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Bishop Museum Appoints Maja Grajski Vice President of Collections and Research
Maja Grajski appointed to new executive position leading the Museum's Cultural Resources, Library & Archives, and Natural Sciences Departments.
New position will lead the Museum's Cultural Resources, Library & Archives, and Natural Sciences Departments.
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi — Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum has appointed Maja Grajski to its executive team as Vice President of Collections and Research. In this new position, Grajski will lead the Museum's Cultural Resources, Library & Archives, and Natural Science Departments.
The Vice President of Collections and Research (VPCR) oversees Bishop Museum's Collections and Research programs, which includes Cultural Resources, Library & Archives, Natural Sciences, the Hawaiʻi and Pacific Biological Surveys, the Pacific Center for Molecular Biodiversity, the Pacific Science Association, and related local, national, and international initiatives. Grajski will provide support to department leadership teams and professional staff, and ensure that area goals are consistent with the Museum's Mission, Vision, and Values.
"The Vice President of Collections and Research is a key leadership position that will play a critical role in Bishop Museum's successful growth," said Dee Jay Mailer, Bishop Museum president and CEO. "Maja's achievements in strategic and transformational change are very relevant to the organizational growth the Museum can benefit from today. Additionally, her respect for and understanding of the important role Bishop Museum plays in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific reflect the aloha she has for our collective people, places, and legacies."
Grajski was previously the Executive Director for the Donkey Mill Art Center; the Head of Collection Information & Digital Assets for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; and Collections Manager with Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York, as well as a Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies, American Studies Department and MLISc, Library and Information Science Program, emphasis in Archival Studies & Special Collections from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa.
Grajski currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities, and has served as a Grant Review Panelist, Biennium Grants Program of the Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts.
"It is truly an honor and a privilege to work at an institution with such an important mission as Bishop Museum," said Grajski. "The staff at the Museum are incredibly dedicated and respectful of their kuleana of caring for our collections, helping to preserve our islands' biodiversity, and conducting research and leading expeditions to preserve and perpetuate the treasured cultures, histories, and natural environments of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific. I look forward to working with our Bishop Museum ʻOhana to further engage with our local and global communities through access to our collections and the sharing of our work."
For more information on Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum and its Mission, please visit BishopMuseum.org and follow its social channels @BishopMuseum.
About Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, the State of Hawaiʻi Museum of Natural and Cultural History
Bishop Museum’s mission is to inspire our community and visitors through the exploration, celebration, and perpetuation of the extraordinary history, culture, and environment of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific. The Museum was founded in 1889 by Charles Reed Bishop in memory of his wife Bernice Pauahi Bishop, a royal descendant of King Kamehameha I. Today, the Museum thrives as an educational center for the community and is widely regarded as the world’s premier institution for Hawaiian and Pacific content.
Bishop Museum’s vast collections of more than 25 million objects and specimens represent nine disciplines and include more than 22 million biological specimens, over 2 million cultural objects, 115,000 historical publications, and 1 million photographs, films, works of art, audio recordings, and manuscripts. These collections tell the stories of the cultures and biodiversity of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific as well as the proud legacy of scholarly research spanning 130 years.
Bishop Museum proudly serves more than 200,000 visitors each year, including 20,000 children on school visits. Guests are encouraged to pre-plan their trip to #HawaiisMuseum with its free digital guide, available through Bloomberg Connects.
To learn more about the Museum’s research, collections, exhibits, and programs, visit BishopMuseum.org, follow @BishopMuseum on Facebook and Instagram, visit Bishop Museum’s YouTube channel, or call (808) 847-3511. Bishop Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Bishop Museum is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer, and welcomes applicants from the military, veterans, and those with disabilities. Learn about careers at Bishop Museum at BishopMuseum.org/Careers and on its LinkedIn page.
Bishop Museum Press is Hawaiʻi’s oldest book publisher and one of the first scholarly publishers in the Western Hemisphere, and has published over 1,200 titles and distributed over 1 million books in 72 countries worldwide. Bishop Museum hosts a restaurant and gift shop on campus, Tūtū’s Place by Highway Inn and Shop Pacifica by Nā Mea Hawaiʻi.