Carol Elizabeth Mayer was a curator at the Museum of Anthropology (UBC) from 1987-2022. She is a Canadian citizen. Her educational background includes a Diploma in Arts & Sciences (honours) from Vancouver City College in 1972. In 1974 Carol completed a Bachelor of Arts (honours), majoring in Anthropology, at the University of British Columbia. In 1976 she received a Certificate in Social Anthropology from Cambridge University in Cambridge, UK and in 1996 she received a Ph.D. from the University of Leicester, UK in Museum Studies.
Carol began working at the University of British Columbia Museum of Anthropology (MOA) in 1987 as Curator of Collections and held that position until 1990 when she was appointed the Curator of Ethnology/Ceramics, a position she held until 2005. In 2005 she was appointed Curator of Africa/Pacific, and Curatorial Department Head. As of 2016, she is Curator of Oceania & Africa. In 1993 Carol also became an Instructor in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology. She was the co-founder and the Director of the Museum Studies Certificate Programme for MOA and the Department of Continuing Studies in 1996 and 1997. She has participated in several committees at MOA such as the Acquisition Committee, Collections Committee, Research & Teaching Committee, Executive Committee, and the Renewal Project Team. As Head Curator she is responsible for researching her area of specialty, publishing and presenting papers, representing the Curatorial Department on committees, constructing and overseeing departmental budgets, developing exhibitions and collections, and developing acquisitions policies.
Outside of UBC Carol is an instructor at the University of Victoria in the Faculty of History of Art (1989 to present), and at Emily Carr College of Art and Design in the Visual Arts Department and Art History Department (1993 to present). Previous to MOA Carol worked at The Vancouver Museum where she held several positions from 1975 until 1987.
Carol Mayer has published internationally on curatorship, exhibition, design and ceramics. She is active in provincial, national and international museum associations and has served on boards at all these levels. She has chaired and organized BC Museums Association Conferences as in the year 2000 where she was on the Planning Committee. The Canadian Museums Association awarded her in 1984 with the National Award of Merit for Curatorship and in 1991 with the National Award for Outstanding Achievement. In 2009 she received the International Council of Museums Canada International Achievement award. Many of her exhibition projects have involved collaborative work with communities and their artists, whether they be local or far afield.
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