I'm Kind of a Big Deal

I got a shout out on a professional arts blog that is widely read in the field! I'm having a geek moment, everybody! I've been conversing online with blogger/writer Nina Simon, who is also the director of the Museum of Art and History in Santa Cruz, CA. She pens the blog Museum 2.0, and I actually met her at a conference when I was working for the Texas Association of Museums back in 2009. A month ago I had commented on Nina's blog, giving her a suggestion for reading due to the topic she was pondering: whether or not we are becoming a more event-driven society. Actually, I've used her philosophies on museums as resources in my thesis, and once I got beyond how awkward it might be to send her my research paper that includes several references to her theories, I just gulped, clicked "send," and hoped for the best.

She thanked me for sending along my work, and a few days later she wrote me to say I had inspired her most recent post. Wow! Her post is essentially a summary of a section of my second chapter which describes the shift in cultural participation in the United States. And then she wrote a post about it! I probably shouldn't be as excited as I am, but a big name arts leader took my reading suggestion and felt as moved to write about it as I did (and she thanked me by name, which was pretty darn cool). Just goes to show you how relevant this topic is to the arts field. 

I also sent the thesis to another well-known blogger who is an arts consultant and the former director of the California Arts Council. He indicated he would be interested in doing a guest-blog post (by me!) or a blog interview about my topic. So we'll see where this goes, you never know!

Mission Accomplished

Well, it's been two months since my last post, but that's because I barricaded myself in my room for days-- even weeks at a time-- trying to finish my thesis. Minimal human interaction, copious amounts of caffeine, and general hysteria. I hardly explored Torino, not having the time to see friends or even *gasp* venture to my favorite gelateria for two scoops of heaven on earth. Alas, my deadline for turning in the document was last Monday, which ended up being my defense date as well. I managed to finish writing (a process I thought would never end) and I produced a very solid thesis, if I do say so myself.

months of hard work has paid off

Basically my thesis was a challenge of recent statistics that suggests the Millennial generation (those roughly 18-29 years old) is the least likely demographic to participate in culture. I suggested that modes of engagement have drastically shifted in the 21st century and Millennials especially are participating in new, collaborative ways that foster active involvement. In order to narrow the topic I focused on art museums specifically and the geographic context of the United States, providing two case studies of New York City art museums I visited and how their engagement strategies are significant for encouraging Millennial participation. The topic is incredibly relevant for the arts and culture sector today, and it even applies to future of political and religious participation for this demographic. What was most interesting for me was reading about how my generation is being characterized (anything from lazy/apathetic/self-absorbed to liberal/open-to-change/confident) and making a case for our role as cultural participants and active citizens. If you would like to read 85 fun-filled pages of caffeine-induced brilliance, please click here to read my thesis. Seriously, click on it if only to read the introduction and dedication page (you may recognize yourselves therein)!

adding this again for good measure (even though I already had the graduation ceremony)

Shall I now state the obvious? I'm FINISHED! I did it! My work was approved by the thesis committee with high marks, which means I completed a Master's degree in Italy! When I started this blog, I was on an international mission to work towards a postgraduate education. That was, by now, two years ago and I can honestly say I had no idea what to expect from this experience but it's been nothing but positive. Since 2010 I have been given the opportunity to make quite a few lifelong friends, to live a dream of returning to Italy, to acclimate to the humbling experience of being far from family and friends, to foster my cultural adaptability, to gain an international perspective, to challenge my theoretical and practical knowledge, and to accomplish an educational and professional goal based on my own merits and potential. Oh, and to share my experiences online with people who care about my progress!

my southern Italian roommates who took me out for a pizza post-thesis-defense

And for the obvious question on everyone's mind: "Now what?" Well, I'd say I'm glad you asked, but in all sincerity this question still stresses me out. I set this 2-year goal and now I've accomplished it, but it's not like the job market is booming. That is to say, no one's breaking down my door for the opportunity to hire me. Surprising, I know. As of this very moment my plan is to take some time to relax-- over the next month I'll be embarking on a Roman Holiday, visiting my friend Ricarda and her family in a small town south of Naples called Pisciotta, and meeting my buddy Sara at her grandma's house on a Croatian island. I've still to decide when exactly to make my reentry into the Lone Star State.

friends gathering for my "I finished my thesis" party

I feel as though this will be a well-deserved vacation after exhausting all my mental resources writing my thesis over the past several months. It's funny, once I finished the thesis defense, I slept about 11 hours - and in fact over the past week I've slept so much I feel like there may be something wrong with me! My lofty goals for the summer are (in no particular order): working on my tan, searching for jobs, and reading Anna Karenina (I'm already 10% into it) -- I'm thinking some of these can even be done simultaneously. I suppose I'm allowed to continue writing on this blog as long as I'm still in Italy, even if I'm not technically a graduate student anymore. Then I'll have to think of a decent platform for a new blog as an excuse to keep you guys interested in my life!