Happy new year to all the readers of MetTalk! In a series of upcoming blogs, I will explore the purposes and fuctions of a museum. In today's edition I will focus on the art side of the Met's art and science mission.

So, what are the main functions of a museum? In essence an art museum exists to 1) exhibit works of art, 2) educate its public, 3) collect, and 4) preserve works of art. This week I sat down with the Fresno Met's Curator of Permanent Collection Kristina Hornback to ask her about the collecting and preservation side of museum operations.

Ms. Hornback has a B.A. in Art History and an M.A. in Museum Studies. She's worked at the Met for 10 years. Her work as Curator involves the oversight of approximately 3,000 objects in the Museum's collection in addition to those which are part of traveling exhibitions. She is responsible for object inventory, as well as photographing, researching and cataloging the objects. Kristina must track the condition of all art and artifacts and ensure that they are preserved under stable environments. She serves as the liaison between the Museum's art collection, the public, Board of Trustees, Curatorial Committee, and Museum staff. She administers the Museum's Collection Policy.

Kristina enjoys her work due to its variety and her interaction with fascinating colleagues (disclosure: I work closely with Kristina). In a larger museum, some of Kristina's current responsibilities would be divided between a collections manager and registrar; she appreciates the opportunity to wear many professional hats at the Met. She added, “I enjoy being with objects because they bring history to life, they make history real.”

In addition to her work in the Collections department, Ms. Hornback plays a big role in the Museum's Exhibitions department. She creates exhibitions out of the Museum's Permanent Collection, helps select and manage traveling exhibitions, oversees loan requests with other museums, and helps design and install the exhibitions with her co-workers Mike Weatherson, Chief Preparator and Art Handler, and Sarah Vargas, Curatorial Assistant.

In my next blog, I will explore the question, “What is a permanent collection?”

Posted by Teresa España, Director of Education and Interpretation. You can reach her at teresae@fresnomet.org.