Contemporary Art within a museum context

How does a museum stay current with what a society values and collects? Many have chosen to imbed a Contemporary Culture gallery within their walls. Recently an exhibit of contemporary art opened that spans two museums and has an on-the-street presence as well.

There was a bit of a Dr. Seuss feel to the exhibit and it was wonderful that the artist/author was encouraging photography of his work. (all photo source : Lorie Pierce)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The street installation was located in the lobby of an upscale men’s clothing store. Named ‘Gumhead’, the artwork is composed of a large ceramic head that visitors are encouraged to cover with chewed gum.

Personally, I added an orange starfish to his cheek. Can you locate it?

The shapes in museums

amphorae photo source : Lorie Pierce

There are an incredible number of distinctive artifact shapes. An amphora seems like an improbable shape for a container for those of us used to flat bottom cans, bottles and boxes. Yet these were the common containers for wine, oils an other traded commodities in the ancient Mediterranean region. They even held hordes of coins.

horde of tetradrachma in amphora photo source : Lorie Pierce

Upon seeing this display, one young girl announced to her family that she had found buried treasure.

Scientific Accuracy

Burgess Shale toys website shopping source : rom.on.ca

Only a very few of the items that are sold in the museum’s gift shop are replicas of artifacts for view in the museum. These plastic toys are one of those rare items for purchase which are scientifically accurate reproductions, taken from the reconstruction of fossils in the invertebrate palaeontology collection. Unfortunately the description for the toys found on the museum website is not accurate.

One of these Cambrian animals is mislabeled as another one that is much better known. Can you tell which one? The mistake is akin to identifying a poodle as a Great Dane.

 

 

Early fish found and donated

acanthodian       illustration by Danielle Dufault

Amateur fossil hunters have added significantly to Palaeontology through donations of important fossils. The earliest nearly complete fossil of a fish was recently excavated in a quarry near Ft. Erie, Ontario. Dated at 425 million years old, this specimen helps fill in the picture of early vertebrates as they changed from jawless to jawed.

The amateurs had been looking for eurypterids in the Bertie Formation dolostone that had already been quarried for 100 years. Densely packed and fine-grained, this is an area of exceptional preservation. If the non-mineralized eurypterids (sea scorpions) could be preserved, then other Silurian marine animals were expected. But in all that time, no one had found a fish.

Fortunately the fossil hunters understood they had found an important specimen and contacted the experts. Now the fish is classified (Nerepisacanthus) and registered in the museum collection. Hooray for the amateurs.

Fund-raising walk

completion medal photo source : Lorie Pierce

Too tired right now to comment. But it was a good experience fund-raising for Palaeontology at the museum.

Common birds in steep decline

chart from stateofthebirds.org

It’s a headline you hate to read. Many of the wonderful birds of my youthful days in the backyard and neighbourhood fields, are now in steep decline according to a recent State of the Birds 2014 report.

To me it is unbelievable that these birds may go the way of the Passenger Pigeon that has been extinct now for 100 years.

Museums have a central role in the stewardship of nature’s wonders and my museum’s Centre of Discovery for Biodiversity focuses on birds as well as other species in peril.

Last push – Forbidden City

Forbidden City cricket jar photo source : ROM & Palace Museum. Beijing

Today and tomorrow mark the last off-site promotions for the Forbidden City exhibit. We will mingle with tourists in the lobby of a major hotel while they check-in. Even with our large banner, interesting artifacts (samurai helmet) and approachable demeanor, we have fierce competition from other lobby attractions such as the free popcorn booth and a talking robot.

When nomenclature changes – KPg

ROM Vertebrate Palaeontologist David Evans at KPg extinction boundary, Montana photo source : @ROMPalaeo

Not sure when it happened or maybe it has been a gradual process.

It appears that the former Cretaceous-Tertiary (KT) boundary of geological note is now know as the Cretaceous – Paleogene (KPg)

According to Wikipedia references:

• The abbreviation is derived from the juxtaposition of K, the common abbreviation for the Cretaceous, which in turn originates from the correspondent German term Kreide, and Pg, which is the abbreviation for the Paleogene.
• This former designation has as a part of it a term, ‘Tertiary‘ (abbreviated as T), that is now discouraged as a formal geochronological unit by the International Commission on Stratigraphy

The Paleogene (not to be confused with the Paleocene) is that period of time formally know as the Lower Tertiary.

Palaeogenegeologic period began 66 and ended 23.03 million years ago and comprises the first part of the CenozoicEra. Lasting 43 million years, the Paleogene is most notable as being the time in which mammals evolved from relatively small, simple forms into a large group of diverse animals in the wake of the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event that ended the preceding Cretaceous Period

Now you know.

UPDATE: This chart indicates the change in nomenclature from KT to KPg was made in January 2013 by the International Commission on Stratigraphy. It is also helpful to illustrate the difference between Paleogene and Paleocene. http://www.stratigraphy.org

KPg subdivisions source : ICS

 

Talking up the exhibit

We are in the home stretch for the major Forbidden City exhibit, which closes September 1st. So we have been out on day trips to city events to promote attendance….including the weekend long China Now festival. Located at the Harbourfront during gorgeous summer weather, this event had to compete with the final World Cup games between Netherlands vs Brazil for 3rd spot, and Germany vs Argentina for 1st and 2nd.

Promotional telescoping sign photo source : Lorie Pierce

‘papercut’ style banners   photo source : Lorie Pierce

Imperial 5-clawed dragon photo source : Lorie Pierce

volunteers staff a hands-on table with objects relating to the exhibit      photo source : Lorie Pierce

The effect of weather

sunflower photo source : Lorie Pierce

When dull, humid, rainy weather is forecast in the summer, the attendance rate at our museum increases. Yesterday we had a good turnout as the media were predicting thunderstorms that never quite materialized.

Of course, when the weather is glorious, who wouldn’t want to be out in a park, take a ferry to the Toronto Islands or catch an outdoor music concert. I’m glad I wandered past this energizing sunflower on a recent visit to the Artscape Wychwood Barns. Home of some amazing artists’ studios.

photo source : Lorie Pierce