Véronique Côté is the Director of the University Galleries and Fogelmen Sports Museum at Florida Atlantic University. Thank you Véronique for sharing your time and talents with AAMG!
What’s one thing — either industry/work-related or not — you learned in the past month?
When working with Public History collaborators, things can get complicated, messy, and difficult. Nevertheless, in the end, it’s worth it. Community stakeholders are what make programs worth having!
What do you value about your membership with AAMG?
The ability to collaborate, exchange ideas, and problem-solve with a team of professionals sharing the same challenges and successes I experience daily.
If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be?
My dog; he really has a nice leisurely life. If I chose a human, a young Jane Goodall when she worked with gorillas in the field.
Coffee or Tea?
Both. Chai latte with a shot of expresso.
Book/Author suggestion?
Rambunctious Garden: Saving Nature in a Post-Wild World by Emma Marris (Author).
It is a fun read into natural asset management from a no-nonsense perspective.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
A zoologist, like Jane Goodall.
What do you enjoy most about being a part of an academic museum?
The students! I like seeing their career shape and their horizon widen. I enjoy specifically advocating for neurodivergent students who often struggle in academic settings. The arts and museums world is a field where they can thrive and utilize their brain’s superpowers.
What are your hopes for our industry?
I hope the not-for-profit world realizes the true value of human resources. This includes fair and equal pay for workers and artists. It also includes funders understanding that salaries should be included in grant applications at their true cost, not at a percentage allotted. It also means putting an end to unpaid internships in our industry.
Bonus: Do you have a favorite joke to share?
