Lisa Shockley, Curator of Collections
Lisa has more than 30 years of experience working in the museum field, as well as the public sector. Growing up in North Central Ohio, just south of Lake Erie, Lisa moved to Missouri to attend undergraduate school and never left. Her upbringing in a diverse family, with ancestors from four continents, has greatly influenced her outlook on the world and the people who make up community. When she was eight years old, her father brought home a book on Pompeii to read together. Later, when asked what she wanted to do when she grew up, she replied, “Work in a museum, a radio station, or a bookstore!” She has done all three; her first career was as a news reporter and classical music host for an NPR station, while also working as a Morning Show rock and roll DJ and recording studio engineer in southern Missouri, and as a part-time country music DJ in Branson. This has created a very eclectic taste in music for her. Lisa took a job managing a bookstore after moving to the Kansas City area in 1988, and spent time running sound for local musicians, occasionally contributing her backing voice.
Lisa specializes in clothing and textiles, and she has a particular interest in the social history of the late 19th and 20th century. Along with the Kansas City Museum, Lisa worked at the National Museum of Toys & Miniatures, the Historic Garment District Museum, the UFDC Doll Museum, and for the Federal Government in historic records management. She has also been an official scholar/researcher at the National Music Museum, the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford University.
Lisa attended the College of the Ozarks and the University of Missouri-Kansas City for a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Mass Media/Broadcasting (Music minor), and a Master of Arts in History (focus on Medieval History and Museum Studies/Collections Management). In addition, she holds certificates from the International Center for Preservation Studies related to basic Textile Conservation and has training in basic Paper Conservation.
Areas of specialty for museums: Collections Care & Management, Curatorial Work, Historical Research, Project Management, Records Management, Public Lecture and Education, Exhibit Design & Content Development, Collections Database Management, Basic Textile and Paper Conservation, Clothing & Textile Collections, NAGPRA and Native American Indian Collections, Late 19th/20th Century Social History.