Kelly Klingman

“Professor Carter Jones Meyer helped me greatly throughout my years at Ramapo, and continues to do so to this day. She goes out of her way to aid her students on an unprecedented level. Her vast knowledge and passion for teaching is inspirational, and has influenced my fascination with Native American history. Her impact on my learning also motivated my move to Santa Fe, as well as the topic of research for my Master’s degree thesis: repatriation in museums.

A few weeks after graduation in 2015 I moved to Santa Fe to work in the Department of Cultural Affairs as a part of the New Mexico Governor’s Internship Program, where I was placed in the New Mexico Museum of Art as a Curatorial Intern from May to August. While there, I worked closely with the Head of Curatorial Affairs, and aided in curating three of the exhibitions: Gustave Bauman and New Mexico, That Multitudes May Share: Building the Museum of Art, and Looking Forward, Looking Back. The opportunity allowed me to participate in and act as an integral member in the process of curating the museum’s exhibitions. In doing so, I learned about the “behind the scenes” work that occurs in a museum, the means of putting together an exhibition, and the concerns and approaches taken by curators in regards to audiences, interpretation and display. Most important, I realized precisely what it is a curator does on a daily basis, as well as the expertise, obligations, and knowledge required to be a curator. The experience has proven to be instrumental as it solidified my aspirations to pursue a career as a curator. Currently, I am living in Bath, England, where I am in the final months of obtaining a Master’s degree in Curatorial Practice at Bath Spa University.” – Kelly Klingman ’15 graduated with a degree in History and a minor in Italian. While at Ramapo, Kelly studied abroad in Galway, Ireland.

Program:
Arcadia University Ireland – National University of Ireland, Galway