After reading the last readings which have been assigned, it has been enlightening to see how far museums have come in employment and in other aspects. It is interesting to see how jobs have evolved from being just a few types of jobs with permanent status which were seen to be mainly to be academic to deal with more outsourcing of these jobs so museums do not have to pay to have to pay permanent staff. It is also exciting to see all the different museums which have been popping up across the world within so many different countries. It is also interesting to see where the country is going to go due to multi-culturalism. America is a land of many cultures, but there does need to be a common culture that all people can relate to. There are countries like France that have official language which cannot use words from other cultures. It is interesting to see museums handling all of these different cultures. It is important to talk about copyright, since it protects the intellectual property of people. Museums need to be careful about what they bring in so they do not violate some body's intellectual property. It has been also interesting to learn about the role of the registrar and how they contribute to the museum and its structure. Also, it has been interesting and good to see that more museums are popping up in different cultures in order to show what they are all about. In all, museums will never go away since there are so many different types of museums and they will continue to come up with unique ideas that people will want to see. As well, it is interesting to see how the impact of one's culture to determine how they are seen among different cultures, like a Jew among the Native Americans and see the affect of it on the world around them.
The last speaker we listened to was Sarah Cucinella-McDaniel speak about her job working as a registrar at the Denver Art Museum. She first talked about her background and how she got into her current position. She talked about some of the jobs she has done within her position like going with art work to make sure that nothing would happen to the art. Also, learning about customs brokers who go through and make sure that the art will get past customs and get to the location that it is supposed to go to. It was interesting to learn about the amount of insurance which is necessary to keep art safe and move it around if necessary. Also, it was interesting to learn about what is going on in the job market in museums.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Week IX
It has been interesting to go over the readings involving heritage and cultural policies. It is rather intriguing to over the issues which deal with particular pieces of the collection which come from different countries and to have to decide what to do when they re being requested to be returned to the country where they came from originally. This is seen to be a big issue, like the Parthenon marbles which the Greeks are requesting to have returned to them. This is still going on, even though the British Museum believes that the Greeks cannot take care of these pieces correctly. It was also interesting to listen to Heather talk about some of the African pieces in the Denver Art Museum where some of the pieces should be returned except the countries where the pieces came from could not take care of them properly. With all of these problems which are going on, this is why there is so much work to be done in creating good exhibits with the pieces which are there to put them in good historical context so they can be learning experiences for the patrons which come in and visit the exhibits. After reading a blog for my archivist class, it was interesting to see all of the different people who work together to bring about good quality cultural policy, including archivists, curators, and historians. Working with all of these people can make sure that there is a clear voice among the different collections.
It was interesting to listen to two different speakers this week, Andine Henning and Alison and Kelly at the Molly Brown House. With Andine, it was interesting to listen to what she told us about her job and what she does as a liaison between the headquarters and the United States. It was also interesting to listen to what the company does in injecting plastic into dead people after removing the fat and the blood out of them. As well listening to the facts which she gave out with the number of people who are on the list to donate their bodies and also the information which has been gathered through the showing of these bodies.
Also, listening to Kelly and Alison talk about the work they do at the small museum, the cleaning of the facility and the cleaning of the bird poop. It was enlightening to see all the work which goes into making a museum a good place to be. Also, how they work to create new exhibits which will bring people in, and also writing for the internal scholarly journal which gets sent out. It was interesting to learn about the programs which they have organized to go out to schools around the area and also the amount of original materials which is being brought into the museum.
It was interesting to listen to two different speakers this week, Andine Henning and Alison and Kelly at the Molly Brown House. With Andine, it was interesting to listen to what she told us about her job and what she does as a liaison between the headquarters and the United States. It was also interesting to listen to what the company does in injecting plastic into dead people after removing the fat and the blood out of them. As well listening to the facts which she gave out with the number of people who are on the list to donate their bodies and also the information which has been gathered through the showing of these bodies.
Also, listening to Kelly and Alison talk about the work they do at the small museum, the cleaning of the facility and the cleaning of the bird poop. It was enlightening to see all the work which goes into making a museum a good place to be. Also, how they work to create new exhibits which will bring people in, and also writing for the internal scholarly journal which gets sent out. It was interesting to learn about the programs which they have organized to go out to schools around the area and also the amount of original materials which is being brought into the museum.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Blog for 10/28-10/30
It is interesting to see how far museums have come in being more educational places than they have been before. It is intriguing to learn that docents came about more recently due to the desire of museum owners wanting people who can talk about the art intelligently rather than having just more guards. This shows that museums want to become more patron-friendly. It is also enlightening to see the work which goes forth into bringing in school children into the museum to augment what they learn about in school. This comes about through creating exciting exhibits which will teach the kids while entertaining them. The exhibits should be affective in teaching people of all different ages and understandings. With all of the work which goes on in creating an inviting, yet educational experience to those who come to the museum, this shows that museums want to be known to be wonderful places where people can congregate and learn with wonderful experiences. These experiences will add to the students' personal learning experience and help them out in the long run. Thus with this effort more people will come and use the museum. It is also enlightening to see what more museums can do to market themselves and hold themselves accountable to their patrons.
In discussing how exhibits are created and marketed, it is interesting to learn about all the work which goes into making a successful exhibit. It is good to do preliminary research to make sure that your idea is historically accurate and is innovative. It is also good to write text about what you are showing the general public so they know what is going on with the objects which you are showing them. It is also good to create the exhibit in the best way so that the general public will enjoy what you are presenting to them. This may include having unique items or unique ways to present the information to the patrons. As well, it is important to give the general public as much information as possible so that they will know what to expect when they enter into your museum. Also, you should play up your exhibit as much as possible so people will want to come and visit your exhibit and your museum. When I was in Edinburgh, there was an museum called "The Real Mary King's Close", which was under the city chamber building. It is marketed as being a haunted place. It was really cool in that you had a guide who directed you around telling stories of what happened there. There were also models of people in rooms where people had lived and died in talking about the black plaque. There were also a room which used a recording to tell a story of ghosts of people who lived in the area. The guide tries to scare the people with this story, which was intriguing. Over all, this museum experience was marketed to be really good, and it was.
On Tuesday, there was a tour to the DAM where we listened to Heather Nielsen who is a Master Teacher there. She talked about her background and what it takes to work in museum education. She told us that the Native American collection is the largest and oldest collection in the museum. It was interesting to learn and see how there were plenty of collections which were not behind the glass where they could be seen properly. It was also intriguing to see some the efforts to allow patrons to learn about the artists of the art and their take on their art through technological means. As well, it was good to learn about Heather's position as a master teacher and what you have to do in order to become one. You have to be really know and love your collection in order to explain about what it contains. It is also good to know that when exhibits are created, there is a team of master teachers, curators and exhibit creators working together to create the best exhibits possible.
In discussing how exhibits are created and marketed, it is interesting to learn about all the work which goes into making a successful exhibit. It is good to do preliminary research to make sure that your idea is historically accurate and is innovative. It is also good to write text about what you are showing the general public so they know what is going on with the objects which you are showing them. It is also good to create the exhibit in the best way so that the general public will enjoy what you are presenting to them. This may include having unique items or unique ways to present the information to the patrons. As well, it is important to give the general public as much information as possible so that they will know what to expect when they enter into your museum. Also, you should play up your exhibit as much as possible so people will want to come and visit your exhibit and your museum. When I was in Edinburgh, there was an museum called "The Real Mary King's Close", which was under the city chamber building. It is marketed as being a haunted place. It was really cool in that you had a guide who directed you around telling stories of what happened there. There were also models of people in rooms where people had lived and died in talking about the black plaque. There were also a room which used a recording to tell a story of ghosts of people who lived in the area. The guide tries to scare the people with this story, which was intriguing. Over all, this museum experience was marketed to be really good, and it was.
On Tuesday, there was a tour to the DAM where we listened to Heather Nielsen who is a Master Teacher there. She talked about her background and what it takes to work in museum education. She told us that the Native American collection is the largest and oldest collection in the museum. It was interesting to learn and see how there were plenty of collections which were not behind the glass where they could be seen properly. It was also intriguing to see some the efforts to allow patrons to learn about the artists of the art and their take on their art through technological means. As well, it was good to learn about Heather's position as a master teacher and what you have to do in order to become one. You have to be really know and love your collection in order to explain about what it contains. It is also good to know that when exhibits are created, there is a team of master teachers, curators and exhibit creators working together to create the best exhibits possible.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Understanding Visitors
After reading the articles, it is important to make the museums more patron-friendly. It is important to have the library be more user-friendly through having signs, ramps, and clean bathrooms so the patrons will want to come back and visit the museum again. It is also important to make the museum a welcoming place for school kids who come with their teachers. This can be done through working with the teachers in order to integrate some part of the collection into the teacher's study plan. Then the students can come to the museum and see what they have been learning about. There can be teaching moments through exhibits or hands-on areas. As well, the museum can open up its collection to visitors who want to see what is there through open shelving and access. This will allow learning opportunities for the community to know about the world around them and what is going on in their own community. through having more access to the collections. Also, this will lead to the museum knowing how best to serve its patrons. There has been some study on this, but more work needs to be done. There can be a lot of work done in order to get a feel for how patrons feel about the exhibits and the museum itself. This work is performed through performing visitor surveys in order to gather as much information as possible. In my own personal experience, I have seen how museums have worked to get more visitor exposure. I visited the British Museum and saw how it worked to make itself more visitor friendly. There were a lot of signs in a number of different places. Also, there are a lot of exhibits on one floor so people would not feel so tired of going around in the museum. There are also pamphlets in different languages for people who are coming from different countries.
On 10/24, there was a class visit to the Denver Botanic Gardens. There was a lot of different things which were being discussed, like getting enough money through bonds and fund raising to pay for the operational costs. This money goes to pay for things like the new parking structure, replacing the 30 year old irrigation system and ADA improvements. There is the desire to have a face lift for the conservatory since it was built back in the 1960s. There is also hope for new greenhouses which would bring more open storage behind the scenes. Also there would be a new restaurant built, and a new library which would bring more space to store things.There is the hope to activate more space within the facility. The problem which comes about through the gardens is bringing in people to the facility year-round, also that the museum wants to connect plants with people. There is a resistance w/in the art community w/ competition w/ getting audiences to the facility. The title of the tour guide is exhibition manager and she is a DU alum. She runs a concert series which operates as a membership drive to get more members for the gardens. There is a 50K budget for the different exhibits which go on in the gardens. There was a discussion about the signs and how they are UV resistant in the vinyl and the inks. These signs can be reused. There is also effort in getting new signs for the facility. The museum is very vocal in what it wants, since their comments go into all of the planning. There is a new logo which has come out, since the old one is over 30 years old. The signs are the #1 complaint since they are so hard to fond, and are not helpful.
On 10/24, there was a class visit to the Denver Botanic Gardens. There was a lot of different things which were being discussed, like getting enough money through bonds and fund raising to pay for the operational costs. This money goes to pay for things like the new parking structure, replacing the 30 year old irrigation system and ADA improvements. There is the desire to have a face lift for the conservatory since it was built back in the 1960s. There is also hope for new greenhouses which would bring more open storage behind the scenes. Also there would be a new restaurant built, and a new library which would bring more space to store things.There is the hope to activate more space within the facility. The problem which comes about through the gardens is bringing in people to the facility year-round, also that the museum wants to connect plants with people. There is a resistance w/in the art community w/ competition w/ getting audiences to the facility. The title of the tour guide is exhibition manager and she is a DU alum. She runs a concert series which operates as a membership drive to get more members for the gardens. There is a 50K budget for the different exhibits which go on in the gardens. There was a discussion about the signs and how they are UV resistant in the vinyl and the inks. These signs can be reused. There is also effort in getting new signs for the facility. The museum is very vocal in what it wants, since their comments go into all of the planning. There is a new logo which has come out, since the old one is over 30 years old. The signs are the #1 complaint since they are so hard to fond, and are not helpful.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Substitute Assignment for 10/21
Substitute
I visited the Wings over the Rockies Museum at Lowry Airforce base on Saturday October 11Th. It is a converted Hanger which has other uses for it rather than just the museum. It contains a number of different aircraft which have been flown, new and old. There is also a history of the airbase, and the person for whom it was named for. There is also a bit of history for when it was the Air Force Academy before the current Air Force Academy was built. There is also an exhibit on Space Travel since a few astronauts are from Colorado. Plus Lockheed Martin donated some parts of space craft and exhibits to the museum. There is also an exhibit dedicated to the China-India-Burma Campaign during WWII. There are also a lot of models which were created of many different planes which have been built over the years. Also, there is a section dedicated to President Eisenhower when he came to Colorado during his presidency. The exhibits seem like they have been the same for a long period of time, just increasing or changing when people donate things to the museum. There are airplanes which are being restored within the museum. When I walked in, I was amazed at what the museum contained. When I visited, there was a party being set up which was MASH themed, so that added to the amazement. I enjoyed my visit, learning about the history of the Air Force base and seeing all of the cool exhibits. I would recommend this museum to others to visit. A question I had was seeing all of the different models and learning some about the history of flight.
I visited the Wings over the Rockies Museum at Lowry Airforce base on Saturday October 11Th. It is a converted Hanger which has other uses for it rather than just the museum. It contains a number of different aircraft which have been flown, new and old. There is also a history of the airbase, and the person for whom it was named for. There is also a bit of history for when it was the Air Force Academy before the current Air Force Academy was built. There is also an exhibit on Space Travel since a few astronauts are from Colorado. Plus Lockheed Martin donated some parts of space craft and exhibits to the museum. There is also an exhibit dedicated to the China-India-Burma Campaign during WWII. There are also a lot of models which were created of many different planes which have been built over the years. Also, there is a section dedicated to President Eisenhower when he came to Colorado during his presidency. The exhibits seem like they have been the same for a long period of time, just increasing or changing when people donate things to the museum. There are airplanes which are being restored within the museum. When I walked in, I was amazed at what the museum contained. When I visited, there was a party being set up which was MASH themed, so that added to the amazement. I enjoyed my visit, learning about the history of the Air Force base and seeing all of the cool exhibits. I would recommend this museum to others to visit. A question I had was seeing all of the different models and learning some about the history of flight.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Redoing museums so people will enjoy them
After reading the articles, it is interesting to see what is being done in order to bring people in. I rather enjoy the experience of being entertained as well as being informed about some topic which interests me. It is also interesting to see how much work museums put into staying relevant, even when they are not seen to be so. This leads into museums trying to put working in anthropology along with all of the other work which goes into a museum. This seems like a lot of work to be done in order to take care of all of these various tasks. I would also say that all of the work being performed within the museum is necessary because, if there were no museums, people would not know anything about themselves or about the world around them. Museums are still important in society because they give a view of what life has been in the past and in the future. There needs to be exhibits which give the right amount of information for our ADD-riddled society to learn about things. Although, as I have said before, I prefer to have an equal number of interactive exhibits as well as text panels and objects to admire. Anthropology will never go away, it will just evolve and change like the rest of the social sciences and museums as they fit the current situation in which we live in. As well, there will always be need for scholarship, since where else will the new exhibits come from, unless there are new things to bring in the patrons. Curators need to multi-task in order to find the time to work on their personal research. There needs to be good time management set up in order to accomplish this.
On 10/15 we listened to Susan Irwin-Savage talk about her experiences about working with NAGPRA. She talked about the consultations and the repatriations she was able to watch and to participate in. It was interesting to learn about the work which was being done with Colorado Historical Society in order to make sure that all cultural objects are going back to the Native American tribes. It was also interesting to learn about the NAGPRA committees which went on and what they did to make sure that the objects went back to the Native American tribes. I was amazed at the level of fines which could be put on museums if they do not comply with NAGPRA.
I liked learning about Kaitlyn's internship at the International Folk Art Museum in Santa Fe. I was impressed with what she said she was able to learn about and do. I would not think that the security people would be interesting people to talk to. Over all, I believe this was a good experience, learning it is important to network with lots of different people.
On 10/16 we visited the Denver Museum of Nature and Science to talk to Chip who is a curator there. We listened to his background which is interesting in going from being an archaeologist to a curator through taking the time to work with Native American Tribes and their concerns. This is seen to be very important to me in that we need to listen to the Native Americans because they are part of the American culture. I did not realize that it takes a PH.D to be a curator in a museum, since the jobs are really competitive. It is good to know that in jobs, it is those people who have experience in the field, published, and have experience grant writing. It was also intriguing to see what goes on a day-to-day basis within the curatorial field. 5% admin, 5% serve on committees, 30%collection, 30% outreach and 30% research. As well, it is interesting to learn about all of the different programs that the museum performs for the community.
On 10/15 we listened to Susan Irwin-Savage talk about her experiences about working with NAGPRA. She talked about the consultations and the repatriations she was able to watch and to participate in. It was interesting to learn about the work which was being done with Colorado Historical Society in order to make sure that all cultural objects are going back to the Native American tribes. It was also interesting to learn about the NAGPRA committees which went on and what they did to make sure that the objects went back to the Native American tribes. I was amazed at the level of fines which could be put on museums if they do not comply with NAGPRA.
I liked learning about Kaitlyn's internship at the International Folk Art Museum in Santa Fe. I was impressed with what she said she was able to learn about and do. I would not think that the security people would be interesting people to talk to. Over all, I believe this was a good experience, learning it is important to network with lots of different people.
On 10/16 we visited the Denver Museum of Nature and Science to talk to Chip who is a curator there. We listened to his background which is interesting in going from being an archaeologist to a curator through taking the time to work with Native American Tribes and their concerns. This is seen to be very important to me in that we need to listen to the Native Americans because they are part of the American culture. I did not realize that it takes a PH.D to be a curator in a museum, since the jobs are really competitive. It is good to know that in jobs, it is those people who have experience in the field, published, and have experience grant writing. It was also intriguing to see what goes on a day-to-day basis within the curatorial field. 5% admin, 5% serve on committees, 30%collection, 30% outreach and 30% research. As well, it is interesting to learn about all of the different programs that the museum performs for the community.
Monday, October 6, 2008
10/7/08 done on 10/6/08
After reading the different articles, it is interesting to see the different takes and definitions of objects within the museum environment. Objects can be as divers as a buffalo to a canoe in order to talk about a culture. There are many living civilizations which see their objects stored within museums to be an important part of their culture. In order to make sure these objects are cared for properly, curators need to work with the objects. It would seem to be a good idea that in order to make sure that the objects are cared for properly, there is a curator who is familiar with the culture and customs within the staff. This would lead to a larger staff, but the objects within the collection are taken care of properly. Also, there is a lot of controversy dealing with the different cultures wanting their objects back through policies like NAGPRA. This policy has led to other museums broadening their policies to allow the objects to go back, although institutions like the British Museum not wanting to give their objects back to whom they came from, like the Greeks. I believe there needs to be more effort to define what an object is, from the original to the digital. It is nice to have the original, although it is important to allow people all over the world view the object. I think it is interesting to see how different people define objects, although it would be nice to have a specific definition that all people can agree on. This idea fits into the new museology in that there needs to be a general agreement so that there will not be any confusion to what the museums hold in their collections. I would like to learn more about the different objects that museums have contained in their collections. It was interesting to listen to Rachel talk about her experience with her NPS internship working with NAGPRA. It is intriguing to see how large of a role NAGPRA plays in helping Native American tribes get their ancestors' remains and sacred objects. I believe that without NAGPRA these tribes would not get back as much as they do of their objects. It was also neat to hear about all that went into getting the various consultations set up to meet with the various tribes. NAGPRA is seen to be a large part of new Museology in helping make sure that objects are in places where they are supposed to be.
After the readings dealing with archives, it is rather interesting to see how they are viewed in the museum world. It is good to know that they are receiving their due in having information which is beneficial to the museum. It is important to talk about the history and the use of the archives throughout the ages. As well, it is good to talk about what museum archives contain. It was really neat to visit the British Museum Archives and see what they contain. I saw lots of books containing the minutes of meetings, donation documents, hiring documents, reading cards, and documents showing people's character. It is also important to note that archives can help a museum if it needs help in legal matters, since all documentation about various pieces within the collection are collected there. Archives deserve more respect for what they hold and their role in society.
After visiting Steve Fisher in the Archives, I was given more of an appreciation of the field I am going into. As Steve said, working in an archives is an art rather than a science. Archives are seen to be the most important part of the museum due to the types of documents kept within them. Archives can provide documents which are beneficial in case of a law suit to protect the museum. It was intriguing to talk about all of the same terms which are used within both fields which are used differently. I wish there was more spoken about the importance of the archives and how they work together with the museum to present the whole story of objects.
After the readings dealing with archives, it is rather interesting to see how they are viewed in the museum world. It is good to know that they are receiving their due in having information which is beneficial to the museum. It is important to talk about the history and the use of the archives throughout the ages. As well, it is good to talk about what museum archives contain. It was really neat to visit the British Museum Archives and see what they contain. I saw lots of books containing the minutes of meetings, donation documents, hiring documents, reading cards, and documents showing people's character. It is also important to note that archives can help a museum if it needs help in legal matters, since all documentation about various pieces within the collection are collected there. Archives deserve more respect for what they hold and their role in society.
After visiting Steve Fisher in the Archives, I was given more of an appreciation of the field I am going into. As Steve said, working in an archives is an art rather than a science. Archives are seen to be the most important part of the museum due to the types of documents kept within them. Archives can provide documents which are beneficial in case of a law suit to protect the museum. It was intriguing to talk about all of the same terms which are used within both fields which are used differently. I wish there was more spoken about the importance of the archives and how they work together with the museum to present the whole story of objects.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Readings for Thursday Week 4 done 9-26
After reading the first article, it was an outrage to read about what people are doing by taking funeral objects from Native American graves and selling them at an auction. I still believe that the equivalent to what is going on is removing objects and bodies from my ancestors' graves and selling them via auctions. This would make me mad and want to make changes so this would not continue on. It is good to read about the different materials which are being developed and used in order to preserve Native American objects so that nothing will happen to them. This effort shows that curators care about preserving the objects they do have in order to help preserve them for long periods of time. This idea fits into the new museology in that there needs to be more regulations to make sure that museums do not have objects that belong to other groups of people. It was a really neat experience visiting with Melissa Bechhoeffer at the Colorado Historical Society. It was intriguing to learn how she got involved in museums, and became the register at the museum. She keeps really busy recording information and keeping track of a lot of the pieces contained in the collection. I was impressed with the number of collections which come into the museum on a regular basis. I enjoyed learning about the amount of work being done in order to be able to de-accession collections which do not fit in the museum's mission. It would have been interesting to get a feel for what goes on within this type of work. I was really interested in the new building since, it looks like it will be a better facility for the museum. There is the need to have a straight ramp to the loading dock so collections and exhibits do not have to be dragged through the front area of the museum. Also, it was interesting to learn about all of the various collections which have been donated to the museum. The fact that one collection could fill an entire museum is really neat. Also, that there are a lot of collections which are unknown, so there needs to be more processing so all pieces can be identified.
For week 9/30, written 9/26
After reading what has been written about NAGPRA, I see this to be an important piece of legislation. As for me, I would not appreciate the fact knowing that my ancestors had been dug out and removed from their graves in order to perform"science" to show that they are seen to be less than human. I would also not appreciate having my ancestors' bones on display for the whole world to see. This would make me really angry to know that my country was doing this to me. It is good to have the ability to ask for bones, sacred artifacts, and other objects which had been buried in the graves which were being desecrated. It is also good to know that considerations are being made to make sure that the sacred objects are being seen as such and are being treated with respect. When the graves were desecrated, I would have felt desecrated, knowing that my loved ones could not stay in their graves. You would think that Egypt would have a similar policy in getting back the mummies which are spread all over the world in the different museums which house them. NAGPRA is an important part of new museology since it determines what can go into a museum's collection and makes sure that any piece that goes into a collection is taken care of properly. After listening to Karen Wilde talk all that she went through working with the different tribes and all of the projects she worked on, she had a lot to do. She spent a lot of time gaining the trust of the tribes she represented to the Lt. Governor, as well as dealing with the NAGPRA situations when Native American remains were found. A lot had to be done in order to fulfill all of her responsibilities with working with the CHS who took care of a lot of objects which belong to the Native Americans. In all, she did a good job with what she had in dealing with the different committees she had to work with.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
news articles/ pictures section/ websites to places visited in class and outside of class
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/artdesign/story/2008/02/27/doffay-donation.html British art dealer donates lots of artwork. This website was chosen because it gives reasons why an art donor is willing to give part of his collection to a museum to wanting to allow people to enjoy the art which was held within the art dealer's collection
http://picasaweb.google.com/littester/2008EnglandTwoWeekHoliday# This site was selected because it gives examples of my personal experiences looking at British art.
http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=105&sid=1468049- Duke of Sutherland selling artwork to National museum in London. This article was chosen because it gives another example of a personal art collector willing to sell pieces of his art collection to museums in order to allow the general public to enjoy the art
http://0-doi.acm.org.bianca.penlib.du.edu/10.1145/996350.996445- Article talking about creating digital copies of objects. This article was selected because it talks about the future of what museums can become through digitizing pieces of its collection and placing it online
http://www.coloradohistory.org/- Colorado Historical library website
http://www.skimuseum.net/- website to Colorado Ski Museum
http://www.stpauls.co.uk/page.aspx?theLang=001lngdef&pointerid=169345dwprEOVViTRLd8xXbHBDHGbzge- St Paul's cathedral in London This website was chosen because it is an example of a church which can be viewed as a museum because of the historical objects, statues, stain glass windows dedicated to donors
http://www2.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/page/home/home.html- St Martin in the field
http://www.stdunstaninthewest.org/homepage.htm- St Dunstan-in-the-West. This website was chosen because this building is seen to be a living history museum because it is still being used today even with what has happened in the past. Plus, much of the internal fabric pre-dates the rebuilding of the Church in the 1830s.The high altar and reredos are Flemish woodwork dating from theseventeenth century. There are also a large number of monuments from the original church. Some of the earliest are two bronze figures thought to date from 1530. These objects need to be taken care of properly so they will be around for long periods of time.
http://www.westminster-abbey.org/- Westminster Abbey- This website was chosen because of the large amount of history which has gone inside of it, plus the beautiful architecture and monuments and grave stones. Curators would have a field day with this place since it has so much going on within it and wanting to take care of what is there.
http://www.shakespeares-globe.org/ The Globe Theatre. This website was chosen because it discusses a living museum dedicated to the study of life during the time of William Shakespeare and the plays he wrote and performed in.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/palestinians-protest-at-israeli-plan-to-build-museum-on-muslim-graveyard-998227.html- this article was chosen because it shows that not all museums are wanted or needed to particular groups of people like the Palestinians.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5goUZ-3LPMpfoPhBX6-9j4i0HsOJgD9490AUG0- This article was chosen because it shows that some museums are willing to make sure that objects that came from different locations will be returned to their proper location.
http://picasaweb.google.com/littester/2008EnglandTwoWeekHoliday# This site was selected because it gives examples of my personal experiences looking at British art.
http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=105&sid=1468049- Duke of Sutherland selling artwork to National museum in London. This article was chosen because it gives another example of a personal art collector willing to sell pieces of his art collection to museums in order to allow the general public to enjoy the art
http://0-doi.acm.org.bianca.penlib.du.edu/10.1145/996350.996445- Article talking about creating digital copies of objects. This article was selected because it talks about the future of what museums can become through digitizing pieces of its collection and placing it online
http://www.coloradohistory.org/- Colorado Historical library website
http://www.skimuseum.net/- website to Colorado Ski Museum
http://www.stpauls.co.uk/page.aspx?theLang=001lngdef&pointerid=169345dwprEOVViTRLd8xXbHBDHGbzge- St Paul's cathedral in London This website was chosen because it is an example of a church which can be viewed as a museum because of the historical objects, statues, stain glass windows dedicated to donors
http://www2.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/page/home/home.html- St Martin in the field
http://www.stdunstaninthewest.org/homepage.htm- St Dunstan-in-the-West. This website was chosen because this building is seen to be a living history museum because it is still being used today even with what has happened in the past. Plus, much of the internal fabric pre-dates the rebuilding of the Church in the 1830s.The high altar and reredos are Flemish woodwork dating from theseventeenth century. There are also a large number of monuments from the original church. Some of the earliest are two bronze figures thought to date from 1530. These objects need to be taken care of properly so they will be around for long periods of time.
http://www.westminster-abbey.org/- Westminster Abbey- This website was chosen because of the large amount of history which has gone inside of it, plus the beautiful architecture and monuments and grave stones. Curators would have a field day with this place since it has so much going on within it and wanting to take care of what is there.
http://www.shakespeares-globe.org/ The Globe Theatre. This website was chosen because it discusses a living museum dedicated to the study of life during the time of William Shakespeare and the plays he wrote and performed in.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/palestinians-protest-at-israeli-plan-to-build-museum-on-muslim-graveyard-998227.html- this article was chosen because it shows that not all museums are wanted or needed to particular groups of people like the Palestinians.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5goUZ-3LPMpfoPhBX6-9j4i0HsOJgD9490AUG0- This article was chosen because it shows that some museums are willing to make sure that objects that came from different locations will be returned to their proper location.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Readings for 9/25 done 9/20
After reading the articles, it has been really interesting to see the larger involvement of more different types of people within the museum community. It is good to have both males and females working together in order to come up with good ideas which will benefit the museum. It is also good to get a good rounded outlook on different cultures through showing collections about them and also having them get more involved in the museum community through volunteering and working on the different collections. This shows how far we have come from having white educated men running all the museums to having women and members of different ethnic groups working together to get museums which show all of the different exhibits which show what they are all about. Examples include the Native American Museum which is now part of the Smithsonian museums, and having different museums talking about the different groups of people which are out there. It was really intriguing to hear from Polly Norstran's view on what should be done. Hearing about some of her background gives a good addition to show that both men and women should work in museums. It was good to learn about the museum culture and some of the problems which go on being the only minority woman working at a museum at this period of time. Also, about what goes on within the museum working to self-censor itself within the collections. There seems to be a lot of interesting objects within the museum's collection which are never shown, which could be seen to be intriguing to see.
thoughts on readings for 9/23 ( done on 9/20)
After reading the ICOM code of ethics, the American Association of Museums Code of Ethics, the Besterman and Edson articles, I see how important it is to make sure and follow these guidelines in order to make sure that all legal aspects of the museum in regards to the collections are followed. By following the ethical code, it shows that you wish to do everything right in order to keep the public perception favorable towards you. Also, that you acquire objects legally, and keep all papers and documents about a particular collection on hand in order to show them to people if necessary. With these ideas, one can give back any object which was acquired illegally back to the original owner of the particular object if possible. After visiting and reading about the British Museum and seeing all of the different exhibits which I learned were stolen from the native owners, it is intriguing to see how it is trying to get around being ethical. It was interesting to learn that a law was made which allowed the museum to keep the collections and to not have to give the objects back. Making a law like this shows the lack of ethics and loyalty only to the museum which flows around in different museums. The board and curators of the different museums should work to get themselves back onto ethical standing by giving objects back, like giving the pieces of the Parthenon back to the Greeks. This sort of act shows commitment to ethical strategies and to groups of people to whom have had many objects stolen from them throughout the ages. Thus we see how important it is to have the code of ethics in order to make sure that the occupation is following the legal and moral responsibilities of keeping objects.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Posting for 9/18 posted on 9/13
After reading what has to be said, it is enlightening to know that museums are working to fulfill the needs of its patrons in order to make sure that the exhibits will fit in within the community in which they are based.
Museums should work hard to become more socially aware of their surroundings through being self-conscious of their collections and what they do in order to bring people into them. They can do what they can in order to help the community around them. In order to do this, museums are working to be more inclusive to all cultures around them. We see the examples of the Native American museum and the African American museum which are used to get more people interested in these different cultures. This also shows that there is less of a draw only towards white people and their wants and needs.
It is really good to see museums work to bring more people into their doors through offering a lot of programs in their buildings for the community, like creating indoor playgrounds and having areas for latchkey kids to come in and enjoy the facility and learn about things while waiting for their parents to come home.
It is also good to see that museums are being more multi-use facilities in order to help community members feel more a part of their community through allowing people watching, being polling places, and childcare facilities. Thus museums are doing what they can to become a larger part of their community so people will not be afraid to come and use the facility for many different things. It would seem that if museums did not do these programs, less people would come into them because the museum would not be a part of the community.
Another use I see to be really important for museums is helping people understand life around them through giving them experiences. Museums can be used to teach correct understandings of life and false understandings of life. I have learned about many different topics which help me appreciate what I have been given. I am able to see what others have experienced through their lives. If there are no museums for people to visit, they are not able to get a full understanding and gain memories of life in the place where they are located. In my opinion, there should be lots of museums so people can get a taste of where they are and so they can feel a part of their community.
Also, I believe that museums should take some action in their community in order to help protect groups of people through telling their story. We have the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. which tells the story of what happened to a lot of Jews who were killed. There are a lot of people who deny that the Holocaust happened. Museums should also play a role in preserving objects and documents from different events because they can be used to tell the full story of different events which have happened in the past. If they did not, they would fail in their role as keepers of history of different events. In other words, museums should choose their battles wisely in order to try and be as objective as possible, although it is not possible to be so all of the time. In other words, museums should be as fair as possible and share both sides of an event.
It was really interesting to listen to Justin Henderson talk to our class about what we want to do with our degrees in the Museum world. He gave a lot of things to think about, like it is a good idea to go for the posted positions because they give us experience and can help get our foot in the door. It is also a good idea to network and get to know people within the field because they know people and can help teach us things that we need to know in order to be good employees. As well, it is important to get to know the community and the different trends which are going on in the area where your museum is, in order to involve them and also do exhibits and other activities which will bring them into the museum. Along with this idea to look at the different immigrant and ethnic groups in your community and try to do activities which will involve them. It is also a good idea to work with the directors and the board in order to make sure that the museum will get what it needs in forms of money and possible collections since they know people who can get these things Along with these skills, it is good to have a good round understanding of all the different jobs which go into making a museum a success, like knowing how to design and print a newsletter or know how to market your museum to others. In all, it was really neat to see what one person's take of museums are and how they can do better
Museums should work hard to become more socially aware of their surroundings through being self-conscious of their collections and what they do in order to bring people into them. They can do what they can in order to help the community around them. In order to do this, museums are working to be more inclusive to all cultures around them. We see the examples of the Native American museum and the African American museum which are used to get more people interested in these different cultures. This also shows that there is less of a draw only towards white people and their wants and needs.
It is really good to see museums work to bring more people into their doors through offering a lot of programs in their buildings for the community, like creating indoor playgrounds and having areas for latchkey kids to come in and enjoy the facility and learn about things while waiting for their parents to come home.
It is also good to see that museums are being more multi-use facilities in order to help community members feel more a part of their community through allowing people watching, being polling places, and childcare facilities. Thus museums are doing what they can to become a larger part of their community so people will not be afraid to come and use the facility for many different things. It would seem that if museums did not do these programs, less people would come into them because the museum would not be a part of the community.
Another use I see to be really important for museums is helping people understand life around them through giving them experiences. Museums can be used to teach correct understandings of life and false understandings of life. I have learned about many different topics which help me appreciate what I have been given. I am able to see what others have experienced through their lives. If there are no museums for people to visit, they are not able to get a full understanding and gain memories of life in the place where they are located. In my opinion, there should be lots of museums so people can get a taste of where they are and so they can feel a part of their community.
Also, I believe that museums should take some action in their community in order to help protect groups of people through telling their story. We have the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. which tells the story of what happened to a lot of Jews who were killed. There are a lot of people who deny that the Holocaust happened. Museums should also play a role in preserving objects and documents from different events because they can be used to tell the full story of different events which have happened in the past. If they did not, they would fail in their role as keepers of history of different events. In other words, museums should choose their battles wisely in order to try and be as objective as possible, although it is not possible to be so all of the time. In other words, museums should be as fair as possible and share both sides of an event.
It was really interesting to listen to Justin Henderson talk to our class about what we want to do with our degrees in the Museum world. He gave a lot of things to think about, like it is a good idea to go for the posted positions because they give us experience and can help get our foot in the door. It is also a good idea to network and get to know people within the field because they know people and can help teach us things that we need to know in order to be good employees. As well, it is important to get to know the community and the different trends which are going on in the area where your museum is, in order to involve them and also do exhibits and other activities which will bring them into the museum. Along with this idea to look at the different immigrant and ethnic groups in your community and try to do activities which will involve them. It is also a good idea to work with the directors and the board in order to make sure that the museum will get what it needs in forms of money and possible collections since they know people who can get these things Along with these skills, it is good to have a good round understanding of all the different jobs which go into making a museum a success, like knowing how to design and print a newsletter or know how to market your museum to others. In all, it was really neat to see what one person's take of museums are and how they can do better
Posting for 9/16 on 9/13
After reading all of the readings for Tuesday, it is interesting to learn about how museums came about and what has to be done in order to make use that all people who have their cultures and objects presented for people to view. Reading from Museum Basics, it is interesting to learn about the different types of museums which have been developed based on their use, whether it be object based, or being used for political purposes. Also, it is rather enlightening to realize that museums can be used to revitalize an area. When I visited Glasgow, which is a really dumpy city, I visited the Museum of Art which is close to the railway station, which really made the city look a lot better. It was neat to see the different exhibits which were there, including paintings and sculptures in order to help bring a better look to the city. This museum brought money into the city through the gift shop and the coffee shop/library in the basement. As well, it is god to note that this museum of art could help with the sustainability of itself within the city through the class it brings to the surrounding area which will bring in more patrons to view the art which is contained there.
Along the same note, it is enlightening to see what is being done to try and decide among the different types of museums to have within a given area, like an object museum or to have a community museum. All of the different types of museums play their individual role and help the community. The types of museums run from the Tower of London established to hold the Crown Jewels to the Edinburgh Children's museum to the Cowdenbeath Community Center. All of these places are able to help their audiences with what they want to do, if it be educational, fun, interest, to having a place to stay and do things, like having a memorial to people who have passed on to having a bingo game for the community. All of these different types of museums play such a large role according to their uses and why they were created for their particular area.
After discussing the areas of museums, it is good to talk about how museums were developed. It is good to note that some museums were originally private collections which were donated to the city or country to run and to allow people to come in. It is also interesting to see how museums have come from being places where you need to have references from people about your character to being places where anybody can go in and use them. With the museums, people have been trained in order to run the museums who have organize the museums so they can be used, through being able to see the objects and making sure they will be protected. The only problem which comes up is that sometimes the objects do not have provenance, so people do not have a good idea where they came from.
This leads to a number of different cultures developing ways to make sure their objects are being presented in the best way possible so they can still be a part of their culture. The people whom the objects belong to know how best to take care of the objects, since they have the best curatorial skills for these objects. These ideas have led to NAGPRA which allows the Native American tribes to take back their objects and ancestors so they can be dealt with in the best sacred way possible. Also, there are groups of people, like the Greeks who have parts of the Parthenon stolen and stored in the British Museum. The Greeks want them back since they are part of their culture and they are still trying to get them back so they can take care of them. Thus we see that all native objects are not being stored in their proper location.
Along the same note, it is enlightening to see what is being done to try and decide among the different types of museums to have within a given area, like an object museum or to have a community museum. All of the different types of museums play their individual role and help the community. The types of museums run from the Tower of London established to hold the Crown Jewels to the Edinburgh Children's museum to the Cowdenbeath Community Center. All of these places are able to help their audiences with what they want to do, if it be educational, fun, interest, to having a place to stay and do things, like having a memorial to people who have passed on to having a bingo game for the community. All of these different types of museums play such a large role according to their uses and why they were created for their particular area.
After discussing the areas of museums, it is good to talk about how museums were developed. It is good to note that some museums were originally private collections which were donated to the city or country to run and to allow people to come in. It is also interesting to see how museums have come from being places where you need to have references from people about your character to being places where anybody can go in and use them. With the museums, people have been trained in order to run the museums who have organize the museums so they can be used, through being able to see the objects and making sure they will be protected. The only problem which comes up is that sometimes the objects do not have provenance, so people do not have a good idea where they came from.
This leads to a number of different cultures developing ways to make sure their objects are being presented in the best way possible so they can still be a part of their culture. The people whom the objects belong to know how best to take care of the objects, since they have the best curatorial skills for these objects. These ideas have led to NAGPRA which allows the Native American tribes to take back their objects and ancestors so they can be dealt with in the best sacred way possible. Also, there are groups of people, like the Greeks who have parts of the Parthenon stolen and stored in the British Museum. The Greeks want them back since they are part of their culture and they are still trying to get them back so they can take care of them. Thus we see that all native objects are not being stored in their proper location.
Friday, September 12, 2008
First posting 9/12/08
After reading the MacDonald reading, it has been interesting to learn about new museology which I never had heard of before which deals with how the museum is viewed among the different groups of people who use the library. The way that the different groups view what the museum contains in its collections determines what it will be like, successful or not. Going back to way that the museum is viewed will help determine what way that it will turn out to be. Going off what we talked about in class in how museum studies is going back to theory rather than just practical knowledge will help determine how well a museum employee will do in making sure that the museum will do well for the public who will go to the museum.
On another view, after reading a bit from Richard Kurin's book, it is interesting to see one person's view of what an anthropologist does and how they are viewed in different cultures as being a broker. This leads to the culture broker trying to make sure that the culture they are presenting is being presented as accurate as possible. This can be done through listening to the people's needs and trying to fulfill them as best as possible.
Finally, it has been interesting to see museum anthropology through Elaine Heumann Gurian's eyes, although she may not be a trained anthropologist, it is good to get a taste of what goes on through the eyes of someone who has been around a lot and seen a lot of different things.
On another view, after reading a bit from Richard Kurin's book, it is interesting to see one person's view of what an anthropologist does and how they are viewed in different cultures as being a broker. This leads to the culture broker trying to make sure that the culture they are presenting is being presented as accurate as possible. This can be done through listening to the people's needs and trying to fulfill them as best as possible.
Finally, it has been interesting to see museum anthropology through Elaine Heumann Gurian's eyes, although she may not be a trained anthropologist, it is good to get a taste of what goes on through the eyes of someone who has been around a lot and seen a lot of different things.
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