At 05:12 PM 11/30/95 GMT, you wrote: >your museum's attempts to include members of the >First Nation during the Thanksgiving day. First of all I prefer the Canadian >term, First Nation instead of Natives. >You and the caller disaggre that museums should be used as political >platforms. I disagree with both of you. Museum exhibitions are not supposed to >be single-minded They should present the facts and the visitor will >decide what to make out of it. The storytelling and the reality >revealed by the man's wife shoud have been considered part of the >exhibition and the event. If your exhibition and the museum in >general does not include associated matters it will not cover the >whole issue, full picture. We will not do our duty as modern museum >professionals. > >Once Picasso said "Museums are full of lies". I think we should prove >him wrong. > >Funda Pakis >MA Museum Studies >Manchester/UK > > ------------original message follows------------- Is it possible that we might open-up a debate on this issue, which intrigues me greatly: 1) I would appreciate it if other staff would relate interesting or problematic experiences on the expression of a viewpoint or any issue which might be politically, culturally or otherwise controversial. An example on a grand scale would be the recent Smithsonian exhibition on the dropping of the A-bomb on Japan, which generated enormous controvery. 2) If the museum's role is to educate and open-up people to new points of view, and new experience, to what degree is there an obligation to present a "balanced" point of view? The media have given-up on the concept of "equal time;" is it more, or less, appropriate to museums and other cultural institutions. And to what degree is the answer related to sources of funding, and the political inclinationscommunity that hosts the institution? Is there a legitimate obligation to concepts such as balance and objectivity; or is the priority to be given to new insights and unique (though controversial) points of view? Please let me know your thoughts. Mark >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mark Ast, PhD Curator, B.W. Schlesinger Foundation email: [log in to unmask]