Commemorating the 75th anniversary of our founding R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy It peaks in late October when the Coit Museum of Pharmacy and Health Sciences grand opens over Homecoming weekend. Leading the effort is newly hired museum director Alexis Peregoy.
Peregoy has been an Associate Archivist at the University of Arizona Center for Creative Photography for the last six years. She has a long background in collection development, preservation, acquisition and spatial planning.
Health Sciences Connect caught up with Peregoy to learn more about her new role.
How did you become interested in archiving?
It’s not a very interesting story, but I’ve always been interested in museums and wanted to work in cultural heritage and collecting institutions. As a college student, I didn’t have much exposure to archives or primary sources until I started my internship at the Toledo Museum of Art. There, he spent a year digitizing slides and photographs for the museum’s glass collection, learning about the responsibilities of collection management. After that experience, I quickly decided that I wanted to complete a graduate program so I could work in the museum field.
What excites you about archiving work?
The most exciting thing about archival work is the mystery. All collections are significantly different from the following collections: There is no clear answer on how to manage collections. My answer is always “it depends”. Like documents, letters and photographs, you never know what you’ll encounter in an archive collection. The collection included false teeth, death masks, human remains, and even severed fingers. Now, in managing this new collection, I can say that I have dealt with an antique apothecary jar and his 100 year old chewing gum!
How did your previous experience at the Center for Creative Photography shape you?
The Center for Creative Photography does it all with a small team and has an international reputation. Collaboration and teamwork have been an integral part of my day-to-day work at the Center and have allowed me to nurture and build relationships across campus. Because the center is located on the main campus, it has developed an understanding of serving not only the student community, but also the local, national, and international community.
What intrigued you about your role as director of the Coit Museum?
The Coit Museum is now in a great position, poised for success. The museum now has a centralized home with permanent installations and interactive kiosks featuring the museum’s most prized collection objects. This collection is unlike any other pharmacy collection and offers a wealth of opportunities for interdisciplinary discovery and exploration. Additionally, the museum has been renamed and expanded to include Health Sciences as an additional collecting area. Historically, museums have always operated as one-man shows.As the museum gains recognition and public interest, it is our hope that it will be able to develop further and manage its collection according to best practices.
What are the goals of the Coit Museum of Pharmacy and Health Sciences?
First, we need to determine the opening hours of the museum so that the campus community and the general public can visit the museum. In addition to supporting students through internships, we would like to build a competent volunteer program that would allow anyone with an interest in pharmacy, health sciences, or museums in general to lead tours and assist with special projects. I’m here. In addition, museum collections require ongoing management and oversight, including disposal of hazardous materials, inventory of records and locations in databases, and overall conservation efforts. It will also focus on enhancing the overall discoverability and accessibility of the Museum’s collections. This includes developing new websites, digital and temporary or rotating exhibitions, collaborative projects with faculty, staff, and other campus repositories, and school outreach programs.
What is your vision for the museum visitor experience?
First and foremost, we want visitors to feel welcome at the museum. Visitors should be able to walk and browse the exhibits on their own during the museum’s open hours. Alternatively, you can request a reservation in advance for your reserved tour time. The new museum space showcases a wealth of information, including historical objects from his Upjohn Pharmacy collection at Disneyland, pharmacy counter displays, and installations with interactive kiosks and video screens. The overall goal is to allow visitors to step back in time and discover historic objects, while also learning about contemporary practices in medicine and health sciences.
What would you like people at UArizona Health Sciences to know about you?
I look forward to working with faculty, staff, and students on future museum activities. You can find me in the new museum space or in the pharmacy administration suite on his third floor in Druckmann Hall. Stop by and say hello!
