A FINAL FAREWELL: LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

Letter from the Editor | Jordan Fee & Alexandra Forand

Hello Musings readers! At the Faculty of Information, many changes have occurred over the past couple of weeks due to the precautions taken In response to CoVid-19, but one thing that has remained the same is the Musings! We always strive to provide you with great content throughout the school year, and we have not stopped! We, your outgoing editors-in-chief, wanted to take a moment and reflect on this past semester and acknowledge all the hard work of our team of incredibly talented contributing editors.

Without further ado let’s get started!

Ally: Jordan, has your 2020 been “roaring?”

Jordan: Well, it’s been exciting to say the least! Although the return of the 20s has not been quite as smooth as we might have expected, it is important to remember that this decade holds some incredible potential for all of us in the museum field! We’ve been lucky to feature incredible articles from some of our contributing editors that examine the relationship between the 1920s and our current age. From Natalie’s article about fashion in the 1920’s, to Carys’s exploration of Toronto during this iconic decade, we’ve seen an incredible burst of energy and talent from all of our editors on the Musings team. Even just this week, we published an article by Martin about the Canadian scientist Frederick Banting, who in 1923 won a Nobel Prize for the discovery of insulin. Talk about topical!

Photo courtesy of Natalie Heaton

Ally: And for every article that took us back in time, there was an article that looked to current events. A few of my favourites were Michelle’s latest article discussing what museums are doing in the face of the pandemic, Amelia’s article theorizing the queer museum, and Elizabeth’s alumni check in with Kristen McLaughlin where they discussed the evolving role of museums in Canada.

Jordan: Speaking of the evolving role of museums, I was incredibly excited that Defne continued her series on teaching climate change in the museum, as this is perhaps one of the most complicated issues of our time. Knowing that there is a generation of museum workers who are dedicated to exploring difficult topics such as this one makes me incredibly hopeful. While I am sad to be ending my time in the Museum Studies program, I cannot wait to join all of my new colleagues in the professional field!

Also, I would be remiss not to mention the fantastic articles that Madison has produced on the current state of the GLAM sector! Increased collaboration between galleries, libraries, archives and museums is one of the other ways in which our industry can improve, and I feel glad to know that others support this idea as well.

Ally: While we are seeing the evolution of the museum field, it is comforting to know the field is concentrating on improving themselves with the basics. For instance, Jessica showed us simple ways to enhance storage in museums and Jaime showed us how beneficial it can be to bring in visitors to the collection.

Jordan: Also, Samantha, enlightened us on how fundraising effects and is affected by every single person in the museum!

Ally: It certainly is strange knowing that we are so close to completing our time in the program. Even more so, it feels odd to be leaving the Musings team after two years of fun times and community building! I don’t think that either of us expected to be in the role of Editor-in-Chief when we began the program, but now I couldn’t imagine it any other way. Whether we were producing content, running story workshops with our Communications Officer Erika or having end-of-semester brunch celebrations, we took every opportunity to increase Musings’s presence in the Faculty of Information! While we are sad to be leaving our posts, we cannot wait to see what next year’s editors produce!

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☕️🥞Annual Holiday Brunch with the Musings Editorial Team🥞☕️

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Jordan: While this semester signalled a lot of endings, we also had a lot of new beginnings. Melissa established a brand new column discussing GLAM and wellness, the Museum Professionals of Color (MPOC) was established and they held their first panel around the theme of “Museum Detox,” and many, many exhibition openings! I particularly enjoyed Elizabeth’s review of the Winnie the Pooh exhibition at the ROM, Mary’s review of Waiting for Snow at the Art Museum of University of Toronto, Dominica and Lindsay’s experience of the "Vertical Intersections Installation, Workshop & Pok¡ Launch," at Mackenzie House, and Erika’s narrative surrounding New Circadia (adventures in Mental Spelunking) at the Design and Architecture Gallery. 

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ICYMI: on Thursday, March 12, MPOC hosted our first ever panel in collaboration with @mussauoft! The goal of our Museum Detox panel was to foster dialogue about removing social barriers in museum and implementing anti-racist praxis. It was an incredible privilege to listen to the perspectives of our three panelists, Wendy Ng, J’net Ayay Qwa Yak Sheelth, and @justjohnforreal. Thank you to everyone who helped us achieve this groundbreaking step in our journey, from our MPOC members, to staff, faculty, and all the beautiful people watching. Here’s to continuing to learn, grow, and change the world together. If you couldn’t be there, not to worry! You can watch the livestream video at the link in our bio ❤️ • • • • #museumstudies #museumhue #diversity #inclusion #museums #uoft #toronto #art #history #culture #intersectionality #museumsarenotneutral

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Ally: Speaking of exhibition openings, a number of us second years were involved in researching, curating, and installing our own exhibitions as a part of our final projects for MSL 4000. Check out Carly’s article about the Shelley Peterson Student Exhibition she and her team curated. 

Jordan: How could I forget! It was so rewarding to watch all of the second-year students produce their capstone projects for the program. I feel incredibly lucky to have worked alongside such dedicated and talented individuals, and I cannot wait to see which projects we begin to work on next! Although many of us will be leaving Toronto to return home, I know that we will work collectively to improve the state of museums in Canada. Perhaps we will all be lucky enough to return for the 100th year anniversary of the Museum Studies program, just like we celebrated the 50th in 2019!

Ally: Agreed! As for now we are content with bringing some interesting articles to our readers, whether it be Val teaching us about different digital tools to help museums create applicable and accessible narratives, or Emma brightening our day with stories of historical events, Musings will always be here to catch you up, no matter the circumstances!

With that, we better say our thank you's and goodbyes. We can honestly say being Editors-in-chief of Musings was one of the greatest experiences we had during our time at the Faculty of Information. We want to thank our wonderful team of contributing editors, Erika, our fabulous communications officer (and your incoming Co-Editor-in-Chief with Jaime Meier) , and you, the readers, none of this would be possible without you. 

ANCIENT DNA: A LINK TO THE PAST

Breaking the Glass Case | Alexandra Forand 

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It would not be a stretch for me to say that one of museums’ major roles is to illuminate human history. Many museums do this by using timelines or installing a linear progression through exhibits. The first thing audiences see when entering The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) is the massive, multimedia timeline with 100 points in history. While the CMHR’s timeline spans the globe there are timelines that focus on a particular topic, such as a place, a phenomenon, or a certain group of people. For instance, the Royal Saskatchewan Museum (RSM) First Nations Gallery traces the history of the first peoples in Saskatchewan, starting nearly 6,000 years ago to present day.

The CMHR's gallery with the timeline on the left (Source).

The timeline that is present the RSM shows a direct link between the people who were present 6,000 years ago to the people present on the land today. With the employment of science when conducting historical and archeological research, especially the study of DNA pulled from ancient humans (known as aDNA), this idea has become doubly enforced. You see, aDNA promotes a different kind of timeline.

The study of, understanding, and potential for ancient DNA has rapidly advanced, providing important insights into a range of biological, historical, and social questions. The study of aDNA has illuminated many answers to questions such as disease, migration patterns, impacts of European colonization and much more, it isn’t without its controversies—namely the ethical issues of collecting human genetic material of the past. 

A hotly debated topic amongst scientists is the peopling of North America, a question aDNA could potentially answer (Source). 

There have been numerous instances reported where scientists have used samples without permission, disregarded customs of communities, and resisted obtaining any form of consent from the people involved in studies (in some cases, these people were involved involuntarily). In 2013, Ian Mosby, an assistant professor at Ryerson, revealed that a number of highly unethical nutritional experiments were performed on children at six residential schools between 1942 and 1952. In turn, Indigenous communities have had to become sceptical of any sort of scientific and social testing to protect themselves, communities, and autonomy.

Ripan Malhi, a molecular anthropologist at the University of Illinois, is part of an effort to change this relationship. In 2011, Malhi helped found the Summer Internship for Indigenous Peoples in Genomics (SING), a weeklong program funded by the National Institute of Health and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The program both aims to train indigenous scientists, but also so bring their much needed perspective to the research. In 2018, SING faculty and alumni publishes ethical guidelines for genomics studies, which call for community engagement, pose questions to tackle, and protocols on how to handle samples and data. You will notice these protocols are very much focused on the present communities and the future of genomics research. But, what about the science of the past? The ethical concerns of research are often not applied to aDNA studies, even though they have implications rooted in the present.

But this is changing.

In October of 2019, the National Science Foundation has awarded 350, 882$ to a collaborative team from the University of Connecticut, The Denver Museum of Nature and and independent scholars across the United States, Europe and Canada. 

(Source.)

“In many cases, aDNA studies continue to fall in a gray area of ethical oversight, despite greater awareness by researchers of the potential pitfalls,” says Deborah Bolnick, associate professor of anthropology at UConn. “With this project, we will include Indigenous leaders in the conversation alongside researchers to attempt to build an ethical framework that encourages positive, collaborative relationships between scientists and Indigenous communities.”

The team hopes to develop resources to enable informed decision making for researchers and indigenous communities in North America.
Both this project and SING inform how research is being done with, for, and by Indigenous communities pertaining to tracing history through DNA. The significance of these interventions cannot be over stated and affect the way the general public understands certain histories of Indigenous communities.

What are your thoughts? I really want to know! Leave a comment or if Twitter and Instagram are more your speed my handle on both is @Ally_but_online.

IS THIS THE FUTURE YOU WANT

Breaking the Glass Case | Alexandra Forand

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A valid statement. Source. 

As my time at Musings winds down, I’m faced with the same feeling every person goes through when their contract is up, graduation is looming, or it is simply time to move on. I am supposed to enjoy this stomach-lurching, fear inducing, excitement producing haze I am in, right? I am also supposed to be tying up loose ends, by finishing projects, saying thank you to the people who have helped me, and, yes of course, writing one last article for Musings that is poignant, encompassing, and has an air of editorial sign-off.

This is not that article, because I have never intended to, nor want to write that article for this column.

I created this column in Winter of 2018, when the largest institutions in Canada such as the Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the National Gallery of Canada began implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action, land acknowledgments were standard practise, and Indigenous voices were being sought out. I considered this an optimistic period pertaining to Indigenous presence in Cultural Heritage Organizations. My head was filled with the teachings of Ruth Phillips and Amy Lonetree and I was high on the promise of better things to come.

In the past two years while writing this column, I’ve seen incredible strides in the state of Canada's relationships with Indigenous peoples, such as acts of repatriation from collections, language remediation programs in galleries, and the state of Canada (finally!) signing on to United Nations Declaration of the Rights if Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). I have seen incredible grassroots projects operating outside the museum that start the conversation of reconciliation, understanding, and knowledge sharing.

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The amount of hate I have witnessed these past few weeks is honesty draining, but the amount of Love I have felt in these circles overpowers that hate any day. Love. Love for my people, my community, my ancestors. That is why we do this for the future generations, we do this for Aki, for Nibi, Mother Earth. #wetsuwetenstrong #westandwithwetsuweten #alleyesonwetsuweten

A post shared by Alannah Mckay (@alannahmercedes) on Feb 26, 2020 at 4:55pm PST

And now I’m leaving at potentially one of the most complicated times in the state of Canadian’s history with Indigenous peoples. One of the most pressing issues, as I write this article, is the events surrounding Wet’suwet’en. I don’t presume to know your relationship with these events-- you might have been affected by the blockades, angered by the inconveniences, apathetic towards the situation, participated in solidarity, either by going to a protest, giving money, or making support known through social media, or you might fluctuate between all these scenarios. I’m not going to pretend I am expert on what is happening and instead I am going to turn to the people who are far more educated and articulate on the matter than I.

Another flashpoint of this topic I would be remised to mention is the murder of Colten Boushie, a young Cree Man from Saskatchewan, and the acquittal of his murderer by the court of law. Tasha Hubbard weaves the events of the narrative with the stark history of colonialism on the Prairies in her documentary nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up.

A still from Tasha Hubbard's documentary nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up. Source. 

These are only two examples of incredible negligence, racism, and continued violence from the media, the colonial government, and the bystanders that are complicit in these events by proudly branding themselves “Canadians.”

An institution that has been quiet on these issues is museums. It wasn’t until the morning of February 26, 2020 when the silence was broken with the words “Is this the future you want,” scrawled on the Canadian Museum of Human Rights (CMHR) in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

This is not a question, but a statement, a review, and above all, a challenge. The brave, unknown person who manifested this thought into existence through red spray paint, was pleading with the only institution that they thought would listen. The only institution who is tasked with witnessing, preserving, and publicising events, like the ones that are happening in Canada and what will be considered history. The unknown person, like me and many people across Canada, is asking: When you are the museum that is tasked with the enhancement of the public's understanding of human rights, promoting respect for others and encouraging reflection and dialogue, how dare you stay silent.

In response, on  the CMHR Facebook page these questions were posed:

 What path do you see to a better future where everyone’s rights can be respected? How can we create that future together?”

In answering the unknown person and everyone they represent, I say no, the present we have now is not the reflective of the future I want. In conclusion,   dear reader, I’m going to rephrase the question the CMHR asked: “What path (or steps) have you taken to ensure an equitable future? What more can you do? As always, you can leave a comment,  or if Twitter and Instagram are more your speed my handle on both is @Ally_but_online.

COLONIAL COPYRIGHT?: OPENING DOORS AND CREATING BARRIERS

Breaking the Glass Case | Alexandra Forand 

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Earlier this semester, I wrote an article about the Sarr/Savoy report called “What Does it Look Like to Decolonize Cultural Heritage.” In this article, I discuss the Sarr/Savory report and its three components. The component I would like to discuss further in this article, is the digital aspect of the report.

The Sarr/Savoy report requests that museums with African material culture (in France) complete a full inventory of the items they hold, send the lists to relevant African countries to claim their heritage, and publish these inventories online by Spring 2019. Essentially, the Sarr/Savoy report is calling for these museums to digitize their collection on mass and very quickly. At first glance, this proposal is exciting and revolutionary ! To think, not only are the objects going back to their rightful community, but the general public is able to have free, unfettered access to these treasures!

Wait, wait, wait, I caution you to not fall into this line of thinking.

Last year at this time Selin Kahramanoglu wrote an article entitled “Digitization to the Rescue,” where she outlines the limitations of the digital approach to conservation, but I would like to touch on the colonial implications of digitization.

Creating a digital object. Source. 

We have to remember that these object, including culturally sensitive objects, were removed from their communities and brought to colonial institutions that proliferated a narrative of dominance for the means of control. Culturally sensitive objects were stripped of their original meaning and forced on display to be gawked at by a foreign audience. When a museum moves to digitize a culturally sensitive object, either by taking a photograph or a 3D scan, they are creating a digital object, which is inherently tricky. In many cases, culturally sensitive objects do not lend themselves to digitization. It is easy to take a picture of a culturally sensitive object, but an image cannot convey the personhood or the intangible nature of that object.

Furthermore, the museum now owns that digital object that was created because of copyright, and they can exclude people from using it, charge people to access it, decide how to use, edit, and curate the image. Inherently, copyright is a tool and a product of colonialism.

The “Open by Default” Journey of Auckland Museum’s Collections Online -https://t.co/7Ux4kCNvDM

Making Room for Native American Voices - https://t.co/sExfShSTiC

— Museopunks (@Museopunks) December 19, 2019

Now, I hear what you are about to say: “Why don’t these museums make these digital objects open access?” and in the words of Ed Rodley of the podcast Museopunks “How can it possibly be anything other than good to have more access? More access is more gooder, right?”

It is true, open access can open doors and many museums are transitioning to an open access model, but it can also be a barrier for certain audiences who are digitally remote. Secondly, open access can be seen as an over correction, because these culturally sensitive objects are now available to the people they were taken from… and everyone else. Once again, culturally sensitive objects have a personhood and protocol associated with their being. In some case, not all, culturally sensitive objects should be handled by certain groups of people or at certain times of the year, and these protocols do not dissipate because the object is digitized. 

While these Arctic objects are owned by the Smithsonian Institute, they are pictured at the new Smithsonian Arctic Studied Centre in the Anchorage Museum. Source 

While, I do not have a quick fix for this problem I want to finish this article by suggesting an approach to digitization. Firstly, if you choose to digitize culturally sensitive objects consult the community the object came from on how they would like the copyright managed. Even better if you are able to turn the copyright over to the community. Also, if you are a part of an institution that is beginning to digitize I would encourage you to ask why. Why are you digitizing this object? What audiences are you trying to reach by digitizing? Are you the best person to tell this communities story through the object? Lastly, know that the process of digitization should not be fast and that there is an argument for slow digitization. Digitization may be the future, but it doesn’t have to be.

What are your thoughts on digitization? I want to know! Please leave me a comment below or via twitter, my handle is @ally_but_online.

ICYMI: UPDATING THE GLASS CASE

Breaking the Glass Case | Alexandra Forand 

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I have been writing Breaking the Glass Case for over a year now, and in this role I’ve written 15 articles, or at least this will be lucky number 15. Most of my articles tend to rely on current events and I thought I would take a moment and look back on a few articles I have written in the past year, provide some updates, and fill you, dear readers, in on some behind the scenes commentary on why I chose to write these articles.

In April and May of 2019, I released a two-part article on the importance, materiality, and future of the Buffalo titled “Buffing up on Buffalo,” and “Bringing Back the Buffalo.” These articles were originally based off a material heritage portfolio for Professor Cara Kmpotich's MSL 2360: Museums and Indigenous Communities, Changing Relationships Changing Practises. Being from the Prairies, it was important for me to integrate my home into the project. At one time, the Prairies were home to millions of buffalo and the Prairie Peoples relied greatly on these animals, but through disease, drought, and over hunting the buffalo population rapidly declined to near extinction. Recently, communities and government have come together to restore these numbers. I discuss a few enumerations attempts in the original articles, but there has been many others this year alone! On January 7, 2020 Zagime Anishinabek First Nation were gifted 22 bison from Peepeekisis Cree Nation. On January 17, 2020, six calves from Grassland National Park in southern Saskatchewan were unveiled in Wanuskewin. Overtime, this heard is expected to about 50 animals.

Photo courtesy of Michelle Wright. 

In March 2019, I wrote an article entitled “ We Need to Talk, or Not: Language in Museums as a Form of Control.” In, what could be considered my favourite article I have written (thus far), I discuss the International Year of Indigenous Language and its importance. Since then, there have been numerous projects and programs that share this spirit.  Dawnis Kennedy and Anna Parenteau created an Ojibway book and board game called “Boogidi,”which translates to fart, and is potentially one of my favourite instances of language sharing! The pair have been working on the book for three years and the card game for two years. Kennedy and Parenteau, say that the book and card game will teach learners of any skill to think quickly in the language and conjugate verbs.

On CBC North, Betsy Longchamp and Mary Shem have launched the first podcast that uses  Woodland Cree, called Wiih'teh. The pair, discuss  how the Woodland Cree language has evolved,  use Woodland Cree words to discuss the weather, seasons, and other stories, and hope the podcast will encourage children and other young people to learn and speak Cree. you can listen to episode 1: Weather here and episode 2: Names here!

This past summer at Poundmaker Cree Nation (SK), Lanny Real Bird taught a multi-day language camp focusing on Plains Sign Language (PSL). PSL is a historical means of communicating between groups who did not speak the same oral language, and it is still used today. The goal of the gathering ways to teach and preserve this important language tool.

"Sun" in Prairie Sign Language. Source. 

In July 2019, I wrote an article entitled “An Argument for Something Else”: Corrective Art History Right Now." In the article, I discussed Corrective Art History, both what it is and why it is important. This year, the Metropolitan Museum of Art exercised Corrective Art history by installing two of Kent Monkman’s painting, Welcoming the Newcomers and Resurgence of the People. These pieces display a broader perspective of history and culture, challenges art history’s colonial narratives, and provokes the audience to acknowledging the shared history.

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About last night: it was brilliantly fun #repinOCADU last night at the opening of Kent Monkman's @kentmonkman new installation “mistikôsiwak (Wooden Boat People),” now on view in The Great Hall of the @metmuseum. Thanks @ocaduniversity for the opportunity. Miss Chief Eagle Testickle represented with their wonderful creation story and told the diverse audience of over 600 people of the Indigenous fight for sovereignty from Colonization and gender discrimination. The Silver Cloud drummers and singers' invocation was moving. I am so honored that I got to be there for this historical occasion. If the Met can recognize that they are on Indigenous lands (Lenape and many others). Thank you @jimsearle for guiding me through the evening including the afterparty. I met so many new amazing people and experienced the power of @hoaxcouture design as everyone was in love with my gharara pants. #MetKentMonkman #MetGreatHall

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In November 2019, I wrote an article entitled, "Who Cares: Caring for Spiritual Elements of Objects in Museum Collections." This article had been rolling in my head for nearly a year before I actually sat down to write it. In this article I discussed the action taken by museum professionals to care for not only the physical, but the spiritual elements of objects in collections. This year, at the Yale Art Gallery a show called "Place, Nations, Generations, Beings," is taking place until June 20, 2020. The show displays two centuries worth of First Nation artwork, but even before the artwork was installed the three curators, Katherine Nova McCleary (Little Shell Chippewa-Cree), Leah Tamar Shrestinian, and Joseph Zordan (Bad River Ojibwe) give thanks to the artifacts In the show.

 In the curator catalogue they write to the artwork, "thank you, for allowing us to visit with you, hold you, and speak to you. Thank you for teaching us." 

I greatly enjoyed writing these articles, and I am so very happy that I have the opportunity to go back, update them with new content, and supplement them with my thought process. If you have any other updates, I want to know! Please leave me a link in the comments or via twitter, my handle is @ally_but_online. 

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO DECOLONIZE CULTURAL HERITAGE?

Breaking the Glass Case | Alexandra Forand 

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In 2017 Emanuel Macron, the prime minister of France, toured Africa and declared that France would begin to “decolonize cultural heritage.” At the time, this comment was thought of as political politeness and an attempt at forgetting France’s colonial past. Despite the doubt, it only took a couple months to enlist academics and researchers, Bénédicte Savoy and Felwine Sarr, to pen what would become the Sarr/Savoy report, also known as Rapport sur la restitution du patrimoine culturel africain (the report on the Restitution of African Cultural Heritage).

Le musée du quai Branley-Jacque Chirac (Source).

Dear readers, I have become interested (if not, down-right obsessed) with this report. The Sarr/Savoy report is made up of three parts. The first part outlines the reasons why and how these African artifacts were forcefully removed from their communities and brought to France. In the report, the acts of colonization are presented as acts of violence and domination. The report uses language that is forceful and honest. In regards to the return of these stolen items, Sarr and Savoy do not frame it as a debate, but rather a command.

At one time, France occupied almost every continent, and the subsequent collecting practises can still be viewed in French museums today. (Source). 

The second part of the report requests museums with African heritage (in France) to complete a full inventory of the items they hold, send the lists to relevant African countries to claim their heritage, and publish these inventories online by Spring 2019 (Stay tuned, we are going to discuss this aspect of the report more in depth in a future article)!

The third aspect of of the report states that starting November 2022, France will be returning all claimed artifacts. 

While the Benin Bronzes residing in France have been at the centre of restitution talks, the one pictured above is actually a little closer to home... The National Museum of Natural History, Washington DC. (Source).

You don’t have to tell me that this is a tall order to fill. The thought of a huge institution undertaking an inventory which would be completed in a year is down-right preposterous. The report puts an undo onus on museums, that quite frankly aren’t up to the task. This is clear example of optimistic academia avoiding the bleak reality museums face. Beyond the report's do ability there is a huge legal component to this restitution of property, namely: is it even legal?

I’m sad to say, it is not.

According to French law, public museum collections are deemed ‘inalienable’ by law, meaning that no single item can be permanently removed without changes in legislature. This is not to say this has not been done before. For instance, in 2002 Saartjie Baartman’s remains were returned to South Africa and in 2010 sixteen Maori heads were returned to New Zealand.

So, if the Sarr/Savoy report is so unattainable, why am I even writing about it? Well dear reader, this report is special. Firstly, it gives an unflinching account of French colonialism in parts of Africa, accounts that should be known and considered in the 21st century. Canada has yet to create an account such as this in any legal document when considering our own colonial history.

Secondly, the Sarr/Savoy report establishes a comprehensive universal framework for the return of artifacts to cultural groups. I’m not saying this framework is perfect, but it is one of the first of its kind and should be thought of as best practises for musuem collections. Returning artifacts to their homeland is never easy or simple and requires trust, cooperation, and should be built on a foundation of relationships and knowledge exchange that does not begin or end with restitution of artifacts. With that being said, this report is ground breaking and is an important document to consult when discussing restitution in any colonial state.

What are your thoughts? I really want to know! Leave a comment or if Twitter and Instagram are more your speed my handle on both is @Ally_but_online.

CHATTING BY THE FIREPLACE WITH MUSINGS AND MUSSA

Letter from the Editor | Alexandra Forand, Jordan Fee, Natalie Heaton and Emma Puddicombe

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Source. 

Well, it’s that time of year again. The wind is blowing, the snow is falling, and we are finished with yet another semester in the Museum Studies program! Since the last time we spoke with you, fellow Musers, so much has gone on that we thought we would invite the President and Vice-President of the Museum Studies Student Association (MUSSA) to chat with us and highlight all of the wonderful things that have taken place this semester!

Photo Courtesy of Erika Serodio

Photo Courtesy of Emma Puddicombe 

Without further ado, let’s get started!

Jordan: Emma, Natalie, it’s so nice to have you here with us! How are you feeling now that the semester is over?

Emma: It’s been a long semester, but such a great one! The students have all been so ready to interact with each other and take part in events on campus, and the articles Musings has published have been a joy to read every week. Our colleagues are so creative and hardworking. It’s weird to think we’ll be starting our last semester of this program in just a few weeks!

Natalie: Over the past few months I’ve been trying to push myself to try new things and meet new people! As a result, I’ve met incredible people, done amazing things, I’m really happy with how the semester went.

Ally: This is true, much has passed in just a span of 3 months. And what a whirlwind it has been! It seems like only yesterday that Jordan and I published our first articles as Editors-and-Chiefs of Musings. You can check those out here and here. How time flies!

Soure.

Jordan: Right you are! I bet the contributing editors who joined our team in September agree with you. As always, I am blown away with the breadth of articles. This semester Dominica took us on an adventure when she examined the unique programming at Black Creek Pioneer Village, Michelle had a frightfully good time at the “Bloodsuckers” at the Royal Ontario Museum, and Mary analysed “Age of you” at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA).

Photo Courtesy of Mary Wallace. 

Photo courtesy of Alexandra Forand 

Emma: Musings also went beyond museums when Carly W. explored community engagement at Community Arts Guild, Jaime investigated Library and Archives Canada (LAC) digitization projects in collaboration with the Nunavummiut, and Carys pointed out the various displays of art on the streets of Toronto and their importance.

Photo courtesy of Katherine Fleitas/peacephoto

Jordan: Of course, we can’t forget about Natalie’s article about the Ottawa Field Trip! While I was sad to miss it, the consensus seems to be that it was a fantastic trip! What were your favourite parts about it?

Photo courtesy of Natalie Heaton. 

Ally: I quite enjoyed seeing all the museums’ galleries and the stories they told with their objects. I know Carly H. would agree with me that objects can tell very powerful stories. I was also interested in the inner workers of those museums. It is not every day that you get to see museums’ collections, libraries, and research centres, as discussed by Madison!

Emma: I’m just so happy that the students who joined the trip made such great connections with the professionals we met. It’s so great seeing first-hand how much museum professionals, especially alumni, want to support us as we start our careers! Elizabeth’s check-in with Britt Braaten was especially interesting to read.

Photo courtesy of Britt Braaten.

Natalie: I will remember the relationships that I formed and the ones I strengthened with my classmates. I also loved taking in all the museums, talking to the museum professionals, and getting to go behind the scenes! The behind-the-scene tour of the Canadian History Museum was a particular standout.

Jordan: Well, I still have many fond memories of the trip to Montreal last year, and from the sounds of it, the trip to Ottawa was just as great. I think that these trips are a fantastic way for new students to form a community.

Ally: Musings is great for this as well, because that is what we aim to do! Whether that be a professional community, as seen through Samantha’s latest article interviewing Dale Butterill from the Women's Arts Association of Canada. Musings is also a great way to process current events through an important lens. I was partial to Amy’s latest article discussing the monumentalization of the Stonewall Inn, and Joanna’s take on female artists (or lack-there-of) in art museums.

Photo courtesy of Amelia Smith. 

Nathalie: I am excited to see where Defne will go with her series about museums representing climate change as well as Jessica’s series on collection storage solutions… on a budget!

Illustration courtesy of Defne Inceoglu. 

Illustration courtesy of Jessica Lanziner.

Jordan: And of course, Musings cannot exist without the help of MUSSA! It has been so fantastic seeing the two of you lead the pack this year; I truly think that the dynamic you’ve formed with the students in the faculty is incredible.

Ally: Especially now that we’re headed into the final semester of our time in the program, it is comforting to know that we have such a strong support system.

With that being said, I think it’s best that we leave our readers and give them some time to relax. Musings will be on hiatus for the rest of December, but keep an eye out in early January for new posts! In the meantime, don't forget to check our Emma’s article about holiday traditions and if you still need to do some holiday shopping head on over to Erika’s Gift Guide for Museum people! 

Happy Holidays! From our family to yours! Photo courtesy of Alexandra Forand.