Robin Craren ’10: Senior Coordinator for Collections Information and Research at the Barnes Foundation

“Being able to take classes in different, but related, areas has helped me immensely and given me the ability to make connections between disparate subjects.” 

Lives in: Drexel Hill, PA

Majors: Art History and Political Science

What work looks like: “I manage and do research into, and the writing of interpretive materials for, the art collection at the Barnes Foundation. I also work closely on projects related to our archival materials and publications.”

What she loves about it: “I enjoy engaging directly with art objects and being able to tell stories about them to the public. I also find their histories fascinating and fun to explore, both from the aspect of how they fit into history or an artist’s career and from the perspective of where they came from and how they ended up in our collection.”

What she gained from a liberal arts education: “I gained such a wide set of skills from my experience in the College of Arts and Sciences. Being able to take classes in different, but related, areas has helped me immensely and given me the ability to make connections between disparate subjects. The language and writing skills I gained have been the most helpful. Having a foundational understanding of government, history, language, and the arts has helped me to make connections within my writing and have a better understanding of our place in history. Studying the liberal arts has been very important to my overall career and life. Had I not had the opportunity to take that first art history class, I wouldn’t have pursued a career path in the museum field, I wouldn’t be in the position I hold today, and I wouldn’t be able to engage with art in a way that I find fulfilling.”