Carol E. Mayer
{{orphan|date=May 2025}}
{{Short description|Canadian museum curator and academic}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Carol E. Mayer
| education = BA, University of British Columbia, 1974; PhD, University of Leicester, 1996
| organization = Museum of Anthropology at UBC; International Council of Museums (ICOM); Canadian Museums Association (CMA); BC Museums Association (BCMA); Northwest Ceramics Foundation
| known_for = Curator and educator
}}
Carol E. Mayer is a Canadian museum professional, curator, and educator. She has curated over 50 exhibitions and worked with the British Columbia Museums Association (BCMA), Canadian Museums Association (CMA), and the International Council of Museums (ICOM).
Mayer has taught museum studies and material culture courses at the University of British Columbia (UBC), University of Victoria, and Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design. She co-founded and directed the Museum Studies Certificate Program at UBC (1996-1997).
Career
In 1974 Mayer completed a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Anthropology, at the University of British Columbia, and in 1996 she received a Ph.D. from the University of Leicester in Museum Studies.{{Cite web |last=Wyton |first=Vibhuti Wadhwa and Moira |date=2018-09-05 |title=Our Campus: Dr. Carol Mayer turns intangible stories into powerful installations at the Museum of Anthropology |url=https://ubyssey.ca/features/our-campus-carol-mayer/ |access-date=2025-03-11 |website=The Ubyssey |language=en}}
Mayer is a Research Fellow in Ceramics at the Museum of Anthropology at UBC and associate to the Department of Anthropology (UBC). She co-founded and directed the Museum Studies Certificate Program at UBC (1996-1997) and in 2005, she sat on a committee to establish the university's African studies program.
Curatorial work
In 2024, Mayer opened a new permanent installation of British Columbian ceramics at MOA, From the Land.{{Cite web |title=From the Land |url=https://moa.ubc.ca/exhibition/from-the-land/ |access-date=2025-03-13 |website=Museum of Anthropology at UBC |language=en-CA}}
In 2020, she curated Playing with Fire: Ceramics of the Extraordinary at the MOA at UBC, which featured work by 11 British Columbian artists across three generations. This exhibition was motivated by the urge to "wipe away any craft-based, little-brown-pot stereotypes that might still adhere to the ceramics medium."{{Cite web |date=2019-11-27 |title=MOA show Playing With Fire blows away ceramic stereotypes |url=https://www.straight.com/arts/1330391/moa-show-playing-fire-blows-away-ceramic-stereotypes# |access-date=2025-03-13 |website=The Georgia Straight |language=en}}
Additionally, she curated the Koerner European Ceramics Gallery at the Museum of Anthropology, the only permanent installation of European ceramics in Western Canada.{{Cite web |date=2019-11-28 |title=Challenging Traditional Notions of Clay in British Columbia, Canada |url=https://www.galleryofbcceramics.com/post/challenging-traditional-notions-of-clay |access-date=2025-03-13 |website=Potters Guild of BC |language=en}}
Recognition
Awards won by Mayer include:
- Canadian Crafts Federation Laureate of the Robert Jekyll Award (2024){{Cite web |last=Steinhagen |first=Heather |date=2025-02-08 |title=2024 Laureate of the Robert Jekyll Award Announced: • Canadian Crafts Federation |url=https://canadiancraftsfederation.ca/2024-laureate-of-the-robert-jekyll-award-announced/ |access-date=2025-04-23 |website=canadiancraftsfederation.ca |language=en-US}}
- Craft Council of BC Citizen of Craft Award (2023){{Cite web |date=2023-07-24 |title=Glass and ceramics in the spotlight as CCBC Craft Awards announced |url=https://www.createastir.ca/articles/ccbc-craft-awards-2023 |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=Stir |language=en-US}}
- Manu Daula Award for outstanding achievements in the study of Pacific arts (2019){{Cite web |title=Manu Daula Award – Pacific Arts Association {{!}} PAA |url=https://pacificarts.org/manu-daula-award/#:~:text=The%20Manu%20Daula%20(Frigate%20Bird,by%20Paul%20and%20Betty%20Beadle |access-date=2025-03-11 |language=en-NZ}}
- BC Museum Association Outstanding Achievements award (on behalf of the MOA) (2014){{Cite web |title=Congratulations to the winners of the BCMA Outstanding Achievement awards {{!}} The History Education Network |url=http://thenhier.ca/en/content/congratulations-winners-bcma-outstanding-achievement-awards.html |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=thenhier.ca}}
- UBC President's Service Award for Excellence (2011){{Cite web |last=juliawaring |date=2011-04-28 |title=Winners for 2011 President's Service Award for Excellence announced |url=https://president.ubc.ca/archive/2011/04/28/presidents/ |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=Office of the President |language=en-US}}
- Canadian Museum Association Award for Outstanding Achievement. (2011){{Cite web |title= |url=https://museums.in1touch.org/uploaded/web/cma/Awards/2011_Award_Recipients_EN.pdf |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20220619045142/https://museums.in1touch.org/uploaded/web/cma/Awards/2011_Award_Recipients_EN.pdf |archive-date=2022-06-19 |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=museums.in1touch.org}}
- International Achievement Award, ICOM Canada (2008){{Cite web |last=Morel |first=Sylvie |date=March 26, 2009 |title=ICOM Canada Chairperson's Report |url=https://icom-canada.mini.icom.museum/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2019/01/Report-IC-2008-en.pdf |access-date=15 April 2025 |website=International Council of Museums}}
- Smithsonian Fellowship in Curatorial Studies (2003){{Cite web |title=Fellowship In Museum Practice |url=https://learninglab.si.edu/about/fellowshipmuseumpractice |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=Smithsonian Learning Lab |language=en}}
See also
References
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{{UBC|state=collapsed}}
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Category:Canadian women academics
Category:University of British Columbia alumni
Category:Alumni of the University of Leicester
Category:Academic staff of the University of British Columbia
Category:Academic staff of the University of Victoria
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mayer, Carol}}