A Journey from Architecture to Museum Curation
When Jaclyn Fenech first enrolled in a university program to study architecture, she had grand plans of pursuing it as a career. However, her path took an unexpected turn when she decided to take an elective subject in museum studies. This choice marked the beginning of a significant shift in her aspirations.
“I was like, ‘Wait, this is way more interesting to me than what I thought architecture was going to be,’” she recalls. This realization led her to transfer her studies to a degree in art theory, with the dream of working in the field of museum curation.
“I suppose what I really loved and what I really wanted to do after uni was to create experiences for other people to enjoy,” she explains. Before she even graduated, she landed a job at ArtsPeople, where she began her career in coordination roles.
She credits her early success to the support she received from “a number of incredible women” who encouraged her creativity and mentored her. Over time, as she gained experience and worked across different roles and institutions, she moved into developing the creative direction herself.
“I moved from supporting ideas to generating them,” she says. Now, after more than a decade in the industry, Fenech serves as an Exhibitions Producer at the Australian Museum.
“At the heart of my work is storytelling,” she explains. “I see my role as shaping how stories are told in an exhibition, connecting people with ideas in a way that feels meaningful and memorable.”
The Surviving Australia Exhibition
Fenech is currently responsible for organizing the Australian Museum’s Surviving Australia exhibition. “[It] explores the extraordinary resilience of wildlife on one of Earth’s toughest continents,” she says. “The core story we wanted visitors to walk away with is how life here has adapted and evolved over millions of years in response to extreme and ever-changing conditions.”
She notes that many people assume her role is “just about choosing objects and putting them on display,” but in reality, it involves much more. As an Exhibitions Producer, there are two main aspects to her role: the creative curatorial side and the project management side.
“I might be working with scientists to translate research, writing, or refining exhibition content, or collaborating with designers to test how ideas could come to life in a space,” she explains. “Alongside that, there’s a lot of project management: tracking timelines, managing budgets, and making sure everything stays aligned both creatively and scientifically as the exhibition develops.”
A Day Full of Variety
People often say they want a role where no two days are the same, but it’s not always realistic. For Fenech, however, each day presents its own set of unique tasks and challenges.
“The Museum is an amazing place,” she says. “I’m sometimes working from our Conservation Lab assessing an object’s condition with our Collection Care team, or I’m deep in the Entomology Collections trying to find the perfect butterfly to put on display. [I might be] looking through the Palaeontology Collection to find the best Thylacoleo Carnifex jaw to CT scan, sometimes I’m with our production team in the workshop talking through the best colours to paint an enlarged model of a mite. Every day is truly different.”
Diverse Projects and Audience Engagement
Throughout her career, Fenech has produced a wide variety of projects, ranging from large-scale immersive exhibitions and city-wide architecture festivals to intimate tours for kids and online learning programs. At the heart of everything she does is figuring out how to translate complex ideas and information into an engaging and accessible experience.
“The role of a museum professional is becoming much more audience-focused and experience-driven,” she says. “There’s a strong emphasis on storytelling, accessibility, and creating immersive experiences rather than simply presenting information.”
She adds that digital and interactive elements have become central to how museums engage visitors. “There’s also a growing focus on reaching audiences beyond the museum walls through online content, apps, games, podcasts, and even retail products.”
Evolving Industry Trends
Fenech explains that over the years, she’s noticed the industry shifting its focus to the fact that everyone learns in different ways. “Experimenting with exhibitions, rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach, has become more common,” she says.
“Some visitors want detailed information, while others respond more to visual, tactile or interactive experiences,” she continues. “From my perspective as an Exhibitions Producer, a big part of the role is developing these layers of engagement—creating opportunities to see, hear, touch, read and explore content in different ways so a wide range of audiences can connect with it.”
“Museums are moving away from the idea of being static or dusty institutions. They’re increasingly dynamic, creative spaces. Places for exploration, learning and connection.”
