Madeline Griem
Community Engagement
Why it is important to me
As an emerging museum professional, I am dedicated to community engagement and collaboration. I am passionate about fostering relationships with communities in order to make museums as inclusive and welcoming as possible. I recognize that museums have historically been places of exclusion and are grappling with a complex legacy of colonization, and I am dedicated to decolonization practices and bringing communities into museum spaces where they can work collaboratively with museum staff to produce exhibits, programs, and spaces that they feel are theirs.
Skills and Knowledge
Written and Verbal Communication - Community-Based Participatory Research
Madeline attending the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfield's Art in Bloom event, a partnership between IMA and local artists. 2023.
Practical Application and Experiences
Community Engagement Associate
During my time in the Museum Studies program at IUPUI, I served in two Community Engagement Associate (CEA) roles for major projects. Under Dr. Lois Silverman, I served as a CEA for the project developed between students enrolled in the Museums, Health, and Well-Being course and Circle City Clubhouse. In this role, I conducted research relat to community outreach and evaluation and assisted in the development of deliverables for the course. I was also the CEA for Dr. Holly Cusack-McVeigh, where I took on numerous tasks for various projects. I assisted in the facilitation of the following graduate-level courses: Collections Care and Management, Community Collaboration and Curation, and Museum Internship. For these classes, I prepared teaching and lab materials, answered student questions about course materials, and corresponded with community partners, including museums and their staff, tribal organizations, and university departments. Furthermore, I assisted in the repatriation of human remains and cultural objects to their source communities. I conducted database and records research on objects to synthesize information and identify their provenance to efficiently and accurately repatriate materials to international and domestic communities. Community collaboration was essential for these responsibilities.
Independent Study
In my final semester as a graduate student, I decided to undertake an independent study revolving around museum collections ethics. This project quickly evolved into a more specific exploration of community collaboration through the lens of Indigenous collections housed at museums. For the course, I critically engaged with prominent literature, researched and wrote a term paper, and worked with the Saginaw Chippewa of Michigan for projects being undertaken at the Ziibiwing Cultural Center. It solidified my interest and desire to work with communities on minor and major projects in my future roles as a museum collections professional.