum professionals in the United States. The College at Buffalo offers a graduate program and museum studies certificate. NYU has a master’s program in Archives & Public History, offering students the chance to explore New York City’s archival and public history institutions and organizations.
Doctoral programs focusing in public history or museum studies are on the rise. Although there are no specific programs locally, students can work with their advisor to construct a program to fit their needs.
Social Groups & Organizations
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Rochester Emerging Museum Professionals
Facebook group and page. Dedicated to working as an advocacy group for emerging museum professionals (EMPs) in Western New York.
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Rochester Emerging Museum Professionals
Facebook group and page. Dedicated to working as an advocacy group for emerging museum professionals (EMPs) in Western New York.
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Eastman Young Professionals
Similar to the above, the group focuses entirely on supporting the George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography & Film.
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Museum Computer Network (MCN)
A group dedicated to discovering new ways to implement technology into museum institutions.
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Global Museum
More of an online magazine than a networking site, it provides a multitude of information on what museums are doing around the world. It also provides a section on job opportunities, museum studies and other resources that could be of use.
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The International Council of Museums
The premiere organization for museum professionals, it is a useful site for museum students to understand the rules and codes of ethics that have emerged since its inception in 1946.
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The American Alliance for Museums
Similar to ICOM, it is an organization dedicated to supporting all American museums. Again, a site to better understand the current ‘state’ of museum rules, missions, and codes of ethics.
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The Junto
A blog dedicated to graduate and junior professors in Early American History.
Job Opportunities Sites
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Call For Curators
The site specializes in connecting curators and art managers to galleries and museums around the globe. In addition to announcing job opportunities, they announce grants, fellowships, exhibition proposals and curatorial studies programs.
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Simply Hired
An excellent site to search for jobs. Keywords to use include assistant curator.
Virtual Museums
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Museum of Science, Boston
The museum has a section dedicated to digital exhibitions, including one on renewable energy. They also have a link where users can download apps for a previous exhibit.
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MuseumLink’s Museum of Museums
Link Coming Soon | Provides links to additional virtual museums. Mostly amateur sites, but still a useful resource to see how virtual museums could be set up. -
Harvard Art Museums
Although they do not a virtual museum component, users can explore previous exhibitions going all the way back to 2006.
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Colonial Williamsburg
The site features four online exhibits, three of which have been either nominated or won top awards for interactive/digital media.
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Virtual Museum of Canada
There are more than 500 exhibits ‘on display’ in this virtual museum.
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Smithsonian National Museum of History
Offers a virtual tour of the whole museum! Is usable on both desktop and mobile devices.
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Louvre
The site features a few videos with a cartoon character explaining some of the work in their collection.
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The Vatican Museum
Features a virtual exhibit of parts of the museum complex. (It is still a work in progress.)
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Google Cultural Institute
The site includes the collections of museums around the world, and has incorporated its Street View to create virtual tours of renowned sites such as Versailles and White House. Some museums and galleries are now creating exhibitions exclusively for the site. Users can also create their own ‘gallery’.
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Virtual Museum of Japanese Art
A virtual museum dedicated to Japanese art and culture.
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National Gallery of Art
There are four virtual exhibits on this site.
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Valentino Garavani Museum
Explore the virtual museum dedicated to one of the world’s most renowned and influential designers. Can also be downloaded to desktops.
Virtual Museum & Digital Archive Projects
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Jacob Leisler Paper Project
Based out of NYU, the project houses thousands of copies of correspondences, genealogical documents, and manuscripts pertaining to a seventeenth- and eighteenth-century New York and Atlantic World materials.
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The Margaret Sanger Archive
Also based out of NYU, the project collects related papers, correspondences and articles relating to the 20th century of the social activist and reformer.
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Rochester Reform Trail
Dr. Torre’s project, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities, is a workshop in 2014 focusing on the area’s economic, technological and political landmarks.
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Culture24
A site dedicated to providing up-to-date information on exhibitions in British museums and galleries.
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Slavery and the Making of America
For those who are more interested in the pedagogical aspects of exhibits, this is a really good site to look at. All four parts of this virtual museum exhibit were taken on by four different educational/nonprofit organizations.
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Educational Virtual Museums Developed Using PowerPoint
A great instructional site. Provides templates, instructions on how to create your own virtual museum/gallery using PowerPoint.