Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria McKay.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I have had a passion for art and ideas, museum, and public service for as long as I can remember. I sought out positions that combined my business aptitude with this passion – read museum administration. My first museum job was as an Executive Assistant to the Director at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum. I started in 2007, and then 2008 happened and changed a great deal of that role. I ended up working my way through several positions at that terrific organization, including marketing and budgeting, and ended up managing the strategic planning process there in my last act. During my time at deCorodva, I also completed the Getty Leadership Institute’s Next Generation of Museum Leaders program, which cemented my aspirations to make a difference at cultural institutions and the people they serve. After five terrific years of a lot of growth and a great deal of learning, I was ready for my next challenge. My next role was at the Peabody Essex Museum where I was the Special Projects Manager for the CEO – a somewhat vague title that basically meant that I would manage mid-level projects that were of special interest to the Executive Director and CEO, and that didn’t neatly sit in any one department, so that he could focus on the expansion that PEM recently broke ground on. I was at PEM for three years and had a chance to work on a lot of terrific projects. Then, one cold day in November, my stepdaughter (who was 13 at the time) and I decided to go to the Nichols House Museum for a tour. We, and most importantly, SHE really enjoyed our time here. It can be a little challenging to get teenagers interested in historic house museums, but she was pretty enthused by the story of the family who lived here, and the historic rooms. Our guide suggested we come back for a program, but could not recall the date of the program. I told her I would look on the website. Upon visiting the website, I saw the posting for the Executive Director position, and, still enjoying the memory of our recent visit, applied on something of a lark. And the rest, as they say, is history. It has been a terrific two years here and I have been very proud to represent the museum and serve our public in my current role as Executive Director.
Has it been a smooth road?
There have certainly been some bumps in the road along the way. I am not the typical profile of an Executive Director. I am younger and, well, more female than many other EDs – although I am pleased to say that the trend on the latter demographic category is slowly showing positive changes. I do not have an advanced degree, and have a bit of an irreverent personality. Other challenges include those that keep all EDs up at night – three main question: 1) are we serving our public to the best of our ability and are we expanding our audiences and challenging, inspiring, educating and delighting them as much as possible? 2) How are our finances? 3) Is my staff well cared for?
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Nichols House Museum story. Tell us more about the business.
The mission of the Nichols House Museum is to preserve and interpret the 1804 Federal townhouse that was home to landscape gardener, suffragist and pacifist Rose Standish Nichols and her family. Their home and its original art and furnishings provide a glimpse into life on historic Beacon Hill from the mid-19th to mid-20th century. The museum educates and inspires the public through innovative programs, and it continues the conversation on the social concerns the Nichols family embraced that are still relevant today. In addition to our beautiful house, period rooms and collection, we are known for pushing the envelope and re-imagining what it means to be an historic house museum in the 21st century. We do this with innovative programs and exhibitions that connect the ideas that were important to the Progressive Era Nichols family to contemporary culture. We also tell the story of women and their role in society through history and examine what it means today. We recently became accredited, which is a huge accomplishment, especially for a museum of our size, and puts us in the company of only 3% of museums in the US and only 9 other museums in the city of Boston.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I see a number of trends in the industry. Many are encouraging, such as the shift towards collaboration (vs. competition) between museums, the strive to be more inclusive the audiences and communities they serve, the smart use and integration of technology, acting as platforms for ideas and dialogue, and connectors among artists, makers, the public and private sectors. I am very heartened to see many museums and cultural organizations align their programs and initiatives with today’s social concerns.
There is an interest in diversifying staff, boards and audiences, but we need to do a better job at this task. The American Alliance of Museums is developing some tools to help museums with this goal. External shifts include the current political climate, which threatens federal funding for arts and culture, philanthropy, and the role cultural nonprofits play nationally and internationally.
The pace of change in the technology sector is opening up new interpretive opportunities as well as expanding reach and outreach. Incorporating design thinking is important for developing new programs and ideas – agile design and a comfort with failure and experimentation is talked about a lot. Workplace culture is shifting to engender creativity, via flexibility, collaborative work spaces, and interdisciplinary teams.
Pricing:
- Admission to the museum is $10 adults, $9 AAA cardholders, $8 seniors, $5 students
- Free admission for: children under 12, active duty military personnel and their families, Massachusetts Teachers Association members, and staff of NEMA, AAM, and AASLH member museums
Contact Info:
- Address: Nichols House Museum
55 Mount Vernon Street
Boston, MA 02108 - Website: nicholshousemuseum.org
- Phone: 617-227-6993
- Email: info@nicholshousemuseum.org
- Instagram: @nhmboston
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NicholsHouseMuseum/
- Twitter: @nicholshouse
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/nichols-house-museum-boston
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