By Landry Brewer
Elk City, OK – Elk City's new Museum Complex Curator enjoys educating, telling stories, and preserving history.
And Scotland.
An Idaho native, Anna Wray attended Southern Virginia University on an art scholarship. Though her bachelor's degree is in art, she knew that she didn't want to pursue an art career.
Once a semester, the SVU art department took a trip to nearby Washington, D.C., and the students toured museums.
"Through these trips, I gained a deeper understanding of the important role museums play in society," Wray said.
Which led her to a master's degree in museum studies.
And to Scotland.
She'd always wanted to study overseas, and she considered graduate programs at universities in Italy and the United Kingdom.
"The University of Glasgow stood out to me because of its hands-on approach to learning," Wray said. "The program offered the opportunity to study under professors who actively work in museums, providing valuable real-world insights. Many of my classes were held in museum spaces and collection storehouses."
Wray thoroughly enjoyed her yearlong Scottish experience, especially the countryside and the kind Scottish people.
And hearing the accent every day was pretty cool.
While in Glasgow she helped create an exhibition that's traveling now to other Scottish universities. The project enhanced her desire for museum work.
She returned to the U.S. after graduating, spent some time as an art restorer in Dallas, then took a job as a Museum Educator at the Children's Museum of Atlanta. There, she oversaw STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) educational programs and field trips for elementary students through the second grade.
She also began the museum's first afterschool program for kids, which helped her develop valuable lesson-creation skills that will pay off now.
Wray became Elk City's Museum Complex Curator last October.
She's been very busy working to modernize and maintain the museum, but things are going well. "I'm taking it one building and one project at a time," Wray said.
She hopes to have the museum ready for the Route 66 centennial next year.
The museum staffers have been helpful and supportive as the new Curator has adjusted to the new role.
Wray is working on a couple of projects.
Starting this month, she'll collaborate with Courtland Wood at the Arrowhead Center to oversee a Tuesday-afternoon afterschool program at the museum. "The kids will learn about a specific topic at the museum and then create a project related to the theme," Wray said.
She's also updating the exhibition signs inside the Route 66 section of the museum to provide more information about the vehicles there and update the appearance. She hopes to do this for each building at the complex.
Wray foresees a lot of museum maintenance.
"Right now, we’re focusing on the exterior of most of the buildings, addressing roofing issues, and painting to give everything a fresh look," she said. "When I’m not working on maintenance, I’m organizing some of the exhibit spaces, creating new exhibition labels, and going through the objects we have in storage."
Her academic background and work experience have prepared her well for her current assignment. "I feel confident that I can bring the proper processes and protocols to the museum, showcasing all the amazing aspects of the museum in a fresh, modern light," Wray said.
And she'll be able to educate, tell stories, and preserve our history for us.
