Intern Alexis Harris- Museum Curator at the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum

Hi, my name is Lexi Harris. I’m from Colwich, Kansas and I have one younger brother, two dogs, and one cat that likes to hang around the property. My parents have been married for over 20 years and my dad’s mom moved in with us about 10 years ago.

I am highly interested in being a museum curator because I have always had an appreciation for antiques and artifacts. I believe my passion in this area really blossomed through my summer job over the past three years. I work part-time at a company called Caring Transitions where we help clients downsize and sell all of their used and no-longer needed items. Usually, it takes place on our online auction but we do estate sales as well. I get to see and handle a wide variety of vintage materials and heritage pieces that have been passed down from generation to generation. This job has taught me a lot about how to handle and appreciate rare and unique items and it has also taught me the value of an item’s worth in light of its rarity as well as its market value. It is very interesting to see how people would use things in their every-day lives and how differently we use things now.

Museum curators are responsible for the care of the museum’s entire collection and they determine the overall layout of the museum. They must be able to coordinate special exhibitions, arrange research, manage the storage and rotation of the collection, recommend additions and features to the exhibits and keep all the current information up to date. This job requires a bachelor’s degree in area of specialty and must have 4-5 years of experience in the field or in a related area.  The salary is about $53,000, but the annual salary is influenced by the size of the museum as well. Generally, the larger museums will offer higher salaries.

My interest in items of historical interest stemmed from an appreciation passed down from my parents and grandparents.  I have been going shopping with my mom for antiques for as long as I can remember. It is a hobby that she and I share and have really bonded over. That was my first indication of how much I value the preservation of special items and belongings. Museums have always interested me and I have enjoyed looking at different artifacts and antiques. It really makes me happy when I notice people interested in someone else’s life and how differently things can be for different individuals. I love the stories that certain artifacts portray and when combined with other supporting artifacts, the pieces of the puzzle start to fit together to verify the story.

I have discovered that I will have to really study and work hard to know and memorize events that have happened in history to help me understand what some pieces have been through concerning time gaps, historical moments and significance, as well as the locations and efforts of preservation they have passed through. My strong suit does not include the memorization of dates. It is difficult for me to recall exact numbers so I will have to work diligently on that aspect. Luckily, I am a very organized person, I like everything to be in it’s rightful place and I believe that skill will help me tremendously in this career choice.

I find myself more drawn to working in a historical museum. Currently, the era I am most comfortable with would be the Victorian Era. The college I would like to attend is Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. Their supporting program in the history department should allow me to emphasize in a particular era. I would like to wait to officially chose my specialty. I feel it is best if I am exposed to more information and experience.

The Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum is located in a beautiful building that was once a City Hall in 1919.  The museum collection has evolved from early artifacts to nearly 70,000 antiques relating to Wichita and Sedgwick County from 1865 to the present. There is a large display of  furniture, photographs, business records, fashions, postcards, and old house items. The Wichita Historical Museum Society, also known as WHiMS, sponsors special events such as guide tours. They even host special events for the community and operate the gift shop. I am looking forward to my experience and learning process at this mentor facility.