Jessica Fowler

Visitor Services and Engagement at Clyfford Still Museum in Denver, Colorado

Course: MA Art Gallery and Museum Studies, Full Time, 2016-17

I chose the University of Manchester for the reputation of the Art Gallery and Museum Studies postgraduate programme. Prior to the course, I worked within education with the Honolulu Museum of Art and the U.S. National Monument at Pearl Harbor and U.S. military bases on Oahu, Hawaii. Due to a combination of interests in both art and  world history, I wanted to gain knowledge concerning the  institution of museums as a whole. The AGMS curriculum allowed me to gain multiple perspectives on the sector, and the professors within the programme are varied in both academic and professional background, they bring a great deal to the table. Anytime you can garner depth of experience, the take-away is invaluable. I was also extremely interested in the course’s placement module. I had the opportunity  to work as a development associate with the youth mental health non-profit, 42nd Street, and it’s new creative space, The Horsfall. I researched trusts and foundations, applied to new grant programmes, and gleaned tremendous amounts of experience with financial sustainability and the business administration side of arts and heritage organisations. 

Overall, the AGMS programme gave me the opportunity to network with a large set of museum and arts academics and practicing professionals, paved the way for PhD studies, and gave me the placement experience to make the transition to a different aspect of museum work.

As a result, I am now working with the Clyfford Still Museum in Denver, Colorado  within the Visitor Services and Events department, assisting with development, and continuing my research concerning World War II and the Abstract Expressionist movement.