Interview with Charlotte Lefland
Date2 July 2025
Mediumborn digital audio file
DimensionsDuration: 24 Minutes, 11 Seconds
ClassificationsInformation Artifacts
Credit LineCommunity History Project Collection
Description(a) Audio file of interview with Charlotte Lefland. She was interviewed by Tania Alfonso on 2 July 2025 in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
(b) Photograph of Charlotte Lefland taken at her interview.
Charlotte Lefland was interviewed as part of the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History's Community History Project discussing moments of change in her life.
Charlotte views change as an exciting and scary experience that elicits anxiety, but can also be refreshing and lead to opportunities. The redefining moment of change she chose to talk about during this interview was getting her job as Collections Manager at the Housatonic Museum of Art (HMA) in Bridgeport. The catalyst for this moment of change was that she felt like she was no longer being challenged at her previous job, and there was a toxic work environment, so she wanted to change.
Charlotte discusses how the job at the HMA was the right fit. She was looking for a collections manager position and it was in higher education, which she desired. She describes being excited for the new challenge ahead, and remembers how, before the change, she was always stressed at work, and generally unfulfilled professionally. The friendships she made at her old job made it difficult to decide to leave, but ultimately she decided she needed the change.
When it comes to facing a challenge, Charlotte has learned to trust her instincts and get support from the community. She describes being friends with her boss now before getting the job, and how the relationship between them has evolved and flourished. She also talks about how her relationship with her husband has improved since getting the new job.
Charlotte also mentions how her job at the HMA has changed her outlook on the city of Bridgeport. She talks about the bustling art scene in the city, with a lot of art, culture, and studios. Her perception of community colleges has also changed, gaining a deeper appreciation for the hard work the students do to get an education. She says, “What I learned is that while change can be difficult and at times scary, that doesn't mean that it's not the right thing to do.”
She concludes the interview by talking about a quote she keeps on her bulletin board in her office. She talks about how this quote has become her motto for the work she is doing at the HMA, because so much of the work is just figuring it out as you go, but knowing that eventually you do figure it out. The quote is, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
(b) Photograph of Charlotte Lefland taken at her interview.
Charlotte Lefland was interviewed as part of the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History's Community History Project discussing moments of change in her life.
Charlotte views change as an exciting and scary experience that elicits anxiety, but can also be refreshing and lead to opportunities. The redefining moment of change she chose to talk about during this interview was getting her job as Collections Manager at the Housatonic Museum of Art (HMA) in Bridgeport. The catalyst for this moment of change was that she felt like she was no longer being challenged at her previous job, and there was a toxic work environment, so she wanted to change.
Charlotte discusses how the job at the HMA was the right fit. She was looking for a collections manager position and it was in higher education, which she desired. She describes being excited for the new challenge ahead, and remembers how, before the change, she was always stressed at work, and generally unfulfilled professionally. The friendships she made at her old job made it difficult to decide to leave, but ultimately she decided she needed the change.
When it comes to facing a challenge, Charlotte has learned to trust her instincts and get support from the community. She describes being friends with her boss now before getting the job, and how the relationship between them has evolved and flourished. She also talks about how her relationship with her husband has improved since getting the new job.
Charlotte also mentions how her job at the HMA has changed her outlook on the city of Bridgeport. She talks about the bustling art scene in the city, with a lot of art, culture, and studios. Her perception of community colleges has also changed, gaining a deeper appreciation for the hard work the students do to get an education. She says, “What I learned is that while change can be difficult and at times scary, that doesn't mean that it's not the right thing to do.”
She concludes the interview by talking about a quote she keeps on her bulletin board in her office. She talks about how this quote has become her motto for the work she is doing at the HMA, because so much of the work is just figuring it out as you go, but knowing that eventually you do figure it out. The quote is, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
Object number2024.79.40a-b
NotesSubject Note: The Connecticut Museum of Culture and History’s Community History Project (CHP) is a public-facing initiative, focused on contemporary collecting, gathering items of the recent past as well as from events happening today. This program developed community historians to identify, document, and preserve their experiences as residents of Connecticut, and to share these experiences during a series of community presentations. The project focused on the theme "Redefining Moments of Change." Conneticans share stories of people or events who have changed their lives or how they have sparked change in the lives of others.Cataloging Note: Digitization and access to this collection is supported by a Congressionally Directed grant through the U.S. Department of Education.
Subject Terms
On View
Not on view
30 June 2025
11 July 2025