Museums as Self-Care Spaces: Part 1
July 16, 2020
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Arts & culture organizations and tourism in general have suffered greatly due to COVID – 19. As a result, it has caused those of us in the industry to rethink what we offer and how we offer it. One of the things we have talked about internally for some time now has been how arts & culture has impacted us in the industry for our own self-care. What exactly does that mean?
Well, really it means that spaces such as museums, zoos, galleries, aquariums, science centers or any space where you can tap into that creative brain and soul space and geek out in your own way can simultaneously provide inspiration and peace, and maybe even a little healing.
Can you relate? Maybe by the end of this series you would feel open to sharing your own story of how arts & culture have provided a space of self-care for you at a time of need. Enjoy our stories!
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My name is Danielle Ricklefs and I am a HUGE zoo and history nerd! It started for me at the Sedgwick County Zoo in 1985 when my father passed away from cancer. My mother did the best thing for my sister and me by taking us to the zoo to cheer us up and bond with us. We would circle through the Children’s Farms, Jungle and Ape exhibits and I remember feeling nothing but pure joy on those days. For me, it was as if the animals themselves were putting my family back together and for a few hours we could forget the sadness.
After we lost my father, my brain and all of my senses were in constant chaos! But at the zoo, the exhibits were quiet. I found peace with the animals. Even in the chaos of a busy summer day, the animals lounging about, their vocalizations and smells gave me something to concentrate on aside from the noise in my mind or chaos of the visitors around me. I became so obsessed with becoming a zookeeper that at the age of nine, I called the Sedgwick County Zoo to ask if I could volunteer. When that didn’t work, my mother and grandparents indulged every animal-related whim imaginable! I “adopted” a polar bear, and was memorizing animal species while other kids were playing video games!
By the age of 20 I was working at the Topeka Zoo as an educator and volunteer coordinator while attending Washburn University. Later, I joined the Sedgwick County Zoo as a zookeeper in the Children’s Farms. As a child, I got to go on a camel ride and as an adult I was training them! To this day, when I have a particularly rough season in life and I need to find peace, I go to the Children’s Farms and I always take time to see the camels.
(Photo: Marketing & Development Director Danielle works with the camel in the African Farms exhibit at the Sedgwick County Zoo.)
Fast forward a few years and I find myself seeking a reception venue and walk into the Museum of World Treasures. At this point I am a few years into my zoo career when I encounter the near-complete Ivan the T.rex! I was hooked and immediately asked to volunteer! You can often have a strange weekend schedule as a zookeeper, and mine was Tuesday – Wednesday. So, I begin giving tours and delivering programs at the Museum for a few months when I was given the opportunity of a lifetime – education director! I couldn’t pass it up!
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The transition working purely education with objects and not animals was made easier with fossils. Being able to experience the excitement with a child when they first encounter an actual fossil as impressive as a T.rex is complete self-care! Nothing brings my soul happiness quite like the experience of watching a person connect to the story of another human experience. Some museum professionals find self-care in exhibits at other museums, some find it in the quiet of the off-hours. These are all perfect! We all experience life differently.
My self-care comes at museums when I see people connect to humanity. When they read and are impacted by the story of our WWII Nazi flag collected by American soldiers as a trophy of perseverance and survival, I will cry instantly! When we go around the room as a staff and discuss what we love about the Museum and I listen to the other staffers, I get teary every time. My “favorite” is always the same – your experience (and the T.rex)! The stories of humanity collected, preserved and displayed by arts & culture organizations are OUR history, and your experience at these organizations matters! They are my self-care, and they matter to me.
(Photo: Danielle emcees at the 70th Anniversary Reunion of the Berlin Airlift Veterans Association at the Museum of World Treasures in September 2019.)
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Stay tuned for our next blog post to be published on July 31! We'll continue the series by featuring a second unique perspective on arts and culture organizations as self-care spaces. Interested in adding your own experience with arts and culture spaces to this blog series? Follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) to learn about opportunities to contribute!
Feeling inspired? We want to hear what these places mean to you. Enter your own "Museums as Self-Care" blog submission to make your voice heard!
