Mary Jane Begin

Leadership discipline sometimes means asking a harder question: "What should we stop doing?" 🤔 As 2026 approaches, many arts organizations are stretched thin. Not because leaders and teams aren’t working hard, but because too much energy is tied up in habits that don’t actually compound results. This carousel explores a few things worth leaving behind, so focus, frequency, and recurring revenue have room to grow.

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Public Art 101: Lessons Learned (and What They Don’t Teach You) Public artwork without public engagement simply doesn’t work. It’s impossible to please everyone, but that’s not the point. When creating public art, you’re not just designing for a space; you’re designing within it…. within its policies, its history, and its community. That means engaging with stakeholders, agencies, and residents alike. Here’s the truth: most people won’t know exactly what they want in a piece of public art until they see it. But they do know their community… its stories, its value, and what makes it home. Your job as a public artist is to listen deeply, take notes, and translate what you hear into form: size, scale, color, texture, and placement. Leave your ego at the door or trust me... the community will show you where it is. Public engagement isn’t just a step in the process, it’s the foundation. It's your source for inspiration so that when you return with your design concept, you can show people how their voices shaped your vision. After all, once the project ends and you move on to this next gig, it's the community who will live with the work every day. Make sure they see themselves in it. #PublicArt, #ArtInPublicSpaces, #CreativePlacemaking, #CommunityEngagement, #SocialImpactArt, #ArtAndEquity, #ArtistsAndCommunities

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The way you increase access for neurodivergent people in your museum will increase access for wider audiences as well. Whether that is: Sending an agenda in advance of a meeting, Providing a visual story, Scheduling regular breaks, Giving information in different formats. Working towards accessibility for neurodivergent people will have a positive impact on your other audiences too. #Autism #Accessibility #Museums #LivedExperience #Neurodivergent

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STOP THE SILENCE: Museum HR's Ghosting Problem Is Damaging Our Industry Here's an uncomfortable truth about museum hiring that nobody wants to discuss... You spend hours crafting the perfect application. You research the institution's mission, tailor your cover letter, and showcase your passion for preserving culture. Likewise, you make it through multiple interview rounds, complete take-home assignments, and even present to the team. Then? Radio silence. This is ghosting, and it's epidemic in museum hiring. We champion empathy in our exhibitions but abandon it in our HR practices. We tell stories of marginalized voices while silencing our own job candidates. The reality check: → 73% of jobseekers report being ghosted after interviews → Museum professionals often apply from genuine passion, not desperation → Our silence sends a toxic message: "Your time doesn't matter" For hiring managers: You're not too busy for basic human decency. A 30-second rejection email > weeks of anxiety for candidates. For jobseekers: You're not the problem. One follow-up, then move on. Your worth isn't determined by their silence. The bottom line: We can't build inclusive institutions while excluding basic respect from our hiring process. Museums preserve human stories. Let's start honoring the humans behind the applications. Time to turn this conversation into change. #eminspost #eminmuseum #museumlover #MuseumJobs #HRAccountability #RecruitmentReality #MuseumCareers #ProfessionalRespect #HiringEthics #MuseumLeadership #CulturalSector #JobSearchTruth #IndustryChange

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Hot take: The museum field doesn’t have a “pipeline problem.” It has an opportunity problem. ❌ We cannot keep demanding “3–5 years of experience” for entry-level jobs. ❌ We cannot shame people for pursuing advanced degrees when there aren’t other options—and then dismiss them for “lacking hands-on experience.” If we want a stronger field, we have to build the pipeline ourselves. Here are a few ways institutions and individuals can step up: 1. Truly offer entry-level roles Train on the job. Build growth pathways. Stop inflating requirements. 2. Expand fellowships beyond academia. Paid fellowships shouldn’t only be for grad students. 3. Level up internships. Pay fairly, remove “must be enrolled” requirements, and welcome career changers. 4. Create project-based volunteer roles. Consider collections, programs, marketing...not just visitor services. 5. Mentor. Review a resume, meet monthly, share your own path, make a connection for them. Small commitments make big impacts. 6. Respond to outreach. A quick reply to a LinkedIn message or a 20-minute Zoom chat can change someone’s career. 7. Transparency in hiring. Be clear about what’s truly required vs. what’s nice to have. Inflated job descriptions discourage excellent candidates from even applying.   8. Professional development for entry-level staff. Budget for conference attendance, training, and networking. Don’t just bring people in, help them grow. Which yes, takes time, but it well worth it. 9.Rethink “cultural fit.” Too often this is code for replicating the same voices and perspectives. Embrace candidates with nontraditional backgrounds. 10. Stop relying only on “who you know.” Open roles up widely and commit to fair, equitable hiring practices. What’s one way YOU can create opportunities for early career professionals this year?

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I saw another one of those ‘you have to work a lot harder than you already are to be an animator’ types of posts today (link in comments). The point being made was that it’s a competitive field where there aren’t enough jobs for everyone who wants one, which is a fact (and one sadly not for just the animation field) so if that’s what you want, then you’re going to have to work your ass off for one. What I found absolutely crazy were the responses that objected to telling people they need to work harder if they want one of those scarce jobs because that could be upsetting to them. I think it’s time to stop this nonsense of trying to silence the truth tellers because the truth is upsetting. We already have more than enough of that nonsense going on in the United States at the moment. The sad truth is that the scarcity of creative jobs is nothing new. I grew up being told it’s a bad bet, and there are no shortages of jokes about aspiring actors and other artists waiting tables or something similar until they make it, but apparently now it’s unhealthy or “toxic” to say any of this anymore, which is just ridiculous. If you want something that’s scarce, something that many, many others want too, then you have to outwork everyone else to have a shot, or be very, very lucky. If that’s upsetting to you, good. It means you have to make some tough choices. Do you keep going after that dream job? Maybe you should see if there are other jobs that are less scarce that still allow you to use your skills. Maybe you take an unrelated day job and create what you want to create, rather than what some studio wants you to create. Many famous artists have done that like Gauguin, Rothko, Koons, and poets like Bukowski, William Carlos Williams and Wallace Stevens. For inspiration, look for Ralph Bakshi talking at ComicCon on YouTube, “Surviving in Tough Times.”

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What does it take to cultivate a career in the animation field? Ahead of her return to campus as a featured speaker, visual arts alumna Marge Dean — a producer on Prime Video's "Invincible" — shares her journey and the creative and advocacy projects that shape her work. Read the conversation ➡️ https://bit.ly/4pZqYqu #UCSanDiego #UCSD #UCSDAlumni

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🎓 𝗘𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺, 𝗩𝗙𝗫, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝘀 Sale Ends August 1st: Color Science and Digital Imaging by Steve Wright Color science is now a foundational skill for students entering careers in visual effects, filmmaking, animation, and digital imaging. It is used in modern post-production pipelines across the industry. Gear up for the new academic year! This new academic resource demystifies: 📌 ACES and OCIO color workflows 📌 Scene-referred vs. display-referred imaging 📌 ICC profiles and monitor calibration 📌 Transfer functions and working color spaces 📌 Real-world practices for Nuke, Resolve, and more With 25 QR-linked explainer videos, the book offers both theory and hands-on application, making it ideal for classroom use and lab training. ✅ A valuable resource for educators and students at: Savannah College of Art and Design, Gnomon, Campus VFX, Ringling College of Art and Design, University of Southern California, UCLA, The American Film Institute, New York University Abu Dhabi, New York University, escapestudios.com Inc, NAD, School of Digital Arts, Animation and Design - UQAC, Drexel University's Westphal College of Media Arts & Design and Clemson University 🕒 20% OFF for 1 and 25% OFF for 2 or more on paperback, hardback, or eBooks through August 1 @ 8 AM GMT 🔗 Order for your department via Routledge: https://lnkd.in/eD8bvMBJ

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“We’re here not just to learn facts, but to make use of that knowledge in broadening the dimensions of our own production. The art history classroom is really an extension of the studio and studio practice.” Ian Wallace on his approach to warming studio-based practitioners to the work of academic learning. Read more here about the recent conversation that took place between the legendary artist and ECU President + Vice-Chancellor Dr. Trish Kelly: https://ow.ly/CgN950XiCwb

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