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Courses in Art History
Syllabus for Spring 2007:
MUSEUM STUDIES
Art 2600 (01)
Spring 2007
Dr. Elise L. Smith
Academic Complex 323
974-1432 (o); 354-2290 (h: before 10)
E-mail: smithel@millsaps.edu
OFFICE HOURS. M & F 10-10:50, T 2-3, or by appointment (or
feel free to just drop in)
COURSE DESCRIPTION. This course will provide an introduction to
the structure, operations, and social and political functions of museums.
Topics will include funding, management, marketing, ethical issues, exhibition
strategies, and educational outreach. It will also consider the practical,
ethical, and legal issues related to the acquisition, handling, conservation,
and exhibition of museum objects.
TEXTS. Our texts will be Jane R. Glaser and Artemis A. Zenetou,
Museums: A Place to Work. Planning Museum Careers (London: Routledge,
1996), David Bomford, Conservation of Paintings (London: National
Gallery Publications, 1997), and a packet of readings.
GRADES. You'll be evaluated on the basis of an interview paper
(25%), a short research paper on a controversial issue or a response paper
to a particular museum (25%), reading quizzes and responses (25%), and
oral components of the class (25%).
INTERVIEW PAPER. You'll choose one category of museum work that
most interests you (see the list of possibilities in Glaser 70-119) and
will write a short paper based on at least two interviews. One of the
interviews must be in person; the other(s) may be by e-mail or phone.
You may supplement the information learned from your interviews by additional
research. Your paper should be about 5-7 typed pages (12-point font),
not including your title page or Works Cited page.
CONTROVERSY PAPER. This is a research paper centered around a
controversial issue related in some way to museums. It should be about
5-7 typed pages (12-point font), not including your title page or Works
Cited page. You should have at least 5 sources, at least three of which
should be from museum studies books in the library or in my collection,
and/or published articles. Other sources might include:
--your interviews (you can ask your interviewees for their thoughts on
this issue as a way to enrich your ethics paper, but if you include their
ideas here they shouldn't also be a part of your interview paper);
--legitimate internet sites by authors or institutions with significant
museum credentials (if you're uncertain whether a site is legitimate,
send me a link and I'll let you know);
--the site http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa.exe?A0=MUSEUM-L ("a
general purpose, cross-disciplinary electronic discussion list for museum
professionals, students, and all others interested in museum related issues,"
with searchable archives dating back to 1994).
Some controversies you might want to consider include the restitution
of art looted during WWII, deaccessioning artworks, charging admission,
the legality of moving the Barnes Collection in Philadelphia, the conservation
of contemporary art, art theft/insurance/security, the World Trade Center
memorial site, the acquisition of antiquities (e.g., the controversy at
the Getty), controversial museum architecture (e.g., the Tate Modern or
the Guggenheim in N.Y. and Bilbao), or a controversial exhibition (e.g.,
Sensation exhibit, Brooklyn Museum of Art).
MUSEUM VISIT PAPER. This paper will entail a detailed, comprehensive
response to a particular museum and will not require any outside research
beyond the readings for the course. You should consider such issues as
the museum architecture (exterior and interior), the exhibition spaces
(permanent and/or traveling), seating, lighting, decoration of the galleries,
texts and labels, museum brochures and other educational materials, the
personnel you encounter, the cost, and any shops, restaurants, or other
secondary sites. After the visit you should study the museum web site,
if there is one, and incorporate your response to the effectiveness of
the site into your paper. Your paper should make relevant references to
our readings for the course, with correct MLA citations, and should be
about 5-7 typed pages (12-point font), not including your title page and
Works Cited page.
Due Dates for Papers:
Interview Paper Optional draft, M, 3/19, by 3:00
Final paper, M, 3/26, by 3:00
Ethics or Museum Visit Paper Optional draft, F, 4/20, by noon
Final paper, M, 4/30, by 5:00
Late Papers: Late papers will be marked down a third of a letter-grade
for each 24 hours that they are late (not exceeding two full letter grades),
unless you receive prior permission from me (which means permission must
be given no later than 10 p.m. the day before the paper is due, not the
due date itself). If you're late turning in a paper I suggest that you
send it to me as an e-mail attachment as soon as it's completed so I won't
continue to mark it down, but don't assume that I've received it unless
I respond with an e-mail acknowledgment. You must also turn in a hard
copy as soon as possible unless I specify otherwise.
READING QUIZZES and TALKING POINTS. There won't be any regular
exams in this course but you'll typically be given weekly quizzes to check
that you're keeping up with all of the readings. In addition you'll turn
in each week a list of talking points based on the readings (no more than
one single-spaced typed page, including at least one talking point for
each of the readings for the day). I'll call on people randomly to discuss
one of their talking points, so come to class prepared to bring up an
issue and discuss it intelligently and at some length. Each point should
be in your own words (not a quote), but please include a parenthetical
citation with the author's last name and the relevant page number(s).
ORAL COMPONENTS. Your involvement is essential to the learning
process (your learning process and mine), and I strongly encourage all
of you to ask questions and to talk in class about the issues. You will
often be called on to discuss one of your 'talking points', and I also
expect you to be thoughtful, energetic questioners following the panel
presentations. This on-going participation in class discussion will count
for 15% of the final grade. An informal oral presentation based on one
of your papers will count for an additional 10%.
ATTENDANCE. Regular class attendance is especially important in
this course since it won't be possible to duplicate the experience of
class discussions by simply doing the readings. Absences for whatever
reason after the first one will seriously affect your final grade. Two
points will be taken off your final course grade for each absence after
the first one. If you are absent for an extended excused illness or family
emergency or school sports, you will be able to make up one excess absence
by doing an additional writing assignment (it will be your responsibility
to consult with me about this if the need arises).
FIELD TRIPS: We'll be taking several field trips during our Thursday
afternoon class which would be very difficult to make up. In addition,
we'll go on one field trip outside of the regular class time, on Friday,
March 30, roughly from 12:00 to 8:00, which will be in lieu of the week
when I will be out of town for the CAA conference and will have to cancel
class. There would be no way to make up that absence so you'll need to
arrange well in advance to be excused from any work, athletic, or other
responsibilities for that trip.
PLAGIARISM - A Reminder
Always be careful about plagiarism, even in short writing exercises and
reading responses. Plagiarism, as you know from Liberal Studies and/or
your other core courses, is the use of another person's ideas or words
without proper acknowledgment.
Two of the most common forms of plagiarism are defined by Diana Hacker
in The Bedford Handbook for Writers (Boston: St. Martin's, 1994) as
"(1) borrowing someone's ideas, information, or language without
documenting the source and
(2) documenting the source but paraphrasing the source's language too
closely, without using quotation marks to indicate that language has been
borrowed" (477).
When should you document a source? In addition to citing the source of
a direct quote, you should give a citation when you refer to an idea,
opinion, hypothesis, or conclusion from one of your sources, or when you
summarize or paraphrase a section of your source, or when you rely on
one of your sources for a fact that would not be considered common knowledge
for the audience of your paper (Hacker 477-78). The point of all this
is to help the reader (and yourself as writer) to distinguish between
your own ideas and those with whom you are entering into scholarly conversation.
What is meant by paraphrasing a source too closely? This is probably
the kind of plagiarism that I most often see in student papers. It has
often been considered "unintentional", but is nonetheless clearly
recognizable as plagiarism. With the Honor Code now in place at Millsaps,
and with a concerted effort being made by faculty and students alike to
clarify the boundaries of academic dishonesty, you will no longer be able
to plead lack of understanding but will be turned in to the Honor Council.
If you're uncertain about plagiarism, I encourage you to read Hacker,
pp. 467-79, on the process of taking notes in order to properly paraphrase
your sources and on constructing and writing your essay in order to maintain
a strong, clear voice. I'd also be happy to talk with you before you turn
your paper in if you're not sure you're handling your sources properly.
HONOR CODE. I want to remind you of the following pledge signed
by all students upon entering Millsaps: "As a Millsaps College student,
I hereby affirm that I understand the Honor Code and am aware of its implications
and of my responsibility to the Code. In the interests of expanding the
atmosphere of respect and trust in the College, I promise to uphold the
Honor Code and I will not tolerate dishonest behavior in myself or in
others."
Please pledge all your written work for this class.
* * *
Learning Disabilities: If you have a learning disability and need special
arrangements you must discuss it with the appropriate person in Student
Affairs and also with each of your instructors. In order for me to be
able to accommodate your needs you must inform me within the first week
of the semester and we must both sign a written contract clarifying any
changes in the expectations and requirements for the course.
* * *
If you're having problems of any sort that are affecting your work in
this course or as a student at Millsaps, please feel free to come talk
to me about it, or write me an e-mail message. I would be happy to talk
with you about any questions or concerns you might have.
* * *
COURSE CALENDAR (subject to change) (readings are listed on the
day they'll be discussed)
Th, 1/18
Th, 1/25 Museum Management
Panel: Lucy Allen (director, Old Capitol Museum), Betsy Bradley (director,
MS Museum of Art), Pam Junior (director, Smith-Robertson Museum), Libby
Hartfield (director, MS Museum of Natural Science), Julia Young (director
of Archives and Library, MS Department of Archives and History)
READ:
1) Jane R. Glaser and Artemis A. Zenetou, Museums: A Place to Work (London
and New York: Routledge, 1996), 21-27 ("Museums - yesterday &
today"), 47-52 ("Governance"), 63-64 ("What museum
workers do - theory & practice: prologue"), 65-141 ("Museum
professional positions"; read 65-70 carefully, then skim 70-122 &
choose 3 that most interest you to focus on, and also read 125-41carefully),
285-86 (Mission statement, J. B. Speed Art Museum), 288-89 (Mission statement,
Art Institute, Chicago), 290-95 (Organizational charts)
2) Renee Friedman, "Museum people: The special problems of personnel
management in museums and historical agencies," Museum Management,
ed. Kevin Moore (London and New York: Routledge, 1994), 120-27
3) Kendall Taylor and Tracey Linton Craig, "Risking it: Women as
Museum Leaders," Museum Management, ed. Kevin Moore (London and New
York: Routledge, 1994), 265-73
4) Stephen E. Weil and Earl F. Cheit, "The well-managed museum,"
Museum Management, ed. Kevin Moore (London and New York: Routledge, 1994),
288-89
Th, 2/1 Marketing and Finances
Panel from MS Museum of Art: Ann Harkins (Director of Membership and Annual
Giving), Jordan Kime (Director of Development), Maggie Lacey (Director
of Marketing), Mitchell Marcum (Deputy Director of Finance & Administration)
READ:
1) Paul Perrot, "Profit and museums 1: Funding, sponsorship,and corporate
support," Museums 2000, ed. Patrick J. Boylan (London and New York:
Museums Association, 1992), 148-54
2) Victoria Dickenson, "The economics of museum admission charges,"
Museum Management, ed. Kevin Moore (London and New York: Routledge, 1994),
104-14
3) Andy Leon Harney, "Money changers in the temple? Museums and the
financial mission," Museum Management, ed. Kevin Moore (London and
New York: Routledge, 1994), 132-40
4) Peter Lewis, "Museums and marketing," Museum Management,
ed. Kevin Moore (London and New York, Routledge, 1994), 216-31
Th, 2/8 Language/Text
Trip to Smith-Robertson Museum and/or Museum of Muslim Cultures (Timbuktu
exhibit)
READ:
1) Eilean Hooper-Greenhill, "Languages and Texts," Museums and
their Visitors (London and New York:
Routledge, 1994), 115-39
2) Margareta Ekarv, "Combating redundancy: writing texts for exhibitions,"
The Educational Role of the Museum, ed. Eilean Hooper-Greenhill (2nd ed.;
London and New York: Routledge, 1999), 201-04
3) Elizabeth Gilmore and Jennifer Sabine, "Writing readable text:
evaluation of the Ekarv method," The Educational Role of the Museum,
ed. E. Hooper-Greenhill (2nd ed.; London and New York: Routledge, 1999),
205-10
4) James Carter, "How old is this text?," The Educational Role
of the Museum, ed. Eilean Hooper-Greenhill (2nd ed.; London and New York:
Routledge, 1999), 211-14
5) Helen Coxall, "Museum text as mediated message," The Educational
Role of the Museum, ed. Eilean
Hooper-Greenhill (2nd ed.; London and New York: Routledge, 1999), 215-22
6) Excerpts from Beverly Serrell, Making Exhibit Labels (Nashville: American
Association for State and Local History), 1983
Th, 2/15 No Class (I'll be at the College Art Association meeting in
New York)
Th, 2/22 The Museum Space
Trip to MS Museum of Art
READ:
1) Communications Design Team, Royal Ontario Museum, "Spatial considerations,"
The Educational Role of the Museum, ed. Eilean Hooper-Greenhill (2nd ed.;
London and New York: Routledge, 1999), 178-90
2) Michaela Giebelhausen, "The Architecture is the Museum,"
New Museum Theory and Practice, ed. Janet Marstine (Malden, MA: Blackwell,
2006), 41-63
3) Carol Duncan, "Art Museums and the Ritual of Citizenship,"
Exhibiting Cultures, ed. Ivan Karp and Steven D. Lavine (Washington and
London: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1991), 88-103.
4) Carol Duncan, Civilizing Rituals, Ch. 1: "The Art Museum as Ritual"
(London and New York: Routledge, 1995), 7-20.
Th, 3/1 The Public
Panel: Betsy Bradley (Director, MS Museum of Art), Ivy Alley or Lianne
Takemori (Curators of Education, MS Museum of Art), Nina Moss (Director
of Communications, MS Museum of Art), Carol Rietvelt (Director of Education
and Programs, Old Capitol Museum), Georgia Spencer (Education Coordinator,
MS Museum of Natural Science); Mary Lohrenz (Curator, Governor's Mansion);
Malcolm White (Director, Mississippi Arts Commission)
READ:
1) Eilean Hooper-Greenhill, "Who goes to museums?," Museums
and their Visitors (London and New York: Routledge, 1994), 54-68
2) Eilean Hooper-Greenhill, "Welcoming visitors," Museums and
their Visitors (London and New York: Routledge, 1994), 84-99
3) John Walsh, "Pictures, Tears, Lights, and Seats," Whose Muse?
Art Museums and the Public Trust, ed.
James Cuno (Princeton and Oxford: Princeton UP, 2004), 77-101
4) Philippe de Montebello, "Art Museums, Inspiring Public Trust,"
Whose Muse? Art Museums and the Public Trust, ed. James Cuno (Princeton
and Oxford: Princeton UP, 2004), 151-69
5) Vera L. Zolberg, "'An Elite Experience for Everyone': Art Museums,
the Public, and Cultural Literacy,"
Museum Culture, ed. Daniel J. Sherman and Irit Rogoff (Minneapolis: University
of Minnesota Press, 1994), 49-65
6) David Chapin and Stephan Klein, "The Epistemic Museum," Museum
News (July-Aug. 1992): 60-61, 76.
F, 3/2 Optional Trip to MS Museum of Natural Science: Behind-the-Scenes
Tour!
Th, 3/8 The Public
READ:
1) Lisa C. Roberts, "Changing Practices of Interpretation,"
Reinventing the Museum: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on the
Paradigm Shift, ed. Gail Anderson (Lanham, MD: Altamira Press, 2004),
212-32
2) Judy Rand, "The Visitors' Bill of Rights," Reinventing the
Museum: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on the Paradigm Shift,
ed. Gail Anderson (Lanham, MD: Altamira Press, 2004), 158-59
3) Margaret Lindauer, "The Critical Museum Visitor," New Museum
Theory and Practice, ed. Janet Marstine (Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2006),
203-25
4) Charles F. Gunther, "Museum-goers: life-styles and learning characteristics,"
The Educational Role of the Museum, ed. Eilean Hooper-Greenhill (2nd ed.;
London and New York: Routledge, 1999), 118-30
5) Eilean Hooper-Greenhill, "Audiences: a curatorial dilemma,"
The Educational Role of the Museum, ed.
Eilean Hooper-Greenhill (2nd ed.; London and New York: Routledge, 1999),
255-68
6) Elaine Heumann Gurian, "Noodling Around with Exhibition Opportunities,"
Exhibiting Cultures, ed. Ivan Karp and Steven D. Lavine (Washington and
London: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1991), 176-190
Th, 3/15 Spring Break
M, 3/19 Optional draft of Interview Paper (if you'd like for my comments
you need to get your draft to me today by 3:00 pm)
Th, 3/22 Exhibitions
Panel: Dan Piersol (Deputy Director for Programs, MS Museum of Art), Robin
Dietrick (Curator of Exhibitions, MS Museum of Art), Norton McKeigney
(Exhibits Supervisor, MS Museum of Natural Science), Patti Carr Black
(former director, Old Capitol Museum), Okolo Rashid (director, Interntional
Museum of Muslim Cultures), Cavett Taff (Pencil 2 Paper Exhibit Design)
READ:
1) David Dean, "The exhibition development process," The Educational
Role of the Museum, ed. Eilean Hooper- Greenhill (2nd ed.; London and
New York: Routledge, 1999), 191-200
2) Mark Rosenthal, "Telling stories museum style," The Two Art
Histories: The Museum and the University, ed. Charles W. Haxthausen (New
Haven and London: Yale UP, 2002), 74-80
3) Sanford Sivitz Shaman, "Education, sunflowers and the new vulgarity
in art museums," Museum, Media,
Message, Eilean Hooper-Greenhill, ed. (London and New York: Routledge,
1995), 97-104
4) Katy Deepwell, "Feminist curatorial strategies and practices since
the 1970s," New Museum Theory and
Practice, Janet Marstine, ed. (Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2006), 64-84
5) Barbara Clark Smith, "A Case Study of Applied Feminist Theories,"
Gender Perspectives: Essays on
Women in Museums, eds. Jane R. Glaser and Artemis A. Zenetou (Washington
and London: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1994), 137-46
6) Michael Baxandall, "Exhibiting Intention," Exhibiting Cultures,
ed. Ivan Karp and Steven D. Lavine
(Washington and London: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1991), 33-41
7) Lawrence Alloway, "The Great Curatorial Dim-Out," Thinking
about Exhibitions, eds. R .Greenberg, B.
Ferguson, and S. Nairne (London and New York: Routledge, 1996), 221-30
M, 3/26 Interview Paper due in my office by 3:00
Th, 3/29 Archives, Storage, and Conservation
Trip to MS Museum of Art
READ:
1) Elaine Heumann Gurian, "What is the Object of This Exercise? A
Meandering Exploration of the Many
Meanings of Objects in Museums," Reinventing the Museum: Historical
and Contemporary Perspectives on the Paradigm Shift, ed. Gail Anderson
(Lanham, MD: Altamira Press, 2004), 269-83
2) Lois Marie Fink, "Museum Archives as Resources for Scholarly Research
and Institutional Identity," New Museum Theory and Practice, ed.
Janet Marstine (Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2006), 292-307
3) Glenn Wharton, "The Challenges of Conserving Contemporary Art,"
Collecting the New, ed. Bruce Altshuler (Princeton and London: Princeton
UP, 2005), 163-78
4) Rachel Barker and Patricia Smithen, "New Art, New Challenges:
The Changing Face of Conservation in
the Twenty-First Century," New Museum Theory and Practice (Malden,
MA: Blackwell, 2006), 85-105
5) David Bomford, Conservation of Paintings (London: National Gallery
Publications, 1997)
F, 3/30 Field Trip to Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, Laurel (depart at
noon from AC parking lot)
Th, 4/5 Ethical and Legal Issues
READ:
1) Jane R. Glaser and Artemis A. Zenetou, Museums: A Place to Work (London
and New York: Routledge, 1996), 33-46: "Principles and standards
of museums: prologue"; "Museum Ethics"; "Code of Ethics
for Museums"
2) Robert Sullivan, "Evaluating the Ethics and Consciences of Museums,"
Gender Perspectives: Essays on Women in Museums, ed. Jane R. Glaser and
Artemis A. Zenetou (Washington and London: Smithsonian Institution Press,
1994), 100-107
3) Karen J. Warren, "A Philosophical Perspective on the Ethics and
Resolution of Cultural Properties Issues," Reinventing the Museum:
Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on the Paradigm Shift, ed. Gail
Anderson (Lanham, MD: AltamiraPress, 2004), 303-24
4) Willard L. Boyd, "Museum Accountability: Laws, Rules, Ethics,
and Accreditation," Reinventing the Museum: Historical and Contemporary
Perspectives on the Paradigm Shift, ed. Gail Anderson (Lanham, MD: Altamira
Press, 2004), 351-62
Th, 4/12 Ethical and Legal Issues
Panel: Lucy Allen (Director, Old Capitol Museum), Betsy Bradley (Director,
MS Museum of Art), Robin Dietrick (Curator of Exhibitions, MS Museum of
Art), Julia Young (Director of Archives and Library, MS Department of
Archives and History)
READ:
1) Robert Storr, "To Have and to Hold," Collecting the New,
ed. Bruce Altshuler (Princeton and London: Princeton UP, 2005), 29-40
2) Marie C. Malaro, "Deaccessioning: The American Perspective,"
Reinventing the Museum: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on the
Paradigm Shift, ed. Gail Anderson (Lanham, MD: Altamira Press, 2004),
331-39
3) Jane R. Glaser and Artemis A. Zenetou, Museums: A Place to Work (London
and New York: Routledge, 1996), 55-60: "Legal concerns"
4) Eric Moody, "Politics and museums 2: Art and politics," Museums
2000, ed. Patrick J. Boylan (London and New York: Museums Association,
1992), 42-46
Th, 4/19 Ethical and Legal Issues
Trip to Jim Powell's museum
READ:
1) Peter C. Marzio, "Minorities and Fine-Arts Museums in the United
States," Exhibiting Cultures, ed. Ivan Karp and Steven D. Lavine
(Washington and London: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1991), 121-27
2) Susan Vogel, "Always True to the Object, in Our Fashion,"
Exhibiting Cultures, ed. Ivan Karp and Steven D. Lavine (Washington and
London: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1991), 191-204
3) Anne Higonnet, "A New Center: The National Museum of Women in
the Arts," Museum Culture, ed. Daniel J. Sherman and Irit Rogoff
(Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1994), 250-64
F, 4/20 Optional draft of Ethics or Museum Visit Paper (if you'd like
for my comments you need to get your draft to me today by noon)
Th, 4/26 The Future of Museums
READ:
1) Eilean Hooper-Greenhill, "Changing Values in the Art Museum: Rethinking
Communication and Learning," Museum Studies, ed. Bettina Messias
Carbonell (Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2004), 556-75
2) Jane R. Glaser and Artemis A. Zenetou, Museums: A Place to Work (London
and New York: Routledge, 1996), 227-56: "Views on the future in museums"
3) Eilean Hooper-Greenhill, "Technologies in the modern museum,"
Museums and the Shaping of Knowledge (London and New York: Routledge,
1992), 200-15
4) Jeffrey Weiss, "9 Minutes 45 Seconds," Collecting the New,
ed. Bruce Altshuler (Princeton and London:
Princeton UP, 2005), 41-54
5) Lianne McTavish, excerpt from "Visiting the Virtual Museum: Art
& Experience Online," New Museum
Theory and Practice (Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2006), 226-29
M, 4/20 Ethics or Museum Visit Paper due in my office by 5:00
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