On Fri, 10 Mar 2006 19:47:31 -0500, Thomas Kavanagh <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>I am not sure what that _Curator_ article actually said (someone should
>quote it), but that original poster's reading of what "community curators"
>are, at least as concerns the NMAI, is *incorrect.*

The relevant passage from the Curator article was already posted on this list: 

http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind0603A&L=MUSEUM-L&amp;P=R5962&I=-3

To repeat:

"The channel [MTV] recognizes that it is in dialogue with its viewers; they
form the brand together.  The Brooklyn Museum of Art realized the same
thing.  Along with the usual anonymnous labels written by curators, its
'American Voices' installation also offers Community Voices labels written
by ordinary museumgoers.  The National Museum of the American Indian in
Washington, DC went a step further.  Staff not only worked with 'community
curators,' but also identified the author of each label, effectively
undermining the idea of a single, authoritative version of truth and
promoting a more inclusive, provisional one."

(Jason Petrulis, reivew of the books "Branded Nation: The Marketing of
Megachurch, College Inc. and Museumworld" by James B. Twitchell, and "No
Logo" by Naomi Klein)

So the journal article, while not giving as much detail as Tom, does
summarize the process in phrases like "a step further" and "worked with" --
a reasonable enough description for a passing mention buried in a book
review.  Here, the original post at worst conflated the two museums'
projects or, more charitably, had also described them incompletely in the
interest of brevity.  At no time has anyone proposed that museumgoers --
"ordinary" or otherwise -- replace museum staff; merely that staff explore
new means of cooperation and collaboration with visitors.

I'm not sure how the confusion arose. But, as has been pointed out, e-mail
can be an imprecise means of communication.

Eugene Dillenburg

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