My goodness gracious, readers. Has it been a while or what? Our last post was nearly a year ago in January 2011. On the eve of January 2012, I thought I would pop in and share some updates and other more recent museum-related musings with you.
I’m still working as a museum educator in Milwaukee, WI and my colleague is now a gallery director in New York City. We love this site and care deeply about it, but when you write about museums and art history all day long, it’s difficult to do so in your free time, too. That said, we’re thrilled that folks continue to come visit the site, and hope its archives continue to inspire, provoke, and further your thinking about art, art history, and museums.
For my day job, I frequently post about my profession and art history on our institution’s blog. Many of them are general enough to share with you here, so I hope you’ll check them out and find them useful.
On Tim Gunn and Gallery Teaching
A love letter to the profession of museum education and teaching art.
Hip-Hop in the Galleries, Inspired by Art
My fall teen program participants made hip-hop music in the middle of the art museum galleries, complete with bass and turntables. Don’t believe me? Watch the video.
Help Harmony Blossom: ArtXpress 2011
The Bus Unveiled: ArtXpress 2011
My summer teen program participants made a giant mural inspired by the art of the Qianlong emperor, complete with a social justice theme, that went on the side of a Milwaukee County Bus. The process, challenges, and successes here.
I’ve also written a number of explorations of works of art in our Collection that I call “slow art”–in which I sit with a piece for 45 minutes to an hour. (Credit for this powerful exercise go to the great Rika Burnham.) Afterwards, I wrote about my realizations, frustrations, and the joy of looking at art (cheesy, but true!) in reflection-style blog posts. Here’s a selection of my favorites:
Agnes Martin, Untitled #10
Howard Finster, The Youth of Abraham
William-Adolphe Bouguereau, Homer and his Guide
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Street at Shoneberg City Park
If you’re interested, you can read all of my posts on the Milwaukee Art Museum blog here.
Also, conversation continues to happen here on the Art Histoy Blog surrounding this nearly two-year-old post about the effectiveness of museums, inspired by Steven Colbert! Check it out, and please contribute your voice in the comments there, if you feel so inclined.
We’re sending you our best wishes for a happy holiday season and a peaceful new year. Thanks for reading!
