Welcome to the weekly roundup! We do our best to collect the latest job openings and welcome submissions from the community. For more opportunities, we recommend the following databases: HireCulture – Jobs in the Humanities in Massachusetts Job HQ – American Association of Museums American …
Welcome to the one-time monthly roundup! We do our best to collect the latest job openings and welcome submissions from the community. For more opportunities, we recommend the following databases: HireCulture – Jobs in the Humanities in Massachusetts Job HQ – American Association of Museums …
Serving a variety of topics from art to science, museums and similar cultural institutions seek to be immersive centers of education and community. A growing emphasis on visitor-focused programming has taken root in museums in the 21stcentury, posing a challenge of accessibility. To serve an entire community effectively, museums must incorporate the educational needs of their constituents into their offerings. This endeavor is not easily achieved, however, due to the wide variety of learning styles and intellectual abilities of any audience. It is the job of the museum to invest in programmatic planning to target marginalized audiences, such as those with developmental disabilities who are often excluded from public spaces due to their complex needs. This systemic exclusion exacerbates the social isolation of this audience: “Stigma is the greatest barrier to participating in public spaces.”[1] This is especially true for audiences experiencing autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a condition that produces a broad range of abilities and needs. Museums therefore must take direct action to combat this stigma through tailored programming for adults and children with ASD in order to fulfil their missions of community accessibility.
Developing programming for children and adults with ASD is not straightforward because of the great intellectual diversity of those with this diagnosis. There is great variation in how ASD affects an individual’s intelligence and behavior, and symptoms vary in severity.[2] Some individuals may be significantly intellectually impaired with affects on their literacy and communication abilities. Others may experience advanced skills in some categories with pronounced weaknesses in others. For children with autism, sensory needs are particularly pronounced as sensory input affects participation. For this reason, children are more likely to stay home than participate in external activities that may overwhelm their senses.[3] For adults who have had longer experience with navigating their symptoms, experiencing external activities and surmounting the sensory challenges they pose can be an empowering form of self-advocacy because it fosters a deeper understanding of their condition.[4] A common need for individuals with autism is rigidity and routine, meaning individuals would benefit optimally from consistent programming that can establish a routine frequency of visits.[5] For these reasons, museum visits can be extremely beneficial, however the existence of triggers and barriers often curtails this potential.
Visitors with ASD directly benefit from positive programming. For example, participants from successful programs reported that they would feel comfortable returning to the museum during normal operating hours without crowd reduction, meaning this program contributed to an increase in confidence in handling social outings.[6] Increased familiarity with the environment of a museum could assist in building coping strategies to overcome triggers.[7]Opportunities to participate in sensory friendly programs increase the confidence of participants because they are able to interact with others in an environment controlled to meet their sensory and social needs.[8] These positive experiences are therefore powerful in reducing the social marginalization of autistic audiences and increases their sensory resilience.
Among the activities most appreciated and impactful in ASD-friendly programming is the act of artmaking. Artmaking can stand alone as the core activity of the program or can be incorporated as an exhibition element. Artmaking is highly interactive, and survey results showed audiences responded well to exhibitions that had interactive features. Artmaking specifically stimulates visual and motor senses within a controlled environment.[9]
One of the most popular museum programs for adults and children with ASD is a sensory reduction session featuring reduced museum operations. While effective, this program also presents a paradox in destigmatizing ASD. Sensory reduction programs are typically hours reserved for audiences with developmental disabilities who may be overwhelmed by large crowds or exhibit audio. Because the audience for these programs are largely neurodivergent individuals and family, participants may enjoy the activities free from the judgment of other neurotypical museum guests who may not understand autistic behaviors or reactions.[10] In this setting, families often enjoy a sense of solidarity or recognition of their challenges and identities.
Lastly, one of the most significant offerings a museum can provide to its neurodivergent audiences is electronic resources which may help them prepare for an in-person visit. Studies have shown that families affected by ASD may avoid museums altogether out of fear of unfamiliar environments. Plan-making can counteract this uncertainty, and families may seek to identify museum guidelines ahead of a visit to account for emergency exits, spaces for quiet time, and other resources to address emergent physical or emotional needs.[11] By making this information available online, museums can increase accessibility by helping families plan for their visits
As is evident in the complex development process for special needs programming, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to improving accessibility for neurodivergent audiences. These museum visitors benefit from a range of activities that will address their spectrum of sensory, intellectual, and social needs. While museums have historically been inaccessible to these vulnerable communities, efforts by museum educators to bridge the gap with programming have been mutually beneficial for the participants, their families, and the host institutions. More comprehensive studies are needed to evaluate the success of such programs, and museums should prioritize this audience because of the rapidly increasing rate of autism diagnoses. By integrating the autistic community into its operations, museums have the powerful ability to set the standard for the de-stigmatization of developmental disabilities.
Article by: Danielle Maurer
MA Candidate, History and Museum Studies
Tufts University ’23
[1] Libby Hladick et al., “Accessibility and Inclusion for Families with Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Cultural Institutions,” Curator: The Museum Journal 65, no. 2 (2022): 437.
[2] Langa et al., “Improving the Museum Experiences of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Their Families,” 323.
[3] Hladik et al., “Accessibility and Inclusion for Families with Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Cultural Institutions,” 436.
[4] Sam Theriault and Beth Redmond Jones, “Constructing Knowledge Together: Collaborating with and Understanding Young Adults with Autism,” Journal of Museum Education 43, no. 4 (October 2, 2018): 369.
[5] Hladik et al., “Accessibility and Inclusion for Families with Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Cultural Institutions,” 436.
[6] Mulligan et al., “Examination of a Museum Program for Children with Autism,” 2013, 313.
[7] Langa et al., “Improving the Museum Experiences of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Their Families,” 328.
[8] Kulik and Fletcher, “Considering the Museum Experience of Children with Autism,” 28.
[9] Mulligan et al., “Examination of a Museum Program for Children with Autism,” 2013, 313–16.
[10] Kulik and Fletcher, “Considering the Museum Experience of Children with Autism,” 28.
[11] Woodruff, “Finding Museum Visitors with Autism Spectrum Disorders,” 83–84.
If you have been anywhere near social media this week, it’s likely you’ve heard about the recent controversy that has pushed a small Florida school into a global spotlight. At the Tallahassee Classical school, sixth graders were learning about Michelangelo’s David, a standard part of …
This Black History Month, we are sharing some of the most impactful music museums in the country. Many of these museums are located in historically Black communities, and all of them celebrate the careers of some of the top Black artists in global music history.
We are rapidly approaching the one-year mark of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the latest and most extreme in a series of Russo-Ukrainian conflicts. The past year has seen widespread destruction throughout the country, with over eight million refugees leaving their homes to flee the violence. [1] This invasion did not appear out of the blue—on the contrary, there is a long history of political and military conflict between the two nations. Among the most recent examples of this is the 2014 invasion of eastern Ukraine and subsequent annexation of Crimea, a widely condemned action that resulted in Russia’s expulsion from the G8. [2] As with many other military conflicts, one of the most fragile—and most symbolic—elements endangered by violence and looting is art. As material representations of history and identity, works of art ranging from religious objects, paintings, sculptures, and architecture can become rallying symbols for revolutions or desired prizes through which victors can proclaim their ownership of a certain culture.
This brings us to the crucial role that Russia and Ukraine’s shared history plays in the motivation and propaganda surrounding this conflict. Kyivan Rus, which at its peak spanned a considerable part of Eastern Europe, was the largest kingdom by territory between the 11th and 13th centuries. At its heart was the city of Kyiv, which is today the capital of Ukraine. From roughly 882 to 1240 CE, this kingdom produced a significant cultural output and gave rise to several figures still important in the region today. Among these is St. Olga, who functioned as regent of Kyivan Rus during the reign of her son and is now revered with the epithet “Equal to the Apostles.”
Kyivan Rus is, of course, not the only instance in which the territories of modern Ukraine and Russia were conjoined. Beginning in the 18th century, Ukraine was controlled by the Russian Empire and, by 1922, it become part of the USSR. The last century has seen Ukraine face challenges such as the Holodomor, a man-made famine that resulted in the deaths of millions of Ukrainians between 1932 and 1933, and the infamous Chernobyl nuclear disaster, which made a part of northern Ukraine uninhabitable. It was only on December 1st, 1991 that Ukraine declared independence from the USSR.
For Ukraine, Kyiv remains the center of the mighty kingdom that once dominated Eastern Europe. For Russia—or, rather, for several Russian leaders like Vladimir Putin—Kyivan Rus is proof that the Ukrainians are Russian, and thus must be brought back into the fold of Russian leadership. [3] It is partly with this logic that Putin’s government justified the invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing violence in the region.
At the heart of the use of this history is the presence of artworks originating from Kyivan Rus, whose cultural significance gives their holder a currency through which to claim the past. A recent report from The Art Newspaper investigates this topic, raising concerns about the looting of the Ukrainian cultural patrimony at the hands of invading Russian troops. [4] The report centers around Kherson, a city on the Black Sea that was invaded at the beginning of the war in 2022. When Ukrainian troops reentered the city in October 2022, the Kherson Regional Art Museum had survived, but its collections were missing. Andrei Malgin, director of the Crimean Simferopol art museum, has stated that he was “instructed to take the exhibits of the Kherson Art Museum for temporary storage and ensure their safety until they are returned to their rightful owner.” [5] The Art Newspaper highlights the close ties between Malgin and Putin, as well as Malgin’s vocal support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The “rightful owner” in the eyes of Russian-controlled Crimea may very well not be a Ukrainian museum, and, as of today, the works have yet to be returned.
The fate of the Kherson Regional Art Museum is sadly similar to many other institutions and collections affected by the war. Around thirty museums throughout Ukraine have been the site of raids and looting under the supervision of Russian curators. [6] Russia has felt the effects of the feverish need for material propaganda from Ukraine as well. The art historian Zelfira Tregulova was fired from her position as director of the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow after she had “come under intense criticism from Russia’s hawkish proponents of the war in Ukraine due to the Tretyakov’s alleged resistance to the patriotic fervor that has engulfed the country’s elite.” [7] She was replaced by the daughter of a senior member of Russia’s Federal Security Service.
On the event of the one-year mark of the invasion, the exhibition “Ukraine: Connected Histories & Vibrant Cultures” will be opening at Tisch Library. It is organized by Prof. Alice I. Sullivan (Department of the History of Art and Architecture) and Anna Kijas (Lilly Music Library), in collaboration with faculty, staff, as well as undergraduate and graduate students at Tufts University, including members of the Ukrainian community on campus. This exhibition features the history and cultural heritage of Kyivan Rus and its function in the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine in the 20th and 21st centuries. Further, it will outline current efforts to study and preserve this rich cultural history that has been threatened and manipulated during the Russo-Ukranian conflicts. The exhibition will open March 6th, with a reception at 5 PM, in the Tisch Main Library Lobby.
Footnotes:
[1] “Operation Data Portal: Ukraine Refugee Situation,” United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine
[2] Acosta, Jim. “U.S., Other Powers Kick Russia out of G8,” CNN, March 24, 2014. https://www.cnn.com/2014/03/24/politics/obama-europe-trip/index.html
[3] Mick, Cristoph. “How Moscow Has Long Used the Historic Kyivan Rus State to Justify Expansionism,” The Conversation, March 8, 2022. https://theconversation.com/how-moscow-has-long-used-the-historic-kyivan-rus-state-to-justify-expansionism-178092
[4] Bailey, Martin. “Special Investigation: Serious Concerns Over Fate of Ukraine’s Museum Works Taken by Russians,” The Art Newspaper, February 1, 2023. https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2023/02/01/special-investigation-serious-concerns-over-the-fate-of-ukraines-museum-works-taken-by-russia
[5] Beardsworth, James. “Kherson Museum Art Collection Looted Ahead of Russian Retreat,” The Moscow Times, November 11, 2022. https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/11/10/kherson-museum-art-collection-looted-ahead-of-russian-retreat-a79342
[6] Geanous, Jacob. “Russian Art Curators Have Reportedly Helped Loot Dozens of Ukraine Museums,” New York Post, February 4, 2023. https://nypost.com/2023/02/04/russian-art-curators-have-raided-dozens-of-ukraine-museums/
[7] Ilyushina, Mary. “Russia Ousts Director of Elite Museum as Kremlin Demands Patriotic Art,” The Washington Post, February 9, 2023. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/02/09/russia-tretyakov-gallery-director-ousted/
Article by Francesca Bisi
MA Candidate in Art History and Museum Studies, Tufts University
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