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Our Part-time Gallery Interpreters Make Magic Happen

What makes The Children’s Museum such an amazing place to visit?

That’s right. Our part time Gallery Interpreters are an integral part of what makes The Children’s Museum such a magical place. Our internal research shows that more than 50% of the visitors to the museum wind up having some type of meaningful interaction with at least one member of interpretive staff. They are the backbone of the museum and key to accomplishing our mission of creating “extraordinary learning experiences across the arts, sciences, and humanities that have the power to transform the lives of children and families.”

Here’s a small taste of the amazing connections our gallery interpreters have as they help bring The Children’s Museum to life:

The connections between our visitors and our staff of gallery interpreters can be magical. It’s what makes The Children’s Museum such a remarkable and memorable experience for both visitors and gallery interpreters.

We recently spoke with two of our gallery interpreters—Mikayla Davis and Joe Magno—and spoke with them about what makes their job so magical.

Meet two gallery interpreters at The Children’s Museum

Mikayla Davis joined our team nearly two years ago. She studied theater in college and also participated in the Disney College Program. She had been working in the hospitality industry before moving to Indianapolis. Growing up in Monticello, Indiana, she was familiar with The Children’s Museum. When she moved to Indianapolis and saw that there was a job opening at the museum, she said to herself, “That looks like something that would be pretty magical.” 

Joe Magno has been at the museum for roughly two years. He studied media communications with an emphasis on broadcasting and media production. He spent a lot of time in college mixing music and radio shows, and doing a lot of concerts around Southern California. He also worked at SeaWorld, San Diego before moving to Indianapolis.

“I grew up moving around a lot. I wanted a change of pace, and to see some snow, because it’s been a long time since I’d lived in snow.” So he moved to Indianapolis. He had not visited The Children’s Museum until he was an adult. He first visited the museum when his girlfriend told him about a new space-related gallery—Beyond Spaceship Earth. 

Tell us about your job as a gallery interpreter

Mikayla
My role as a gallery interpreter encompasses a lot. It starts by being part of a team, which I find is very important. I’m part of the Special Exhibits Team, which means that I get to bring galleries that are only here for a short time, to life. That means I’m a Career Advisor in Barbie™ You Can Be Anything™: The Experience and a Justice League Ambassador in DC SUPER HEROES™: Discover Your Superpowers. Many hats can be worn as a gallery interpreter. Interpreting the main message of each exhibit is the real meat of the job. Getting that main message across in the galleries is pretty fulfilling because you’re making that magic. Honestly, that’s what fulfills me every day.

We start the day by opening the galleries. We have a Focus meeting where we talk about new things happening. And the rest of the day runs on 30 minute posts. Maybe I’ll start hosting in  DC SUPER HEROES™: Discover Your Superpowers, and then help in Barbie™ You Can Be Anything™: The Experience, and then go back to DC SUPER HEROES™: Discover Your Superpowers for the Creating Costumes program. Our managers do a great job of keeping the schedule fresh.

Joe
I’m currently an interpreter for the STEM galleries—Corteva Agriscience ScienceWorks and Beyond Spaceship Earth. I also do a lot of work in the special exhibits galleries

My primary job is to help families interact with the STEM-related objects in our galleries. When I’m working by The Pond in Corteva Agriscience ScienceWorks, I get to talk about how ecosystems work. We also talk about geology. I like to talk about the chemistry behind certain rocks and how rocks and minerals form. In Beyond Spaceship Earth, I talk about space and we talk about astronauts and how the International Space Station is a giant lab, and where scientists are doing everyday experiments without the force of gravity. Sometimes it’s about introducing families to new concepts because not all families have had an elementary science class yet. So it’s breaking the barrier between childhood and science. 

My day usually starts off with a cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich from the Food Court, then we have our morning meeting called Focus so we can know what’s happening during the day - that’s where I learn my schedule for the day and which galleries I’ll be in. Then we’ll usually talk a little bit, open up the gallery, then have a second Focus talk about the gallery’s specific day-to-day moments. And get ready for whatever programs we have scheduled for that day. Today, I have two programs in DC SUPER HEROES™: Discover Your Superpowers about superheroes, so I’m getting myself in the mental space to talk about superheroes. I’m in that gallery for the whole day.

During the quarantine, I got to write a 20 page paper about the International Space Station, focusing on how it works and the different parts that go into it. We now use that as a tool inside our gallery as we talk about the International Space Station. 

Why did you apply for this job?

Joe
I’ve always enjoyed museums - one of my favorites was a science center back in California . Even though it was a children’s museum, I still got a lot out of my first visit to The Children’s Museum. I really enjoyed the experience. After I got home, I looked online, saw there was an opening and thought, “You know what? I’ll apply. I used to work at SeaWorld, San Diego. I have the required skill set. I’ll give it a shot!”


Mikayla
After moving from Chicago to Indianapolis, I took some time off to figure out what I wanted to do. With my theater background, I found myself thinking, “You know, I think what I really miss is making magic.” So I found The Children’s Museum online and thought, “This seems like the kind of place where I can make magic.”

The interview process is amazing. Like, what kind of interview do you have where you play the Don’t Break The Ice game and it’s the literal game with the little penguin guy? I knew then, even if I don’t get this job, that was pretty amazing. I know things are a little different now because the first interview is online right now. But when it’s back in-person, it’ll be pretty fantastic. It’s a precursor to the job. Because you get to play in this job a lot.

You also get to make some really good connections. It’s not all play. I have the opportunity to make some really good connections with our visitors. This is especially true in Barbie™ You Can Be Anything™: The Experience, where the main message is “You can be anything” and to dream big. You have those moments where you find yourself saying something like, “Of course you can be a doctor who helps unicorns! You can make that magic. You can help people no matter what.” 

That’s the essence of magic at The Children’s Museum.

What’s your favorite part of the job?

Mikayla
Making magic. Obviously.

I really enjoy diving into the roles and making connections. Because my background is in theater, I love how “extra” you get to be! 

As a Justice League Ambassador in the Creating Costumes Workshop, we’re recruiting folks to help out the Justice League. We have a new hero and need their help creating and designing a new costume. My hero’s superpower is that they can talk to mythical creatures—dragons, unicorns,  and such. During the program, I get to sneak into a closet and put on some fairy wings. Then I can pop out and say “It’s me, here’s my costume! But it needs help. I need your help!” Hearing the kids and grown-ups laugh shows they’re buying into it and that’s pretty great. Creating those moments where families say to each other, “That lady was crazy, but we got to help her,” is pretty amazing

With fun moments like that, and the stark difference of Barbie™ You Can Be Anything™: The Experience and talking about those incredible Role Models, it’s just a fulfilling day.

Joe
Interacting with families. Sometimes this will be the first time they’re talking about crystals, rocks, ecosystems, animals, or even superheroes. I like being able to start that conversation and have families see “Oh, this is a thing my child likes” or “This is something I want to get into as an adult—this is something I want to learn more about,” and seeing those families have that spark of “Oh, this is fun. I want to do it more.”

It’s a great feeling.

What’s a favorite moment from your role as a gallery interpreter?

Joe
I’m currently working on a program that talks about robotics in space. I had an interaction with a family that wasn’t having a good day. The child was upset about something and they couldn’t figure out what it was. The child wanted to see the sound and light show that we have. I told them that if they make it through the show, I’ll bring out one of the robots that we have so they could learn more about robots. 

The child agreed and watched the show. After the show, we spent 30 minutes just playing with the little programmable Bee-Bot. We talked about the different parts of the robot and how programming works. The family really enjoyed it. 

The child liked the toy so much, their grown-up bought a Bee-Bot and even signed the child up for robotics classes for children. Introducing a child to a concept and the family just running away with it is pretty fulfilling.

Mikayla
There was a group standing in line for the Animal Rescue program in Nickelodeon’s Dora and Diego—Let’s Explore!* While we were talking about different animals, I noticed that the older child had a really cool mask. I complimented it and we had a good time in the program. 

Later that day, I was cleaning in Barbie™ You Can Be Anything™: The Experience and I saw them around the corner in American POP. I said, “Oh my goodness! My friends! It’s good to see you again!” They were so excited!  I asked them about the rest of their day and what they had done since I’d last seen them. The grown-up who was with them nudged the older child, pulled out two masks that were individually wrapped and matched theirs. And they gave me the masks.

I thought, “Oh my goodness! I need a second. I’ve got to go handle myself.” I hurried into the closet in the exhibit and grabbed some vision boards that we use in one of our programs. They had given me something and I wanted to give them something in return—something that would enrich their day. The vision board program had already happened, so I decided to give them their own vision boards so they could fill them out at home. 

Perfect.

So I come out and they’re right standing right outside the closet, playing with the Beekeeper interactive! So I grabbed a Kindle and did the vision board quiz with them. I also took their pictures so they could put them on their vision board—just like we would if they were participating in the program.

 It was just so fulfilling to me that they remembered me and I remembered them, and we had that big connection throughout the day. They came a couple of days later still having that big connection and they wanted to learn more. They had such a great interaction with the exhibit in general. It’s nice to be able to be part of those memories.

What’s your favorite exhibit at The Children’s Museum?

Mikayla
I love Take Me There:® Greece because there’s that moment when the exhibit goes into the night time, you can go sit at a table and think, “Oh, this is whimsical.” There’s a certain time of day when the light from the window hits just right in Take Me There:® Greece that it’s just so  magical. The exhibit is great and there are a lot of fun things in there—it’s just a magical place.

Joe
Beyond Spaceship Earth. I always wanted to be an astronaut when I was younger. So I always wanted to learn more about space. I get to be in the galleries where I actively get to learn more about space and talk about things I’ve learned with families. That’s always fun. 

What would you say to someone who is considering applying to become a gallery interpreter?

Joe
Give it a try. We’re encouraged to explore new things and learn new skills. If you’re an active learner and you like learning things and teaching things to other people and developing new skill sets and expanding what you know about things, this is a great position to do that. We’re always bringing in new galleries and learning new information. 

We’re interacting with lots of different families with different viewpoints on things. So even though you’re interacting with a family in a program you’ve done 15 times, you might learn a new thing in that interaction that you personally take with you. I would say apply if you like learning. 

Mikayla
Everyone is so unique and different and they can add something to a team. Even if you don’t think you can pop out of a closet with fairy wings, you have something different to offer that will also make something special. So that program will be so enriching to someone else. Everyone has that little spark that can ignite somebody’s imagination and desire for exploration. 

Have fun with your interview, because it’s a good time. Interviews are scary, but there’s nothing to be scared of. This is  such a unique time at the museum. I think that the more voices that can join and share their experiences to enrich the museum as a whole would be incredible.

Are you ready to make some magic? Apply to become a gallery interpreter!

The Children’s Museum is currently looking for more people to join our staff as gallery interpreters—the backbone of the museum. Do you think you have what it takes? Give it a shot! Visit our job portal and apply to become a part-time Gallery Interpreter! 

Let’s make magic happen.

*Nickelodeon’s Dora and Diego—Let’s Explore! closed in July 2021
©2021 Viacom International Inc. All rights reserved. Nickelodeon, Dora the Explorer, Go, Diego, Go! and all related titles, logos, and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.
Presented by Riley Children’s at Indiana University Health
Supported by Aquafina and Priority Press

The Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience® is made possible through lead gift support from The Enid Goodrich Educational Initiatives Fund; Riley Children’s at Indiana University Health; The Herbert Simon Family Foundation/Pacers Foundation/The Herbert and Bui Simon Foundation; Old National Bank; Lilly Endowment Inc.; Efroymson Family Fund; Henry and Christine Camferdam; The Children’s Museum Guild; Elizabeth Bracken Wiese and J. Frederic Wiese Jr.; Indianapolis Colts; NCAA; Ice Miller LLP; Dr. and Mrs. George Rapp, Dr. and Mrs. John Rapp, and Mr. James and Dr. Patricia Rapp.

Baseball Boundary Breakers
Presented by Central Indiana Honda Dealers
Supported by The Indiana Soybean Alliance and The Glass Barn and MJ Insurance

Barbie™ You Can Be Anything™: The Experience
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Presented by Subway®
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DC SUPER HEROES™: Discover Your Superpowers
JUSTICE LEAGUE and all related characters and elements © & ™ DC Comics. WB SHIELD: TM & © WBEI. (s21)
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Take Me There® is made possible by lead gifts from Lilly Endowment Inc.; Eli Lilly and Company Foundation, Inc.; The Lilly Family; Mrs. Yvonne Shaheen; Sarah and John Lechleiter; the U.S. Institute for Museum and Library Services; Jane and Steve Marmon; Susan and Jim Naus; and Polly Hix. Additional Support for Take Me There®: Greece is provided by the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation, Inc.; The Nicholas H. Noyes, Jr., Memorial Foundation; Dorothea and Philip Genetos; Jamie Merisotis and Colleen O’Brien; Mike and Kristin Sherman; and The Pheffer Family.
Presented by IceMiller