As the editor at the Dallas Museum of Art, Queta Watson is a busy lady! She recently took time out of her schedule to answer questions related to her job at the Museum.
Amy Wolf
Coordinator of Gallery Teaching
Name and Title: Queta Moore Watson, Editor
Years Employed at the Dallas Museum of Art: It will be twenty years in March!
Describe your job here at the Museum: Most people are surprised to hear that a museum needs an editor, but museums produce an astonishing amount of written material! I edit exhibition labels and text panels, brochures, invitations, the members’ magazine, the annual report, flyers, ads, press releases, signage, the web site, blog posts, e-blasts, and, when time permits, books on the collection. Basically, if the public sees it, I see it first! The text comes to me from all different departments of the Museum (curatorial, development, membership, education, etc.) and I edit for content, consistency of tone and style, and, of course, good ol’ grammar and punctuation.
What is your favorite part of your job? I get to read all day long! And the subject matter is interesting and enjoyable. My first job out of college was editing Lasers & Optronics magazine, so now I can really appreciate working on material that isn’t boring.
What is a challenge you face in your job? The most challenging aspect is balancing quality and quantity. As an editor, my job is to produce an error-free product, but the heavy workload and tight deadlines make this difficult.
How did you decide you wanted to work in a museum? All those people who are dying to work in a museum will hate me for this, but it wasn’t a conscious decision. I moved here from Los Angeles, where I had been working as a book editor. I sent my résumé to any place in Dallas that might publish books. I am so thankful that the Dallas Museum of Art called!
If you weren’t working in a museum, what is something else you would be doing? I would go back to school to get a degree in library science or I would work in a bookstore. I’m the ultimate “word nerd”!