Her Story
About Jennifer
Jennifer Rigsby serves as registrar for the permanent collection at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields in Indianapolis, Indiana. With 16 years of experience in the museum field, she began her career after earning a bachelor's degree in archaeology, drawn to the cataloging and care of objects. She later obtained a master's degree from Indiana University in BC studies with a focus in collections care in 2011. In her role, Rigsby manages acquisitions of new works from around the world, handles shipping and logistics, oversees deaccessions, and leads repatriation efforts under the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act for the museum's Native American art collection. She is currently vice chair of the Midwest Registrar's Committee and an active member of the Association of Midwest Museums and the Association of Indiana Museums. Rigsby attributes her success to great mentors, continuous self-education, and a drive to improve, and she values empathy, integrity, and accountability in her work with collections.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Jennifer
01What do you attribute your success to?
Having great mentors in the field who have given me the breadth to find what interests me the most, continually educating myself about it, and being driven to constantly want to do more and be better.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Keep at what you are interested in. Keep working towards it, keep educating yourself, and keep pushing for it.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Keep working hard. Know that you have a unique perspective and that you're valued. Know your strengths, know your skills, and speak up. Build a network, connect with people who are in the industry, continue to build that trust, look for leaders that will be a mentor to you.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The museum field is mostly non-for-profit, so we're working on shoestring budgets, trying to make great things happen with not a lot of resources and not a lot of staff, so we have to prioritize what gets done and how quickly it's going to get done.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Empathy for everyone. Integrity and accountability, especially when working with a collection that maybe not been acquired ethically - being upfront and doing what's right and honest. Accountability, making sure that I'm doing what I said I would do, being dependable, showing up on time, meeting deadlines, building trust, being a great team player, collaborating, open to continuously learning, adapting, and showing commitment.
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