First Draft SOP/Essay
Writing Sample. In no more than 1,000 words, please write an essay that describes (1) how the academic environment in the Arts & Administration Program and at the University X and surrounding community will address your academic and professional objectives and (2) what social or cultural issues you imagine investigating through graduate-level research.
The Arts Administration Museum Studies program at the University X offers me a chance to expand and continue my work as a staff member of the Museum of X while helping me refine and focus my professional experience. Exploring different facets of museology and arts administration I will transform my personal interests in art and archaeology, my volunteer background and work experience into a solid foundation for my desired career. I will be concentrating my research on topics involving collections management, artifact repatriation and issues of cultural property ethics in research and collections.
A career in museums is the perfect synthesis of my background in fine art and design with my interest in preservation of material culture and art. After graduating from the University of Z with a BFA in Design and Metalsmithing, I moved to TOWN Y, opened my jewelry studio and began to take post-baccalaureate classes in preparation for my application to graduate school. Initially, I explored technical conservation of metalwork programs and expanded my undergraduate coursework to include chemistry and math. Simultaneously I began volunteering with local art organizations to gain experience in working with non-profit community groups. This volunteer work influenced me greatly and has shifted my focus toward arts administration.
In TOWN Y I have volunteered my time to the LOCAL ARTS GROUP (LAR), the Guild of TOWN Y Metalsmiths (GTYM), and the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG). At LAR I was part of the exhibit change over team, served as a gallery host and worked on the 2010 Open Studio Art Tour planning committee. Volunteering in different positions for LAR for 4 years helped acquaint me with administration of non-profit arts organizations. For SNAG, I contributed to the creation of a database of metalsmithing programs by contacting schools and gathering information to share via SNAG online. As metalsmithing was my undergraduate focus I am involved in a few metalsmithing groups. For our local metalsmithing guild, GTYM, I facilitate meetings, work on the recently formed exhibit proposal team, and coordinate volunteers.
My experiences working in local community art groups, at times with graduates from your program, inspired me to apply to the Arts Administration program at the University X. I began to pursue a job in a museum so I could gain professional experience. As the Visitor Services Coordinator at a small museum I get a chance to be involved with many different projects with a focus on events, visitor services, volunteer and student staff management, as well as managing the museum store. Being a part of the Museum Studies graduate program would allow me the opportunity to grow with this institution and explore other aspects of museum work.
The active learning opportunities offered through internships and practicums, in combination with the classes devoted to technology, as well as the standard museology curriculum are essential components to being prepared to work in the modern museum. The Arts Administration program at the University X has an excellent balance of these courses and still allows one to focus their in-depth work on specific topics. While continuing my part time work at MUSEUM Z I would also like to explore our sister institution the Z Museum of Art through practicum or internship. This experience would help me round out my resume and highlight my versatility in a museum setting.
Social and cultural issues I would like to explore through research are varied. My own personal interests in museum studies were sparked by the topics of cultural property and collections ethics. As I read about tragic losses that still occur during wars and natural disaster I started to explore conservation and collections management. The use of art and artifacts as tools of political agendas during times of war and upheaval as well as the evolution of repatriation and museum ethics affects every department of the museum from the exhibits and collections to the visitors. I would like to explore concepts of provenance, repatriation, encyclopedic museum exhibits and how they relate to patron’s expectations.
As our culture becomes more aware of errors made in the past regarding the collection of art and artifacts we will have to decide how institutions will reconcile this within their exhibits and research collections, as well as how we educate visitors about this topic. There has been much evolution in this area during the last 40 years and it continues to change. There is a move to return artifacts and research to the land and people of origin as with the recent return of Peruvian artifacts by Yale and the joint custody arrangement made by the Met for the Italian Morgantina silver. Perhaps even more famously the requests for the return of the Elgin marbles to Greece and Rosetta Stone to Eygpt. Beyond just focusing on the legal ethical debate, I would like to explore how we as museum professionals are responsible for the stewardship of artifacts and art during times of upheaval and address our responsibilities in maintaining collections that are respectful of the cultural needs of people while preserving the educational component of a museum.
The University of X has two excellent museums that I look forward to working with as I delve further into museum studies. The MUSEUM OF Z as the state archeological repository and the Z Art Museum with its varied art collections offer diverse environments to participate in active learning opportunities. The course offerings that cover the breadth of museum operations from event programming to technology will help me expand my skills and prepare me for my career as a museum professional. Thank you for your consideration of my application to the Arts and Administration program at the University X