¡Hola!
I’m Melisa, and I’m here to help you.
If you’re looking into adding Spanish language materials to your museum, you’re in the right place.
I’m an independent English into Spanish translator helping museums and cultural institutions engage their Spanish-speaking audiences by successfully translating their
voice into a different culture.
I love building close, collaborative relationships with my clients to help them reach their goals. My goal is to become a trusted partner who you feel is part of your team.
Check out my services or read my story below!
My story begins in Seville, Spain.
As a child, I emigrated there with my family from Argentina. While living there, I found myself surrounded by art and history.
Coming from a “new” country, I couldn’t believe my ears or eyes when I started to learn how incredibly old everything around me was. Romans, Muslims, and Catholics had all called those beautiful streets their home, and learning about them became my passion.
Speaking English from a young age, I had always said I would become a translator.
While studying Latin and Greek in school, I found myself translating everything from Caesar’s accounts of his many battles to the stories of the love/hate affairs of Greek gods.
Through that, I realized how much I enjoyed the mental puzzle of picking all these pieces up in one language and putting them back together
in another.
So when it was time to go to college, I decided to put my passion for art aside.
But once I’d started translating professionally, it soon became clear that combining said passion with my language skills was the way forward. I’ve now been translating for museums full time since 2015.
And, honestly, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else! Making art accessible to a wider audience and knowing my work will allow fellow Spanish-speakers to enjoy art as much as I do inspires me to keep growing and learning.
I wake up every morning knowing that what I do matters, and it fills me with joy to be part of this shift towards more inclusive museums, where everyone can access and enjoy art.
If this is a journey you’re on too, get in touch and we’ll discuss how I can help you make it a reality!
WORKING WITH ME
When you’re looking for a translator, it can be difficult to know who you should be working with. Should you go for a big agency or a freelancer? Well, it all very much depends on the type of service you’re after.
I offer highly specialized services, which I tailor to the needs of every one of my clients. I strive to become part of their team and work with museums in a way that makes them feel they can count on me for everything they need.
When you work with me, you’ll know exactly who’s working on your texts. We’ll be in direct contact, so you can ask me any questions you want.
When you work with me,
you’ll know exactly who’s working on your texts.
MY QUALIFICATIONS
I hold a BA and an MA in Translation, both with honors, from the University of Belgrano (Argentina). I’m currently pursuing a BA in Art History with the University of Palermo (Argentina) to specialize even further.
As well as my hands-on experience, I owe my specialization to having written a thesis on the practice of museum translation, titled “Museum translation: the British Museum’s voice and its translation into Spanish”.
The two years I spent researching that topic allowed me not only to learn about the history of museums and how it has affected their communicative styles, but also to understand the way museum texts contain concrete linguistic features that can support — or contradict — a museum’s mission.
In other words, even if a museum states that their mission is to be inclusive, their texts could actually prove otherwise!
And visitors will unconsciously pick up on that.
Are you sure your museum’s texts and translations reflect its mission?
If you have doubts, contact me and I’ll explain how we can find out.