Meghan's Montreal Museum Mission

In June I received my Master's in Museum Studies from the University of Toronto. In other words I graduated in the arts, in a recession. While my résumé includes work experiences at institutions such as the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Smithsonian, recent job applications have failed to get me an interview, let alone a job. After many months of anxiety, self-doubt, and second thoughts about getting my Masters I have made a conscious decision to change my mindset. Rather than freaking about unemployment, I’m embracing it. In addition to a variety of part-time jobs and a French class at the University of Montreal, I have, in typical nerdy fashion, given myself a project. But this time the assignments are on my own time and I’m not being graded. Ah freedom.

So this is it: visit and write about 32 of Montreal’s museums and heritage sites in three months. Although there are other museums and certainly an abundance of galleries, I’ve chosen the ones listed in the Montreal Museums Magazine that are open to the public. I have a natural tendency to be fairly critical of museums but my degree has taught me about the enormous constraints under which museums operate. I’d like to use this project as a way to find the impressive and positive aspects of our local cultural institutions and to reconnect to my city while I’m at it. Hopefully my experiences can help bring to light some of this city’s little known gems.

Visiting so many cultural sites isn’t cheap and the student loans aren’t paying themselves off. Many places offer a few free hours a week but my primary ally will be the Accès Montréal card. The card costs 7$ and offers, among other things, 20-40% off many of the city’s museums.

Here’s to the things one can do while unemployed!

Accès Montréal: http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/portal/page?_pageid=4899,13287567&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

Montreal Museums: http://museesmontreal.org