Secrets from KC Curators

Have you ever wondered what a museum’s curator thinks makes his workplace so phenomenal? Three local curators took time to answer just that!

Senior curator Doran Cart has an impressive 41 years in the museum field to his credit, 21 of which have been at the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial. His responsibilities are both varied and full, ranging from design, creation and installation of the main exhibit, as well as consulting for television documentaries, films, books and other museums. “People are always asking me what my favorite object in the museum is,” Doran says, “and I respond that it is the object I am looking at right then. This is because each object tells a compelling story and adds to the global history of World War I. I believe the World War I Museum offers unique opportunities for visitors to understand the history of the war from the vantage point of actual participants.”

“When I tell people I work at the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures, they automatically think that I play with toys all day, and I kind of do!” curator Kristine Dobbins quips. “It’s not all fun and games, but I love working with the museum’s collection of toys and miniatures because they are so approachable. Many great works of art are recreated in 1:12 scale in the museum’s miniatures galleries. Not only is it mind-boggling, but I find the pieces a lot more approachable and less intimidating than their full-scale counterparts.”

Paula Rose, coordinator of education and preservation at Steamboat Arabia, first entered her employer’s doors as a student on a field trip. After completing KU’s graduate program in art history, she became a tour guide, working her way up to her current position where she oversees all tours, along with the museum’s growing collection in its preservation lab. She says, "Steamboat Arabia is fascinating because it’s specifically related to local history. And it's a work in progress, something new to see with each visit!"

Writer Lauren Greenlee loves living in a city home to world-class museums!