Nina,
Could you exhibit the story of the collection, without showing any of the illegal samples? We did that at another institution that I worked for, when dealing with sensitive Native American artifacts, and it was very successful: raised the kinds of questions you’re interested in exploring, while still being respectful of cultural and legal issues.
Lauren
Lauren Silver, PhD
Vice President of Education
phone 650 810 2721
fax 650 810 1055
email [log in to unmask]
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Nina Simon
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2012 1:23 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] exhibiting illegally-obtained dirt?
Thank you to everyone for the thoughtful comments on this. It's clear that there are several issues to consider and I really appreciate those who have pointed us in some clear directions on this.
With regard to the questions about the goal of the exhibition and why we'd want to show the dirt, here's the story:
Santa Cruz Collects is an exhibition that explores the following big idea: the things we collect say a lot about who we are as individuals and as a community.
We're including collectors of all kinds - one of the top collectors of American flags, a university special collection, a woman who collects dryer lint, a man whose entire collection was burned, etc. The story is really focused on the WHY of collecting as well as the unique ways that people and institutions acquire, manage, display, and dispose of their collections. We're linking this both to pop culture (hoarding) and to the basic question of why and how museums do the work they do.
In this context, the dirt collection is fascinating. The collector has a great story about why she feels compelled to collect this dirt as mementos of her work around the world, and of course, the legal issue is part of what makes it interesting. To many visitors, the idea that dirt could be illegal is bizarre--but allows them to grapple with deeper questions about why certain collections should or should not be acquired or displayed. The questions that David and others have brought up are exactly the kinds of questions we would want to explore with visitors.
We may not show it--frankly, your responses are pushing us towards not doing so. But I do think it tells an interesting and useful story in the context of what we are trying to do.
Thank you for your feedback,
Nina
On May 31, 2012, at 11:45 AM, BECKER, DAVID wrote:
What is the goal of the exhibit? If the goal is to show differences in dirt from around the world, then dirt can be obtained through legal and ethical means.
If the exhibit is about collection and the collecting process, what is the message that the museum wants to send about the collection process and how does this particular collection fit in? It could be the basis for an interesting discussion about the ethics of collection. Those questions could be raised through other representations of the collection or through other collections? Does the full collection need to be physically present in the museum?
I personally don’t agree with calling it art as that was not the intent of the collection or the collector, i.e. it was not done by an artist with an intent to make art for a stated artistic purpose or message. To call it art for convenience sake is not in keeping with the artistic discipline that calling it art would represent.
I guess I see it as a bigger issue than has been presented in the initial e-mail. If this naturalist had illegally transported a cultural artifact without permission would that be o.k. to display? If this naturalist had transported the hide or fur of an animal that had been killed illegally, would that be ok to display? When I go to a nature center, there are signs that tell me to take only pictures, and not take anything else with me: Is it ok for me to ignore those signs for the sake of my personal collection? Would this same naturalist condone this same behavior if was going to be conducted on a larger scale by 100 people, or by 1000 people, or by everyone? I think there are issues and considerations here that go beyond the issue of whether it is legal or not.
Dave
Dave Becker
Senior Manager of Learning Experiences
Chicago Zoological Society
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Pickering, Bob
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2012 12:51 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: exhibiting illegally-obtained dirt?
Whether the dirt is dangerous or not, isn’t there an issue of displaying material that is known to be illegal? Does calling it “art” absolve the museum of responsibility?
Bob
Robert B. Pickering, PhD
Director of Curatorial Affairs & Public Programs, Gilcrease Museum;
Director, Museum Science and Management, University of Tulsa
1400 N. Gilcrease Museum Rd
Tulsa, OK 74127
(918) 596-2706 Office
(918) 596-2770 Fax
(918) 805-4780 Cell
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Nina Simon
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2012 11:07 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] exhibiting illegally-obtained dirt?
This one is for the museum lawyers and collection management gurus out there.
For an upcoming temporary exhibition on collections, we would like to show a collection of vials of dirt that a local naturalist collected on her travels around the world. The challenge is that much of this dirt was transferred into the US illegally (i.e. from countries where they are strict about making sure that organic material doesn't enter or leave the country) or was obtained with some trespassing (i.e. from celebrities' yards). She is nervous about exhibiting the dirt in public for this reason.
My sense is that if we can call this art, it might not be a problem. Frankly, I don't think it's a big problem period - there's no real risk or danger to the dirt - but I want to learn more about how to address this issue. Do you know anyone who might have some expertise to bear in this arena?
Thank you,
Nina
Nina Simon
Executive Director
Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History
831.429.1964 x7018
Come visit us at 705 Front Street in Santa Cruz
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