WHAT MAKES AN EXHIBITION GREAT?

EXHIBITION REVIEW

By Meaghan Dalby

I find it bittersweet that school is coming to a close. I thought long and hard about what I wanted to talk about in my final Musings post, and I realized I needed to talk about why I wanted to write for the Exhibition Review column. So let’s break down what, for me, makes an exhibition great.

How to get that "Meaghan Dalby Seal of Approval"
Source: Meaghan Dalby

INTERESTING TOPICS
I feel like many of us take this one for granted. Of course, we find the topic we’re working on exciting and special, especially when you work on it for 8 months straight, you tend to adopt that topic as your own. Who wouldn’t want to come to an exhibition on an obscure 18th century technique to get rid of mice from wheat fields?? THAT’S INTERESTING STUFF!

I think we can all agree that the topic is what will either draw visitors in, or repel them. So a great exhibit has a topic that is relevant, interesting, and thought provoking to their public.

GOOD DIDACTICS
An exhibition loses me if the text is too dry or too long. I want to get to the point, and quickly.
Give me some context, give me some quotes, and give me the most important facts so I can wow my friends later.

VISUALLY PLEASING
Let’s be honest here, design matters. If your colour scheme is neon green and orange you better have a really good reason. And, there’s nothing worse than an exhibition that tried to jam too many things in their cases because they couldn’t bear to cut some things out. Or perhaps there’s no way-finding directions and you’re not sure where you’re supposed to go. Find a good designer and never let them go.

I just... I don't .... ugh
Source: http://www.homeschooling-ideas.com/images/cabinet-of-curiosities-2.jpg

SOME HANDS-ON STUFF
This is so so so important for me. The best exhibit’s I have ever been to, all had some kind of interactive element for me to fool around with. I’m a firm believer in having a variety of learning channels available to your visitor. For some, reading isn’t the best way to learn. Maybe it’s building something, touching something, or listening to something. One of my most memorable museum experiences was listening to the difference between a happy swarm of bees and an angry swarm of bees at the Museum of Food and Agriculture .

Admit it, you want to know what the difference sounds like...
Source: Meaghan Dalby

A POWERFUL MOMENT
This one is harder to come by. It can depend a lot on your topic, and it 100% varies visitor to visitor. It’s that magic moment where a visitor experiences something new, or discovers something mind blowing. It’s the Stanley Cup for museum professionals; the whole reason we’re here is to try to make an impact. And every great exhibit creates one.

BUT ULTIMATELY...
As one of my exhibition teammates and I were sitting on my livingroom floor eating Smartfood, veggies, and sipping on wine asking ourselves “What makes a meaningful visitor experience?” and “How can we create interactives which extend learning?” I realized I was excited about answering these questions. As we kept shooting our own ideas down, and building them up to be better, it suddenly became clear that passion and dedication is what makes an exhibit great. The people who eat, sleep, and breathe exhibition design and interpretive planning are why the best exhibitions are the best. At the risk of sounding corny (ok, definitely sounding corny), I hope one day I will be one of those people.

BURN WITH DESIRE

MUSEUM MONDAYS

BY ALEXANDRA JEFFERY

Hey y'all!

For the last Museum Monday I'll write, unless I get gainful employment writing semi-interesting blog posts exclusively on Mondays I thought I would talk about an exhibit I just saw.

On until April 5 (quick act now, one day only, SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY) is Burn with Desire: Photography and Glamour, curated by Gaelle Morel, at the Ryerson Image Centre. The exhibition uses a variety of media to demonstrate the role of photography in defining celebrity and glamour since the early 20th century.

Burn with Desire Exhibit at RIC. Photograph from Carole's Tips.

The show features uses photographs from Ryerson's Black Star Collection:

"Assembled over a period of eighty years at the Black Star photo agency in New York City, the photographs in the Black Star Collection describe the personalities, events and conflicts of the twentieth century[...]The Black Star Collection at Ryerson University includes more than a quarter of a million photographs created by more than 6,000 different image-makers, many of them acknowledged as individuals who helped define picture journalism as it evolved throughout the twentieth century."

I was actually a little bit more interested in the history of the Black Star collection than I was the exhibition... though I thought the exhibition was really good.

Manfred Linus, Untitled [Marilyn Monroe], date and location unknown.
The Black Star Collection, Ryerson Image Centre.

 The Image centre also linked the other exhibitions in the centre with Burn with Desire, currently there is an exhibit titled Anti-Glamour: Portraits of Women, a case of 20th century costume jewellery from the collection of Carole Tanenbaum, a video installation of Alex Prager's short films commissioned by the New York  Times titled A Touch of Evil.

Selection of pieces from Fabulous Fakes by Carole Tanenbaum, from the 50's and early 60's.
Photograph from Carole's Tips

BURYING THE 'CAR PARK KING': RICHARD III

WALK OF FAME

BY: KATHRYN METHOT

The famous king found buried under a parking lot has finally been laid to rest. On March 26th King Richard III's body was reinterred at Leicester Cathedral. The Cathedral was transformed for the occasion, decorated with white roses and emblems of the Plantagenet dynasty, from which Richard was the last king.

Richard had been killed during the War of the Roses in the Battle of Bosworth Field on August 22nd 1485. For many years there was a popular myth that the body of the King had been thrown into the River Soar. However, he had been given a burial in makeshift grave at the Grey Friars Church in Leicester. Richard's unassuming tomb was lost after the church was demolished during the Reformation.

A portrait of Richard III by an unknown 16th century painter. This image was not made during his lifetime but was likely based off of portraits that were (Source: National Portrait Gallery, London)

The search for his body began with the 'Looking for Richard' project. Several researchers had proposed the idea that Richard's skeleton was still buried at the original site of the Grey Friar Church, where the Leicester City Council parking lot was located. Amazingly, the team of archeologists uncovered a human skeleton on the first day of the excavation on August 25th 2012. The position of the body indicated that it had been put in a grave that was too small and without a burial shroud, which suggests that he had been buried in a hurry.

An overview of Richard III's skeleton displays his severe scoliosis (Source: University of Leicester)

The skeleton displayed several intriguing qualities and signs of lethal injuries. The back of the king's skull had been removed by a sharp object (possibly a halberd), while another wound had penetrated the top of his skull. There are also other holes in his skull and jaw that are likely from a dagger. If that wasn't enough, there are 'humiliation wounds' that were inflicted to the body post-mortem. Poor King Richard didn't stand a chance. The key to having scientific proof that the remains were Richard's came from his descendants. The mitochondrial DNA evidence at the site had a positive match to DNA taken from a direct descendant of the king's sister, Anne of York.

The discovery of the body also confirmed several accounts about the king's physical appearance. The curvature of the spine indicates that he suffered from adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. The condition would have caused his right shoulder to be raised higher than his left shoulder, reducing his height. This feature is in keeping with some contemporary accounts and depictions of the King in visual art. However, the discoveries made do not account for some of the traits described in Shakespeare's Henry VI (Act III, Scene 2, lines 1645-1650) and taken on by actors personifying the character of Richard in theatre productions. The effects of scoliosis would not have caused him to have a hunchback and there is no indication that he would have had a withered arm.

Crowds gather to commemorate the reinterment of the King (Source: Independent)

The Richard III Visitor Centre opened at the site of the exhumation in July 2014. The Centre features three sections: dynasty, death, and discovery. Together, these sections recount Richard's life and the lasting intrigue that led to his discovery. Features of the museum include a 3D printed replica of the King's skeleton and a chance to visit the site where his body had been buried for hundreds of years. The reinterment has allowed Richard to have a permanent resting place and to receive the farewell that he was not afforded at the time of his death.

Although this occasion has ended a chapter in the story of Richard III, this rediscovery has ignited an interest that will surely lead to further investigations about his life and legacy in history and culture.

A RESEARCH RABBIT HOLE: STUDENT EMPLOYMENT AS CULTURAL POLICY

RESEARCH COLUMN

BY: ROBIN NELSON

In light of Katie’s post on research addiction that discussed her ‘research rabbit holes,’ I am going to talk about one of mine, which has turned into a chapter in my thesis. Prior to beginning my thesis, I had defined cultural policy as whatever a government says it is, varying across jurisdictions (Grey 2010). However, during my interviews I kept hearing about the benefits and challenges associated with the Student Employment and Experience Development (SEED) program. Through SEED the provincial government provides non profits with student employees for eight to ten weeks. While SEED does not fit within my original definition of cultural policy, the program provides museums with student employees during the summer and, therefore, has a major influence on public programming. As such, I began looking at other policy definitions and employment programs as cultural policy – entering a research rabbit hole.

There is just so much I could learn!

An alternate definition of cultural policy, which I am now using, is any state action that effects “the cultural life of its citizens” (Mulcahy 2006, 267), including the SEED program. Within this definition, I have distinguished between implicit and explicit policies. An explicit cultural policy “deals directly with culture” (Throsby 2009, 179). An implicit cultural policy “influences culture only indirectly, the overt intention of the policy being directed elsewhere” (Ibid, 179). For instance, SEED’s objective - that is, to “provide students with employment related to their skills and education…. while enabling them to finance the continuation of their education” (PETL 2013, 3) - is not explicitly cultural. However, SEED has a direct impact on culture when museum employment is effected.

Student employees allow museums to accomplish more than they can with only volunteers and/or limited permanent staff.

SEED influences museum public programming because museums need people to plan and implement their public programs. In museums with few or no permanent staff, one paid employee for two months completely changes what they are able to offer and how they can operate. For instance, many New Brunswick community museums only open regularly for the eight to ten weeks that they have students to work as guides

On the surface, SEED sounds like a great government program for museums and students – museums get employees that they would not otherwise be able to afford and students gain skills and money. However, there are several longstanding issues with its implementation:

1. Politicians distribute SEED to the nonprofits and, as such, the selection criteria is  unclear.
2. SEED positions are usually eight weeks (There is also a longer Priority Employment program through SEED, but those positions are only ten weeks.)
3. The SEED jobs have gotten shorter over time.
4. There are delays in notifying museums as to whether they will receive SEED/PEP, meaning some summers museums have been preparing to open for the summer before they know how many, if any, students they will receive.
5. There is a lack of consistency as there are no multi-year contracts.

These issues raise questions regarding the best use of government funding. For instance, the quantity and quality of the student applicants may be effected because the contracts are shorter than a university summer, museums do not know what positions they have until May or June, and museums cannot guarantee a good employee can have the same position the following year.

SEED is not the only student employment program influencing museums in Canada. Most notable, the federal government provides funding through Young Canada Works. I am interesting in hearing about people’s experience with this form of employment. Do you have any experiences with student employment programs? What other challenges do you think this employment structure presents for museums? What are some benefits for the students and employer?

WHAT'S HAPPENING WEDNESDAYS

BY: JENNIFER MAXWELL

Welcome to Wednesday!  A plethora of events are happening this week, from exhibition openings to museum talks - there is something for everyone.  Enjoy the week!

I. GERTRUDE KEARNS: THE ART OF COMMAND

Date: Ongoing until June 14th

When: 10 am - 4 pm (Monday to Friday), 10 am - 5 pm (Saturday & Sunday)

Where: Fort York Visitor Center, 250 York Blvd. 

What: The Art of Command is a rare exhibition by Canada's leading active contemporary war artist, Gertrude Kearns.  This exhibition showcases 46 large scale portraits and posters created between 2006 and 2015.  Most of these works will be on public display for the first time.  Visit Fort York National Historic Site for more information.

II. 20th ANNIVERSARY OF STEPHEN BULGER GALLERY
Date: Ongoing until April 25th
When: 11 am - 6 pm
Where: Stephen Bulger Gallery, 1026 Queen St. W.
What: Please join the Stephen Bulger Gallery in celebrating their 20th anniversary.  The Stephen Bulger Gallery opened on 23 March 1995, and since that time the Gallery has exhibited over 130 solo exhibitions, 40 group shows and been host to many book launches and special events.  A Group Exhibition Celebrating 20 Years will feature a photograph from every artist from whom the Gallery hosted a solo exhibition.  Visit the Stephen Bulger Gallery website for more information.

Source

III. 93rd ANNUAL EXHIBITION OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Date: Thursday, March 26th
When: 6 - 8 pm
Where: East Common Room, Hart House
What: Attend the Opening Reception for the Hart House Camera Club's 93rd Annual Exhibition of Photography.  Awards will be presented for the best photographs by University of Toronto students and Hart House members in a variety of categories.  This is a free event with light snacks and a cash bar.

Source

IV. ROM SPEAKS - EXTREME MUSEUM MAKEOVER
Date: Tuesday, March 31st
When: 6:30 - 10 pm
Where: Samuel Hall Currelly Gallery, Royal Ontario Museum
What: Hear community, museum, arts and lifestyle trailblazers as they discuss their dream Museum of the Future.  Post-discussion, visit galleries to participate in making over the ROM.  Experience ROM collections in new ways, explore innovative technologies, play with sound and texture, and most importantly tell Panel Contributors what you would like to see incorporated into the ROM of the Future!  Register here.

Source

CAN DIGITIZATION SAVE WHAT ISIS DESTROYED?

TECHNOLOGY TUESDAYS

BY: JENNY FORD

Last month, the museum world – and much of the general public – watched in horror as ISIS destroyed irreplaceable artifacts at the Mosul Museum in Iraq. In the propaganda video released by ISIS, members of the Islamic-extremist group smashed and defaced statues using sledgehammers and power tools. Mercifully, it later came to light many of the objects were reproductions, but many genuine Assyrian artifacts were either looted or destroyed.

An ISIS fighter defaces an Assyrian statue. Source

As often happens, the Internet has rallied to the cause. The Initial Training Network for Digital Cultural Heritage has spearheaded a crowdsourcing project to recreate the destroyed and looted artifacts virtually. Project Mosul will use photographs to recreate the objects in 3-D with a technique called photogrammetry.

THE MAGIC OF PHOTOGRAMMETRY

By taking measurements from multiple photographs, photogrammetry can recover exact surface points to develop 3-D models of objects or places. The different photograph angles create a stereoscopic image, much in the same way our eyes do. Software then overlays the photograph textures and colours. There's no special equipment necessary. A simple point and shoot camera and some 3-D modeling software will do the job.

Incense table with god Nirgul relief. Source.

Using this technique, Project Mosul has already partially reconstructed five damaged objects based on photos submitted by the public. These include a lion relief, an iron gate and an incense table. Many of the submitted photos are vacation shots, combined together to show an object from multiple angles.

Photogrammetry has been used by museum conservators and researchers for years, but usually when examining archeological sites or large objects that can’t be taken back to the lab for analysis or restoration. Photogrammetry can help examine the complex surface of a fresco in a an Egyptian tomb, for example, or record every aspect and texture of a statue that can't be moved from its original location. It can also map an archeological site, making detailed models of terrain change and distance between areas.

Photogrammetry process of an Egyptian tomb wall. Source.

Appropriately, the British Museum made 3-D images of some of their Assyrian reliefs back in late 2014 for the CyArk project using photogrammetry. CyArk aims to develop 3-D models of heritage sites, with photogrammetry as one of the main techniques for digitization.

PROJECT MOSUL'S 3-D OBJECTS AT WORK

The purpose of these 3-D models is two-fold for Project Mosul. They can not only help with restoration, but also help identify looted artifacts that may appear on the antiquities market. However, getting photographs to recreate objects may be a bit more difficult than first throught. The Mosul Museum has been closed since 2003, meaning digital photographs are harder to come by.

Project Mosul is asking the public to join in the preservation efforts by providing pictures of artifacts, help code the framework for the project's website, mask images and process artifacts, or simply spread the word to those who may have visited the museum.

Virtual objects will never be the perfect replacement for what was lost, but it helps keep the object's memory alive and lets the museum world fight back. 

The Lion of Mosul by neshmi on Sketchfab

A DÉCOR WHODUNNIT AT SPADINA HOUSE

MUSEUM MYSTERIES

BY: MADELINE SMOLARZ

One of my favourite aspects of the Master’s of Museum Studies program has to be opportunities we have to visit and learn from institutions outside the classroom. Roughly a week and a half ago, my Public Programs and Education class (MSL 2332, for all of you eager prospective students) took a field trip to Spadina House Museum. I had visited in the early fall of last year with Musings’ social media co-ordinator Janine, but armed with much more museum knowledge and a new perspective as a Musings contributor, I was able to see the house with fresh eyes. It also helped that Professor Castle had arranged for us to listen to presentations specifically prepared for our group given by the museum’s staff, which included two short lectures and a tour that highlighted how the museum designed its Downton Abbey program last year.

Spadina House's exterior, looking North from the back lawn. Source.

During the tour, our guide pointed out a mysterious feature of the billiards room in the house that I had to share. Perhaps through this post, the mystery can be finally solved! (Okay, perhaps I set the bar a little too high…)

The billiards room, viewed from the door opening into the main hallway. Source.

The billiards room was a largely male-dominated space during the history of the house, which served as a home to the Austin family, the building’s last official occupants. Offering a large billiards table, fireplace, and plenty of comfortable seating, it was the setting for many entertaining hours for the Austin men and their guests. The unique décor adds to the room’s welcoming ambiance. Looking up, you can spot one of the room’s best features: the large painted mural which extends towards the floor from the ceiling. The only thing is, nobody knows for sure who painted it.

A closer look at a portion of the mural in the billiards room. Photo Credit: Madeline Smolarz.

The strongest lead the museum has thus far is an artist named Gustav Hahn. He was a recognized pioneer of the Art Nouveau style in Canada, and the style of Spadina House’s mural happens to closely align with his artistic inclinations. In addition, when Hahn immigrated to Canada from Germany, he was hired by large interior design company in Toronto and produced other similar murals in historic homes and public buildings throughout his career. Furthermore, he made Toronto his Canadian home, passing away in the city on December 1, 1962 at the age of 96. These 3 major pieces of evidence point to Hahn as the hand behind this local work of art.

The Flavelle Ceiling in one of the University of Toronto's law buildings was painted by Hahn. See any similarities? Source.

So what is holding Spadina House’s staff back from openly recognizing Hahn as the mural’s creator? The artist did not sign his work when it was completed, an unfortunate omission.

Undated photo of Gustav Hahn. Source.

Other notable mysterious features of the home include a fireplace behind a wall in the library, which historical interpreters will gladly swing open to reveal for you if there is time, and a trapdoor in floor of the sun room, which allowed the gardener to come water the plants without tracking through the house in his outdoor shoes. However, the beautiful mural held the most interest for me and is the true “mystery” of Spadina House Museum. It just goes to show how small details such as the artist behind this painting can be easily taken for granted and lost between generations. I hope one day the mystery will be solved definitively and future guides will be able to include another unique tidbit about the house’s rich history with visitors. In the meantime, I strongly recommend a visit to see the intriguing artwork yourself.

A special thanks to the Spadina House Museum staff for making MSL 2332’s visit so memorable and for the inspiration behind this post!

WHEN FASHION KILLS: DISPLAYING MILITARY DRESS AFTER THE BATTLE

SEW WHAT?

BY: ANYA BAKER

Fashion is not just a means of personal expression. It is also a tool for guiding public thought and remembrance, and in the hands of the state can be a powerful means of building useful national narratives around highly traumatic events. Let us then briefly look at three instances where the use and display of military dress influenced the narratives of battles, even after the battles themselves had taken place.

1. Sir Isaac Brock's scarlet coat at the Battle of Queenston Heights, Canada

The towering Brock's Monument at Queenston Heights is a testament to early Canada's veneration of one of the great heroes of the War of 1812: Major General Sir Isaac Brock. His coat, with an intact bullet hole, is at the War Museum.

Sir Isaac Brock's coat on display at the Canadian War Museum, Ottawa.
Photo credit: Lone Primate on flickr.

His death--he was shot in the chest by an American sharpshooter as he led a charge up Queenston Heights--was a terrible loss for the Canadian and British forces. But the figure of Brock, resplendent in his attention-getting scarlet coat and the various accoutrements of his officer's uniform, lived on as part of a Canadian narrative of heroic sacrifice and resistance to American invasion. It is understandable then, to display a relic of Brock's heroic final act at a national museum.

And yet, it is also an uncomfortable display. Brock did not decide his own uniform, and yet, he fought and died for that same uniform. The iconic red coats of the imperial British army, with scarlet reserved at this time for officers like Brock, was a means of branding, and of gaining a psychological advantage over the opposing force. It is a highly attractive uniform, fashionable both in its appearance and for what it stands for: alliance to the British Empire, heroism and resistance to invasion.

It is also hard to miss on a battlefield. The imposed uniform, the glorification of a resultant death, and the continued use of the remaining jacket to stand in for the same values of the imposed uniform create a fascinating cycle of narrative-building.

2. Archduke Franz Ferdinand's blue jacket at Sarajevo

Archduke Franz Ferdinand's jacket is displayed at the Museum of Military History, Vienna, for much the same reasons as Brock's jacket is on display at the War Museum. The blood stain spread across the chest of the jacket embodies the violent changes in world geopolitics resulting from Ferdinand's assassination; it bridges the 'before' and 'after' in our understanding of the start of WWI.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand's jacket on display at the Museum of Military History, Vienna.
Photo credit: AP/Ronald Zak.

If the bullet hole in Brock's jacket is unsettling, then the prominent stains on Ferdinand's jacket are downright macabre.

Ferdinand was a victim of both human will and mysterious circumstance; an assassination attempt had been mangled throughout the day, and his eventual assassin, Gavrilo Princip, had, in fact, given up on killing the archduke. A series of bizarre coincidences later--a changed route for the archduke's car, Princip's decision to stop for a sandwich--and suddenly Ferdinand appeared right before his assassin, who took his opportunity to fire on the car. Interestingly, many sources offer a harsh aside, that it was Ferdinand's vanity that hastened his death, and subsequently, the onset of war.

You see, Ferdinand had reportedly been sewn in to his jacket, in order for it to look more streamlined. Unable to strip the archduke of his clothes in order to see the wound, those who tried to help him were apparently forced to waste time cutting the jacket off of him.

As with Brock, the jacket was not the cause of the man's death, but its display is tangled up in notions of narrative-building and representation; the (possibly untrue!) story of the coat has become caught up with the representation of the archduke, and by extension, the history of Europe.

3. Red wool coats at the Battle of Ridgeway, Canada

In the fifty-odd years between 1812 and 1866, red coats did not disappear for anyone involved in the British army.  

Fenians on the left in green, the 13th Battalion and the Queen's Own Rifles in red on the right.
Image credit: The Sage, Sons & Co. Lith. (Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1946-35-1).

Unfortunately, the Battle of Ridgeway was in June. Sent out to battle without canteens for water, and wearing wool greatcoats on top of their red jackets, the soldiers were nearly overcome with heat. They eventually took to carrying the coats over their arms, before leaving them in piles when they neared a battle site.

It is not so much the wearing of wool in the summer or the wearing of the red coats that I want to focus on--obviously, as in 1812, the Canadians were highly visible on the battlefield--but the depiction of the two sides in highly publicized, highly inaccurate illustrations of the battle. The redcoats, in their usual bright splendour, face off against green-coated, Irish-American Fenians. In reality, the Fenians largely wore repurposed uniforms from the American Civil War, in greys and blues that easily blended in with the landscape. The display of such images build a narrative around the battle and the combatants, as if the Fenians engaged in using clothing to define their cause and character in a manner similar to the British. The display of the ubiquitous redcoats influences what is displayed around it--and thus the narrative grip of fashion can entirely muddle reality.

Sources Consulted: 

Barnes, Major R.M. 1972. A History of the Regiments & Uniforms of the British Army. London: Sphere Books Ltd.

Houze, Rebecca. 2015. Textiles, Fashion, and Design Reforms in Austria-Hungary Before the First World War: Principles of Dress. The Histories of Material Culture and Collecting, 1700-1950. Burlinton, V.T.: Ashgate Publishing Company. 

Marsh, James H. 2013. "Isaac Brock: Fallen Hero." The Canadian Encyclopedia. http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/isaac-brock-fallen-hero-feature/

Vronsky, Peter. 2012. Ridgeway: The American Fenian Invasion and the 1866 Battle that Made Canada: The History of Canada. Penguin Global. 

CASA LOMA'S SCREEN APPEARANCES

THROWBACK THURSDAY 

BY: MALLORY HORRILL

Calling all television and movie buffs! Remember when Toronto’s iconic Casa Loma was featured in these productions?

1. Cocktail (1988)

This less than thrilling film starred Tom Cruise as the highly successful bartender Brian Flanagan. Casa Loma graced the screen in the film as the setting of Flanagan’s wealthy father's home. 

http://torontoist.com/2009/01/reel_toronto_cocktail/

2. Goosebumps, A Night in Terror Tower (1996) 

While you may not remember this exact episode, I’m sure you remember the series! In this episode Sue and her brother Eddie while on a family trip to the UK get scared out of their wits at an old historic castle. 

3. X-Men (2000)

Casa Loma was used as the interior of Dr. Xavier’s (Patrick Stewart) school for ‘gifted youth’.

http://torontoist.com/2007/12/reel_toronto_th_1/

4. Chicago (2002)

The lawyer, Billy Flynn (Richard Geere) uses Casa Loma’s Oak Room for the setting of his office. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/11/style/tmagazine/11tgere.html?_r=0 

5. Scott Pilgrim vs The World (2010)

The outside staircase of Casa Loma was used as the site of Pilgrim’s (Michael Cera) showdown with Ramona Flowers’ (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) second evil ex, Lucas Lee.

http://torontoist.com/2010/11/reel_toronto_edgar_wright_talks_scott_pligrim_vs_the_world/

These five films and television shows are by no means the only famed filming that has taken place at Toronto’s castle. Can you name any other productions that have used Case Loma?

WHAT'S HAPPENING WEDNESDAYS

BY: CAMERON CRAWLEY

Hello to all of you keyboard jockeys and welcome to this week's edition of What's Happening Wednesdays. The column will be fairly condensed this week due to the frazzled mental state of the author at this time of year, so let's jump straight into things shall we?

You might imagine that March Break is the perfect time to visit a new gallery, or perhaps even to take a leisurely stroll through one at your favourite museum. However that is decidedly not the case. March Break means you will be up to your eyeballs in the strife that is overtly excited children that are being poorly corralled through exhibitions by their stressed parents, like so many delirious sheep and neurotic border collies. With this in mind we have three events here that are (likely to be) mercifully free of March Break side effects.

First up on Sunday March 22nd, there is a curator's talk by Syrus Marcus Ware at The Power Plant Gallery to discuss their current exhibition The Unfinished Conversation: Encoding/Decoding. The exhibition discusses the physical manifestations and mind-set of specific visual dynamics post-WWII. This subject matter basically ensures that there will be no whippersnappers to cause problems in the gallery.

Someone appears to have mistaken this forest for a living room.
http://www.carrollfletcher.com/custom_images/800x500/usr/images/news/main_image/168/screen-shot-2015-02-04-at-11.40.44.png

Admission is free, with the talk starting at 2pm at the gallery. Further information about the exhibition itself can be found here.

Next up is a rather interesting and unique lecture/performance hosted by the ROM called ROM Speaks: Stories Without Borders. Bringing performance artists from diverse locales such as Congo and Yukon, these storytellers intend on taking you on a journey to where they consider home.

Tickets are $20 with the event running from 7-9:30 on Tuesday March 24th. Further details about the event can be found here.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, there is a new temporary exhibition called Faith & Place opening at the Ismaili Centre Toronto (49 Wynford Drive) in conjunction with the Aga Khan Museum. Through a series of original 19th century photographs of religious sites in Northern India, the exhibition showcases the rich diversity and stunning architecture extant in India.

Here's a sneak peek of one of the photos in the exhibition. Consider yourself lucky that I have these strings to pull to get you the VIP treatment.

The show runs from March 18th-April 8th and is absolutely free. Other reasons you should consider visiting the show are as follows: the Aga Khan Museum is open for free on Wednesdays from 4-8:30 (so you get to kill two museological birds with one stone), and that I have it on good authority that the curators of the show have poured their heart and soul into the exhibition and would greatly appreciate your support. Also the curators will know if you haven't seen the exhibit and you will effectively be dead to them.

Until next time, enjoy your museum visits and try to keep your sanity at this time of year!

BASQUIAT: NOW'S THE TIME

EXHIBITION REVIEW

BY: KATIE WILSON

Hailed as one of the most important artists of the 21^st century, Jean-Michel Basquiat’s art is currently on display at the AGO in the exhibit, Now’s the Time, on until May 7.

Unfortunately the AGO does not allow photography in this exhibit, so you will have to bear with me. I've nabbed some of these photos from BlogTO. For those unfamiliar with Basquiat’s work, some pieces are available on the AGO exhibit website.

In his early days as a street artist Basquiat was always dismayed at the fact that there were no black artists or representations of Black bodies in art museums. 

"I think there are a lot of people who are neglected in art. Black people are never really portrayed realistically, not even portrayed in modern art." - Jean-Michel Basquiat 

In his paintings he began tackling the issues of racism, class struggle and social tension. He painted to represent the Black bodies that he believed were so glaringly missing from art galleries.

Untitled (Skull) By Jean-Michel Basquiat 

Basquiat’s art remains powerful today, especially with spreading the message that Black Lives Matter. Throughout the exhibition which meanders through a number of rooms, quotes appear from Black artists, musicians, and political figures fitting into this theme of empowering Black lives and bodies. Strains of Charlie Parker welcomes you into the gallery and in one area, Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a Dream Speech Plays,” and echoes throughout the space. 

A series of collaborative works created by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol. 

In continuing to drive this message home, throughout the gallery are excerpts from prominent African-American/Canadian artists, professors, curators, and museum professionals, who write about what Basquiat’s work means to them. It really sheds light on his work and the way he has affected people personally. At the end of the exhibit (after walking through the gift shop) there is an interactive area where gallery visitors are invited to film, or write down their responses to the exhibit and what Basquiat’s work means to them.

Interactive Space at the end of the Exhibit 

On a personal level I liked this exhibit, but was a bit disappointed that his relationship with Suzanne, his muse, was not mentioned once. I just finished reading Widow Basquiat, and was really looking forward to seeing her influence in his art. I do understand however that the goal of this exhibit is about representing the Black body in art, and his paintings of Suzanne do not necessarily fit into this.

The story of Jean-Michel Basquiat and his lover/muse Suzanne

Overall it is a powerful experience and I think that everyone gets something different out of it. The exhibit is on until May 7, and with the weather warming up, I highly recommend going.

SPECIAL EDITION: THE 2015 ISCHOOL STUDENT CONFERENCE

MUSEUM MONDAYS

BY CADY MOYER

Welcome to another Museum Monday Musings readers! Today is a special edition featuring the iSchool’s student conference, which was Friday and Saturday, March 6th and 7th. A lot went down in two days, and talking about all the great things would mean you would be reading a while, so here is the list of 10 things to know!

1. John Dalrymple from the National Ballet School started things off with a workshop focusing on ways to fundraise for arts organizations.

John Dalrymple and Sloth following John's event. Source: iSchool Student Conference Twitter account.

2. Keynote Speaker Davida Androvitch ignited minds at the conference on Friday evening with an excellent address about public history and her work at Historica Canada with the projects Heritage Minutes and the Canadian Encyclopedia. 

Davida Aronovitch presenting.

Davida and Sloth!

3. Friday night the conference attendees, participants, volunteers, and committee members ate and enjoyed the ambience of the Faculty Club while chatting about the day’s presentations – there were even good natured lively debates about new ideas heard from the day’s presenters!

Part of the spread at the Faculty Club!

4. After breakfast on Saturday morning, conference attendees received some food for thought with keynote address by Andrea Fields from the Bata Shoe Museum who talked about the museum’s volunteer program. 

Andrea Fields addressing audience members about museum volunteers. Source: Madeline Smolarz.

5. The conference mascot, Sloth, continued to work hard on promoting the conference, tweeting all the action from presentations to food.

Sloth in his bow tie, ready for the conference. 

6. Conference attendees were very engaged with presentations, not only during them, but afterwards with conversations happening at breaks, even throughout this past week!

Part of the attentive audience.

7. Museums were a hot topic with almost half the panelists directly discussing cultural heritage institutions and issues. Make sure to check out their interesting work on theft, immigrant representation, value, oral histories, and more in the coming 2015 iSchool Student Conference publication.

The Museums and Value panel pose for  pic with Sloth. 

8. Museum Studies was also well represented on the conference organizing committee, with 3 of 4 co-chairs being MMSt students, and the Faculty Advisor a museum studies professor, Dr. Cara Krmpotich. We may be a small program but we are involved!

2015 Conference Committee: Cara Krmpotich, Catherine Lamoreux,
Alex Somerville, Cady Moyer, and Robin Nelson.

9. Thanks go out to all who got involved by volunteering, attending, helping prepare, presenting, moderating, and opening and closing remarks by Dean Seamus Ross and Dr. Cara Krmpotich. 

10. It all gets to happen next year! The iSchool Student Conference is a free event showcasing ideas and academics from the Faculty of Information. If you are a current, future, or former student with the Faculty you can get involved with the conference, presenting your work or volunteering at the next conference. Current students who will be at the iSchool next year also have the opportunity to organize the 2016 conference! 

To get involved, e-mail ischoolstudentconference@gmail.com or track down any of the people in the above photo and let us know!

Happy Museum Moday all.  :)