Association of Academic Museums and Galleries

David Odo is the Director of Academic and Public Programs, Division Head, and Research Curator for the Harvard Art Museums at Harvard University. Thank you, David, for your membership and sharing your time with us.

What’s one thing — either industry/work-related or not — you learned in the past month?

Wombats produce cube-shaped poop. (Thank you virtual trivia night!)

If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be?

I’d love to experience a day as a master woodworker or furniture maker. I’d love to be able to create beautiful and usable wooden objects with my hands.  

Coffee or Tea?

Tea – coffee – coffee – coffee – tea.

Book/Author suggestion?

The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee, a lawyer and former president of Demos. The book is a disturbing but incredibly enlightening discussion of racism and inequality and its costs to all people in this country, not just people of color.  

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

Cake decorator. I think I simply liked cake. (A lot!)

What do you enjoy most about being a part of an academic museum?

I so appreciate being part of a large, multidisciplinary academic community, which ensures my own work remains connected to students and colleagues in many different fields. This keeps me constantly challenged and engaged.

What are your hopes for our industry?

I hope academic museums will engage (even more) deeply with the students, colleagues, and publics who want to help us honestly confront our institutional histories and current practices, to co-create better museum futures.