Abstract
Groups like Local Contexts are working diligently to add labels to object mounts about handling and access information, but there is another critical piece: documenting religious, sacred, and spiritual meanings of objects in databases and handling guideline labels. Some institutions have already begun addressing their objects’ sacred/spiritual/religious value, including the National Museum of the American Indian that has created custom mounts based on the community’s beliefs of each object’s animate life. The long-term NMAI goal is to create written documentation for how these values and beliefs affect rehousing, mounting, handling, and display. This study hopes to take the first step by creating a standardized set of terms and fields, like those developed by Local Contexts, to acknowledge this religious/sacred/spiritual meaning of the objects museums hold and integrate it into the Collections Management System. These terms will help standardize institution-wide ethical activity and cross-departmental care for objects with inherent religious/sacred/spiritual value.
Presenters
Emma CieslikStudent, Masters of Art, George Washington University, District of Columbia, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Museums, Religion and Museums, Sacred and Spiritual Meaning
