Tag: conferences

Conference Announcement: Changing the Narrative: American Indians and American Cultural Myth

Conference Announcement: Changing the Narrative: American Indians and American Cultural Myth

In just a couple weeks, the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology will be hosting Kevin Gover, the Director of the National Museum of the American Indian. You’re invited to a free talk and reception on Wednesday, October 9, beginning at 6p.m. Here’s the invitation 

Global, local, and the visitor we can’t see.

Global, local, and the visitor we can’t see.

This weekend, the Tufts Museum Studies blog will be joining the Salzburg Global Forum for Young Cultural Leaders in a global discussion. This 5-day conference brings together 50 young leaders from across the arts (dance, theater, and museum) to meet with experts. Three of the questions on the 

Guest blog: The Role of Arts Organizations in Civil Society

Guest blog: The Role of Arts Organizations in Civil Society

This weekend, the Tufts Museum Studies blog will be joining the Salzburg Global Forum for Young Cultural Leaders in a global discussion. This 5-day conference brings together 50 young leaders from across the arts (dance, theater, and museum) to meet with experts. Three of the questions on the table have been sent out for bloggers in the field to tackle in advance. Laura Beshears, an MA in Art History and Museum Studies, tackles their first question: What is the role of arts organizations in society & their place in the community?

 

Art plays many roles in society and, at different times, can speak to issues in areas such as religion, science, politics, and history. Whether introducing an international form of movement to the dance scene, putting a modern spin on Mozart or Bach, or providing a visual interpretation of the effects of war, the arts can provide thought-provoking commentary and innovative perspectives on a vast array of global ideas. Arts organizations should, therefore, play the part of illuminator, conveying the power of art in the discourse of complex subjects. In doing so, arts organizations can exist to broaden the horizons of their communities by encouraging analytical thinking and fostering understanding of different opinions and ideas. Moreover, arts organizations can be more participatory in their own communities by bringing art into the public.

People often forget the significance of art in the discourse of social, cultural, and global concerns. Arts organizations need to emphasize art’s contribution to, and its relevance in, civil society. In calling attention to censorship in the arts, for example, arts organizations can lead communities to understand the persuasive power of art throughout time. Many movements throughout history have sought to destroy subversive or scandalous art or use art to further different religious or political agendas. The iconoclasm enforced by Byzantine authorities prevented artists from creating representations of religious figures. Hitler not only destroyed modern art, which he found to be degenerate and threatening, but also used visual images, including documentary film, as propaganda for Nazism. As a recent example, the Chinese government detained the contemporary artist Ai Weiwei for tax evasion, although the real reason is believed to be that Ai’s politically charged art criticized Chinese authority. Ironically, these attempts to squash the arts have merely shown that art reflects the deeper preoccupations of its society. Past and present authorities have perceived the arts as threats since the arts clearly have the power to spark ideas and challenge prevailing opinions. It is the role of arts organizations to maximize their potential as a source of influence in society.

Arts organizations can assume the role of illuminator through various means. In keeping with the theme of educating the public about censorship, art institutions can stage previously banned dance performances, hold a concert of music that has historically been considered too radical, or exhibit works of art that at one time had instigated controversy.  The presentation of this kind of art invites audiences to think about what qualities of the art may have been contentious and why. Viewing the art of Robert Mapplethorpe, for instance, and questioning why the Corcoran Gallery of Art banned an exhibition of his works in 1989, the public might understand that Mapplethorpe’s overtly sexual depictions caused a stir and made people uncomfortable. In seeing Marcel Duchamp’s “The Fountain,” even though many people may not be as shocked to see something like this in a museum today, the public may realize that the idea of the ready-made and the absence of the artist’s touch scandalized people in the early 20th century. Moreover, this kind of provocation forces the audience to understand that art does not exist in a vacuum and is indeed reflective of its society. By reflecting on history, government, civil rights, feminism, sexual liberation, and countless other socially pertinent matters, art can cause controversy and, at the same time, expose people in communities to various viewpoints. Arts organizations can prove that both art and their own institutions are relevant in society.

While they should invite their communities to think about the significance of the arts and encourage them to broaden their perspectives on social matters, arts organizations should also strive to do this in a way that best engages their audiences. They can achieve this by playing a participatory role in their communities and bringing the arts into the public. In addition to utilizing their own spaces, whether white-walled galleries or large music halls, arts organizations should extend the arts beyond these boundaries. Performing plays in parks, installing outdoor sculptures, or even creating exhibitions for airport lobbies, arts organizations can be on an equal ground with their communities by sharing physical spaces. Furthermore, encountering a piece of art in a familiar setting might make audiences feel more at ease. In other words, art becomes approachable and digestible in a comfortable environment. Members of a community may even find it easier to be captivated by the messages expressed by an arts organization.

The role of arts organizations in civil society is constantly evolving. However, in order to be significant in today’s world, arts organizations need to invite their communities to think about the arts and their relevance to social issues in a broader, more global perspective. In this way, arts organizations can both bolster the importance of the arts and assert their own relevance in society.

 

Free Conference on Museum Education and Community Partnerships

Free Conference on Museum Education and Community Partnerships

Don’t miss this great workshop from the Greater Boston Museum Educators’ Roundtable. Their events are now free and open to all, so find them on Facebook and keep an eye out. Attached is a flyer about their first workshop on Monday December 10th at 9:30 at 

Conferences you should know about!

Conferences you should know about!

Everyone’s talking aNEMA NEMA NEMA in the run up  to their conference this November, (and for good reason, it’s a great opportunity to meet and chat with the people who are coming up with ideas and moving the cogs in our regional museum community.) But 

Informal Dinner Discussion at NEMA

Informal Dinner Discussion at NEMA

Shameless plug time! If you’re headed to NEMA, and you’re a Young or Emerging Professional, I have a suggestion for you. On Thursday night, if you don’t feel moved to purchase a ticket to go to a museum event (and they can be pricey, especially on a student budget!) come hang out at the Bluebird Restaurant in Burlington. It’s going to be great. I’m not just saying that because as a co-chair of the NEMA YEPs, I’m co-hosting this event along with Kate Laurel Burgess-McIntosh of Revitalizing Historic Sites Through Contemporary Art. Here are the details:

Push the Envelope, Break the Mold, Climb Out of the Box: Set Yourself Apart for Success 

Evening Dinner and Discussion: Thursday, November 8, Bluebird Restaurant

Open to all museum professionals at all levels;
recommended especially for Young and Emerging Museum Professionals

Especially designed for those who are seeking creative ways to approach job searching and networking, this open forum dialogue will provide opportunities for participants to brainstorm and discuss ways to set themselves apart in an increasingly challenging field. Talk to professionals with all levels of experience—be it fellow job seekers, those with more experience in the field, students, consultants, and more—and learn ways to highlight your skills, create a career plan and goals, and emphasize your unique qualities when applying for positions, interviewing, climbing up the ladder, and, ultimately, setting yourself apart.