HIDDEN IN THE BACK: OPENING AND RE-INTERPRETING COLLECTION SPACES FOR THE PUBLIC

Collections Corner | Jaime Meier 

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One of the reasons I decided to write for the "Collections Corner" column was because I knew very little about collections and wanted the opportunity to expand my knowledge by exploring current practices. A popular career choice by students in my program is collections work and a sentiment I have heard illustrating why is, "I like working alone and being surrounded by interesting objects." As an extrovert, the thought of going a full day without human interaction is harrowing. Collections rooms and warehouses act as private places for museum staff, but I am left wondering what role does the public play in collections, if any.

I was fortunate enough to tour the Western Development Museum collection over Christmas. (Source)

I believe that in order to stay relevant and serve their audiences, museums must be willing to share not only their exhibition spaces, but also their collection storage rooms. Museums belong to everyone, regardless of education, race, and gender, and therefore people have the right to see more than the exterior, a small part of the story. I was shocked the first time I saw a collections room, with a huge variety of items stacked high and low. By seeing the collection, I was reminded that these things were made by humans, for humans, and are still being cared for by humans to serve other humans. A variety of museums have begun to allow the public to access their spaces or bring the collection to the people via digitization projects.


The McCord Museum in Montreal has reconsidered how to incorporate the public into their collection through collaborating with Inuit Elders. In the early 2010s, eleven workshops were planned and included over 85 participants. While the elders were asked to be careful with the fragile objects, they were encourage to handle the objects freely and based on personal discretion. The unique aspect of touch allowed for unparalleled understandings of remembrance, narratives, demonstration, and communication between Inuit peoples, cultural objects, and the museum. The idea of having people go into a collection and touch objects without gloves may terrify some, but the very objects we collect, especially cultural significant ones, only unveil their true meaning once grounded in the hands of a person.

Quitsaq Tarriasuk and the late Simon Makimmak discussing a fishing rod at the McCord Museum. (Source)

Physical, social, and economic barriers can prevent people from attending the collection location and many museums have turned to digitizing their collections for a wider audience. The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto has over 13 million artworks, cultural objects, and natural history specimens and approximately 43,004 have been published online. While not a complete reflection of the collection, it offers a unique glimpse into the collecting habits and considerations of a major institution. It has become a necessity to understand what objects are being held within museums, especially cultural significant or sacred ones. This aids in rectifying possible prior unethical collecting practices by re-opening spaces and conversation for communities to (re)connect and claim sovereignty over their items.

Opening collection spaces allows for the demystification of museum spaces and will only strengthen the public's connection to their past, present, and future. Since a vast majority of museums are colonial institutions, they have a special duty to share their collections with the communities involved and increase physical or technological access. Objects are not and should not be preserved just for people to look at, but experience on their own terms.