Consensus building

Our museum is half way through a 5 year Strategic Plan, so our Director called a meeting of anyone who wanted to attend (including volunteers) to see what has been going well and what could be improved upon.

Specifically, we were asked for 3 examples of each, to be written on a total of 6 post-it notes. All the post-it messages were distilled into themes and direction extracted from them.

It’s refreshing to be asked. Anyone, at any level, in a museum has valuable insights to offer. I’m thankful to have had the opportunity to contribute.

Competing Interests – designing a new exhibit space

Setting up a new permanent gallery is a balancing act among many supporting elements. But basically it comes down to telling the story(s) you need to tell while ensuring that individuals and groups who will use the space can do so in an effective and engaging way.

Schad Gallery of Biodiversity, ROM photo source : stay2-architizer.com

So a question that has come up with regard to a new permanent gallery is whether a dedicated classroom/demonstration space will be an advantage. If so, should it be an open or a closed space?

The gallery above has a separate room holding 40 chairs with a stage and video screens. When not closed off for a specific event, the public can wander through the space, entering at one end and exiting at the other.

School gallery lessons and tours accommodate up to 35 persons, summer camp groups are smaller – around 24. All must fit into the gallery space while allowing the public to coexist alongside. And of course, design has to take into account the physical structure of the space, especially where there are supporting pillars and walls.

Silo Thinking

source : polarisstarfarm.com

Organizations must be creative and open to change or they will stagnate and become less and less relevant to the population they serve. So how do you deal with this reticence to share, combine efforts and partner within a museum community?

The notion of a ‘Silo’ approach to thinking comes from the business world.

Definition of ‘Silo Mentality’

An attitude found in some organizations that occurs when several departments or groups do not want to share information or knowledge with other individuals in the same company. A silo mentality reduces efficiency and can be a contributing factor to a failing corporate culture.

In the world of Arts & Culture, it is more the norm to embrace new ways of doing things. But any organization can become as big and unwieldy as an ocean liner that can take 4.5 miles to turn around (wikipedia).

So one never knows how a unique approach or a novel idea is going to be accepted, or even understood. That should not be a deterrent to pressing forward and trying to make a difference.

 

sightings – love me this Rocking Frog !

photo source : Thomas Haapapuro

Check out the website of this sculptor in wood:

http://www.thomashaapapuro.com

His designs are very organic and include boxes, vessels, sculptures and jewelry.

 

 

Grapes – more Ai Wei Wei

My favourite piece in the Ai Wei Wei exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario is titled Grapes.

photo source : Lorie Pierce

However, to me, the ascending globe of stools looks more like an enlarged molecule….or a Bucky Ball

Bucky Ball molecule (Buckminsterfullerene) source : wikipedia

The amazing aspect of the installation is that approx 38 stools are suspended from one three-legged stool. Looking much like a Peking Circus acrobatic troupe.

central stool with others attached photo source : Lorie Pierce

 

sightings – The Japanese fascination with the Burgess Shale fauna

Watched an animated feature titled “5 Centimeters per second”, which is the rate that cherry blossoms fall. A brief synopsis…

The modern-day anime classic and brainchild of rising star Makoto Shinkai, 5 Centimeters Per Second, presented to you as never before. Witness the story of Takaki, a young man on a journey from Tokyo to reunite with his childhood best friend, Akari.

Switch to a scene in a Tokyo McDonalds

still frame from DVD 5 Centimeters per second

With discussion of a book about Early Life, including the animals Hallucigenia, Anomalocaris and Opabinia.

still frame mentioning Anomalocaris

And my favourite………the reconstruction of Hallucigenia in French Fries!

still frame from 5 Centimeters per second

It is this shared interest with 500 million year old sea life that seals the connection between the two teen friends Takaki and Akari. But is it meant to last? You’ll have to watch the film.

It’s striking to me how much the Burgess Shale fauna has infiltrated popular Japanese culture.

 

 

10 Signs of Climate Change

No need to debate. It’s time to do something about this.

poster available at NOAA website

Dropping a Han Dynasty Vase – the artwork of Ai Wei Wei

Even someone who is not a museologist would cringe at the thought of a two thousand year old vase being coated with industrial strength paint, then smashed on the ground.

Han Dynasty vases coated in paint photo source : Lorie Pierce

photos pf artist dropping Han Dynasty vase photo source : Lorie Pierce

Why would someone do this?

Well, I will let you read the explanation accompanying the installation.

photo source : Lorie Pierce

Fortunately, the artist has allowed his work to be photographed. So I am able to share his contemporary art with you. Perhaps this openness to the communication of an artist’s ideas is a new direction in art exhibits.

Stay tuned for more from Ai Wei Wei.

This installation is from his current exhibit “According to What?” at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto.

 

 

 

 

The Art of 'Selling' Deaccessioned Artifacts

A recent list of deaccessioned artifacts was circulated on the museum listserv. It was brief and concise. Just the facts, Mam. The items available were as follows :

1. Large iron pulley with hook: no identification, poor condition

2. Shelving unit: no identification

3. Wooden baby cradle: no identification

4. Barrel lid: poor condition, no identification

5. Wooden bee hive: no identification.

6. Chaise longue, horsehair stuffing: poor condition

7. Hand seeders (3): no documentation

8. Piano: poor condition (mould)

Then after prodding, this follow-up list was circulated.

1. Sturdy and masculine, this solid hook and pulley will answer all of your hefting and hauling needs.

2. Purposeful yet charming, this shelving unit has room to spare for all your pots, jars, and cans.

3. Put baby in this delightfully retro cradle, and rock yourself to sweet dreams!

4. The best topper for any purpose!

5. Get buzzing with this home for honey!

6. Elegance and rustic charm unite in this fixer-upper chaise…perfect for  relaxing on after the (very!) long process of restoration!

7. Seed your imagination, and your fields, with any one of these seeders…and watch your bounty grow!

8. Even the most out of tune voice can sing along on this once-glorious instrument! Fitted with brass candelabras and complete with peeling veneer, this is a must in any (musty) parlour!

My thanks to Helen B. for injecting humour into what is often a dry collection management activity.

Anomalocaris – in person, thanks to the Japanese!

Anomalocaris stuffie – Love Journey rakuten.co.jp/love-journey photo source : Bep Schippers

It’s difficult to explain to kids what an ancient animal would have looked like when all we have to show them is a flattened fossil or a line drawing. So plush toys can be an important addition to interpreting forms of unique ancient life which no longer exist. Unfortunately not many of these animals have been turned into kid friendly forms. Except in Japan, where they have embraced the myriad forms of sea life that dwelt in the Earth’s oceans 400 to 500 million years ago.

The Anomalocaris stuffie shown above comes in 4 sizes, this one is the second largest. It will be a great way to attract families to our new special interest group – Friends of Palaeontology.