Walking to the museum I remembered what the building looked like. It was beautifully designed from an era long before the Rubin Museum of Art had opened its doors. Before today I was a visitor then a candidate but now an employee. Today is my first day and I am nervous. I was told to sign in when I got to the museum so I found my name in 12 pt. font . Andrew Buttermilch- 8:45 a.m.
And so begins my time here at the Rubin Museum of Art as the new Coordinator of Educational Resources. As an educator I have always spent time using technology like blogs to educate and express the importance of museums as cultural institutions.
For seven years now I have been working in museums, first for the National Park Service as a Historian/Educator at Sagamore Hill NHS, home of 26th President Theodore Roosevelt and then most recently working at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum as a Museum Educator. Both of these positions gave me something important to become an effective educator like passion, patience, and self reflection all attributes I had first noticed when applying on this very same blog.
Reading the entries I ingested as much as I could but one particularly stuck out. It was entitled American History First Hand and described a new upcoming exhibition at the Rubin Museum of Art about Quentin Roosevelt II and his study on the Naxi scrolls and his quest to learn about the Naxi culture. Waves of emotions ran through me. The man whose exhibit is going to open was the man whose bedroom was my office at Sagamore Hill.
Andrew working on the road to the home of Quentin Roosevelt II
At the youthful age of 19 Quentin Roosevelt, the grandson of Theodore, went forth on an adventure and wrote an article for Life magazine recounting his tale. After long days of traveling with no luck the youthful Roosevelt found scores of beautiful art work ranging from paintings made of butter, crowns and hundreds of books created by the Naxi people. But his discovery of scrolls approximately 40 feet long by eight inches wide gave him a deeper understanding. Within the scrolls contained tales of a pre-Buddhist Tibetan religion known as Bon which the museum will be displaying. Like Roosevelt once was, I am new to the material learning the meaning behind all the pieces for the exhibit. One particular story stood out to me. Within the collection Roosevelt had discovered a scroll describing the Road of the Dead that many of the Bon religion believed one took to find salvation or enlightenment. Describing the scroll Roosevelt stated Appropriately enough, the road [within the religion] to hell is short and easy, while the road to heaven is long and arduous. (Life, Roosevelt 1940)
Quentin Roosevelt II studying the Naxi Scrolls
It was then that I started to think about my past career and the road thats led me to the Rubin Museum of Art. While my past experiences were important to my development, I finally feel that I have reached the point where I want to be. With the constant support of the Education staff here I finally feel like I have found a place where I can grow as an educator. While this road may have been long and arduous like others looking for enlightenment, I have found my way.
Have you ever been through a tough experience that was worth it in the end? How has that experience help you become who you are today?