Wendi Field Murray (Collections Manager/Repatriation Coordinator Archaeology & Anthropology Collection // East Asian Art & Archival Collection) - Managing Collections from Home
I put this sign up the day I started working from home (March 17th), which is a wood frame owned by Wesleyan University (12 Fairview Ave, Unit A). I needed a way to communicate to my school-age children that even though I am home, I am working and should not be disturbed! I started working at Wesleyan in August 2019, and this was supposed to be our "transitional housing" until we found a house to purchase. The pandemic restrictions, combined with market instability, makes this a stressful time to purchase a home, so we have put that on hold, and our family of 4 will be riding this out in campus housing. All object collections remain on campus, but this is where I am managing digital access, creating a searchable object catalog, researching collections, creating and organizing collections records, and reconfiguring class "visits" for distance learning. The sign is kind of messy, which to me reflects how sudden and improvised our transition to working from home was. I like the juxtaposition of the door sign with my daughters' artwork, as it illustrates the blurred lines that now exist between my home life and working life.