Today, as never before, museums and other non-profits are facing increasing pressure to work efficiently and to keep focused on the bottom line. Kate can help in this endeavor by offering needed skills and an extra set of hands for a finite period of time, thus allowing organizations to work smartly through busy periods without having to hire additional staff. Kate’s breadth and depth of experience offers time and financial benefits.    

 Kate supports the work of museums, libraries, arts organizations, and affinity groups in various ways. She has developed and managed projects. She has guided staff members who are designing and implementing new exhibitions and programs. She has added a desired perspective and skill set to project teams. Some organizations have brought in Kate to help their staff and board members think strategically about challenging issues and exciting opportunities. Others have called upon her to review, edit, and help strengthen grant applications, plans, reports, exhibition texts, tour scripts, and publications.

Some institutions and groups hire Kate for a short period to address a specific issue. For others, she has worked on more involved projects. Still others use her as on-going advisor and “sounding board” on curatorial, programming, collections, administration, funding, and related matters.

Kate is happy to structure a consultancy that fits the requirements of the client. Talk to her about your needs.     

Friends of the Tiffany Reading Room

Kate Johnson,HistoryConsulting.com

MUSEUM CONSULTING & ADVISING 

Greenwich Historical Society  

Hasbrouck Family Association for

​Historic Huguenot Street 

SAMPLE CONSULTANCIES AND ADVISORY PROJECTS

Other consultancies are described elsewhere in this website.

Hasbrouck Family Foundation for Historic Huguenot Street, New Paltz, NY 

Furnishings acquisition initiative based on Abraham Hasbrouck House Furnishing Plan, Vol. II and companion research reports she created as the foundation for the project. Helped locate historically appropriate furnishings and tools for installation in this colonial house.   


United States Senate Curatorial Advisory Board, Washington, DC (2009-Current)
Serve as a volunteer advistory board member for the presentation and conservation of historic interiors and fine and decorative art in the Senate Wing of the Capitol. Wrote an article on the collection for The Magazine Antiques (Mar.-Apr. 2014). 


Town of Marblehead, MA 
With Larson-Fisher Associates, advised on the interpretation of a "Ten-Footer" shoemaking shed.


Greenwich (CT) Historical Society

Consultant on humanities themes and collections scope and management Issues. 

 ​
Greenwich (CT) Historical Society 
Curatorial, Programming, and Docent Training Consultant for "A Good Light: The Artist's Studio in Cos Cob and Beyond" gallery exhibition and expanded artist's studio installation in Bush-Holley House.


Friends of the Tiffany Reading Room, Irvington Town Hall and Library, Irvington, NY 

Advised on c. 1900 Arts and Crafts style furniture original to this Tiffany Studios-designed interior.

Keeler Tavern, Ridgefield, CT 
Consulted with Board of Trustees in regard to facilities planning and institutional mission and growth.

Kate has served on project teams advising on historic property presentation and interpretation for:

  • Montclair (NJ) Historical Society
  • Greenwich (CT) Historical Society
  • Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme, CT
  • National Park Service Northeast Region's Guidelines for the Treatment of Historic Furnished Interiors 


Aside from the U.S. Senate Curatorial Advisory Board , Kate also currently sits on the Curatorial Committe of Historic Huguenot Street. 

She has served on the Boards of the American Friends of the Attingham Summer School and The Woodstock Guild and on the Exhibition Committee of the Greenwich Historical Society.


Kate has served several times as a Peer Grants Reviewer for the National Endowment of the Humanities, including for the 2020 NEH CARES Covid relief program.  


She has conducted Museum Assessment Program surveys sponsored by the American Alliance of Museums at:

  • Litchfield (CT) Historical Society
  • Museum of Early American Trades and

            Industries (NJ)

  • Oneida (NY) Community.