In his primary job role, Cameron coordinates the Western Spirit Juried Art Show and Sale, the CFD Invitational Western Art Show and Sale and the Annual Carriage Ball. In addition, he serves as the technical producer and co-host of the Museum’s monthly history podcast, Saddle Lore, and occasionally serves as the preparator to help get exhibits and other fabrication projects complete in the Museum.
Question: How long have you been with the Museum?
Answer: I first started working with the Museum in the summer of 2012 as an unpaid collections intern, which was my first experience working in the museum field. I then came back to the Museum in the summer of 2014 as an exhibits intern, and this was the internship that first made me strongly consider the museum field as something I wanted to pursue as a career. After my internship I continued to volunteer at the front desk on the weekends. I officially joined the Museum as a full time staff member in January 2019.
Question: Why do you love working at the Museum?
Answer: I’ve been coming to this Museum since my 3rd grade field trip here in 1999, when I attended St. Mary’s School. My mom would always bring out-of-town family to the Museum because she loved seeing all the carriages. Personally, the Museum scared me a little a bit as a kid, but I have come to really love and appreciate the Museum as I became more involved with it and its history. For me, I love working with the staff and volunteers here at the Museum. The Museum has always been supportive of new ideas and creative solutions for problem solving, and I can confidently say that we have the best volunteers here at the Museum from the front desk volunteers to our committee volunteers for art shows and other events. This Museum is full of opportunities and experiences and you just have to be willing to walk through the door.
Question: What do you plan to accomplish in 2021?
Answer: I have a list of things a mile long that I would like to accomplish in 2021, but I will try to narrow it down to a nutshell. As a professional goal, I strive to make history and cultural heritage accessible and equitable for everyone. I think if our history and cultural heritage is only accessible to a few then it’s not our history or heritage. Everyone in our community should be involved in telling those stories and be a part of those conversations. I want to expand access to both Western Spirit and the Western Art Show so that everyone can be a participant in the discourse of what Western Heritage is through art. I want to be able to fundraise more effectively for the Museum through the art shows and the Carriage Ball so that we can continue to provide a space of community and history to Cheyenne. I will be forming a new committee for a third art show that will premiere in the winter of 2022 that will explore the more edgier aspects of western art with steampunk, fantasy, and sci-fi themes. I am also coordinating with staff and the current Carriage Ball committee to make the month of October ‘Museum Celebration Month’ in 2021.