MAKING MUSINGS PART 2: STRENGTHENING A FOUNDATION, SHAPING A PROFESSIONAL TRAJECTORY

Letter from the Editor | Madeline Smolarz

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This is the second post of a five part series in celebration of the Master of Museum Studies program at the University of Toronto's 50th anniversary (MMSt50). To reflect on Musings' past, present, and future, we invited all previous Editors-in-Chief to return to Musings to write special Letter from the Editor posts. These articles will highlight the significance of Musings both within the MMSt program, and for writers' professional careers. Madeline Smolarz was the second Editor-in-Chief of Musings from 2015-2016.

This is my 25th article for Musings, and quite likely my last for a long time.

I was a Musings’ contributing editor under the leadership of pioneering Editor in Chief (EiC) Jaime Clifton-Ross from 2014-2015 before becoming EiC of Musing myself from 2015-2016. I’m the second EiC to write a retrospective of my time with the blog in celebration of Musings’ 5 years of outstanding history, and I’m both thrilled and proud to have the privilege to return.

I knew I had massive, if not astronomical shoes to fill taking on this role following Jaime. You’ve already read her wonderful reflection piece, so you know what I’m talking about! Though altering the formula she had perfected in any way terrified me, the number of contributing editors grew and the number of columns we published did as well. As much as my contributors (patiently) allowed, I did my best to be an involved and supportive EiC. For example, my dear friend and Historic Kitchen writer Leah Moncada let me taste-test her cooking escapades, while another equally lovely friend and Sew What writer Anya Baker interviewed me for a piece discussing curating personal style.

L to R – Leah Moncada, Anya Baker, and Madeline Smolarz at the 2016 MMSt Year End Party hosted at Campbell House.
Photo courtesy of Madeline Smolarz.

As I cast my mind back to some of my other memorable moments of my time as EiC, my most ambitious blog post was definitely “3 Exhibitions In 1 Day, Brought To You By Canada’s National Museums.” I remember having this thought as I conceived of the trip from Toronto to Ottawa; as I sat on the train,; as I tromped around Ottawa in winter,; and as I wrote that beast of a post. No one else had ever written a review of three exhibitions at once, and as tricky as it was to bring all of those threads together at times, it was such a thrill of a challenge that I’d do it all over again!

Ottawa in the winter is no joke, but I would climb mountains of snow to spend a day in one of Canada’s national museums any time. Photo courtesy of Madeline Smolarz.

Musings has without a doubt positively impacted my professional life. Musings gave me the opportunity to transform my academic skills to writing and editing for the public about something I sincerely loved in an accessible, entertaining, and educational manner. I believe that every piece of writing I’ve produced since, from exhibition text to emails to colleagues, has been coloured by the way in which my Musings’ experience elevated my abilities. The social media skills I gained were also immensely useful. After completing the MMSt program, I started working at the Craigleith Heritage Depot, where I had to establish a media presence from scratch. I would’ve been overwhelmed if it wasn’t for my year overseeing the Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages my predecessor Jaime had already established.

View this post on Instagram

Starting off #snbTO at @gardinermuseum with "Silent Knight"! #musingsmmst #lego #sculpture

A post shared by Musings - MMSt Student Blog (@musingsmmst) on Oct 3, 2015 at 4:16pm PDT

Above is the first of several posts I shared to Musings’ Instagram when I led the first live-gram session in its history during Nuit Blanche 2015.

I’ve since taken my writing and social media abilities to Ruthven Park National Historic Site - where I led nearly all communications as Operations Coordinator - and to the City of Kingston, where I currently work overseeing operations at three museums and historic sites. The portfolio of excellent writing that I cultivated, the skills that were fostered by my roles with Musings, and the passion for leadership that I developed have absolutely been a huge benefit and confidence-booster for me as I’ve pursued my career in Ontario’s museum world thus far.

Madeline Smolarz on the job at the City of Kingston’s MacLachlan Woodworking Museum in July 2018.
Photo courtesy of Francesca Pang.

As I can now not seem to live without blogging, I’m currently serving a three-year term (2016-2019) as the Communications Chair of the Group of Ontario Emerging Museum Professionals (GOEMP) Committee; one of my responsibilities is overseeing the GOEMP Website’s Blog. At the time of writing this blog post, we’ve partnered with Fleming College’s Museum Management and Curatorship program to share 4 exceptional pieces of writing by current students on various museological topics. To borrow Marie Kondo’s phrase, it sparks joy in me to broadcast emerging museum professionals’ voices in this way, and I hope to continue to have a hand in it for many years to come in order to keep paying my experience forward.

L to R – Alison Ward, Lisa Terech, Diane Pellicone, Madeline Smolarz, and Will Hollingshead representing the 2016-2019 GOEMP Committee at the 2017 Ontario Museum Association Conference in Kingston, Ontario.
Photo courtesy of Lisa Terech.

I’d like to close with some thank yous, just like I did in my farewell blog post published on April 9, 2016.

Dr. Irina Mihalache: You are the ultimate champion of Musings, and the blog certainly wouldn’t be what it is now without your support. I will always consider you to be one of my most influential mentors. Thank you for your guidance.

Jaime Clifton-Ross: I wouldn’t be who I am today without the chance you gave me to write for Musings in 2014, and for your incredible friendship the past number of years. You are my sister in spirit and truly the patron saint of bloggers! Thank you for everything.

L to R – Madeline Smolarz and Jaime Clifton-Ross. Photo courtesy of Kellen Ross.

Musings’ Editors in Chief from 2016-2019: You folks are trailblazers, and I look at everything you’ve done for the blog with such happiness. Thank you for picking up the torch.

Till we meet again.

A LETTER FROM THE OUTGOING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

BY: MADELINE SMOLARZ

It feels as though I was introducing myself as the new Editor-in-Chief of Musings to all of you lovely readers just the other day. Now, as of April 15th next week, I will no longer have this role.

In my natural habitat / museum happy place - the Royal Ontario Museum. Photo Credit: Madeline Smolarz.

The past 12 months have been extremely exciting and rewarding for me! I had the privilege to supervise 20 contributing editors who amazed me every day with their breadth of knowledge, passion for museums, stupendous writing skills, and eagerness to participate. I spoke to countless museum professionals as well as prospective MMSt students about Musings, elated to find out how our readership is expanding. I coordinated our social media efforts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and watched our followers / likes increase along with the number of you engaging with our content. I wrote features of MMSt community events to showcase our outstanding student body and professors, and saw people's pride in their work soar.

All the while, I've learned a great deal from every comment, email, tweet, and conversation. I could write a manuscript about my experience at this point! But this is supposed to be a brief "see you later," so I'll say this instead: I can't say enough how grateful I am that I was able to hold this position and help guide Musings through another year.

The heartwarming thank you card I received from the Musings team. Photo Credit: Madeline Smolarz

As I sign off one final time as both a Musings' contributor and your Editor-in-Chief, there are a few thank-yous I would like to give in response to the ones I received in the card pictured above.

Thank you to Professor Irina Mihalache for providing her wonderful guidance for all of Musings' endeavours this year. I couldn't have faced some of the challenges this past year has thrown at the blog without you, Irina, and the blog is forever indebted to you for your fearless leadership since it came to life online three years ago.

Thank you to former Editor-in-Chief Jaime Clifton-Ross for being a wonderful friend and mentor throughout the entire two years I've been with Musings. I owe so much to you and want you to know how much all of your empowering advice has meant to me. Best of luck as you move across the country to pursue what I'm sure will be a fantastic career!

Thank you to every single contributor that I was able to work with, past and present. From sharing laughs during and after meetings, bemoaning the quirks of our blog platform (sorry Blogger, but you are sometimes a pain), and sharing ideas, it has been such a fun ride with all of you! Every single individual brought something different to the team to make us one seriously successful and talented family. I sincerely hope that I am able to work with some if not all of you again in the future, and I can't wait to see where your paths will lead.

With Historic Kitchen's Leah Moncada & Sew What's Anya Baker. Photo Credit: Orvis Starkweather

Thank you to Natania Sherman, the incoming Editor-in-Chief, for all of your help and support over the last 8 months in your role as Musings' Administrator. Your contributions to keeping our social media efforts on track have been very much appreciated, and you are a true champion of the blog. I'm thrilled that you were elected -- congratulations again! -- and I so look forward to seeing where you take Musings over the next year. The contributing team is lucky to have you at the helm.

Finally, thank YOU, every single one of you who have ever read Musings. Readers give a blog purpose and shape it irrevocably. You inspire everyone on the team every day to keep researching, writing, and publishing. I hope you are just as excited as I am to start reading again when Musings returns in May after a short spring hiatus.

Til we meet again.

- Madeline

3 EXHIBITIONS IN 1 DAY, BROUGHT TO YOU BY CANADA’S NATIONAL MUSEUMS

EXHIBITION REVIEWS

BY: MADELINE SMOLARZ

I completed a 4-year undergraduate degree and a 2015 summer internship in Ottawa; some of my favourite memories were made in the capital and I’ve developed a strong attachment for it. Therefore, when contributing editor Leah Moncada said she wanted to head north for a couple days to visit an exhibition she worked on during her own internship, I jumped at the chance. Little did we know at the time that “a couple days” would really mean “26 hours.” We ended up arriving in Ottawa on a Thursday around 4:30pm and were on a train again the following day at 6:30pm.

It was a quick trip, but to no one’s surprise (at least, those folks who know us well), we managed to fit in 3 national museums. Granted, we did not go through every gallery and exhibition in these institutions. We travelled with a specific set of exhibitions in mind. I will be rating these exhibitions on a series of characteristics that they all share on a 5-star scale, so please join me in reliving our ambitious museum tour of the capital!

A view of Parliament on the misty night we walked to the Canadian Museum of History. Photo Credit: Madeline Smolarz.

Canadian Museum of History – “Vikings” December 3, 2015 – April 17, 2016

Layout: ★★★ - The layout of “Vikings” was determined by a set of colour-coded themes, which seemed great in theory and started off strong. However, they were not executed well overall and seemed to disintegrate as one moved through the exhibition.

Ambiance: ★★★★★ - Whoever came up with the lighting, sound, and colour palette for “Vikings” deserves a raise. It was dimly lit in the exhibition space with various sounds of Viking life blending together and pinpricks of light, bringing to mind a longhouse with sun shining in through various spots. I’m all in favour of this kind of immersive experience.

Interpretive Text: ★★ - Too. Much. Text. Between the doubling of French and English and the fact that the English was too long to begin with, you would be in there for hours if you wanted to read all of the text. Repetition in text also occurred frequently, which was slightly frustrating.

Objects / Artworks: ★★★★ - The artefacts chosen for the exhibition were quite excellent and represented the huge variety in the Viking experience well. The most breathtaking display was that of a longboat’s rivets suspended in mid-air to give the shape of the ship they once held together.

Interactive Elements: ★★★★★ - There was animal skins to touch, at least three games to play, a Viking table to sit at, rope to feel, a reproduction sword to lift, and more. Fantastic.

Accessibility: ★★ - Some of the text panels were very low to the ground. Coupled with somewhat small text, this made reading sometimes difficult. Certain areas also created bottlenecks that made it tricky for those with mobility devices to move freely.

Overall Execution of Core Theme: ★★★ - As a half-Scandinavian person, I appreciated the exhibition’s strong efforts to demystify Vikings. However, I did not enjoy the overload of information and the questionable layout.

Nearly all of the rivets from 1 longship were strung together to form its shape. Photo Credit: Madeline Smolarz.

Canadian War Museum – “World War Women” October 23, 2015 – April 3, 2016

Layout: ★★★★ This exhibition also used a layout driven by colour-coded themes, but “World War Women” (“WWW”) actually used these colours for the paint and text panels, which clearly delineated different areas. I did get a little lost at one point as to where to go next due to the twisting paths.

Ambiance: ★★★★ - The main sound track was a series of wistful songs played on a record, but inside various areas, there were pockets of sounds suited to the themes. In this bright exhibition, you saw women’s faces, heard their voices, and noticed their memorabilia everywhere.

Interpretive Text: ★★★★★ - In stark contrast to “Vikings,” “WWW” had the most perfect length of text I’ve ever encountered. So much was said with very few words. Shorter paragraphs and sentences did not take away from the visitor’s learning experience, but rather enhanced it.

Objects / Artworks: ★★★★★ - A round of applause for the exhibition developers who gathered all of the objects and stories attached to every single one for “WWW!” There was at least 1 artefact for every role women had during the World Wars, and I was incredibly impressed.

Interactive Elements: ★★ - Here’s where “WWW” fell short. There were three interactives, and two were response-wall based that required writing. The third was a knitting table with an interpreter present, but for those of us who can’t knit, it was intimidating.

Accessibility: ★★★★ - The size of text was great in most areas, cases were at a good height, and seating was scattered throughout the space. However, some corners might have been tough for wheelchairs, and certain panels had an annoying sheen that made them hard to read.

Overall Execution of Core Theme: ★★★★ - I was really pleased by the wide representation of the roles women had and the powerful weight of the personal stories the exhibition tells.

One area of WWW demonstrated the impact of propaganda during the World Wars. Photo Credit: Madeline Smolarz.

National Gallery of Canada – “Human Scale” March 11 – April 10, 2016

Layout: ★★★★ - The temporary exhibition space on the first floor used for “Human Scale” sports cavernous rooms and alcoves, perfect for to-scale and larger-than life depictions of the human body. I was startled by what I saw as I turned a corner twice, which I actually liked!

Ambiance: ★★★★★ - Overall, the sparse backdrop of pale walls and wood floors allowed the complex and sometimes uncomfortable feelings the works produce to take center stage.

Interpretive Text: ★★ - I am not a contemporary art expert, but I know enough to recognize when there is a disconnection between interpretive text and the works at hand. It didn’t happen for every piece, but I was shaking my head at half of what was written on the walls.

Objects / Artworks: ★★★★ - “Human Scale” contains just 8 sculptures spread out across a large floor plan, but they are each so jarring and thought-provoking that any more and the exhibition would be overwhelming.

Interactive Elements: ★ - Other than the ability to walk 360 degrees around the majority of the pieces, there was no other way to engage with the artwork, unless you count a video in one room depicting one of the artists at work.

Accessibility: ★★★ - There was lots of room to move around in the exhibition, and space to park mobility devices in the video room. However, the understated style and small size of the text panels made it hard for a number of people to read them at once.

Overall Execution of Core Theme: ★★★★★ - Although this is by no means a perfect show, the way in which it forces viewers to confront and renegotiate their ideas about the human body by presenting it on various scales was unexpectedly brilliant and will stick with me for a long time.

One of the massive representations of an infant in "Human Scale", with Leah for scale. Photo Credit: Madeline Smolarz.

Have you seen any of these exhibitions yet? If so, do you agree / disagree with my ratings? Please share your thoughts and comments below!

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.

A PORTRAIT OF A CITY: IMAGES OF ISTANBUL AT THE AGA KHAN MUSEUM

EXHIBITION REVIEWS

BY: MADELINE SMOLARZ

After hearing about the Aga Khan Museum’s exciting first year of existence from afar, I was finally able to pay it a visit this month. Fortunately, the day I chose happened to be the first day the new temporary exhibition “A City Transformed: Images of Istanbul Then and Now” was open! I found it to be an excellent show with many features of a successful exhibition.

The Aga Khan Museum glowing in the sunset. Photo Credit: Madeline Smolarz.

There are no photographs allowed in the exhibition space which struck me as ironic as it is an exhibition of photography after all, but of course, I acquiesced as any respectful museum-goer should. Instead of taking my own, I have done my best to provide appropriate images to entice you to make the trip out to the Museum to see this stunning exhibition for yourself.

Walk with me through each section of "Images of Istanbul" and allow your mental portrait of the city to develop.

The entrance into "Images of Istanbul" on the second floor of the Museum. Photo Credit: Madeline Smolarz.

“Architectural Heritage and Urban Landmarks”

After walking through a foyer-like area that displayed portraits of Istanbul’s photography pioneers such as Vassilaki Kargopoulo, some of the sultans who patronized them, and an early portable travel camera called a Reisekamera, I entered the room where the historic obsession with the stylistic differences in the local architecture became apparent. It can be difficult to make old photos of buildings interesting, but the diversity of the subjects chosen - the Hagia Sophia, a palace, Byzantine-era walls, the waterfront, fortresses, cemeteries, fountains, and more - held my interest. Closed imperial albums sit behind glass, their covers resplendent with rich colour and texture. The iPads subtly embedded in the table beside them happily allow you to digitally turn their pages and see what is inside.

“The Glorification of Istanbul: Panoramas”

Two lengthy, mirror-image panoramas feature prominently in this section of the exhibition. One was taken last year, while the other is 120 years old, but both were taken from the same medieval stone edifice called the Galata Tower in Istanbul. Positioning the photos closely together allows for a direct comparison between the skyline they present. The human landscape of the city and its waterfront has changed quite a great deal. However, nearly all of the mosques and historic architecture remain, some even partially obscured by scaffolding that I hope indicates restoration. The Museum provided little interpretive text, but I appreciated the chance to make my own observations, and many visitors were held captive by the panoramas for several minutes. They are truly breathtaking.

The main image used for the exhibition. Source: The Aga Khan Museum.

“Glimpses Into Everyday Life”

Against the backdrop of a massive, enlarged panorama covering the entire wall of the narrow walkway that allows visitors to gaze down into the permanent exhibition area below, a parade of striking images offer an intimate look into quotidian experiences in Istanbul at the advent of photography. I especially enjoyed the inclusion of stereoscopes and stereoscopic photos, which offered a way to help visitors of all ages to engage with the photographs. Who wouldn’t want to see how past generations made 3D images?

“Murat Germen: Contemporary Photographs of Istanbul”

In Murat Germen’s Istanbul, the past and present literally collide in the many “muta-morphosis” images he has created by horizontally compressing panoramas of the city. I’ve personally never seen anything like these photographs, and this method suits Germen’s purposes perfectly. He expresses a kind of cautionary tale about the effects of rapid growth in an ancient city by evoking the collision of ideas, people, buildings, and time. A series of impressive, unconstricted modern panoramas also by Germen are also displayed as an antithetical contrast, and a selection of historic panoramic albums remind visitors of the origins of this photography practise in the sprawling metropolis.

One of Germen's visually arresting "muta-morphosis" photographs. Source: The Aga Khan Museum.

“A City Transformed: Images of Istanbul Then and Now” will be open from February 6, 2016 - June 26, 2016 and is located on the second floor of the Aga Khan Museum. I hope you go visit, and if you do, share your thoughts in the comments!

FEATURING FIVE CONSERVATION VIDEOS

CONSERVATION TIPS & TRICKS

BY: MADELINE SMOLARZ

It can be be difficult to bring the public into back-of-house areas where conservation takes place without potentially jeopardizing the ongoing work there.

Therefore, video can be a perfect alternative to shedding light on the value of the labour involved in conservation work without exposing delicate / highly breakable / temperamental / damaged / etc. artifacts or artworks to more people than necessary.

I've selected five fantastic videos that have gone live in the last 12 months to give you a visual glimpse into the modern conservation world. All of them offer great tips and suggestions to help improve the conservation practices of other working professionals.

(1) "Conservation Laboratory" @ Arizona State Museum

Source.

What happens when everything from a mammoth to ancient pottery passes through your doors? Find out about the extremely diverse conservation that happens at the Arizona State Museum, which also happens to be on a bustling university campus.

(2) "Conservation in Focus: Caravaggio's Crucifixion of Saint Andrew" @ The Cleveland Museum of Art

Source.

If art conservation is more closely aligned with your interests, have a look at what the conservation of a highly prized and quite famous piece of art is taken into the care of a conservation department.

(3) "Art Conservation Behind the Scenes" @ Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

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Objects, and paintings, and textiles, oh my! The conservation staff at the Isabelle Stewart Gardner Museum deals with a vast array of artworks, demonstrating all of the different mediums that art exists in and the different challenges each poses.

(4) "Shipwreck Artifact Conservation" @ St Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum

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When something has been submerged under water for a period of time, what can conservators do once they're brought to the surface? Watch a team of conservators who specialize in shipwrecks at work!

(5) "Restoring Henry Moore's 'Large Two Forms'" @ The Art Gallery of Ontario

Source.

Continuing our train of thought with things exposed to the elements, public art pieces come into contact with wind, rain, snow (depending where they are, of course), sun, and much more. In this video, a larger-than-life piece is revitalized at high speed by a team from the AGO.

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If you are a conservator, how do you feel about videotaping your work? If you aren't a conservator, what do you think about the potential for sharing museum work via video?

Please share your thoughts / responses in the comments!

HAVE YOU HEARD THE MUSEUM OF ENDANGERED SOUNDS?

TECHNOLOGY TUESDAYS

BY: MADELINE SMOLARZ

Yesterday, I stumbled upon the Museum of Endangered Sounds and spent a full half hour immersed in nostalgia for the auditory past. As I wrote when I posted this in the MMSt student Facebook group to share it with my peers -- yes, it's as great as it sounds (pun intended)!

The logo of the Museum. Source.

The Museum has lived online since it's inception in 2012 and consists of a single web page curated and managed by Brendan Chilcutt. In the short "About the Site" section at the bottom of the page, Brendan makes a provocative argument for the existence of the Museum:

"Imagine a world where we never again hear the symphonic startup of a Windows 95 machine. Imagine generations of children unacquainted with the chattering of angels lodged deep within the recesses of an old cathode ray tube TV. And when the entire world has adopted devices with sleek, silent touch interfaces, where will we turn for the sound of fingers striking QWERTY keypads? Tell me that. And tell me: Who will play my GameBoy when I'm gone? These questions and more led me to the undertaking that is The Museum Of Endangered Sounds."

Some of the many sounds you can listen to alone - or all at once! - are:
1. Pay Phone
2. Tamagotchi
3. VCR Rewinding
4. Typewriter
5. Space Invaders

The sounds of the classic game "Space Invaders" are featured in the Museum. Source.

The website clearly aims to serve a wide age range as some sounds will be more familiar to members of certain generations than to others. It's also highly entertaining in general.

I have some questions for you now, all inspired by my discovery and exploration of the Museum of Endangered Sounds:

- Are there sounds that the Museum doesn't currently preserve that you would like to see them host? 
- Why do you think preserving the sounds of our past is important? Or not important?
- How is sound important to you in your own life?

Please respond in the comments, I would be very interested to hear what you think.

Until next time, happy listening!

CLASS TRIP MUSEUM REVIEWS: NIAGARA EDITION

EXHIBITION MUSEUM REVIEWS

BY: MADELINE SMOLARZ

The annual MMSt class trip is something students always look forward to throughout the year. Washington, Montreal, and Ottawa have been significant past destinations, and the trip's itinerary generally involves a few days spent in one city visiting several museums and their employees, some of who are alumni of the program. The care and time that goes into planning them is extensive, and time in the host museums' galleries is supplemented by professional lectures, collections tours, and many more behind-the-scenes insights.

This year, Museum Studies Student Association (MUSSA) President Dylan Dammerman and Social Chair Leah Moncada - Musings' own fantastic Historic Kitchen contributor - have organized a selection of shorter trips to cities across southern Ontario that include 3 day-long trips and 1 two-day excursion. This article will shine the spotlight on the latter, which took place a week ago: the exciting overnight trip to the Niagara Falls region!

I'll be providing a short description of the three amazing museums we visited over 36 hours as well as recognizing each institution for something they do exceptionally well, rather than just focusing on their exhibitions. Let's just call it Musings' own version of the film industry's highly anticipated awards season happening right now.

St. Catherines Museum & Welland Canals Centre: Best Program - aMuse

The entrance to the St Catherines Museum during nicer weather than we experienced! Source.

Speakers: Kathleen Powell (Supervisor Historical of Services / Curator), Meredith Leonard (Visitor Services Coordinator)

Part of St. Catherines Museum's permanent exhibition space. Photo Credit: Madeline Smolarz.

After we were all revived with some delicious coffee from our very considerate hosts at the St. Catharines Museum, who knew we had left Toronto before sunrise, the MMSt contingent was broken into three small groups and taken through the Museum's extensive collections areas in stages while the others explored a temporary exhibition. We gained plenty of insight into the collecting practices and management challenges posed by the collection, such as dealing with the vibrations from the huge ships that pass through the canal next door in the summer. Everyone then assembled for an excellent presentation on the Museum's innovative aMuse program, which is a series of one-of-a-kind offsite pop-up events that brings the Museum into the city. Our visit concluded with a quick tour then free time within the permanent exhibition as well as the new World War I addition. Kathleen and Meredith were even able to share a few details about the changes they hope the Museum will undergo in the near future.

Niagara Falls History Museum: Best Response to the Local Situation of the Community

NFHM is comprised of a historic building (L) and new addition (R). Source.

 Speakers: Clark Bernat (Manager, Niagara Falls City Museums), Suzanne Moase (Curator)

Mr. Bernat's favourite interactive at NFHM - building a simple and a complex bridge. Photo Credit: Madeline Smolarz

I was impressed by the Niagara Falls History Museum even before the formal presentations and tours began; the foyer of the complex joins the historic and new halves of the Museum and is flooded with natural light. We received a thoughtfully delivered introduction to the Museum and the other sites associated with it - find out more here - and then split into two groups that switched over midway through our visit. Suzanne led the collections side of the tour down into the basement while Clark took his groups through the airy temporary and permanent exhibition spaces located in the new building. Clark and Suzanne were clear that the Museum was not perfect, but agreed that it is a work in progress (as all museums are, really) and there are many things that they excel at. The local community is currently facing a series of social and economic challenges, and the Museum's staff  members not only recognize this, but they are actively working to meet the public's needs, provide people with resources, and partner with various initiatives to help improve the community overall.

Niagara Historical Society Museum: Best Use of Internal and External Resources

The exterior of the NHSM in summer, showing the original building (L) and later addition (R). Source.

Speakers: Tami Daoust (Acting Curator), Amy Klassen (Society Administrator / Acting Managing Director), Sarah Kaufman (Managing Director / Curator) Barbara Worthy (Freelance Producer / Writer / Actress)

The interior of the NHSM's original building. Photo Credit: Madeline Smolarz.

A good portion of our time at the Niagara Historical Society Museum was spent learning from the welcoming staff during detailed presentations about the Museum's history, current exhibitions, and recent large-scale traveling video project called "Flames of War," which we each received a copy of and thoroughly enjoyed watching on the bus ride back to Toronto. The Museum staff were honest when sharing details of their limited finances, so it was all the more impressive when they explained how they make their small operating budget stretch so far every year. They had many space, time, and money-saving tips to share with the group, which we were then able to witness in action during tours of the Museum's current exhibitions and it's collections holdings. If you're interested in the events surrounding the War of 1812 and World War I in the Niagara region, the NHSM is the destination for you.

Honourable Mention -- Fort George: Best Immersive Experience

Conservation Tips & Tricks contributor Nikita walking around the Fort. Photo Credit: Madeline Smolarz.

Although the Fort was not a site that we visited as an organized group, many of us were able to get in before it closed to thoroughly explore the open buildings, which included the Officer's Building and the original Powder Magazine, and some of us even joined in on a couple of tours run by very knowledgeable historical interpreters. There's nothing like following in the footsteps of the people who lived and worked there 200 years before... and the sun came out just as I arrived there, so the Fort gets bonus points for being incredibly beautiful.

MMSt students are happiest when on guided tours. Look at those smiles! Photo Credit: Madeline Smolarz.

SUMMARY

In the end, all of the museums we were fortunate enough to visit are on the precipice of great change. It was fascinating to learn about how they are each moving forward in their own way and pushing museum practice beyond what has been done before to better serve their surrounding communities.

Thank you to all of our hosts. The trip would not have been such a success without your donation of time and expertise. We greatly appreciated your honesty, generosity, and hospitality. Your passion for museum work was infectious and we all look forward to crossing paths with you again some day.

Special thanks to Leah & Dylan for organizing the trip. The MMSt program is lucky to have you.