From: Carolina Kaufman
Date: October 20, 2009 10:39:04 AM CDT
To: Rachel Harper
Subject: Re: The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art presents
Yes...definitely...also check out the Anne Frank House video (virtual interactive) that I put up on the Ning...although you may have already seen it.
Best
Carolina
On Oct 20, 2009, at 10:03 AM, Rachel Harper wrote:
Carolina,
May I post this with your comments for my cyberpedegogy class?
Thanks,
Rachel
On Oct 20, 2009, at 9:47 AM, Carolina Kaufman wrote:
A cute interactive recently released from SFMoMA (has story telling components, writing components, and a gallery displaying what was created within the interactive). Should we ever want to expand on Curious Corner, one nice added feature would be able to email share the Cornell and African Mask creations as this did with my Frida creation. I also like the Gallery component to show how many different ways you could dress Frida or tell the story of an object.
I am also noticing that some educators are using online games/interactive stories with their interactive whiteboards in class such as the Alexander Calder "Mobile Maker" interactive.
Position Information | |
 | |
: | October 31, 2009 |
: | ThreeWalls [view profile] |
: | Salon Coordinator |
: | threewalls is offering a unique opportunity to graduate students studying in the visual arts: SALON coordinator. threewalls hosts a variety of public programs aimed at engaging audiences in conversations about the visual arts. These include: engagements (open topical discussions), artist talks (scheduled with each SOLO exhibition) and an annual summer symposium.We are seeking up to two students to coordinate this program, which includes: designing and coordinating a topical discussion series with 4 events to be held over the course of the programming year, overseeeing artist talks and working on the symposium publication in spring 2010 for which they will receive editorial credit. Students will work alongside the Executive and Artistic Directors, with creative license over the discussion series. Students will gain experience in directing a public program, writing PR and marketing. |
: | September 2, 2009 |
: | Looking for students seeking graduate education in Fine Arts (studio), Arts Management, Arts Education, Arts Administration, Curatorial Studies, Arts Journalism or Art History, Theory and Criticism |
: | |
: | Part-Time, Temporary, Volunteer |
: | Volunteer/internship |
: | Email. |
: | 1 year |
: | Unpaid |
: | no |
The problem arises when expertise creates a feeling of entitlement to control the entire visitor experience. Power is attractive. Being in control is pleasant. It lets you be the only expert with a voice. But if our expertise is real, then we don't need to rule content messages with an iron fist. As Ian Rogers has said, "losers wish for scarcity. Winners leverage scale."
Second, open-ended self-expression requires self-directed creativity. You have to have an idea of what you’d like to say, and then you have to say it in a way that satisfies your expectations of quality. In other words, it’s hard, and it’s especially hard on the spot in the context of a casual museum visit. What if I assigned you to make a video of your ideas about justice? Does that sound like a fun and rewarding casual activity to you?I found this post interesting because it relates to some of the problems of artistic practice. In my artistic practice, I often feel nostalgic for the days of undergraduate "assignments" where I felt like I did my best work with outside parameters. In fact, I do my best work without parameters (or with the parameters I set myself) but it is certainly much harder. The interesting distinction mentioned above is "casual." Museums offer casual experiences, however rich they might end up being.
The client kept saying, “do whatever you want,” which they thought meant, “we support your unique self-expression.” But the teens heard, “Do whatever you want—we don’t really care what it is.”
I always say that once you've gone on the floor, you never come off. I was at the zoo with my family and noticed a lost child. I immediately sprang into action, until I realized I was just a random adult trying to talk to a lost kid - creepy!
The frequency of stops and the local windiness of buses makes them downright provincial. As a driver said in this charming article about the glacial pace of NYC buses, "the bus is only as fast as its slowest rider." Social chitchat among strangers is something associated with small towns and areas where people move slowly. It's no surprise the bus can simulate that experience, even in Manhattan. What museum experiences slow you down while simultaneously bringing you in contact with others?
Here's my "getting started in museums" story: When I decided I wanted to work in a science museum, I went to two in my area--one giant, one tiny. I didn't look to see if either was hiring. I didn't even consider what my dream job would be. I found departments/people that were interesting, and made the same speech to each: I want to volunteer for you, part-time, for three months. I have X, Y, Z qualifications, but no direct museum experience. At the end of three months, I want us to sit down and assess whether you will hire me for pay or not.
That's it. In both cases, my offer was accepted. And within three months, I was getting paid (though not much) for real work. Both experiences were educational, experience-building, and got me "in the door" for future opportunities.
I tend to feel that the students in the MA Museum Studies program are a little too idealistic, and not realistic enough. They don't have a grasp on the real world (period), and they certainly don't have a grasp on the reality of museums.What do we all think of that?
