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
Queta Watson, Editor
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”!
