Behind the scenes of a museum: exciting careers!

Did you know that a museum brings together several different professions, sometimes unknown, but all essential to its proper functioning?

Like any organization, a museum has administrative, communication, and maintenance services. The people who work there often share a strong interest in culture and heritage. For example, at Matamajaw, our general director, Édith, holds a history degree from the University of Sherbrooke.

Besides these general services, there are also departments specific to the museum environment:

• Conservation and collection: here we find the conservator, museology technician, and restorer. Their mission? To preserve, store, and restore artifacts.
• Research: this department brings together historians, exhibition curators, and project managers. Together, they design exhibitions from the initial idea to the final realization.
• Mediation and education: composed of cultural mediators and interpretive guides, the mediator designs guided tours, workshops, and activities aimed at bringing history to life for the public. The interpretive guide animates them.

Depending on the size of a museum, a person may take on multiple roles at once. This is the case for us at Matamajaw! We are two permanent employees who wear multiple hats. Sarah is both a cultural mediator and collections manager. As for Édith, in addition to her role as director (handling organization management and planning), she also contributes to mediation. They also handle communications and in winter, they sometimes have to clear the entrance of snow. ?

To give you an idea, here is the number of permanent employees (excluding seasonal employees) in certain institutions in the region:
- National Historic Site of Paspébiac: 4
- Reford Gardens: +/- 10
- Exploramer: 12

In the summer, our team expands with reception attendants, who focus on welcoming visitors and making their experience memorable, as well as a maintenance attendant, to ensure your visit is as pleasant as possible.

Each profession, whether visible or not, plays a valuable role. Together, they enable us to preserve, showcase, and share the unique history of the Matamajaw Heritage Fishing Site with you.