Jessica Nelson wrote this piece for the Old North Foundation’s website, and Old North’s Director of Education Erin Wederbrook Yuskaitis, also from the Tufts program, suggested we share it here. Thanks, Jessica (and Erin)! After almost 300 years of existence, an institution is bound to …
Too far? Unexpected election effects. “unpaved the parking lot and put up a play paradise” Make way for duck Daylight savings time in a museum full of clocks Museum on the move Documentary review: Frederick Wiseman’s National Gallery NYT notices Mass MoCA New African American …
Greetings!
Welcome to Museums in the News. Through this column, I hope to help all of us be a little more informed and aware of the general “buzz” of the museum industry, as it is covered in mainstream news outlets. I’ll pull together a handful of stories each month, and then turn it over to you to provide comments, draw connections, and levy thoughtful critiques.
All the best,
Abigail Zhang
M.A. student, Museum Education
The Met to save Egyptian artifacts from controversial auction
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/metropolitan-museum-of-art-buys-egyptian-art-about-to-be-auctioned/
The Wall Street Journal highlights museum architects
http://online.wsj.com/articles/five-architects-five-state-of-the-art-museums-1412180218
In Washington, the Corcoran laid to rest in peace
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/an-empty-tomb-former-corcoran-staffers-hold-funeral-for-museum/2014/09/27/4cbab02a-4688-11e4-9a15-137aa0153527_story.html?tid=hpModule_d39b60e8-8691-11e2-9d71-f0feafdd1394
In Chicago, the Field Museum hosts “show and tell”
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/09/27/field-museum-holds-its-first-ever-identification-day/
NPR tells the story of art forger Mark Landis
http://www.npr.org/2014/09/27/351738720/art-craft-explores-how-one-forger-duped-more-than-45-museums
California National Guard closes military museum due to missing artifacts
http://www.kcra.com/news/missing-artifacts-prompt-military-to-close-old-sac-museum/28264568
Kudos to the staff of the Quebec Museum of Civilization
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-museum-fire-quick-thinking-staff-saved-artifacts-1.2767763
If you’re looking for something outdoors yet educational to do on Sunday, June 1, consider joining the Lexington Historical Society’s event! Here’s the extra info they sent in… The Lexington Historical Society is hosting its sixth annual house tour Homes in the Heart of Lexington which includes …
Don’t forget that tonight is the opening reception for the Museum Studies curated exhibition Snapshots: 15 Takes on an Exhibition. You’ve been reading their blog entries about their progress, now see for yourself what they’ve put together. Join them tonight from 5:30-8 at the Tufts University …
by guest columnist Elyse Werling
Students in this year’s Exhibition Planning class were given a challenge: choose an image that inspires you from the photographs in Historic New England’s exhibition, “The Camera’s Coast,” and use it as a jumping-off point for a full-blown exhibition plan. Snapshots: 15 Takes on an Exhibition is to take place at the Tufts University Koppleman Gallery May 6-18, 2014. Opening reception Tuesday, May 6, 2014, 5:30-8pm. See the Facebook page here.
As a museum professional, you must be conscious of protecting your collection yet at the same time must facilitate access to the collection. For many, the question of whether to provide online collections access poses both risks and benefits. I have often heard that museums that post online access spur greater interest in their collections which in turn generates more visitors. I myself have often debated the risks and benefits to posting collections on line and until this point have been on the fence about it.
Continue reading The Importance of Collections Access on the Web