Member Spotlight: Olivia Edlund, Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens
With our new “Museum Musings” blog up and running, we want to use this channel to highlight some of the talented individuals who make up our membership base. With hundreds of local cultural professionals, volunteers, students, and others counted among our members, today we’d like to put the spotlight on one of them—and hear about where Museum Council fits into her career.
Olivia Edlund, Education and Outreach Manager, Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens
Olivia Edlund
Education and Outreach Manager, Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens
Q: How did you get involved with Museum Council of Philadelphia?
I first got involved with Museum Council when I was attending graduate school at the University of the Arts. Several of my professors in the Museum Studies department encouraged us to attend Museum Council events, and they were great places to meet people and make connections.
Q: How has membership in Museum Council helped you on a professional level?
Museum Council has allowed me to strengthen relationships with other museum professionals in Philadelphia. While I often meet new people at these events, I see a lot of people that I already know there too. It is always a great way to catch up with someone, hear what they’ve been working on, and discover ideas for how we can work together. I’ll often run into people at Museum Council events that I haven’t seen in a while, maybe years, and it provides us an opportunity to reconnect.
Q: What’s been your favorite Museum Council experience to date?
I really enjoyed the [2013] Annual Meeting where Merilee Mostov from the Columbus Museum of Artwas the keynote speaker. It was very inspiring to hear her talk about their mission to “create great experiences with great art for everyone” and how to think differently about what we’re offering visitors. It really created a change in my mind about how I approached projects, especially because I was already in an environment at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens where I could experiment and try new things.
Q: What would you say to someone who’s thinking about joining Museum Council?
I would say that if you’re interested in museums in the Philadelphia area you can gain a lot from being involved with Museum Council, and you can really tailor your experience to what you’re interested in. It’s not only about networking. It’s also a great way to see new museums, share ideas, and find out about job opportunities and resources in the area.