Terri;
Thank you for a very gracious message. I wish I could have expressed my
desire for a continuing international, interethnic MUSEUM-L half as well as
you have.
I continue to be struck by the sheer range of subjects discussed and the
willingness of so many vastly different people to contribute suggestions and
solutions and debate difficult issues. I have always thought of museums as
embodying the very best and the very worst features of academic
institutions. It is the international collegiality of the academic world
that seems to reach new heights in the museum world. I look at the
contributions of my dear friends Fritz Waidacher (Austria) and Adriaan
Linters (Belgium) as examples of the willingness of people at the very peak
of our profession to help others. If they are willing to do this, how can
the rest of us much farther down the scale do any less?
As I slide into retirement, less than two months from now, and (hopefully!)
continue to contrbute as a consultant and volunteer, I feel very good about
the fact that I will always be able to be in touch, via MUSEUM-L, and I
shall forever be grateful to our friend and benefactor John Chadwick for all
he did to make it all happen.
Thanks to all of you - the vast number of people I have never met, but have
listened to, talked to and learned from, on so many different topics. I have
never enjoyed a professional forum as much as this one - or gained as much
from it.
Harry
Harry Needham
Canadian War Museum
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(819) 776-8612 FAX: (819) 776-8623
HOME:
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(613) 831-1068 FAX (613) 831-9412
> ----------
> From: Theresa McNichol[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Reply To: Museum discussion list
> Sent: Wednesday, November 17, 1999 9:52 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Global List
>
> Hi global friends,
>
> Kudos, Theresa and Harry and everyone who enthusiastically responded to
> Karin's inquiry about the global list. And thank you, Karin, for your
> courage to open us all to something tremendously important.
>
> I follow this list habitually to learn and most of all connect with the
> museum community at large. How rich we are to have participating members
> from all over the world! When I saw Javier's request and responses to
> it, I was envious of our Spanish-literate members.
>
> The museum community has the role to educate and enrich the communities
> they serve, communities that are diverse more than ever before. The
> board of education of Portland, Maine, recently advertised for a
> Multiculural Coordiantor to diversify the professional staff because
> they have identified 43 different languages in the city alone! When I
> spoke with a representative of the Hispanic Society in my city, I
> inquired how many groups came under that umbrella. The answer was 26.
>
> Though I have not seen the Sensation exhibit yet, I did attend the
> public forum held in NYC which was sponsored by the First Amendment
> Council. Norm Siegel of Civil Liberties was on the panel as was Susan
> Ball from CAA, Wm. Murphy from the Catholic League and the reviewer
> from US News and World Reports. Susan was great making one good point,
> among others, that enduring art has always caused a sensation when it
> first appeared on the scene--even that of the Impressionists. Norm was
> staunch in his defense of the First Amendment, yet inclusive and
> courteous relating to everyone. The remaining two were, in a word,
> reactionary.
>
> However, the powerful comments came from individuals in the audience.
> One woman said it best--she had lived in Haiti and other third world
> countries and sensed from listening to the panel that there was a
> xenophobia for other cultures. She mentioned that the madonna in
> question was black which had not been brought out by the panel. And that
> other paintings in the exhibit by the same artist had dung as well and
> yet they were not discussed. In addition, she expressed her
> disappointment that people from other cultures were missing from the
> panel.
>
> This list, most of all, must stay global--not factionalize. That's a
> major problem in this world of ours. We have to demonstrate unity and
> connectedness--is that not the attraction of museum careers? And what
> generosity of the people in it--people like Ellen, Harry, Deb, and all
> of you on the list.
>
> These are exciting times. And for all of you desiring museum jobs--do
> not despair.I wanted to teach art and art history fulltime and ended up
> directing a museum. Key to my getting the position was that I did an
> internship at a museum (which was only one day a week for a semester).
> Be creative. You will need that skill in a museum career. Volunteer to
> be on a nonprofit board, join and become active in your trade
> associations, attend seminars and conferences and network, network and
> more network. And when you land that wonderful museum position remember
> to take people up the ladder with you.
>
> Terri McNichol
> Museum Consultant
> Multicultural Specialist
>
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