My name is Dr Jennifer Powell and
I'm working as a Senior Curator of
the collection and program at Kettle's Yard
which is part of the University of Cambridge.
Three things so firstly my degree enabled
me to be studying history of art in an
art gallery so that really inspired my
interest in objects and my love of objects,
secondly the incredible support of the
tutors and lecturers in the History of
Art Department who were so generous, it was
wonderful to be in a small department
where you really felt like you have some personal
contact and support over those years, and thirdly
the opportunity to gain experience so whilst
I was doing my degree, I also volunteered for the
Barber, at the Ikon, and at Birmingham Museums and
Art Gallery so I gained a great deal of
experience within museums and galleries.
Firstly it gave me an incredible
grounding in the history of art and
knowledge of different periods of art
which is really important and I have
used it throughout my career,
fantastic course to give you that kind of
grounding. It gave me confidence in
presentation and actually looking and
engaging with objects and that was really
important to me as a curator and it's
something which I've never forgotten
about my experience at Birmingham being
actually here in the gallery with a
painting or a sculpture and be able to talk
about it and study it, and it prepared me by giving
me other types of experience, so experience
of working with an education team within
the Barber, experience of doing research
and understanding how best to approach
a research project.
My current role is Senior Curator, collection and program,
at Kettle's Yard which is one of eight University of
Cambridge museums and Kettle's Yard is a
modern collection and a temporary
gallery space so we organized a changing
program of modern and contemporary art
exhibitions and we care for the collection
and as well as this I oversee the wider learning
program, so that's education and learning, it's
music, and it's research and I also tried
to make connections with the History of
Art Department within the University and
lecture there and teach there. It is an amazing
job and I can't think what the best
thing is there's so many good things, the
opportunity to work with a fabulous
collection we have over 1500, objects the
opportunity to work with internationally
renowned artists, contemporary artists,
the opportunity to develop exhibitions
and to develop program and to creatively
inform that work, and
the opportunity to work in a team of six
to eight people and to support them and
see them also develop from flourish.
If I was talking to someone who would be coming
into their first year now I would say make
the most of the support that is here for
you, make the most of the opportunities
around Birmingham but also specifically
in this building so come into the
gallery, look at objects, volunteer, do
something in the Learning Department, do
something in the Marketing Department, try
to gain as much experience as you can and make
friends and network with people at Birmingham,
because that is something that Birmingham gives you
and you'll use it throughout your life.
Organise an exhibition in the
Photograph Room which is where students
have their lectures and it was the first
exhibition to be organised in that space,
and now postgraduate students organise an annual
exhibition but this was the first one
and it was about art and migration, it was a small
private collection of works which I organised
with Dr Jutta Vinzent, and it was open for about
one week but we produced a catalog
and posters and we've run interpretation and
it was an incredible opportunity to try
to use a different space in the
Barber so that was amazing.
