Guiding Growth
Gift Economy in Museum Education: Engaging Communities and Transforming Museums View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Natasha S. Reid
Within the context of contemporary society, plagued by a pandemic, ongoing systemic inequities and injustices, and capitalist economies that fuel oppression and disconnection, there has been an increasing interest in gift economies. Pushing against the dominant capitalist economy, which is grounded in independence, ownership, and excess, gift economy in steeped in relationships, generosity, interdependence, and gratitude. These qualities of gift economy can be powerful tools in efforts to transform museums into inclusive and brave spaces for community engagement. In this paper, I explore how a museum education program designed to promote gift economy engaged diverse community members and transformed a gallery space into a site for art making and giving, relationship development, and culturally responsive learning opportunities. The study took place in a university art gallery during an exhibition of artwork by art education faculty members. Through a collaboration with a local community group, my artwork in this exhibition explored gift economy. To expand this conversation, I facilitated an art hive, which is an open community-based art studio. Engaging with ideas associated with gift economy during this art hive, the gallery transformed into a site for creation, critical conversations, and giving. Through observations, questionnaires, and a self-reflection process, I examine how this program affected diverse participants, the gallery, and a local community. This paper explores how museums can employ ideas associated with gift economies into their programming and how such programming can transform museum spaces, shift perceptions of museums, enhance community engagement, and lead to deeper community connections.
Considering Existing University Library Lighting in Preparation for a Traveling Exhibit of Medieval Manuscripts View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Paulette R. Hebert
Since bulky books have been replaced with digital resources in libraries, these institutions have needed to adapt. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education (2022) “libraries are leveraging special collections to carve out niches for their institutions and bolster connections with students and the local community.” Some libraries have increased their museum exhibit areas. In the Fall of 2022, a University museum contacted on-campus researchers with a request for an analysis of existing conditions in their archival display area. They intended to borrow several priceless medieval manuscripts and host a traveling exhibit. Challenges with displaying fragile, old and priceless documents include that while light helps patrons to see the displayed artifacts, light damages the artifact. The lender required a technical report on the existing conditions in the intended display space. The researchers followed industry procedures and utilized a two different light meters to take a total of 72 horizontal spot measurements of illuminance in footcandles over a 1’0” x 1’-0” grid over the display tabletops. The room was found to be illuminated with 2x4 fluorescent troffers, ceiling mounted. Considering both meters’ readings, the minimum measurement was measured as 58.2 footcandles and the maximum reading was 75 footcandles. The results were acceptable to the loaner and the documents are currently on display for campus and community patrons. Images of the loaned manuscripts as well as the measurement procedures will be shared. Implications for libraries and museums desiring to borrow and exhibit other priceless documents and other special collections are presented.
Come Think With Us! - What Does "With" Do?: An Exploration of Collaboration, Co-creation and Co-research in the Museum View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Tove Soervaag
Participation as a method to engage children as visitors have become a well-established practice in most museums. But what kind of influence and impact can participation have on an art institution? In the research project Come Think With Us! we, the MUNCH museum, invite artists and children to co-create an installation with us. The title highlights the aims of the exhibition-series. “Come” is an invitation to someone outside the museum; we want to bring in external voices. “Think” marks that this is a place for research where new theories can arise. “With” refers to a participatory aspect where “us” signal to the fact that several people are involved. Developed through practice as research, using Participatory Action Research as a methodology and in close collaboration with contemporary artists, the museum wants to increase the understanding of what an art exhibition with children can look like. The paper reviews two case studies and present insights and findings from the ongoing research, with an aim to give an answer to the question “what does ‘with’ do?”.
