When I found out that Mike Sittenfeld, Director of Publications at The Jewish Museum, received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in English, I felt that sense of camaraderie I like to imagine all English majors feel amongst each other. Mike understands just how delicate the editing process is. He acknowledges that his job requires much sensitivity. Writers often become tied to their words and are resistant to outside editing. However, Mike’s favorite part of the editing process is clarifying a text so that the author’s intentions can be fully realized. With his help, The JM publishes two to three books a year. Click to continue »
Scene + Heard
...now browsing by category
Scene + Heard: Director of Publications
Friday, August 20th, 2010Scene + Heard: Security Guard
Monday, August 2nd, 2010
The Jewish Museum is known to have pretty tight security, but for good reason! We value our art, our visitors and our staff. Our museum guards are essential for ensuring that everyone has an enjoyable and safe experience each time they visit.
So, meet Carl. He has been a guard at The Jewish Museum for twelve years. Although he says he fell into his position here because of a recommendation, Carl has now come to appreciate art and culture in a new way. His favorite part of working at The Jewish Museum is getting a privileged inside look at the art world through his job. Carl says he has learned a lot since beginning his work at The Jewish Museum. The most challenging aspect is dealing with the public which can also be a rewarding experience as well. Click to continue »
Scene + Heard: Collections Manager
Thursday, July 29th, 2010
Collections Manager Katherine Danalakis gave me an impromptu tour of one of the Museum’s onsite art storage rooms and, like a kid in a candy store, I was wide eyed and thrilled to be there. The room is narrow and long, with rows of large paintings stored vertically and smaller objects and works on paper in flat drawers. To give a sense of how large the room is, think about this: Like most other museums, only about 2% of The Jewish Museum’s collection is ever on view at a time.
Katherine says the most challenging part of her job is keeping up with the process of the Museum’s many new acquisitions. A recent example is Melissa Meyer’s Lilith, a large scale painting from 1992, that will be shown in the upcoming exhibition Shifting the Gaze: Painting and Feminism. That process, which consists of photographing, numbering, cataloguing, and storing new works, is one of Katherine’s major responsibilities. Click to continue »