All sewn up

Sherri Starkey discovered her passion for museums while surrounded by brocade fabric, shell buttons, lace trim and nylon netting in 2011. A seasoned Victorian-era reenactor, Starkey had spent years constructing period-appropriate garments and giving educational presentations about women's lives during the Territorial Arizona period, from 1863 to 1912. So, when the Arizona Historical Society asked her to use her period expertise to restore Bettina V. Donau's wedding gown from her 1883 wedding to prominent Tucson businessman Albert Steinfeld, she was thrilled.

"I was sitting in this huge collections' basement of the Historical Society in Tucson working on this beautiful dress, and it hit me that this was what I wanted to do. I want to work in museums and be surrounded by history," said Starkey. "That was the moment that changed my life."

That fall, Starkey enrolled in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change Master of Arts in museum studies program. Having completed her undergraduate studies in early education at Prescott College in 1995, she admitted that she worried she no longer had the skills to pursue an academically rigorous program decades after being a student. Still, the allure of historical storytelling was too strong to ignore.

"As a non-traditional student, I had some hesitation about going back to school. But, if you're someone who enjoys learning, being a student comes back very quickly," said Starkey.

While part of the master's program, Starkey leaped headfirst into some of the most pressing debates about the role of museums in society.

"Going into the program, I knew a lot about the functional challenges of museum operations like not having enough staff and tight budgets. But I wasn't aware of the controversy surrounding museums and the ethics of who can tell a story, who gets to decide which story is told and who decides how it is told. It's an issue that became very important to me," said Starkey. "Examining those questions was my favorite part of the program."

When she graduated in 2013, she put theory into practice as the operations coordinator at the Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve (DVPP). During her three years at DVPP, Starkey was responsible for the 47-acre nature preserve and its 1/4 mile trail, and oversaw the onsite management of DVPP's interpretive center. 

She also spearheaded ASU's Salute to Service Pop-Up Museum in conjunction with the School of Human Evolution and Social Change in 2014. The short-term, outdoor exhibition featured objects of importance from ASU-affiliated armed service members and civilian national service members from Peace Corps, AmeriCorps and Teach For America.

"I learned about pop-up museums in my very first class in the museum studies program. It was a brand new thing at the time and I was fascinated by it. I ended up doing my thesis on pop-ups, so when ASU wanted to do something, my program mentor recommended me for the job," said Starkey. “I love that pop-ups are focused on interactive learning and community engagement.”

It has now been over a decade since Starkey completed her degree in museum studies, but she is still utilizing the lessons she learned in her current position as executive director of the River of Time Museum and Exploration Center. The museum explores the rich history of the Lower Verde River Valley and the people who have called it home.

"We are very lucky to have a really close relationship with the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation. In the future, I hope to have rotating exhibits where Indigenous artists are given free rein to design. It's their story — they get to tell it how they want," said Starkey. "The museum studies program opened my eyes to how important that is."

Although Starkey took an unconventional path to begin her career in museum studies, she believes it's one that more adult learners should consider.

"I always encourage people who are thinking about going back to school to just do it because it's worth it," she said.