Abstract
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.
Presenters
Natasha S. ReidAssistant Professor, Art Education, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2023 Special Focus—Museum Transformations: Pathways to Community Engagement
KEYWORDS
GIFT ECONOMY, ART HIVES, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE MUSEUM EDUCATION
