http://health.howstuffworks.com/songs-stuck-in-head.htm
http://www.jstor.org/journals/00224294.html?cookieSet=1
http://www.si.edu/
http://www.menc.org/
http://llk.media.mit.edu/
http://web.media.mit.edu/~tod/
http://web.media.mit.edu/~mary/hyperscore.html
http://www.toysymphony.org/
http://www.promoteafrica.org/
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/music-appreciation/listening/4756.html
http://www.futurelab.org.uk/
http://www.supportmusic.com/
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Friday, October 31, 2008
Story
There was a little boy named Jose. He lived in a small village in Honduras. Jose was a very curious and creative boy who loved to play with many materials. He spent hours everyday drawing pictures in the dirt with sticks and was curious by anything new that happened around him.
One day, Jose was walking to from town and saw a new colorful building. He was immediately curious about the building and wandered in. Jose was in awe of the consolations above him. He then began peeking into each room. One room was like a paradise including trees and plants. Then he saw thousands of books stacked on shelves. Jose looked through some books with colorful photos of strange places in the world. All of a sudden, Jose saw the most beautiful place he’d ever seen; a room with walls he could draw on and large spaces to draw and paint.
Jose went to the Hands- On Community Center everyday for hours. He used all of the resources offered and his creativity to create thousands of drawings. Jose began to use the computers to learn about marketing artwork. Years later Jose used the tools he learned at the Hands- On Community Center to market his art. As an adult, he traveled the world selling his drawings.
One day, Jose was walking to from town and saw a new colorful building. He was immediately curious about the building and wandered in. Jose was in awe of the consolations above him. He then began peeking into each room. One room was like a paradise including trees and plants. Then he saw thousands of books stacked on shelves. Jose looked through some books with colorful photos of strange places in the world. All of a sudden, Jose saw the most beautiful place he’d ever seen; a room with walls he could draw on and large spaces to draw and paint.
Jose went to the Hands- On Community Center everyday for hours. He used all of the resources offered and his creativity to create thousands of drawings. Jose began to use the computers to learn about marketing artwork. Years later Jose used the tools he learned at the Hands- On Community Center to market his art. As an adult, he traveled the world selling his drawings.
Success Factors
- a child that goes to the community center becomes successful in life through the resources provided by the community center
- the community becomes closer to each other and becomes a thriving village
- the next generation becomes more educated
- center is successful in the community and is put in other villages
- the community becomes closer to each other and becomes a thriving village
- the next generation becomes more educated
- center is successful in the community and is put in other villages
Performance Criteria
- Community Center
- Permanent
- Easily accessible
- All ages
- Populated village in Honduras
- Promote education and creativity
- Free
- Provide better understanding of world outside
- Create more open-minded views
- Productive use of time
- Corporate sponsor
- Group of people live community to learn about culture and community
- All weather
- Art/play room in one room, kitchen, library, computer lab, and agriculture room in separate spaces
- One main curator
- Permanent
- Easily accessible
- All ages
- Populated village in Honduras
- Promote education and creativity
- Free
- Provide better understanding of world outside
- Create more open-minded views
- Productive use of time
- Corporate sponsor
- Group of people live community to learn about culture and community
- All weather
- Art/play room in one room, kitchen, library, computer lab, and agriculture room in separate spaces
- One main curator
Monday, October 27, 2008
Honduras Education
EDUCATION
Honduras Table of ContentsHonduras lacked a national education system until the late 1950s. Before the reforms of 1957, education was the exclusive privilege of those who could afford to send their children to private institutions. The government of Ramón Villeda Morales (1957-63) introduced reforms that led to the establishment of a national public education system and began a school construction program.
The Honduran constitution states that a free primary education is obligatory for every child between the ages of seven and fourteen. The reality of the Honduran educational system is much more grim. Because of a lack of schools, understaffed schools, the high cost of materials needed for these schools, and the poor quality of public education, a good education is still largely the privilege of the few who can afford to send their children to private institutions.
Statistical information shows that the state of the public education system remains poor. Figures cited by the Ministry of Education suggest that Honduras suffers from widespread illiteracy (more than 40 percent of the total population and more than 80 percent in rural areas). A significant percentage of children do not receive formal education. Especially in rural areas, schools are not readily accessible. When they are accessible, they often consist of joint-grade instruction through only the third grade. Schools are so understaffed that some teachers have up to eighty children in one classroom.
Only 43 percent of children enrolled in public schools complete the primary level. Of all children entering the first grade, only 30 percent go on to secondary school, and only 8 percent continue to the university.
The quality of instruction in Honduran public schools is greatly impaired by poor teacher training. The situation is worsened by the extremely low wages paid to teachers, lack of effective and up-to- date instruction materials, outdated teaching methods, poor administration, and lack of physical facilities.
Because of the deficiencies of public education, the years since 1970 have seen the proliferation of private schools. With few exceptions, however, private education is popularly viewed as a profit-making enterprise. Great skepticism remains regarding the quality of the education that private schools offer.
The National Autonomous University of Honduras (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras--UNAH) is the primary institution of higher learning. Located in Tegucigalpa, the UNAH was founded in 1847 and became an autonomous institution in 1957. The university has approximately 30,000 students, with branches in San Pedro Sula and La Ceiba.
Honduras counts three private universities, none of which is yet considered a credible educational alternative to the prestigious UNAH. One is the extremely small José Cecilio del Valle University in Tegucigalpa. Another private university is the Central American Technological University, also in Tegucigalpa. The third private university is the University of San Pedro Sula.
Education System - Honduras
Education in Honduras
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The educational system in Honduras is the most backward in all of Central America; hardly 32 of every 100 students finish primary school without repeating grades, indicate statistics from the United Nations.
Data from the Program for the Development of the Organization of the United Nations (PNUD) reveal today, moreover, that 51% of the matriculates finish primary school, in an average of 9.4 years, and that the number of dropouts increases each year. The acutest problem is that the basic educational system only covers 86.5% of school-age children, while the remaining 13.5% cannot get access to an education.
Although the Honduran Constitution formally stipulates that minors have to have their educations taken care of, many arrive at adulthood without learning to read or write, while the state tries to justify this by the insufficiency of resources at its command. Illiteracy encompasses more than half a million people in this country, which is the equivalent of the entire population between 15 and 40 years old.
Sources add that the problem is becoming more acute due to the scarcity of public resources and an insufficient and slightly equitable offer in the educational order, both in quantity and in quality. Also, the necessity of increasing the family earnings forces many children to leave school for work, usually permanently. For similar reasons, this connects the low level of education reached by many parents with the precarious living conditions for more than 80% of Hondurans. In 10 of the 18 departments in which Honduras is divided, the second poorest of Central America, more than ninety percent of the students need to repeat grades.
The statistics collected by the ministry reflect that no department in Honduras reaches, on average, the six-year minimum of primary education. According to recent data indicating educational efficiency, for every thousand graduates of the first grade in 1990, only 292 (29%) complete primary school in six years and 468 (46%) never finish. The situation with universities is much more worrying, since only 20% avoid failing out in universities such as the National Autonomous University (UNAH).
President Ricardo Maduro is attempting the change the educational system, but at the current rate of reform it would take at least 23 years to reach the level of the educational system in other nations in the area like Costa Rica and Panama. Evaluations performed by international organizations denounce the backwardness of the state's investments in the sector with respect to the majority of countries in the region, and that the current educational model has reached its limits after more than a decade in Honduras.
http://www.globalexchange.org/countries/americas/honduras/Education.html
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Research Summary
Research Summary
Education Group
For our research our group found various articles on the following topics:
1. General Education in the third world
2. Museums and Exhibits specifically those pertaining to Science and Education
3. How Education can be improved (i.e. specific areas of interest for a third world country)
4. How education is incorporated in organizations like the United Nations.
Our findings for general preexisting education in third world countries show a need toward better systems in general. Children are often timed asked to pay miscellaneous fees that they cannot afford. The fees are often times the contributors for a lack of enthusiasm from the parent’s perspective. Also children hold more responsibilities in a third world family than they do in developed nations. They are required to tend to younger siblings as well as help raise money. This is another way the adults hold the children back. The lack of education therefore becomes a vicious cycle of the uneducated holding back the uneducated.
Our museum research shows great leaps and bounds over the last few decades. Because people are more inclined to get information from the internet or other services, museums have to compete to keep up. They are constantly innovating new interactive exhibits, and striving to make their museum the “it” place. Exhibit designers are now taken into consideration ideas like the “white wall theory” in order to keep the crowds coming.
Through our research we have found a number of areas that could be improved upon in a third world education. Science is a large category that many of our rooms are based around. It seems that many of the third world countries are lacking proper knowledge of how crops grow, or how germs can be prevented. Science is an area that can both educate and facilitate a better world for these people. It seems most of the schools focus on reading and writing opposed to science and math.
Since the United Nations’ aim is to recognize a international law, security, and development we thought this would be a good place to look. They clearly state that education is a human right, which expands and develops human personality. In theory it should be given to all humans. It plays a great part in the international economy and cultural developments. It therefore should be given to every person to develop his/her inherent potential.
Education Group
For our research our group found various articles on the following topics:
1. General Education in the third world
2. Museums and Exhibits specifically those pertaining to Science and Education
3. How Education can be improved (i.e. specific areas of interest for a third world country)
4. How education is incorporated in organizations like the United Nations.
Our findings for general preexisting education in third world countries show a need toward better systems in general. Children are often timed asked to pay miscellaneous fees that they cannot afford. The fees are often times the contributors for a lack of enthusiasm from the parent’s perspective. Also children hold more responsibilities in a third world family than they do in developed nations. They are required to tend to younger siblings as well as help raise money. This is another way the adults hold the children back. The lack of education therefore becomes a vicious cycle of the uneducated holding back the uneducated.
Our museum research shows great leaps and bounds over the last few decades. Because people are more inclined to get information from the internet or other services, museums have to compete to keep up. They are constantly innovating new interactive exhibits, and striving to make their museum the “it” place. Exhibit designers are now taken into consideration ideas like the “white wall theory” in order to keep the crowds coming.
Through our research we have found a number of areas that could be improved upon in a third world education. Science is a large category that many of our rooms are based around. It seems that many of the third world countries are lacking proper knowledge of how crops grow, or how germs can be prevented. Science is an area that can both educate and facilitate a better world for these people. It seems most of the schools focus on reading and writing opposed to science and math.
Since the United Nations’ aim is to recognize a international law, security, and development we thought this would be a good place to look. They clearly state that education is a human right, which expands and develops human personality. In theory it should be given to all humans. It plays a great part in the international economy and cultural developments. It therefore should be given to every person to develop his/her inherent potential.
Summary Paragraph (1 paragraph describing your idea. It should cover the 4 course themes: context, process, impact, and management/direction)
The theme of our project is education. Our main context is to create and built a hands-on community center located in a village that contains a big population. Eventually, if our center works, then we will spread it to our villages. The center will be open to the whole village, adults and kids. We want this to be a place where people have more opportunity with even the slightest education and technology. The center will contain an agriculture room where people could plant, a lego room where kids could play, a main room which would be used for lectures given by volunteers, a library/computer lab which will be used for research and studying, a kitchen which will be used to teach children on how to use their resources that are available to them in a more useful way. The main entrance will be used to dine and socialize. There will be one main director that will get paid through donations. Hopefully, our community center will get people more motivated in learning and teach them the basics of how to use their resources with more creativity.
The theme of our project is education. Our main context is to create and built a hands-on community center located in a village that contains a big population. Eventually, if our center works, then we will spread it to our villages. The center will be open to the whole village, adults and kids. We want this to be a place where people have more opportunity with even the slightest education and technology. The center will contain an agriculture room where people could plant, a lego room where kids could play, a main room which would be used for lectures given by volunteers, a library/computer lab which will be used for research and studying, a kitchen which will be used to teach children on how to use their resources that are available to them in a more useful way. The main entrance will be used to dine and socialize. There will be one main director that will get paid through donations. Hopefully, our community center will get people more motivated in learning and teach them the basics of how to use their resources with more creativity.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Prototype
- lecture hall, entrance/main hall, library, computer lab, agriculture, kitchen(cleanliness), art room, play/building room
- boulders flowing to the outside, planting area
- Frosted glass, Lego/room looks into art room, library looks into computer lab, movable walls
- Same activities/functions, unless for community events
- Main hall/ lecture hall
- Close to the center of the village (bigger villages), one for now and then grow
- Same, languages and agriculture
- Walk, special bus days (heads of villages communicate bus days), once a month
- Computer/research tutorials, economics, agricultural science, cooking for children, first aid lessons
- Classes can go on field trips there, not school affiliated
Lecture hall – movable chairs and tables, stage, projector – movies, educational videos, speaker system (classical music), solid walls, and sound proof
Entrance/main hall – wooden benches, circular tables, solar system, constellations
Library – walls of books/textiles, how-to, reference guides, world library, open study tables
Computer – computer along walls, headphones provided to listen to music, create computer network of music and tutorials
Agricultural – play fountain, spongy floors, learn how to grow crops, self sustaining eco-system, compost making worms
Kitchen – clean water guidelines, cleanliness/hygiene, stove, sink, cabinets, bowls, plates, and recycling area, first-aid closet
Art room – children works, dry erase wall, develop skills, flows into play room
Play/building room – science influenced, show parts of the body – Franklin institute, anatomy,
- boulders flowing to the outside, planting area
- Frosted glass, Lego/room looks into art room, library looks into computer lab, movable walls
- Same activities/functions, unless for community events
- Main hall/ lecture hall
- Close to the center of the village (bigger villages), one for now and then grow
- Same, languages and agriculture
- Walk, special bus days (heads of villages communicate bus days), once a month
- Computer/research tutorials, economics, agricultural science, cooking for children, first aid lessons
- Classes can go on field trips there, not school affiliated
Lecture hall – movable chairs and tables, stage, projector – movies, educational videos, speaker system (classical music), solid walls, and sound proof
Entrance/main hall – wooden benches, circular tables, solar system, constellations
Library – walls of books/textiles, how-to, reference guides, world library, open study tables
Computer – computer along walls, headphones provided to listen to music, create computer network of music and tutorials
Agricultural – play fountain, spongy floors, learn how to grow crops, self sustaining eco-system, compost making worms
Kitchen – clean water guidelines, cleanliness/hygiene, stove, sink, cabinets, bowls, plates, and recycling area, first-aid closet
Art room – children works, dry erase wall, develop skills, flows into play room
Play/building room – science influenced, show parts of the body – Franklin institute, anatomy,
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
meeting 2
Education Group
“Article 26 of the 1948 UN universal declaration of human rights said that everyone
has a right to education and that this education shall be free and compulsory. It went on to say that education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. If education is viewed as a human right, then EFA implies education for everybody since everybody must have that right. The challenge towards this drive is how to indeed make education available to all and in good quality. As regard to the purpose of that education, this is all about the role of education in peoples’ future’s lives. Education has a great significance for the economic social and cultural development. The aim of educational policy should therefore be to give every person a chance of developing his/her inherent potential. It is that kind of education which will bring about inter alia, accelerated economic growth, more wealth and income, decline in population growth, national unity and political stability (Chimombo pg. 2).”
Our idea for a hands on community center is centered around the basic concept listed above. We want to make sure that everyone is allowed the basic opportunity for an education, for the salvation of the country and the betterment of the individual. The hands on cultural center will provide each person with a unique opportunity to choose what they want to learn. Each person in the community can go to the center and explore different topics at their own leisure. Or younger school aged children can go to the center with a class and teacher supervision. Thorough our group efforts we have fond areas of necessity in a developing world education. These areas include but go beound the basic reading and writing curriculums they are as follows:
1. agricultural science based learning
2. cross-cultural and world-wide learning (which also includes learning about other ideas and innovations from different cultures, to help better themselves.)
3. basic reading writing and math comprehension
To incorporate these ideas we have made a prototype of possible outcomes for our new learning environment. The idea is to have the member of the community learn about a cretin topic in the main room, and then practice it in a specific room designed for that particular topic. In this case we have chosen agriculture. The community member enters the building and is directed by an employee on how to obtain the information in the main room. This may come in the form of a video or a lecture or a special event, either way this will all take place in the main learning room. After they feel that they have a basic knowledge they are lead to the hands on agriculture room where they can study observe and test their own crops. This is a practical application of the things they learned in the previous room. The community member is also open to creating a new experiment or solving a new problem on their own. If for example they are having problems with pests; the community center and the farmer will work together to find a solution to the problem. So the center is more than a learning environment, it is a hands on guide to practical applications.
Other than the basic learning room, and the agricultural room, the center will feature a room for cross-cultural reference, and basic education room. The cross-cultural reference room will show local and global innovations that the community members can test out and improve. The basic education room will be geared toward younger children, and have many hands on experiments.
Monday, October 13, 2008
High Technology, Close Minded Culture
Stubborn
-lots of computers
-no computer education
-Library with approved books (only books about culture)
-No internet access so not to expose people to knowledge
-Education is provided but students do not attend because of family influences
The Stubborn group is named so because the people in it have the resources to learn but are not open to new ideas. They would have lots of computers but no computer education. Also, there would be a library with filled with only approved books by the government and there would be no Internet access because it would expose people to too much knowledge. Education would be provided but the students would not attend because of family influences.
Low Technology, Close Minded Culture
Isolated
-Parents do not allow children to go to school
-Some children sent to beg
-Not too many long term goals
-no access to books or education
-not exposed to better conditions therefore not able to know better
-follow parents footsteps
-high religious influence on technology and education and society
The Isolated group would include parents that do not allow their children to go to school and as a result some children would resort to begging to earn money. This group would not have access to books or education and have not been exposed to better conditions. Most children follow in their parents footsteps and the technology and society is influenced by religion.
Low Technology, Open Minded Culture
Eager Beavers
-eager to learn but lack resources
-accepting culture
-realize the value of education
-Lacking funds to advance
-not enough participation
The Eager Beavers would be open to learning but would not have the resources. This group realizes the value of education but do have the funds to become more educated and not enough participation get programs started.
High Technology, Open Minded Culture
The Ideal
-public education
-Gov’t provided
-Internet access
-Public libraries in schools
-Clean facilities
-Extracurriculars activities
-Tech classes (home, cooking, building)
-School websites
-Instructional videos for parents and children
-Adult education classes
-Required education (high school)
-Sex education
The Ideal group would have government provided education, Internet access, and public libraries. The school would provide extracurricular activities, tech classes, school websites to check grades and keep up on events, adult education classes and instructional videos. The government would also provide clean sanitary facilities for all these activities and classes.
Stubborn
-lots of computers
-no computer education
-Library with approved books (only books about culture)
-No internet access so not to expose people to knowledge
-Education is provided but students do not attend because of family influences
The Stubborn group is named so because the people in it have the resources to learn but are not open to new ideas. They would have lots of computers but no computer education. Also, there would be a library with filled with only approved books by the government and there would be no Internet access because it would expose people to too much knowledge. Education would be provided but the students would not attend because of family influences.
Low Technology, Close Minded Culture
Isolated
-Parents do not allow children to go to school
-Some children sent to beg
-Not too many long term goals
-no access to books or education
-not exposed to better conditions therefore not able to know better
-follow parents footsteps
-high religious influence on technology and education and society
The Isolated group would include parents that do not allow their children to go to school and as a result some children would resort to begging to earn money. This group would not have access to books or education and have not been exposed to better conditions. Most children follow in their parents footsteps and the technology and society is influenced by religion.
Low Technology, Open Minded Culture
Eager Beavers
-eager to learn but lack resources
-accepting culture
-realize the value of education
-Lacking funds to advance
-not enough participation
The Eager Beavers would be open to learning but would not have the resources. This group realizes the value of education but do have the funds to become more educated and not enough participation get programs started.
High Technology, Open Minded Culture
The Ideal
-public education
-Gov’t provided
-Internet access
-Public libraries in schools
-Clean facilities
-Extracurriculars activities
-Tech classes (home, cooking, building)
-School websites
-Instructional videos for parents and children
-Adult education classes
-Required education (high school)
-Sex education
The Ideal group would have government provided education, Internet access, and public libraries. The school would provide extracurricular activities, tech classes, school websites to check grades and keep up on events, adult education classes and instructional videos. The government would also provide clean sanitary facilities for all these activities and classes.
Email 2
AdelaKateEmilyShenimKayla
Below are my comments on the Brainstorming and Scenario Planning Assignments:Brainstorming Great list of ideas for education – these are very specific and in most cases, easy to see how you would implement them (e.g.: radio lectures). As you develop your project, look for opportunities to combine some of these; for instance, the hands-on education center could have the various educational games / activities you propose. Grade 3/3Scenario PlanningExcellent Scenario plan – it paints a clear picture for each quadrant and identifies the challenges to succeeding in each case. Use this scenario plan as you think about your education proposals: will they work for all the scenarios? Why or why not? What will you have to do differently? Grade 3/3Also, I really like the idea that your group set up a blog - I hope it works out as a good way for you to share information, explore ideas, etc. Way to go.Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks, Elliot
Below are my comments on the Brainstorming and Scenario Planning Assignments:Brainstorming Great list of ideas for education – these are very specific and in most cases, easy to see how you would implement them (e.g.: radio lectures). As you develop your project, look for opportunities to combine some of these; for instance, the hands-on education center could have the various educational games / activities you propose. Grade 3/3Scenario PlanningExcellent Scenario plan – it paints a clear picture for each quadrant and identifies the challenges to succeeding in each case. Use this scenario plan as you think about your education proposals: will they work for all the scenarios? Why or why not? What will you have to do differently? Grade 3/3Also, I really like the idea that your group set up a blog - I hope it works out as a good way for you to share information, explore ideas, etc. Way to go.Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks, Elliot
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Email One
Adela
Kate
Emily
Shenim
Kayla
I just wanted to check in and give you some feedback regarding the development of your project.
First of all - great job on the prototyping exercise. You work on the "hands-on community center" was terrific. I do want to caution you on one thing though: You arrived at this idea really quickly, which allowed you to make a great prototype. So, I want to caution you against settling in on anything too quickly - you need to "wander" a bit in your thinking and be careful not to just "sprint" to the finish line.
Things to think about regarding the center include:
- how distinct do the rooms need to be - is it one thing going on in each room or do they ever mix (e.g.: people reading and playing with lego in the same space) are there advantages to mixing or not?
- relationship to outside: can some part of this be outside? why or why not?
- is there a sequence to how it is best for people to move through it? what happens if they move in the "wrong" sequence, does it still work?
- like in a museum, how can the "exhibits" or activities be changed over or will it always have the same functions/activities?
- should there be a way to gather everyone together in addition to having lots of separate spaces and experiences?
Also, its really important to understand the center as part of a system:
- where would they be located (eg.: how many of them, how close together, etc)
- are they different by location? how would they be adapted / differentiated?
- how will people get to them?
- what kind of educational programs would go on there?
- how would this relate to a school in the same town/area?
So, for the prototype for next week, try to develop an aspect you did not explore before. I think it would be good to think about the system the centers create or are a part of and describe that - maybe they create a kind of network? maybe you could storyboard the experience of different visitors to understand how they would use the space / equipment?
Thanks a lot and let me know if you have any questions.
Elliot
Kate
Emily
Shenim
Kayla
I just wanted to check in and give you some feedback regarding the development of your project.
First of all - great job on the prototyping exercise. You work on the "hands-on community center" was terrific. I do want to caution you on one thing though: You arrived at this idea really quickly, which allowed you to make a great prototype. So, I want to caution you against settling in on anything too quickly - you need to "wander" a bit in your thinking and be careful not to just "sprint" to the finish line.
Things to think about regarding the center include:
- how distinct do the rooms need to be - is it one thing going on in each room or do they ever mix (e.g.: people reading and playing with lego in the same space) are there advantages to mixing or not?
- relationship to outside: can some part of this be outside? why or why not?
- is there a sequence to how it is best for people to move through it? what happens if they move in the "wrong" sequence, does it still work?
- like in a museum, how can the "exhibits" or activities be changed over or will it always have the same functions/activities?
- should there be a way to gather everyone together in addition to having lots of separate spaces and experiences?
Also, its really important to understand the center as part of a system:
- where would they be located (eg.: how many of them, how close together, etc)
- are they different by location? how would they be adapted / differentiated?
- how will people get to them?
- what kind of educational programs would go on there?
- how would this relate to a school in the same town/area?
So, for the prototype for next week, try to develop an aspect you did not explore before. I think it would be good to think about the system the centers create or are a part of and describe that - maybe they create a kind of network? maybe you could storyboard the experience of different visitors to understand how they would use the space / equipment?
Thanks a lot and let me know if you have any questions.
Elliot
Friday, October 10, 2008
Essay I have already done with a lot of research
Hi guys. I thought I would post this because it is kind of relevant. I think we can take a lot of these ideas and use them in our project. Sorry it is so long.
Thanks
Kate
Kate Petrshin
Why Museums?
Researching this essay topic is seemingly easy. However, it seems that every source has its own definition as to what a museum actually is, and its social impact on the world. This step is a very important step in our quest for why museums are a thing of interest in a society that is seemingly abandoning the museum. We are gradually moving towards other forms of entertainment and the traditional museum is being replaced by things like the discover channel, national geographic magazine, and other educational tools. However, museums are on the rise but, the memberships and visitorships are decreasing exponentially (Dubin pg. 9). This is a screaming issue that me must address. In order to do so correctly we must fully understand the function and purpose for museums in general (Hein pg. 4). Not to only single out the art or science museum, however we must address all forms in a general way in order to understand the functions and social impact of the museums fellowship (Conn pg. 66).
So, as I said before it is important that we set a standard about what it a museum actually is before we can begin to analyze its social and economic standards within a modern society. The word museum stems from the Latin word “musea” which means temple of dedication (Conn pg 88). Musea were dedicated to the Roman god of art, and were constructed for the people by the people. This makes the obvious assertion toward the museum being a place to “worship” art. The first “real” museum was said to have been the institute for philosophy and research at the Library established in Alexandria (Conn pg 79). Ptolemy I Soter in 280 BCE constructed the library. This intuition was home to the teachings of the great philosopher Plato ( Doubin pg 5). The library burned in a fire, and was only recently replaced in 2003. The library now serves both contemporary and artifactual texts. The collection was comprised of papyrus scrolls and parchment codices. A single piece of writing was occupied over several scrolls and/or a few self-containing books (Doubin pg 8).
The library in Alexandria was considered the first museum because it was organized or “curated” by Demetrius of Phaleron a student of the philosopher Aristotle. The library was laid out in to be a coherent and open to the general public. It focus was primarily on editing texts. The collection grew very large very fast (Fyfe pg. 78). The Egyption ruler made a law that said all visitors were required to surrender all books, scrolls as well as any from of written work in any language. Scribes would then copy these scripts and then put them in the library. The copies were often so precise that the originals were put into the Library and the copies were delivered to the unsuspecting previous owners (Conn pg 11).
The idea of copying and steeling is still something that happens frequently today. The British Museum’s Parthenon Marbles seems to be the most recent controversy of this kind. The question is; should the works were they were made or should they be located in the museum where they can be admired by the whole world. The plundering of the Parthenon began during the Greek War for independence. Significant amounts of the Acropolis and the other great Greek treasures were taken from Greece to England. Some of the pieces were a result of excavations, however, others were directly taken. The treasures were first housed in Elgin and were placed in a deposit of coral, which helped with the preservations of the pieces. It is speculated if the pieces remained in Greece they would have been destroyed on account of the war.
Elgin tried to sell the marbles to the British Royal Government but the high price prevented the Government from a final agreement. In 1816 they were however, bought by the Royal Government for 35000 pounds and moved to the British Museum (Conn pg. 13). The Museum was obligated by the government to conserve and maintain the artifacts as long as the government held ownership. The Museum responded to the donation from the government by building a special hall for the pieces to be housed and displayed.
At the end of the century some members of the British Government claimed that the treasures should be returned to Greece only after they got official word from the Greek Government. However, either the British Government or the Greek Government never took these claims seriously (Doubin pg. 88).
The struggle between the two countries really intensified in 1983 when Melina Mercouri, Minister for Culture, demanded to return for of the marbles. She said that the country had to unite what was originally theirs. Three days after taking office Prime Minister Tony Blair stated that the marbles would not be returned to Greece. Surprisingly, the Greek government was split. Half of them thought that England had a right to keep the marbles and they would be in better hands, however, the other half thought that they should be returned (Doubin pg. 48).
So we are beginning to see a similar argument toward the Parthenon Marbles as we saw with the Library in Alexandria. The British Government did take the marbles and restore and safeguard the marbles. Just as in Alexadria, the books were taken and placed in the hands of the government in order to help encourage public knowledge and ensure its safety for generations to come. However, those texts and the marbles originally belonged to other individual.
So, in my mind two controversies arise. The first is; do the marbles/texts belong to the government that preserves them or the government that creates them? The second question is; is if there is no current hair to pass the work down from in the original artists family, should it really matter if they are in Greece or London? These are just two of many questions that arise with the idea of the museum. They are controversial topics that definitely do not have a precise answer. Just like all things in life nothing is ever that black and white, there is always gray area. It is during times of grey that we must compromise with all parties involved to come up with a solution for all parties involved. This idea is definitely not being done much in the museum or political worlds. Every person wants to be “right”, however, there is no such thing. When people think that either side is right, their vision becomes clouded and they lose empathy for others. We must look at things from both sides and try and make all parties agree on the “right” decision.
Now that we understand the function of the museum we still must address what the job and purpose of the museum is. While we this is another case that we may not see a clear cut answer, we know only a few certain variables. Weather or not the museum is virtual, real, inside, outside, history or science, or for that matter any of the other verities that we find in museums, its purpose is to offer a way of education first hand. It is to inform and culture an advanced a society. It is a long standing, or “permanent institution and serves society and its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment, for the purpose of education, study and enjoyment (International Council of Museums) .” Another quotes that generalizes the job of the museum is as follows; “Museums enable people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment. They are institutions that collect, safeguard and make accessible artifacts and specimens, which they hold in trust for society (Fyfe pg. 10).”
Another source suggests that the museum was intended to take a more “elitist” point of view. It was intended to “uplift” and refine public tastes. And was the first true museum was born in Europe only two hundred years ago. They were intended to substitute parts of a public education by giving a first hand experience to both student and teacher. The idea of a public education for all only existed very recently. So it was undoubly for the “best of the best”. However, this view point definitely applies to a more specific kind of museum and I tend to omit it from my definition of a museum. I prefer to stick with the library in Alexandria as being the first museum, open to the public for anyone and everyone (Fyfe pg 33).
The museum itself has set minimum standards for any institution that wants to call themselves a museum. This is known as the ICOM, Code of Ethics for Museums. This exists as the cornerstone for museums building blocks. “It sets a minimum standard for professional practice and for museums and their staff (ICOM.org).” The code exists to set the standards for museums on all levels and interests of the museum (Fyfe pg. 43). Some examples for topics that the code addresses are as follows:
1. Museums preserve, interpret and promote aspects of the natural and cultural inheritance of humanity.
2. Museums that maintain collections hold them in trust for the benefit of society and its development.
3. Museums hold primary evidence for establishing and furthering knowledge
4. Museums provide opportunities for the appreciation, enjoyment, understanding and management of the natural and cultural heritage
5. Museums hold resources that provide opportunities for other public services to benefit
6. Museums work in close collaboration with the communities from which their collections originate as well as those they serve
7. Museums operate in a legal manner
8. Museums operate in a professional manner
Out of all the guidelines listed above I think it is apparent that number seven is perhaps the most controversial. According to the stories we are hearing relating to the Greek Marbles, I think it is evident that not much legal matter has been set in place for a museum to operate by. If we did have a system of law for the museums it would be a lot easier for all parties involved to determine the “rightful” owner. I think we must think deeper than just saying we must operate legally, I think it should say that we must operate “morally”, and compromise with all parties involved, do not create a clouded vision.
As I have commented before, the museum world is changing dramatically. We are going from a time when museums were intended to operate as uplifting and culture to “the relative positions of the museum and the public will have revolved a full 180 degrees”(Weil pg 195). Museums now hold a role of service to the public and what the public whishes.
Stephen E. Weil writes about the beginning of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston in 1870. Callahan Perkins one of the museums first trusties described the museums purpose to the public, “The museum exists as a modicum of captivity for the improvement in all men, which can be greatly developed by familiarity with such acknowledged masterpieces as are found in all great collection of works of art. Their humblest function is to give enjoyment to all classes; their highest, to elevate men by purifying the taste and acting upon moral nature (Weil pg. 213).”
The Metropolitan Museum of Fine Art, William Cullen Bryant said that the museum would show the public, “entertainment of an… improving character.” Even London’s South Kensington Museum’s superintendent, Sir Henry Cole said, “The working man comes to this museum for one or two dimly lighted dwelling rooms, in his fustian jacket with his collar and little trimmed up trousers (Weil pg. 200).
Stephen E. Weil states that the greatest single factor contributing to the loss of the museums once superior position has been bankruptcy of the underlying ideologies upon which it as founded (Weil pg. 199)” He argues that painting subjects have taken a turn for the worst and what the public thinks about when looking at paintings is less about morality or history and more about line, composition, and color.
While these points are all valid to art museums, what about the other forms? They too have suffered “bankruptcy” of intended morals, and are being replaced rapidly. This begs us to once again ask the question of why our museums are failing miserably, and why we continue to build. Is it really an elite profit, that continues building things that are failing, or is the museum world really not as bad as we think. However, according to my observations at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I have found that people even when they are in a museum they show little to no interest. Which makes me think that Weil’s point about museums having a lack of substance is right.
On Friday, February 8, 2008, I set out on my experiment. I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City , specifically the American Wing. At first I was unsure whether I should set up in the American Wing, or the Ancient Greek and Roman Wing. Once I got to the museum I realized it would be best to go to the American Wing because it had less traffic and was in a smaller space. This gave me an opportunity to take a close look at how people interacted with the exhibit and their overall surroundings. I think this was a wise decision, because the Ancient Greek and Roman collection would have been too much ground to cover in an eight-hour experiment.
I found a place to sit in the same room as Washington Crossing the Delaware. I made sure I sat directly in the center of the room to ensure that I could see everyone who entered and exited. Every inch of wall space in the room was covered with paintings. This is an interesting point because I began to realize that a lot of people became easily overwhelmed with all of the artwork. This could have made a difference in my experiment, and essentially could have influenced the numbers.
When I first arrived in the American Wing I was unsure how everything was going to play out. I always assumed that everyone interacted with exhibits the same way I do. I go from piece to piece and read almost all the information on the wall about each piece. Then I find a place to sit and take in all of the paintings. Yes, it takes a while, but I thought this was how you were “supposed” to go to a museum. Little did I know that this is not the way that everyone views a museum. I also realized that in order to capture someone’s attention for more than five seconds, it takes a lot more than an interesting painting with some facts slapped up on the wall.
The time of day greatly affected the number of people who entered the exhibit, and how they viewed it. At first I thought more people would come into the exhibit in the morning than in the afternoon. Once again I was completely wrong. The chart titled Number of People in the Exhibit per Hour (attached) shows that more people entered the exhibit between the hours of 2:00 and 5:30 pm, than in the morning. I also noticed a difference in attendance in the morning compared with lunch time. The number of people in the morning hours steadily increased, and this number then fell dramatically during the 12:30–1:30 period. My speculation is that people got hungry and left to get lunch. This makes me wonder whether our society is so scheduled, we cannot break the schedule even on our off time. As little children in elementary school, we are forced to eat lunch between the hours of 12 and 1 pm. I think this rigid scheduling stays with us throughout our lives, and it has become reflected in our underground museum culture.
During my eight-hour stay, it became extremely apparent to me that this museum’s culture is reflected in the types of people who entered the gallery. I think that it would be beneficial to study other museums, in different parts of New York, in order to gain insight into this matter. It is apparent that certain types of people enter the Metropolitan Museum of Art. For instance, age seemed to be a big factor, and Caucasians were by far the leading race that entered the exhibit. Of 297 people who entered during an eight-hour span, slightly more than half, 150, were Caucasian. I was completely shocked when I got home and counted up my tally marks. During my time at the museum it was never really that apparent that there were so many Caucasians. It is sad to say, but I think it is become something I have gotten used to. I never really realized the lack of diversity in museums until I sat down and looked (see chart titled Notable Races during the Day for more information).
Age was another huge determining factor in the types of people that entered the exhibit. Of that same 297 total people, 113 were between the ages of 27 and 45, and 94 were 46 and older. Once again I was not expecting this kind of outcome. I knew that museums attracted an “older crowd”; however, I did not think there would be that much of a bias. This means that slightly more than 53 percent of people who entered that gallery were over the age of 27. Granted, I would not consider 27 to be “older”; however, I am alarmed by the fact that only 38 out of 297 people were between the ages of 12 and 27. So my question is, where is my generation? Have we become a generation that is devoid of museum life? The age composition could have been due to the fact that I went on a Friday and most people are working at that time. I would argue, however, that when I go to the Met on Saturdays it still does not draw an extreme crowd of kids my age—unless, of course, they are tourists there with their families. After a long debate with myself about this matter, I never reached any real conclusion. I think it would have to be further investigated in order to understand what these numbers really indicate. However, I do feel that my generation is losing interest in a strict museum culture because of things like the Internet. I have also done a small investigation on the matter, and it seems that admission to museums among the 20–30-year-old crowd has gone down over the last five years. I think these figures are rather alarming.
I found the movement of people through the museum to be quit ironic. It seems as though people in New York are caught up in having their own personal space, but when it came to the way people used the museum, this sense was definitely not apparent. The chart titled Flow of People during the 2:30-3:30 hour indicates that people enter the exhibit in “waves.” It seems that many people enter the exhibit at the same time, and trickle out at the same time as well. I do not think that people like to be in the exhibit by themselves. Perhaps they are intimidated about being alone with pieces of art.
Another matter that I found surprising was the number of people who actually read the wall information. The new trend in museums seems to be the audio guide. I found that significantly more people used the audio guides instead of reading the information on the wall, and the people who did not have audio guides hardly ever read the wall information. This begs us to ask: are people just lazy? Or do they learn more from having the audio guides? I feel that the audio guides are good for certain situations but bad for others. For example, I was in France a few summers ago, and I found the audio guide in English to be very beneficial there, because all the wall information was in French. It gave me a better understanding of what it was I was looking at. However, at the Met you see people who can obviously speak English very well, and they insist on carrying one of these audio guides. In a way I feel the audio guide gives the viewer more information than the artist intended to give. It takes away from the mystery of “what did he really mean by this?” and instead spills everything. It is hard to sit back and just look at the art for what it is—art. Instead, people are so intrigued with finding meaning, they forget to admire a piece for its artistic beauty.
In addition to major use of audio guides, people never stayed in the exhibit for more than ten minutes. They seemed to rush from one thing to another, as if they had some place they would rather be. It made me wonder why people paid twenty dollars to come into the museum in the first place. Either people do not care about art, or the museum is to blame. Perhaps the Met has not been able to successfully capture the attention of its audience. I think that too many paintings were shown in one room, and it became overwhelming to people. Or is it that we live in such a fast-paced world, we do not know when it is time to slow down and enjoy the finer things in life?
A recent survey says that modern museums are more acceptable in the eyes of the public than other form of museums to date. In Mark Wigley’s essay, Emperor’s New Paint, he speaks about the recent phenomenon of white paint in modern architecture. This old color has the to transform buildings into places of innovation progression and inspiration for the future. The idea of white paint is to scrape away the old “dirty, dark colors (Wigley pg. 10).” And peel back the truth and show everything as it is without interruption of color to hide behind.
In Marks Essay he explains, “Whitewash purifies the eye rather that the building. Indeed it reveals the central role of vision in hygiene. After all, the “clean white surface is not such a simple thing (Wigley pg. 19).” This was a very interesting way of looking at the white-wall phenomena. It is easy to build buildings that are not perfect but hid it behind frilly decoration and color. It is much harder to make a perfectly built building, keep it clean without decoration to cover up the marks in the walls and scuffs on the floors. Whitewash is a push toward quality, something that I think may attract many new museum comers.
When you compare two museums like the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum and the Carnegie house it is easy to see the stark contrast. Instead of ornamentation the Cooper Hewitt gives the galleries a more contemporary modern look. This portrayed that they, although still holding onto their historical roots were moving toward the future of design, and what it had to offer. However, when I took a tour of the Cooper I asked the guide about this phenomena and she said that, while the white-wall theory holds true right now, she predicts that the future will bring decoration and color. It is like anything else just a response to modern views, of what people like and don’t like dictated by society.
At the Museum of Modern Art everywhere you turn you see a reflection of modern design, and that includes the walls. When I asked advising personnel about this, I was told the walls are left white because they do not have the time or funds to paint the walls a new color after every show. In addition white is an enhancing color to most pieces of art, which creates a “distraction” free zone surrounding the work.
So the question still remains is all the efforts the museums are putting in paying off. Or, are we they just looking for an excuse to get out of painting the walls? I think a little of both. Modern museums are now being seen as 60’s classic, so they are dated, however people are still responding more to the modern museum rather than the traditional.
I think the phenomenon will continue to grow, until we find something bigger and better. Much like the Library in Alexandria it was innovative for its time, and did bring in the upper curst of society, however there are accounts where the museum brought in “lowlifes in search of knowledge.”
Bibliography
Conn, Steven. Museums and American Intellectual Life. 1st . Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2000.
Dubin, Steven. Displays of Power. 2nd. New York: New York University Press, 1999.
Dubin, Steven. Transforming Museums. 1st . New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006.
Fyfe, Gordon. Theorizing Museums. 1st . Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 1996.
Hein, Hilde. 1st . Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 2006.
Weil, Stephen. Museum and the Public. 1st . Boston: MIT Publishing , 2002.
Wigley, Mark. The Empoeror's New Paint . 1st . Boston: MIT Publishing , 2001.
Thanks
Kate
Kate Petrshin
Why Museums?
Researching this essay topic is seemingly easy. However, it seems that every source has its own definition as to what a museum actually is, and its social impact on the world. This step is a very important step in our quest for why museums are a thing of interest in a society that is seemingly abandoning the museum. We are gradually moving towards other forms of entertainment and the traditional museum is being replaced by things like the discover channel, national geographic magazine, and other educational tools. However, museums are on the rise but, the memberships and visitorships are decreasing exponentially (Dubin pg. 9). This is a screaming issue that me must address. In order to do so correctly we must fully understand the function and purpose for museums in general (Hein pg. 4). Not to only single out the art or science museum, however we must address all forms in a general way in order to understand the functions and social impact of the museums fellowship (Conn pg. 66).
So, as I said before it is important that we set a standard about what it a museum actually is before we can begin to analyze its social and economic standards within a modern society. The word museum stems from the Latin word “musea” which means temple of dedication (Conn pg 88). Musea were dedicated to the Roman god of art, and were constructed for the people by the people. This makes the obvious assertion toward the museum being a place to “worship” art. The first “real” museum was said to have been the institute for philosophy and research at the Library established in Alexandria (Conn pg 79). Ptolemy I Soter in 280 BCE constructed the library. This intuition was home to the teachings of the great philosopher Plato ( Doubin pg 5). The library burned in a fire, and was only recently replaced in 2003. The library now serves both contemporary and artifactual texts. The collection was comprised of papyrus scrolls and parchment codices. A single piece of writing was occupied over several scrolls and/or a few self-containing books (Doubin pg 8).
The library in Alexandria was considered the first museum because it was organized or “curated” by Demetrius of Phaleron a student of the philosopher Aristotle. The library was laid out in to be a coherent and open to the general public. It focus was primarily on editing texts. The collection grew very large very fast (Fyfe pg. 78). The Egyption ruler made a law that said all visitors were required to surrender all books, scrolls as well as any from of written work in any language. Scribes would then copy these scripts and then put them in the library. The copies were often so precise that the originals were put into the Library and the copies were delivered to the unsuspecting previous owners (Conn pg 11).
The idea of copying and steeling is still something that happens frequently today. The British Museum’s Parthenon Marbles seems to be the most recent controversy of this kind. The question is; should the works were they were made or should they be located in the museum where they can be admired by the whole world. The plundering of the Parthenon began during the Greek War for independence. Significant amounts of the Acropolis and the other great Greek treasures were taken from Greece to England. Some of the pieces were a result of excavations, however, others were directly taken. The treasures were first housed in Elgin and were placed in a deposit of coral, which helped with the preservations of the pieces. It is speculated if the pieces remained in Greece they would have been destroyed on account of the war.
Elgin tried to sell the marbles to the British Royal Government but the high price prevented the Government from a final agreement. In 1816 they were however, bought by the Royal Government for 35000 pounds and moved to the British Museum (Conn pg. 13). The Museum was obligated by the government to conserve and maintain the artifacts as long as the government held ownership. The Museum responded to the donation from the government by building a special hall for the pieces to be housed and displayed.
At the end of the century some members of the British Government claimed that the treasures should be returned to Greece only after they got official word from the Greek Government. However, either the British Government or the Greek Government never took these claims seriously (Doubin pg. 88).
The struggle between the two countries really intensified in 1983 when Melina Mercouri, Minister for Culture, demanded to return for of the marbles. She said that the country had to unite what was originally theirs. Three days after taking office Prime Minister Tony Blair stated that the marbles would not be returned to Greece. Surprisingly, the Greek government was split. Half of them thought that England had a right to keep the marbles and they would be in better hands, however, the other half thought that they should be returned (Doubin pg. 48).
So we are beginning to see a similar argument toward the Parthenon Marbles as we saw with the Library in Alexandria. The British Government did take the marbles and restore and safeguard the marbles. Just as in Alexadria, the books were taken and placed in the hands of the government in order to help encourage public knowledge and ensure its safety for generations to come. However, those texts and the marbles originally belonged to other individual.
So, in my mind two controversies arise. The first is; do the marbles/texts belong to the government that preserves them or the government that creates them? The second question is; is if there is no current hair to pass the work down from in the original artists family, should it really matter if they are in Greece or London? These are just two of many questions that arise with the idea of the museum. They are controversial topics that definitely do not have a precise answer. Just like all things in life nothing is ever that black and white, there is always gray area. It is during times of grey that we must compromise with all parties involved to come up with a solution for all parties involved. This idea is definitely not being done much in the museum or political worlds. Every person wants to be “right”, however, there is no such thing. When people think that either side is right, their vision becomes clouded and they lose empathy for others. We must look at things from both sides and try and make all parties agree on the “right” decision.
Now that we understand the function of the museum we still must address what the job and purpose of the museum is. While we this is another case that we may not see a clear cut answer, we know only a few certain variables. Weather or not the museum is virtual, real, inside, outside, history or science, or for that matter any of the other verities that we find in museums, its purpose is to offer a way of education first hand. It is to inform and culture an advanced a society. It is a long standing, or “permanent institution and serves society and its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment, for the purpose of education, study and enjoyment (International Council of Museums) .” Another quotes that generalizes the job of the museum is as follows; “Museums enable people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment. They are institutions that collect, safeguard and make accessible artifacts and specimens, which they hold in trust for society (Fyfe pg. 10).”
Another source suggests that the museum was intended to take a more “elitist” point of view. It was intended to “uplift” and refine public tastes. And was the first true museum was born in Europe only two hundred years ago. They were intended to substitute parts of a public education by giving a first hand experience to both student and teacher. The idea of a public education for all only existed very recently. So it was undoubly for the “best of the best”. However, this view point definitely applies to a more specific kind of museum and I tend to omit it from my definition of a museum. I prefer to stick with the library in Alexandria as being the first museum, open to the public for anyone and everyone (Fyfe pg 33).
The museum itself has set minimum standards for any institution that wants to call themselves a museum. This is known as the ICOM, Code of Ethics for Museums. This exists as the cornerstone for museums building blocks. “It sets a minimum standard for professional practice and for museums and their staff (ICOM.org).” The code exists to set the standards for museums on all levels and interests of the museum (Fyfe pg. 43). Some examples for topics that the code addresses are as follows:
1. Museums preserve, interpret and promote aspects of the natural and cultural inheritance of humanity.
2. Museums that maintain collections hold them in trust for the benefit of society and its development.
3. Museums hold primary evidence for establishing and furthering knowledge
4. Museums provide opportunities for the appreciation, enjoyment, understanding and management of the natural and cultural heritage
5. Museums hold resources that provide opportunities for other public services to benefit
6. Museums work in close collaboration with the communities from which their collections originate as well as those they serve
7. Museums operate in a legal manner
8. Museums operate in a professional manner
Out of all the guidelines listed above I think it is apparent that number seven is perhaps the most controversial. According to the stories we are hearing relating to the Greek Marbles, I think it is evident that not much legal matter has been set in place for a museum to operate by. If we did have a system of law for the museums it would be a lot easier for all parties involved to determine the “rightful” owner. I think we must think deeper than just saying we must operate legally, I think it should say that we must operate “morally”, and compromise with all parties involved, do not create a clouded vision.
As I have commented before, the museum world is changing dramatically. We are going from a time when museums were intended to operate as uplifting and culture to “the relative positions of the museum and the public will have revolved a full 180 degrees”(Weil pg 195). Museums now hold a role of service to the public and what the public whishes.
Stephen E. Weil writes about the beginning of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston in 1870. Callahan Perkins one of the museums first trusties described the museums purpose to the public, “The museum exists as a modicum of captivity for the improvement in all men, which can be greatly developed by familiarity with such acknowledged masterpieces as are found in all great collection of works of art. Their humblest function is to give enjoyment to all classes; their highest, to elevate men by purifying the taste and acting upon moral nature (Weil pg. 213).”
The Metropolitan Museum of Fine Art, William Cullen Bryant said that the museum would show the public, “entertainment of an… improving character.” Even London’s South Kensington Museum’s superintendent, Sir Henry Cole said, “The working man comes to this museum for one or two dimly lighted dwelling rooms, in his fustian jacket with his collar and little trimmed up trousers (Weil pg. 200).
Stephen E. Weil states that the greatest single factor contributing to the loss of the museums once superior position has been bankruptcy of the underlying ideologies upon which it as founded (Weil pg. 199)” He argues that painting subjects have taken a turn for the worst and what the public thinks about when looking at paintings is less about morality or history and more about line, composition, and color.
While these points are all valid to art museums, what about the other forms? They too have suffered “bankruptcy” of intended morals, and are being replaced rapidly. This begs us to once again ask the question of why our museums are failing miserably, and why we continue to build. Is it really an elite profit, that continues building things that are failing, or is the museum world really not as bad as we think. However, according to my observations at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I have found that people even when they are in a museum they show little to no interest. Which makes me think that Weil’s point about museums having a lack of substance is right.
On Friday, February 8, 2008, I set out on my experiment. I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City , specifically the American Wing. At first I was unsure whether I should set up in the American Wing, or the Ancient Greek and Roman Wing. Once I got to the museum I realized it would be best to go to the American Wing because it had less traffic and was in a smaller space. This gave me an opportunity to take a close look at how people interacted with the exhibit and their overall surroundings. I think this was a wise decision, because the Ancient Greek and Roman collection would have been too much ground to cover in an eight-hour experiment.
I found a place to sit in the same room as Washington Crossing the Delaware. I made sure I sat directly in the center of the room to ensure that I could see everyone who entered and exited. Every inch of wall space in the room was covered with paintings. This is an interesting point because I began to realize that a lot of people became easily overwhelmed with all of the artwork. This could have made a difference in my experiment, and essentially could have influenced the numbers.
When I first arrived in the American Wing I was unsure how everything was going to play out. I always assumed that everyone interacted with exhibits the same way I do. I go from piece to piece and read almost all the information on the wall about each piece. Then I find a place to sit and take in all of the paintings. Yes, it takes a while, but I thought this was how you were “supposed” to go to a museum. Little did I know that this is not the way that everyone views a museum. I also realized that in order to capture someone’s attention for more than five seconds, it takes a lot more than an interesting painting with some facts slapped up on the wall.
The time of day greatly affected the number of people who entered the exhibit, and how they viewed it. At first I thought more people would come into the exhibit in the morning than in the afternoon. Once again I was completely wrong. The chart titled Number of People in the Exhibit per Hour (attached) shows that more people entered the exhibit between the hours of 2:00 and 5:30 pm, than in the morning. I also noticed a difference in attendance in the morning compared with lunch time. The number of people in the morning hours steadily increased, and this number then fell dramatically during the 12:30–1:30 period. My speculation is that people got hungry and left to get lunch. This makes me wonder whether our society is so scheduled, we cannot break the schedule even on our off time. As little children in elementary school, we are forced to eat lunch between the hours of 12 and 1 pm. I think this rigid scheduling stays with us throughout our lives, and it has become reflected in our underground museum culture.
During my eight-hour stay, it became extremely apparent to me that this museum’s culture is reflected in the types of people who entered the gallery. I think that it would be beneficial to study other museums, in different parts of New York, in order to gain insight into this matter. It is apparent that certain types of people enter the Metropolitan Museum of Art. For instance, age seemed to be a big factor, and Caucasians were by far the leading race that entered the exhibit. Of 297 people who entered during an eight-hour span, slightly more than half, 150, were Caucasian. I was completely shocked when I got home and counted up my tally marks. During my time at the museum it was never really that apparent that there were so many Caucasians. It is sad to say, but I think it is become something I have gotten used to. I never really realized the lack of diversity in museums until I sat down and looked (see chart titled Notable Races during the Day for more information).
Age was another huge determining factor in the types of people that entered the exhibit. Of that same 297 total people, 113 were between the ages of 27 and 45, and 94 were 46 and older. Once again I was not expecting this kind of outcome. I knew that museums attracted an “older crowd”; however, I did not think there would be that much of a bias. This means that slightly more than 53 percent of people who entered that gallery were over the age of 27. Granted, I would not consider 27 to be “older”; however, I am alarmed by the fact that only 38 out of 297 people were between the ages of 12 and 27. So my question is, where is my generation? Have we become a generation that is devoid of museum life? The age composition could have been due to the fact that I went on a Friday and most people are working at that time. I would argue, however, that when I go to the Met on Saturdays it still does not draw an extreme crowd of kids my age—unless, of course, they are tourists there with their families. After a long debate with myself about this matter, I never reached any real conclusion. I think it would have to be further investigated in order to understand what these numbers really indicate. However, I do feel that my generation is losing interest in a strict museum culture because of things like the Internet. I have also done a small investigation on the matter, and it seems that admission to museums among the 20–30-year-old crowd has gone down over the last five years. I think these figures are rather alarming.
I found the movement of people through the museum to be quit ironic. It seems as though people in New York are caught up in having their own personal space, but when it came to the way people used the museum, this sense was definitely not apparent. The chart titled Flow of People during the 2:30-3:30 hour indicates that people enter the exhibit in “waves.” It seems that many people enter the exhibit at the same time, and trickle out at the same time as well. I do not think that people like to be in the exhibit by themselves. Perhaps they are intimidated about being alone with pieces of art.
Another matter that I found surprising was the number of people who actually read the wall information. The new trend in museums seems to be the audio guide. I found that significantly more people used the audio guides instead of reading the information on the wall, and the people who did not have audio guides hardly ever read the wall information. This begs us to ask: are people just lazy? Or do they learn more from having the audio guides? I feel that the audio guides are good for certain situations but bad for others. For example, I was in France a few summers ago, and I found the audio guide in English to be very beneficial there, because all the wall information was in French. It gave me a better understanding of what it was I was looking at. However, at the Met you see people who can obviously speak English very well, and they insist on carrying one of these audio guides. In a way I feel the audio guide gives the viewer more information than the artist intended to give. It takes away from the mystery of “what did he really mean by this?” and instead spills everything. It is hard to sit back and just look at the art for what it is—art. Instead, people are so intrigued with finding meaning, they forget to admire a piece for its artistic beauty.
In addition to major use of audio guides, people never stayed in the exhibit for more than ten minutes. They seemed to rush from one thing to another, as if they had some place they would rather be. It made me wonder why people paid twenty dollars to come into the museum in the first place. Either people do not care about art, or the museum is to blame. Perhaps the Met has not been able to successfully capture the attention of its audience. I think that too many paintings were shown in one room, and it became overwhelming to people. Or is it that we live in such a fast-paced world, we do not know when it is time to slow down and enjoy the finer things in life?
A recent survey says that modern museums are more acceptable in the eyes of the public than other form of museums to date. In Mark Wigley’s essay, Emperor’s New Paint, he speaks about the recent phenomenon of white paint in modern architecture. This old color has the to transform buildings into places of innovation progression and inspiration for the future. The idea of white paint is to scrape away the old “dirty, dark colors (Wigley pg. 10).” And peel back the truth and show everything as it is without interruption of color to hide behind.
In Marks Essay he explains, “Whitewash purifies the eye rather that the building. Indeed it reveals the central role of vision in hygiene. After all, the “clean white surface is not such a simple thing (Wigley pg. 19).” This was a very interesting way of looking at the white-wall phenomena. It is easy to build buildings that are not perfect but hid it behind frilly decoration and color. It is much harder to make a perfectly built building, keep it clean without decoration to cover up the marks in the walls and scuffs on the floors. Whitewash is a push toward quality, something that I think may attract many new museum comers.
When you compare two museums like the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum and the Carnegie house it is easy to see the stark contrast. Instead of ornamentation the Cooper Hewitt gives the galleries a more contemporary modern look. This portrayed that they, although still holding onto their historical roots were moving toward the future of design, and what it had to offer. However, when I took a tour of the Cooper I asked the guide about this phenomena and she said that, while the white-wall theory holds true right now, she predicts that the future will bring decoration and color. It is like anything else just a response to modern views, of what people like and don’t like dictated by society.
At the Museum of Modern Art everywhere you turn you see a reflection of modern design, and that includes the walls. When I asked advising personnel about this, I was told the walls are left white because they do not have the time or funds to paint the walls a new color after every show. In addition white is an enhancing color to most pieces of art, which creates a “distraction” free zone surrounding the work.
So the question still remains is all the efforts the museums are putting in paying off. Or, are we they just looking for an excuse to get out of painting the walls? I think a little of both. Modern museums are now being seen as 60’s classic, so they are dated, however people are still responding more to the modern museum rather than the traditional.
I think the phenomenon will continue to grow, until we find something bigger and better. Much like the Library in Alexandria it was innovative for its time, and did bring in the upper curst of society, however there are accounts where the museum brought in “lowlifes in search of knowledge.”
Bibliography
Conn, Steven. Museums and American Intellectual Life. 1st . Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2000.
Dubin, Steven. Displays of Power. 2nd. New York: New York University Press, 1999.
Dubin, Steven. Transforming Museums. 1st . New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006.
Fyfe, Gordon. Theorizing Museums. 1st . Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 1996.
Hein, Hilde. 1st . Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 2006.
Weil, Stephen. Museum and the Public. 1st . Boston: MIT Publishing , 2002.
Wigley, Mark. The Empoeror's New Paint . 1st . Boston: MIT Publishing , 2001.
Web Address for Education in Third World Countries
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/DISABILITY/Resources/280658-1172610312075/EducationPovJonsson.pdf
This site is really great! It is filled with tons of information we can use. You guys should look through it as reference.
Thanks,
Kate
This site is really great! It is filled with tons of information we can use. You guys should look through it as reference.
Thanks,
Kate
Work From Week One
Educational Innovations
1. A chip that educates you without work
2. Trips that are funded and show people other ways of life
3. Board games
4. Free motivations seminars
5. School buses
6. Hands on educational museum
7. Educational playgrounds
8. Sex ed- though situations
9. Private funding for uniforms
10. Tech education
11. Business innovative schools
12. Materials library
13. Mobile books
14. Sewing classes to teach how to make own uniforms
15. Educational CDs
16. Computer chips for phone with basic education
17. Retreats from school
18. Special competitions to encourage education
19. After school programs
20. Pocket size projectors for teachers
21. A curriculum that revolves around working with natural resources
22. A school calendar that is specialized to a certain area
23. Radio lectures
24. Cheap graphing calculators
25. Adult workshops
26. Cheap leapfrog like devices for younger children
27. Universal town printing center
28. Water fountains
29. Higher paid teachers
30. Cheap educational stuffed animals
31. Maps and atlases
32. Central learning boxes
33. Monetary rewards for staying in school
34. Portable chemistry sets
35. Fun water testing kits
36. Volunteers that live with communities and educators
37. Religious base for public education
38. Interactive toy that makes homework fun and easy
39. Cleaner school facilities
40. Color psychology
41. Law that kids have to attend school
42. Rugs that are placed on the floor of the home and are interactive
43. Tiny self-sustaining environments
44. A large lecture hall free to all
45. communication classes
46. school trips
47. educational signs instead of advertisements
48. history of other cultures
49. educational theater
50. music lessons with an educational base
51. puppet theater
52. a device that you touch and it teaches basic vowel sounds
53. transpirations building class
54. word arranging game
55. educational game night
56. letter writing class
57. virtual traveling game
58. specific flashcards
59. information sent via cell phones
60. computer classes
1. travel groups (2)- The travel groups will transport students to other developed cities. The impact is to influence the group to be motivated by other cultures. The process is to go to different villages and allow the students to interact with different ideas and cultures, groups will explore a new culture every week. The direction is to make people want to learn about other cultures.
2. hands on educational museum (6) – The hands on educational museum exists to make learning fun. We want to promote a clean healthy learning environment that can change as the students do. The process will involve creating new exhibits as students need learning experiences. The impact of this will create an enjoyable learning experience. the direction is to make people want to learn and interact with things they are actually learning.
3. cleaner facilities and more specialized curriculum (39 and 21)- the context of this is to provide cleaner facilities and curriculums that revolve around the natural resources. The education will be more useful and practical. The process will involve creating new facilities and rewrite existing curriculums. The impact will make education more comfortable and useful. The direction will be to make the facilities more educationally friendly.
1. A chip that educates you without work
2. Trips that are funded and show people other ways of life
3. Board games
4. Free motivations seminars
5. School buses
6. Hands on educational museum
7. Educational playgrounds
8. Sex ed- though situations
9. Private funding for uniforms
10. Tech education
11. Business innovative schools
12. Materials library
13. Mobile books
14. Sewing classes to teach how to make own uniforms
15. Educational CDs
16. Computer chips for phone with basic education
17. Retreats from school
18. Special competitions to encourage education
19. After school programs
20. Pocket size projectors for teachers
21. A curriculum that revolves around working with natural resources
22. A school calendar that is specialized to a certain area
23. Radio lectures
24. Cheap graphing calculators
25. Adult workshops
26. Cheap leapfrog like devices for younger children
27. Universal town printing center
28. Water fountains
29. Higher paid teachers
30. Cheap educational stuffed animals
31. Maps and atlases
32. Central learning boxes
33. Monetary rewards for staying in school
34. Portable chemistry sets
35. Fun water testing kits
36. Volunteers that live with communities and educators
37. Religious base for public education
38. Interactive toy that makes homework fun and easy
39. Cleaner school facilities
40. Color psychology
41. Law that kids have to attend school
42. Rugs that are placed on the floor of the home and are interactive
43. Tiny self-sustaining environments
44. A large lecture hall free to all
45. communication classes
46. school trips
47. educational signs instead of advertisements
48. history of other cultures
49. educational theater
50. music lessons with an educational base
51. puppet theater
52. a device that you touch and it teaches basic vowel sounds
53. transpirations building class
54. word arranging game
55. educational game night
56. letter writing class
57. virtual traveling game
58. specific flashcards
59. information sent via cell phones
60. computer classes
1. travel groups (2)- The travel groups will transport students to other developed cities. The impact is to influence the group to be motivated by other cultures. The process is to go to different villages and allow the students to interact with different ideas and cultures, groups will explore a new culture every week. The direction is to make people want to learn about other cultures.
2. hands on educational museum (6) – The hands on educational museum exists to make learning fun. We want to promote a clean healthy learning environment that can change as the students do. The process will involve creating new exhibits as students need learning experiences. The impact of this will create an enjoyable learning experience. the direction is to make people want to learn and interact with things they are actually learning.
3. cleaner facilities and more specialized curriculum (39 and 21)- the context of this is to provide cleaner facilities and curriculums that revolve around the natural resources. The education will be more useful and practical. The process will involve creating new facilities and rewrite existing curriculums. The impact will make education more comfortable and useful. The direction will be to make the facilities more educationally friendly.
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