Comments on: Empowered by Collections http://musematic.net/2010/03/11/empowered-by-collections/ Rants and raves on the latest trends in the world of museum informatics and technology. An intrepid cast of experts from the Museum Computer Network and AAM's Media & Technology Committee share their insights, observations and tricks of the trade. Sun, 06 May 2012 03:15:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Julie Kendig http://musematic.net/2010/03/11/empowered-by-collections/comment-page-1/#comment-122738 Julie Kendig Wed, 11 Apr 2012 23:00:32 +0000 http://musematic.net/?p=1128#comment-122738 Susan, I encourage you to attend a session on May 2 at AAM titled "Museums Without Silos: New Perspectives on Organizational Structures" to see where the profession is headed in terms of cross-departmental collaboration. I hope it gives you pause and allows you to begin to think differently about the potential of working with educators, who are arguably as valuable and dedicated to the museum as you are. You may also want to take a look at the administrative schematic at the Art Gallery of Ontario as an exemplary case of cooperation among curators and educators. We simply can't afford not to work together, nor should we desire to remain segregated in our common efforts. Susan, I encourage you to attend a session on May 2 at AAM titled “Museums Without Silos: New Perspectives on Organizational Structures” to see where the profession is headed in terms of cross-departmental collaboration. I hope it gives you pause and allows you to begin to think differently about the potential of working with educators, who are arguably as valuable and dedicated to the museum as you are. You may also want to take a look at the administrative schematic at the Art Gallery of Ontario as an exemplary case of cooperation among curators and educators. We simply can’t afford not to work together, nor should we desire to remain segregated in our common efforts.

]]> By: Joaquin Ortiz http://musematic.net/2010/03/11/empowered-by-collections/comment-page-1/#comment-122736 Joaquin Ortiz Wed, 11 Apr 2012 21:57:48 +0000 http://musematic.net/?p=1128#comment-122736 Please don't ever, ever lump curators and educators together. No museum educator wants to be cast into a group of elitists who value objects over the people we are supposed to be sharing them with. People who have reached such a level of expertise that they can no longer communicate the value of those objects to a general audience because of their concern over minutiae that only they and their peers care about. There is a difference in attitude since museum educators are not living in fear that their expertise and skill set is becoming increasingly irrelevant as less people visit museums and funding is less available. That doesn't make the visitors or the educators unintelligent, it just means that some people in museums have not caught on to the fact that the world has changed, and the museum field has to change with it. Of course, embracing change while spending most of your time preserving old objects could be seen as a bit of a contradiction. Fortunately I work with curators who understand what educators do to connect our visitors with our exhibitions. Working in tandem we are reaching out to our visitors to improve their experience in the museum, and their understanding of our art. I think this is the case in a lot of museums, and I am excited by the efforts of many of my colleagues to update the museum experience. Please don’t ever, ever lump curators and educators together. No museum educator wants to be cast into a group of elitists who value objects over the people we are supposed to be sharing them with. People who have reached such a level of expertise that they can no longer communicate the value of those objects to a general audience because of their concern over minutiae that only they and their peers care about.

There is a difference in attitude since museum educators are not living in fear that their expertise and skill set is becoming increasingly irrelevant as less people visit museums and funding is less available. That doesn’t make the visitors or the educators unintelligent, it just means that some people in museums have not caught on to the fact that the world has changed, and the museum field has to change with it. Of course, embracing change while spending most of your time preserving old objects could be seen as a bit of a contradiction.

Fortunately I work with curators who understand what educators do to connect our visitors with our exhibitions. Working in tandem we are reaching out to our visitors to improve their experience in the museum, and their understanding of our art. I think this is the case in a lot of museums, and I am excited by the efforts of many of my colleagues to update the museum experience.

]]> By: Susan Benton http://musematic.net/2010/03/11/empowered-by-collections/comment-page-1/#comment-122715 Susan Benton Wed, 11 Apr 2012 15:47:49 +0000 http://musematic.net/?p=1128#comment-122715 I have more than 25 years museum experience as a curator, director, and historian. You are so right, but I would like to take issue with you on one point: "Could this encumbrance upon the institution be caused by the devotion to objects by hiring collection managers, when funds for staffing could be used for additional curators and educators instead?" Funds are never wasted on collection managers and curators. Funds are nearly always wasted on 'educators' who are very frequently little more than schedulers, very often have education degrees hence they are generally not at all well educated (despite the popular misconception about this). I have worked in several museums and in every case the 'educator' was an unnecessary expense. Ditto for my colleagues in other museums. At the same time curators (and collection managers) are invaribly the most educated, most knowledgeable, and hardest working member/s of the staff. So please, please don't ever, ever lump curators and educators together. I have more than 25 years museum experience as a curator, director, and historian. You are so right, but I would like to take issue with you on one point: “Could this encumbrance upon the institution be caused by the devotion to objects by hiring collection managers, when funds for staffing could be used for additional curators and educators instead?” Funds are never wasted on collection managers and curators. Funds are nearly always wasted on ‘educators’ who are very frequently little more than schedulers, very often have education degrees hence they are generally not at all well educated (despite the popular misconception about this). I have worked in several museums and in every case the ‘educator’ was an unnecessary expense. Ditto for my colleagues in other museums. At the same time curators (and collection managers) are invaribly the most educated, most knowledgeable, and hardest working member/s of the staff. So please, please don’t ever, ever lump curators and educators together.

]]> By: James G. Leventhal http://musematic.net/2010/03/11/empowered-by-collections/comment-page-1/#comment-21947 James G. Leventhal Thu, 11 Mar 2010 07:46:51 +0000 http://musematic.net/?p=1128#comment-21947 Great post, Perian! As a professional who has dedicated a lot of their life to promoting collections work, I couldn't agree with you more. I think the quote is intended to be provocative. And if it has provoked such thoughtful writing as yours then it's worked. Also, it's informed by current dialogue in the field stemming from Janes' recent book Museums in a Troubled World, or postings on-line like at the Center for the Future of Museums: http://futureofmuseums.blogspot.com/2010/01/challenging-assumptions-why-not-sell.html most all of which stems from the financial considerations around the cost of collections care, as you note, and not all of which I actually agree with. It was great to be part of working with you at the Magnes, and helping to put in place funding and a business plan by which that collection can serve generations to come. I applaud your work, as you know too well, and am glad you took note of my quote. Thanks for drawing attention to it. Nice piece. Your eloquence never ceases to amaze. Fondly, James Great post, Perian! As a professional who has dedicated a lot of their life to promoting collections work, I couldn’t agree with you more. I think the quote is intended to be provocative. And if it has provoked such thoughtful writing as yours then it’s worked. Also, it’s informed by current dialogue in the field stemming from Janes’ recent book Museums in a Troubled World, or postings on-line like at the Center for the Future of Museums:
http://futureofmuseums.blogspot.com/2010/01/challenging-assumptions-why-not-sell.html
most all of which stems from the financial considerations around the cost of collections care, as you note, and not all of which I actually agree with. It was great to be part of working with you at the Magnes, and helping to put in place funding and a business plan by which that collection can serve generations to come. I applaud your work, as you know too well, and am glad you took note of my quote. Thanks for drawing attention to it. Nice piece. Your eloquence never ceases to amaze. Fondly, James

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