By: Kala Brzezinski
I come from a small town right at the top of the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. It is a location similar to Salem in terms of historical relevance, depth of information, and variations of historical perspective. My interest in history and the preservation of historical narrative through my experiences in museum and archival work led me to Tufts University and its museum education program. Through this program, I am able to gain exposure through education in museum studies and find a balance between a number of disciplines within the field such as collections management, public programming and education, material culture, and evaluation studies.
By interning at The House of the Seven Gables, I intend to apply all I have learned thus far in my graduate program in museum education to the work currently being done at this historic site. I have a profound interest in how to construct and preserve a historical narrative spanning 350 years while simultaneously engaging with and cultivating participation from the local communities within Salem. Historic houses have the opportunity to support the balance between historical preservation and the ability to act as a site for community participation and interaction. I hope the work I do this summer at The House of the Seven Gables contributes to that balance and establishes the promise of an even brighter future.