Alumni Feature: Megan Orr
2021, BA in Art History and Curatorial Studies
My formal title is Operations Administrative Coordinator, but it doesn't really describe my job very well. In my current position, I use what I learned in art history to craft luxury arts-and-culture-focused group travel programs in collaboration with museums, universities, and other cultural institutions across the country. These programs can be just about anywhere. My company has operated trips to Japan, Peru, India, Egypt, Morocco, Austria, Cuba, Ireland, France, the Caribbean, and many more. I actually just returned this weekend from being on a program in Portugal led by representatives from The Met and Harvard. These programs tend to feature visits to museums, archeology sites, private collections, historic institutions, private homes, and generally feature educational lectures by experts in the field respective to the theme of the program. I work with representatives from those institutions (curators, directors, professors, etc) to work out the appropriate itinerary that would best befit their needs. I pull on my education in art history to guide my research in building these itineraries, to maximize the groups' exposure to the greatest arts and cultural sites available to them. My position also requires me to coordinate between departments (sales, client services, etc) to ensure that the final product delivered (the travel program) is of the highest quality. My company, Arrangements Abroad, operates the Travel with the Met program as well as the Museum Travel Alliance, and also works with groups on an institutional basis. This company is pretty unique and I'm not sure I described it too well, but you can get a better idea of what the programs are like on the company website, arrangementsabroad.com or museumtravelalliance.com.
I was very ambitious about gaining work experience before graduation, and often held more than one position at a time. It definitely worked out and prepared me for the multitasking demand of my current position!
2018-2019:
Reference Assistant at the L. Tom Perry Special Collections in the HBLL
Winter 2019:
Curatorial Intern at the BYU Museum of Art
Summer 2019:
Study Abroad Student Director for the Europe Art History Study Abroad Program (I approached Dr. James Swensen and asked if I could assist with developing his study abroad program. Long story short, the department kindly granted funding for the position. This was clearly KEY to my current position, and I'm forever grateful to Dr. Swensen to going to bat for me!)
Fall 2020:
Education and Visitor Services Intern at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art
2019-2021:
Student Educator at the BYU Museum of Art (taught me so much about art-based research, collaboration between art institutions, interdepartmental coordination, and how to talk to groups about art!)
2019-2021:
Teaching Assistant in the Art History department 2021: Completed BA in Art History & Curatorial Studies, went to Grad School
2021-2023:
Graduate Teaching Assistant at Oklahoma State University
2022:
Learning & Audience Engagement Intern at Philbrook Museum of Art (taught me even more about interdepartmental coordination, how to engage audiences, and the inner workings of an art institution)
2023:
Gallery Intern at 108 Contemporary (joined very small team of just five folks, developed a variety of skills from website copy composition to gallery installation to social media, etc)
2023:
Present position, Operations Administrative Coordinator at Arrangements Abroad. This is actually my first position out of grad school :D From my previous experiences, and at the advice of my professors, I had learned so much about how to write resumes, how to interview, how to work well on a team, how to research, how to write critically, and how to seek out what you wanted and go for it, even if it seems too good to be true. I did that multiple times throughout my educational and professional experiences, and it always paid off! In fact, I didn't even technically apply for the job I have now. I found the company, realized we fit together like peanut butter and chocolate, crafted a resume and cover letter, and sent it in with an email that basically said 'I'm a perfect fit for your company, I have x skills and x experiences that will be useful to you. I think I would make a great addition to your team and would love the chance to interview and demonstrate how.' They responded, pitched me a position, and now here I am.
"Even if you have just a vague idea of what you enjoy, pursue opportunities to do it more. If opportunities don't seem present, see if you can make one."
Research:
this one is huge. I spend hours doing research nearly every day to ensure not only relevant and accurate information, but to be able to craft programs that even the most educated art snobs from Ivy Leagues to The Met can be impressed by. This is by far the part of my job that I enjoy the most, as I get to not only use my art history training but can continue to broaden my knowledge as I continuously gain a cultural education through my research.Writing:
I write a lot. I use technical writing for internal documents, art-centric writing for communication with institutional reps, museums, and program guests, professional writing for correspondence with institutions across the world, etc. Because of the highly complicated and detail-oriented nature of my job, I also have to make sure my arguments, reasons, and research are crystal-clear, even to someone in another department who does not specialize in what I do.
Detail-oriented:
In art history, you have to look at the artwork both in its entirety and down to even the most minute detail. I do the same in my job, looking at the travel program in its entirety and breaking it down to the smallest minute-by-minute details to ensure all goes smoothly in whatever country a group has landed. From flight times to passport numbers to exhibition dates, I am in charge of their experience every hour of the day, from the time their plane lands to when it takes off again a week or two later. I need to have both perspectives to be successful.
Patterns and Exceptions:
One of the greatest parts of art history (for me) is the training in seeing visual patterns and digressions. If you pay attention, you quickly learn how to identify styles, themes, symbols, etc and can accurately connect them with cultural motivations or meanings. This means you can also notice when something doesn't fit the pattern, and learn how to interrogate why. I do a similar thing in my position, learning the 'style' of the programs and being able to see when something is missing, askew, overlooked, or out of place. Identifying these in advance and addressing them is crucial to the success of our programs.
The Why and The How:
In art history courses, you are constantly seeking 'the why' and 'the how' behind artworks: Why certain styles exist, why artists created works, why works were preserved/destroyed, how artworks were crafted, how styles developed, how art is exhibited, etc. This is generally answered by significant research that pulls together concrete historical evidence for 'why' and 'how'. I still do both for my job, as I pitch to institutions seeking to travel 'why' my itinerary is worthwhile and 'how' it will be successful.
Speaking the language of art lovers:
As a resident art lover myself, I can advocate for decisions that would resonate with our typical clients, who tend to be highly educated appreciators of arts and culture. I have also stepped in to mitigate correspondence between humanities-trained representatives (curators, professors, etc) and some of my colleagues whose strengths lie in other areas. This leads to higher quality programs and happier folks overall.
I realized this a bit later in my BYU education, but go for every opportunity you can: jobs, internships, research grants, conferences, volunteering, workshops, etc. Even if you think there's no shot, the practice in applying will be well worth it when you do get a shot. Think deeply about what you want to do, what personal strengths you have, and what weaknesses you want to improve. If you really enjoy your major, interrogate what elements draw you to it, and how they might expand into a professional setting. Even if you have just a vague idea of what you enjoy, pursue opportunities to do it more. If opportunities don't seem present, see if you can make one. Ask questions. To everybody. I was constantly in the offices of professors (art history or otherwise) talking about what I was interested in and what I wanted to learn. Because they knew so much about me they were able to steer me to opportunities and trust that I would make the most of them. Be creative when looking for opportunities and think of them as stepping stones rather than a final destination. Be ambitious but practical. No effort is wasted. All things will work together for your good.
During grad school, I picked up rock climbing and became a decent home chef, both to relieve the intense stress I was under. It definitely helped! I was diagnosed with Inattentive ADHD (formerly ADD) last year, which explained so much of why I often struggled with some things (deadlines, small assignments, daily or regular tasks) but exceeded in others (demanding challenges, problem solving, detail-oriented research). Finding a job that not only suits my interests but also pulls on my strengths while being flexible with my weaknesses has severely improved my mental health, self esteem, and professional outlook.