DEFYING CONVENTIONS IN THE MUSEUM FIELD AT THE 2016 ISCHOOL STUDENT CONFERENCE

WEEKEND EDITION

BY: MADELINE SMOLARZ

The past two days have gone by in a blur at the iSchool! The 2016 iSchool Student Conference took place from Friday, March 18 to Saturday March 19, the 8th annual edition of this exciting event. This year's theme was "Defying Conventions: Innovative Perspectives in the Information Field," and the Conference attracted not only stellar presentations but also a fantastic turnout of students, faculty, and members of the public.

I will be adopting Cady McLaughlin's 2015 format in her reflections on the Conference last year (in the hopes of establishing a Musings tradition) and give you a Top 10 "In Case You Missed It" list about the 2016 Conference below, with a special focus on MMSt students.

1. Musings' editorial team was well-represented at the Conference on both days. Well done Emily, Annissa, Leah, Anya, Orvis, Rowena, and Kate! I also presented as part of a workshop.

Anya in action. Photo Credit: Madeline Smolarz

2. A number of MMSt students participated in the lunch time poster session on Day 2, presenting their fascinating research on topics ranging from protecting historically significant sites from destruction during war to studying ancient mystery religions.

Sometimes research involves Play-Doh, as Annissa demonstrated with her poster. Photo Credit: Madeline Smolarz

3. There were four types of presentations: panels, lightning talks, workshops, and round tables.

So much to do, so little time! Photo Credit: Madeline Smolarz

4. A member of the MMSt faculty, sessional instructor Hooley McLaughlin, joined 3 other iSchool professors in a lively talk about education in the information field. I still think someone should have taped this raucous conversation!

Professors McLaughlin, Grimes, Furness, and Stevens with moderator Chris. Photo Credit: Madeline Smolarz

5. I was pleasantly surprised by the presence of knitters in the audience, which I think created a soothing effect for nervous presenters. At one point, the needles of two students and iSchool Dean Wendy Duff herself could be seen turning yarn into beautiful knit creations.

Working on a pair of mittens. Photo Credit: Madeline Smolarz

6. Contributing editor Leah Moncada showed us how Musings articles can serve as curated exhibitions. If you're interested, do get in touch with her to learn more about how her work on the Historic Kitchen column has migrated to another site and might even get her published.

She even made us a sallat from the 17th century to try! Photo Credit: Madeline Smolarz

7. The Conference reception was held at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, which was the perfect visually stunning setting to unwind and enjoy some scrumptious food after a busy day.

The majestic stacks of the Thomas Fisher. Photo Credit: Madeline Smolarz.

8. ...Speaking of food, look at this breakfast spread that was provided in the morning of Day 2! Along with the ever-present complimentary coffee and tea, the Conference committee made sure everyone was taken care of.

Just a small part of Saturday's breakfast. Photo Credit: Madeline Smolarz

9. MMSt assistant professor Dr. Cara Krmpotich introduced the Keynote Speaker, Ronald Niezen, who is the Canada Research Chair in the Comparative Study of Indigenous Rights and Identity. She also bravely started off the Q & A following his powerful talk. Niezen spoke about the role of information in its many forms during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's work.

Conference attendees gathered for Ronald Niezen's keynote speech. Photo Credit: Madeline Smolarz

10. Overall, 52% of the presentations were delivered by MMSt students. In terms of numbers, we are a small part of the iSchool community, but we are no less mighty because of it. We proved ourselves to be a powerful force, capable of defying conventions at every turn!

Rowena delivered her enlightening Lightning Talk to a packed room. Photo Credit: Madeline Smolarz

Thank you to everyone who came out and supported MMSt students at the Conference (a special shoutout to my dear parents and aunt who drove 2 hours in traffic to come to my workshop). Everyone who presented should be proud of their accomplishments. Congratulations are also in order for the wonderful Conference organizers -- next year's committee has their work cut out for them.

For updates about next year's Conference, please like the Facebook page and follow on Twitter.

TASTE FOR ART: THE MENUS OF THE SEATTLE ART MUSEUM

BY: PROFESSOR IRINA MIHALACHE

Besides being an innovative and exciting museum, Seattle Art Museum in downtown Seattle houses a restaurant, TASTE, which is known for translating temporary exhibitions on topics ranging from Peruvian Art to Picasso into delicious and reflective menus.  Today, I wish to share with you such a culinary endeavor and contemplate a little bit on the role of food in the museum restaurant. And, of course, remind you that museums are becoming more and more…palatable (literally)! Using taste in the museum to understand history, art and culture is as challenging as it is rewarding, so give it a try (or two)!

TASTE’s most recent culinary creation accompanied an exhibition of Peruvian art, Peru: Kingdoms of the Sun and the Moon, on view at SAM until January 2014.  In a blog entry title ‘A Northwest Twist on Peruvian Cuisine’, the chefs explained their Peruvian-inspired culinary initiative, ‘staying true to the practice of using fresh and local ingredients, the restaurant and catering menus will offer more than 15 new entrees, desserts and cocktails and give our guests a good taste of Peru’s hearty cuisine…served with a northwest twist’. Therefore, the new menu fits into the larger ideological frameworks of the restaurant, which is deeply rooted in a favorite foodie discourse and practice – ethical eating.  The restaurant is not promising an authentic Peruvian experience, willing to sacrifice the “ethnic” discourse in favor of a political engagement with proper production and consumption practices.  

 On the TASTE blog, visitors can find a brief introduction to the exhibition written by the two art curators who developed the show, stating that ‘taking a novel approach to Peruvian art, the thematic organization reveals cross currents of ideas and artistry through time and the symbolic role that art plays in the construction of cultural identity’. In this description, the voice of the museum represented by the curators, points out the innovative take on Peruvian culture, interpreting the exhibition for the visitors as a thematic and cross-cultural display of ‘superb works’. The contact becomes the theme of the menu, which promises ‘a good taste of Peru’s hearty cuisine…served with a northwest twist’.  This preface to the food is an interpretive gesture, solidifying the connection between the art and the food. At the same time, statements by curators, who represent the more authoritative and traditional voice of the institutions, legitimate the menu as a gustatory journey through the exhibition.  

http://www.seattleweekly.com/promo/freestuff/948963-129/peru-art-kingdoms-moon-2013-museum

Heightening the connection between art and food, each dish is presented as the unique creation of one of the chefs of the TASTE team.  For example, ‘inspired by the colors and seasonings of Peruvian cuisine, Chef Craig chose dishes from coastal and inland regions including seafood, steak and potatoes, all complimented with our traditional hearty Northwest Autumn flavors’. The chef’s authorship becomes visible in dishes such as ‘Butter poached gulf prawns | soft polenta, achiote & butternut squash’, ‘Grilled steak & braised potatoes | lacinato kale, piquillo peppers & chimichurri’ and ‘roasted chanterelles red quinoa salad | smoked curado, poached bing cherries, fried sage’. Pastry chef Will Fausser, however, ‘was excited to find inspiration outside the TASTE restaurant local ingredient list and extend his research into Latin America’, which resulted in ‘Alfajores Doughnuts | spices muscovado & chocolate dipping sauce duo’. Lastly, ‘Pisco is considered Peru’s national spirit and Bartender Terrance Burton brings to TASTE the national cocktail – the Pisco Sour’ reinvented into ‘Piscanna sour’, a drink which includes a few creative additions such as Banane de Brazil and Aztec Chocolate Bitters.

This menu represents an interpretation of Peruvian art and culture for an audience who identifies with innovation, creativity, experimentation and, most importantly, a strong ethos of the local.  

SMALL MUSEUMS, BIG PAINTINGS, TERRIBLE DECISIONS?

BY: IRINA MIHALACHE

My title has a question mark because I am wearing several hats while writing this brief comment on a small museum – the Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College (formerly Randolph-Macon Woman’s College), my alma matter, its big paintings (you will know what I mean by “big” in just a few lines) and some decisions which for now we will call terrible. Yes, about the several hats! Well, I write this piece as an alumna of R-MWC, who spent many of hours at the Maier, studying its collections, attending gallery talks, taking class trips and writing about its exhibitions and events in The Sundial (student-run newspaper). At the same time, I write as a professor of museum studies who is aware of the complex and intricate ways in which cultural institutions function, often not autonomous of significant decisions and their rather monumental impacts on local, national and even global communities. And, lastly, I write this as a lover of George Bellows, especially of one of his main works of art, “Men of the Docks,” which, until recently, was happily residing at the Maier.

Maier Museum of Art, Randolph College, Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
http://www.artsjournal.com/culturegrrl/2011/06/randolph_colleges_response_to.html

For a small museum situated on the campus of a small liberal arts college in (yes, you guessed right) a small town in Virginia, the Maier has (or better said, had) an impressive collection. Besides “Men of the Docks,” the museum’s collection also included: Rufino Tamayo’s “Troubadour”, Edward Hicks’ “The Peaceable Kingdom” and Ernest Martin Hennings’ “Through the Arroyo”. In 2007, when R-MWC became Randolph College (and also co-ed) in order to survive financially, the Board of Trustees decided to sell the most famous (and expensive) paintings in the collection to various museums and private collectors. This decision caused many protests from students, professors, and members of the Lynchburg and larger art world community. In this rather painful and divisive context, Bellows’ work, which has been since 1920 one of the most loved and iconic objects for the R-MWC community, became a symbol for the worst that can happen when an educational institution decides that building a new state of the art field is, ironically, more important than art itself (it is the alumna in me talking now). Two days ago, the college announced officially that it has finalized the selling of “Men of the Docks” to the National Gallery in London. 

George Bellows, “Men of the docks” (1912)
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/07/arts/design/a-bellows-painting-
moves-from-virginia-to-london.html

So far, we talked about small museums and big paintings, but what do we make of the decision to sell one of the big paintings to one of the most renowned collections in the world? Is this treasure of American modern art better suited to be exposed in London, where millions of people would enjoy it every year? Does the promise of hosting Randolph College students for summer internship at the National Gallery in London make up for the loss experienced by the community of students, professors, alumnae? Is this a statement about hierarchies of knowledge in North American education? Regardless of which question you believe is more important to answer, this gesture and the grief, debates, protests and struggles it brought along show that objects (be they family heirlooms or paintings worth $25.5 million) are attached to place and to community, they are part of cultural heritage and they define personal identities. My own identity as a professor of museum studies was very much shaped by “Men of the Docks,” as I remember, as an undergraduate student, having a wow moment sitting in front of this painting. Coming from Romania, I knew very little about American culture, and Bellows gave me one of my first lessons about American history at the turn of the century. Further, it taught me about the importance of historical and cultural context when thinking about any object or work of art. It would be great to know that other generations of Randolph College women (and, since 2007, men) could have access to the same heritage and inspiration as I did. From this perspective, selling big paintings located in small museums is quite a terrible choice. 

For more information about this story, please find below a few extra sources:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/07/arts/design/a-bellows-painting-moves-from-virginia-to-london.html
http://www.newsadvance.com/news/local/randolph-college-sells-famous-george-bellows-painting/article_712b17c6-8fa7-11e3-8efa-0017a43b2370.html
http://www.artsjournal.com/culturegrrl/2012/06/men_of_the_docks_revisited_bel.html http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/02/arts/design/02gallery.html

PROFESSOR IRINA MIHALACHE: BREAD AND THE MUSEUM

Last April, my sister and I decided to take a much deserved trip to San Francisco.  We wined, dined, walked (on very steep roads) and of course made our way to as many museums as we could.  We visited the Museum of Modern Art, the Natural History Museum, the de Young Museum and even the Beat Museum but the one that stayed with me for reasons which will very soon be obvious is the Boudin Bakery Museum (Boudin Bakery is a SF landmark known particularly for their sourdough breads).  If you have been to SF, you probably made it to Fisherman’s Wharf, and probably, just like me, complained extensively about its extreme consumerist and simulacra-like aesthetics and feel.  Nonetheless, in that hyper-touristy, rather smelly (yeap, those seals are cute, but cuteness comes with a price!) and kitschy environment I lived one of my most memorable museological experiences.  

Museum sign http://kathryngeraghty.wordpress.com/2011/01/24/
an-historic-walk-through-fishermans-wharf-in-san-francisco/  

Like many other people, we entered the Boudin Bakery because of the sweet, savory and mesmerizing sourdough aroma.  Once inside, we noticed, at the top of the staircase which led visitors to the second floor restaurant, a sign towards a space labeled Boudin Museum & Bakery Tour.  Not expecting much, we entered the room and were welcomed by a most complementary pairing of objects, texts and, most importantly, smell and taste.  The museum tells the story of the Boudin family, who immigrated to the US from Burgundy, France during the Gold Rush, bringing along bread baking techniques from Europe.  Since 1849, when the bakery opened in San Francisco, the same “mother dough” has been used in all its baked sourdough breads.  Besides my own personal fascination with bread, the incredible smell of fresh baked goodness (I did not mention yet that the museum is situated on top of the baking kitchen) and the various bread samples to taste throughout the museum, the space is probably the most interactive I have ever seen in a small museum.  

History of the Boudin family hallway/entrance to the museum
http://www.boudinbakery.com/Museum/Bakery_Tour

The museum is a proof (no pun intended – ha!) that there is no requirement for the use of fancy technology in order for visitors to engage with museum objects, the space itself and the various sensorial cues.  For example, the visitor finds out that at the turn of the century, Boudin was delivering French sourdough baguettes to private residence by hammering the baguette into a nail located on the outside door of the home.  In the museum, the visitors can pin a baguette to a door, relive the historic experience and also think at the ways in which we purchase bread in our own times.  In another part of the museums, visitors can learn about the different types of Boudin breads by opening small wooden doors and tasting certain types of bread.  And of course, at the end of the visit, travellers can take a peek into the kitchen and buy some bread on their way out.  

Boudin Bakery bread delivery cart 

http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Rising-at-the-wharf-

Owners-of-historic-Boudin-2635937.php#photo-2117327

Despite the location of the museum on the second floor of a bakery (so a commercial institution), the work and research put into crafting history through moments of engagement with objects, smells and tastes is obvious throughout  the museum.  Many museums struggle with creating meaningful experiences – often, the answer is in the simplicity and diversity of engagement strategies.  And, of course, the smell and taste of sourdough bread helps!