This is a fantastic topic. Unfortunately I have not read the article, but I would like to contribute a few observations of my own. Perhaps we should approach this topic thinking of community members filling a participatory role, rather than curatorial? It is important to note that museums are thought by many to be places for the elite. The tone of some museum environments lack warmth, deliver an authoritative voice that is not accessible or intriguing to many audiences—even those who patronize museums. “…Critics [have] interpreted museums not as educational institutions but as instruments for disseminating the ideology of the dominant culture” (Museum News, 1996). It is difficult for museums to reach members of the community who feel threatened by the ideas and issues discussed in the museum forum. I believe, this stigma will continue if museums do not look outward to the community for council and participation. One way to make people feel as if they are participating is to give them an opportunity to tell their own story or allow for the community to actively participate in the design and creation of the exhibit. For my current thesis, I am working to design a program to engage the teen audience in the development of an exhibition. I have studied Teen Chicago, an exhibit developed by the Chicago Historical Society--there is an example where teens interviewed Chicagoans to develop exhibit content. CHS, Tamara Biggs stated in an article about guerrilla exhibits recently, “You go from a museum where people don’t really have a voice and become a museum intently interested in what the visitor has to say—and, indeed, lets them say it” (Exhibitionist, 2005) If museums are for the public, should an opportunity be extended to community members or visitors to inform or influence exhibition content? As museum professionals, we are facilitators providing a forum for discussion. Why not include the visitor or other community members in this work? Just some thoughts. Feel free to contact me off list if you would like to discuss my thesis or further discuss this issue. Dottie Miles www.dottiemiles.com From: Donald Myers <[log in to unmask]> Reply-To: Museum discussion list <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: "community curators" Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2006 09:21:52 -0600 Dear Regan, Thank you for your comments. I think Christian's comments were about how generally ill-informed many members of the public are upon arrival at exhibitions and, therefore, how ill-suited they would be for explaining objects. Of course, it all depends on what sort of objects are being displayed and what the aims of the exhibition are (as your comments suggest). But all too often people will think they can interpret objects just as well as anybody else, and that's insulting to the education, training and experience of the professional. In art, for instance, there is often a general sense that interpretation is mostly about one's own individual feelings, which for much of the history of art is just plain wrong. While visitors' perspectives can certainly be very interesting, enlightening and, in some circumstances, crucial, they can also be just incorrect, and, it seems to me, there are always some facts that are basic and need to be understood before any further consideration can be made--otherwise, it all becomes pointless flights of fancy. But, again, it really depends on the type and aim of the exhibition. And, while it's unfortunately true that curators can get it wrong and mislead visitors, that's just an error on the part of certain curators and not a condemnation of the whole process. It doesn't stand to reason that, because some curators make mistakes, we should just leave it to visitors--who typically have a much less developed base of knowledge regarding the objects being displayed--to do the job. To reduce it to absurdity, that would be like NASA deciding that, since there have been serious problems with the shuttle program, they will get, say, local mechanics to maintain and repair the shuttles. The model of the authoritative expert can be very problematic, but the opposite extreme, where each person is as capable as the next of interpreting, also has many problems. Well, I've rambled enough! Thanks for your consideration. Sincerely, Don Myers Donald Myers Director Hillstrom Museum of Art Gustavus Adolphus College 800 West College Avenue Saint Peter, Minnesota 56082 (507) 933-7171 (507) 933-7205 fax On Feb 28, 2006, at 4:47 AM, Regan Forrest wrote: > > >Dear Christian, > >Regarding your comment: > ><<<For all people promoting such an idea I would just suggest: Visit >incognito an exhibition of any kind (art or other), listen to the >visitors and their remarks. I do this as often as I can. You will be >surprised... It very, very often starts with nonsense, wrong object >identification, goes to false historical remarks, and ends in wrong >connections to present and future. >>>> > >Apologies if I'm mistaken, but it appears that you are blaming the >visitor for misunderstanding displays. Surely, if visitors are >consistently getting it "wrong", it is more likely to be the fault of >the curators and interpreters for not communicating effectively and >helping visitors make the connections they intended? > >Regarding the wider point of your posting, I think it boils down to >authorship: visitors have the right to know whose perspective they are >reading (even if it is the "default" curatorial one). If it is clear >whether something is a "curatorial" perspective, a "community" >perspective or other, I can't see a problem: visitors can make up their >own minds. Indeed when different perspectives on an object are shown, >and these are clearly attributed, it can lead to a fascinating display. >I've seen examples where different curators, from different backgrounds, >have all contributed to object interpretation for the same exhibition, >along with artists and community members. I thought it was very >effective. > > >Best Regards > >Ms Regan Forrest >Senior Consultant (Interpretation) >Haley Sharpe Design >Leicester, UK > >========================================================= >Important Subscriber Information: > >The Museum-L FAQ file is located at >http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed >information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail >message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should >read "help" (without the quotes). > >If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to >[log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff >Museum-L" (without the quotes). > Donald Myers Director Hillstrom Museum of Art Gustavus Adolphus College 800 West College Avenue Saint Peter, Minnesota 56082 (507) 933-7171 (507) 933-7205 fax ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes). ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).