Member Minute with Eileen Magee
In 1976 I accepted a job at the Athenaeum of Philadelphia and I first learned of the Museum Council of Philadelphia. Both encounters set me on a most fulfilling professional and personal path. When asked what skills have been most helpful to me in my long career I would say that the ability to listen carefully, to observe, to ask questions, to be disciplined, to be dogged when you believe you are right, but flexible enough to change course if needed, and to always treat others as you would have them treat you. I was fortunate to have had experience interacting with the public from the time I started working at the age of eleven at my local public library after completing my Library scout badge. I was expected to be prompt, presentable, polite and helpful in doing the tasks asked of me. My next job in the front office of a motocycle factory was a lot less comfortable but gave me insight into how women who had little education, unlike me, were routinely mistreated and harassed by the men on the assembly line. I was spared most of that because I dealt with the customers, who albeit tattooed and pierced, treated me with respect.
The values I try to live by are to show respect for others, to be honest, reliable, loyal and kind. Throughout my career I have grappled with how these seemingly simple values can be incorporated into the operating policy of museums. I have seen how the emphasis on collections and conservation as the main focus of museums gradually gave way to educations and now to a recognition that many people have been and continue to be discouraged from participation in all that museums have to offer because of discrimination based on race, gender, and socio-economic differences. I am encouraged by the Museum Council's efforts to address these issues.
When I joined the staff of the Athenaeum it had just undergone the renovation of its National Historic Landmark building on Washington Square. This was the first step in making the Athenaeum relevant for the future. I was tasked with helping the Executive Director make those first steps toward opening its building, collections of Victorian era furniture, paintings, decorative arts, and archives to the public. At the same time we engaged noted authors to speak about their books and began a series of chamber music for our members and their guests. I enjoyed giving tours of te building and collections, and recruiting authors for our lecture series, but my primary responsibility was managing the business side of the institution---preparing the operating and grant proposal budgets, doing basic accounting, handling HR, and being the point person for the Treasurer and the Finance Committee. It was challenging but never boring and often fun because I had many wonderful colleagues. The Athenaeum was an institutional member of the Museum Council and I was chosen to be our representative. That is how I came to be at a Museum Council event at the Mutter Museum where I was greeted by Gretchen Worden who became my treasured friend, and who pushed me to see beauty in unexpected placed and to be more daring. That afternoon, surrounded by animated conversations about things that interested and mattered to me, I realized those Museum Council members were "my people." Today, I feel the same way whenever we get together.
To young professionals I would say listen, observe, keep asking questions, sometimes be ouraged, and always treat people with respect and kindness. Take advantage of formal and informal workshops, classes, and mentoring programs. Twenty-five years into my career I got a certificate in Executive Non-Profit Management from the University of Pennsylvania. Looking at the broader field of Non-profits was enlightening and helpful.
I have always liked classic film noir and recently have begun reading mysteries written in that style. Currently I am reading Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen.
What excites me now that I am retired is that I no longer have to focus on the end goal and can delight in the process of creating. My medium of choice is glass. I use a torch to shape glass rods into beads, flowers, pendants, and marbles using techniques developed in Murano, Italy, centuries ago. I also play a mean game of water volleyball twice a week.