Alumna Begins Exciting Job with the Metropolitan Museum of Art  

Sua Mendez, B.A.’19/M.A.’21 has landed a position as the assistant registrar for outgoing loans and collections at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She had previously worked at the museum as a Collections Management intern in the European Paintings Department while a dual-degree B.A./M.A. Museum Professions student at Seton Hall in 2018.

Mendez describes her role with the Metropolitan Museum of Art as demanding, but also rewarding. "My role at The Met specifically focuses on supporting the Collections team of the Registrar's department with the accessioning of all new collection works either purchased or accepted as gifts for all 15-plus curatorial departments at the Museum," she said. This means Mendez is tasked with providing every new item that enters the museum an acquisition number and maintain all physical and digital record keeping related to accession number changes or adjustments for each department.

However, her job does not stop there. "While I am doing all the accessing, I am also taking on the coordination of off-site location transfers of artwork going to off-site storage or up to the Cloisters and back, which includes arranging transport and shipping alongside my team," she added. "In combination with the Outgoing Loans team, I also handle various levels of the deaccessioning process in coordination with the Museum's curatorial, conservation, and counsel's offices, and will also be organizing and supporting the loan process of jointly owned works."

While her job may seem overwhelming to some, she is thankful to the M.A. in Museum Professions program at Seton Hall for preparing her for the duties required of a museum registrar. Mendez remarked, "Many of the courses that I took while completing my master's degree, specifically my registration courses, really helped me understand how the field works, as well as all of the terminology involved with registrar work."

Furthermore, beyond just the program’s courses, Mendez noted that the program is filled with professors who are great teachers and also always there to help students. One of those professors, Adjunct Professor David Bonner, who also works full-time at the Newark Museum of Art, taught her favorite course, Object Care, making it both informational and interesting.

Moreover, she explained, "I was fortunate enough to have Professor Bonner as a supervisor for a short while when I worked at the Newark Museum of Art after graduation in 2021. I can earnestly say that he is one of the best supervisors and mentors that I've had the chance to work alongside. I learned a lot from his class and felt lucky enough to continue learning with him after graduate school."

When asked if she had advice for current and future Museum Profession students, she highlighted the importance of internships. "Find what you like the most about the museum field and try to get as much internship experience in that subject while you can during school, but also explore other aspects of museum work that you maybe haven't considered," said Mendez. She also urged students to network and reach out to other professionals to gain insight about what it means to be a museum professional.

The College of Communication and the Arts offers graduate-level programs in Museum Professions and Communication, with the opportunity to concentrate their study in Public Relations, Digital Communication/Communication Technologies, and Communication in Organizations. The College also offers dual-degree options and an accelerated master’s/B.A. program. A dual M.A. degree with the School of Diplomacy and International Relations is also offered. For more information, please contact Associate Dean Ryan Hudes.

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