Hello Musings readers! Co-Editor-in-Chiefs (Molly and Mia) sat down to chat about our respective summers and what they're
looking forward to this school year.
MOLLY: How was your summer, Mia?
MIA: Very busy, but very good! From May to June, I completed the summer course MSL2303H: ‘Difficult’ Heritages and Precarious Times with Prof. Shiralee Hudson Hill. Despite the heavy nature of the topics we were covering (especially the ones which were simultaneously hitting front-page news), I feel much better equipped to tackle these issues with care and accuracy in my research and work.
Since June, I have been working at the Ontario Heritage Trust as an archaeology collections technician. I began my internship working from home, reviewing and editing records for collections which will be going online very soon! Later on, I also got a chance to visit some of the Trust’s sites, to work in the lab, and even at a fieldwork site – processing artefacts and cataloguing associated documentation.
Finally, I wrapped up co-curating an exhibit at the Oshawa Museum (Leaving Home, Finding Home in Oshawa: Displaced Persons and Stories of Immigration), which I started working on over three years ago!
And what did you get up to?
Ashbridge Estate (a property of the Ontario Heritage Trust). Photo courtesy of Jefimija Vujcic.
MOLLY: That sounds great. I was also quite busy... it was quite the summer – I worked as a Research Assistant with Dr. Anna Shternshis on projects relating to Jewry in Soviet Russia and Central Asia. I learned a lot about the Jewish presence in specific places like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Romania, and Ukraine. I’ll definitely have to write an article about it... I also completed my German Level A1, took an elective course called Managing AudioVisual Material, volunteered at the Ontario Jewish Archives, and finally submitted my thesis proposal. I hear you also submitted yours. What was like that? MIA: Looking forward to reading that article! Yes I did, back at the end of May; so much has happened since then that I almost forgot! It was definitely exciting to finally pass that milestone. MOLLY: And work aside, how was your summer? Anything fun? MIA: Nothing terribly exciting! I finally went to the theatre again – I watched R + J, a production of Romeo and Juliet, at the Stratford Festival. Getting to see the Andy Warhol exhibit at the AGO was another highlight! I also chipped away at my current novel writing project and started learning a bit of Italian for fun. What about you? MOLLY: I hung out a lot in parks and tried to soak up the sunshine, I did a little day-trip to Thornbury which was lovely and the house where we stayed was absolutely bursting with Canadian art... and of course, I started writing for Musings! It has been great so far, I get to explore my favourite topics. My most recent article is on Marc Chagall and the School of Paris exhibition that is wrapping up at the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire du Judaïsme in Paris. He is one of my favourite artists and the mahJ is one of my favourite museums ever so it just felt right.
MIA: I’m also excited to get writing for my column Museum Mysteries again! What else are you looking forward to this year?
MOLLY: Yup... getting into writing our theses will be fun. I’ll (fingers crossed) be going to Germany in March to do some archival research so I seriously can’t wait for that. And of course, being able to actually be on campus is quite nice – I’m loving the Inforum. Who can forget seeing my cohort IRL. Happy to be back!
MIA: Yes, totally agree, can’t wait to get started on writing itself! So far this year, I’ve also been loving popping into the library to get some work done, just like old times. I’m also looking forward to finally meeting everyone in person and to exploring museums together (with people who just 'get' it!).