The Nelson Mandela museum located in South Africa, was opened exactly ten years after Mandela's liberation from prison. Created as a living, breathing museum, Mandela was determined that this museum should not just be a stagnant shrine to him, but a living embodiment of his ideas and philosophies in the hopes to inspire and nurture those who come to visit the museum.
The museum itself has two campuses: the Nelson Mandela Youth and Heritage center in Qunu, and the Bungha building in Mthatha. This allows visitors to walk in the same exact steps as this great man himself. See the same neighborhoods and culture that inspired him, rather than the much more separate and dull atmosphere we are commonly use to seeing in most tribute museums. Visitors are able to see the remains of the school he attended as a child, the place in which he was first anointed with the name "Nelson". The granite sliding rocks he used to play on as a boy, the cemetery in which his children and parents are buried, his current home, all are within the location making the visitor experience that much more poignant and awe inspiring. The remoteness and authenticity of the entire landscape makes the entire experience more unbelievable and resonating.
Mandela's spirit and value of the human spirit and equal rights is at the heart of everything the museum does, and although this great man is now deceased, I am confident in saying that this mission will continue to strive on and create a large remembrance as a site of pilgrimage of a great man.
#NelsonMandela #MoreThanATribute #SouthAfrica #GreatVisionGreaterMan #InRemembrance
www.nelsonmandelamuseum.org.za
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Maintaining Accessibility in Museums: ADA (Oct 2 Blog)
When it comes to accessibility in museums, we must understand that their is theoretical accessibility, access to ideas and culture, and then there is physical accessibility, meaning the physical ability to actually be in the space and enjoy all that the museum has to offer.
Thanks to the American Disabilities Act, or ADA, museums now have a guideline to follow to help include all visitors in the process of enjoyment at institutions. From making multiple handicap spots and ramps into the building, the ADA guidelines go one step further. Include are making sure that space in exhibits is traversable in a wheel chair, that tables and other media activities are wheel chair accessible and have alternatives for those with hearing and sight impairments, to even the suggested height of exhibit cases.
Things that people without impairments take for granted, such as easy access through exhibits and being able to look at a museum case from multiple angles to be able to see an object, are not always a simple given for people with disabilities or handicaps. Thus, why should these individuals be alienated and unallowed to fully enjoy all that a museum has to offer? They shouldn't! Which is why the ADA tries to work closely with museums and other public institutions to help make the necessary modifications so that all visitors can have an equal and pleasurable experience.
#ADAGuidelines #MakingMuseumsAccessible #Equality #ChangeIsntSoHard #MakeADifference
www.ada.gov/business/museum_access.pdf
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
ICOM Code of Ethics... Interpreted For the Modern Museum Student (Sept 4 Blog)
Written to be a commentary on the minimum standard for museums to align themselves with, the ICOM Code of Ethics is organized like any formal document: a preamble and articles that make the entire document appear to be intimidating for those in smaller institutions or even for those of us that are students looking to make our way into the museum world. To make this document a bit easier to digest, I have broken the articles down into a more modern day interpretation that we can all make sense of. It is important to note that while I mainly relate these principles to collections and objects, they are meant to fully encompass every aspect in museums from audience, to preservation, to employees, etc.
Article 1: Museums preserve, interpret and promote the natural and cultural inheritance of humanity.
Museums are institutions that are meant to keep collections in appropriate condition, studied to their fullest potential and made available to the public so that each item can tell its specific story and its significance to natural and cultural history. Simple as that. Museums are the keepers of the keys for your Harry Potter fans. Meant to make sure that things are taken care of in a proper manner but made available to serve a greater purpose.
Museums must create a main message and carry it out through their collections and exhibitions, and continuously strive to flow with the times.
Article 2: Museums that maintain collections hold them in trust for the benefit of society and its development.
Simply put, museums that have collections must maintain and expand their collections as a part of their duty to society of preservation and education. As Spiderman would say, "with great power comes great responsibility". Once you're bitten by that radio active spider of the museum world you're bound to carry out the proper care, studies and exhibition of current pieces and to seek out new and exciting objects.
Article 3: Museums hold primary evidence for establishing and furthering knowledge.
This means that museums hold a responsibility to the care, accessibility and interpretation of pieces within the collection. You cannot simply acquire items and put them in a basement never to be seen or heard from again, but rather, pieces must be cared for as one would care for precious family heirlooms. Do you think that the Queen of England simply throws her crown jewels into a box and puts them in the basement of Buckingham Palace? No! She puts them on display for the world to see and learn from.
Article 4: Museums provide opportunities for the appreciation, understanding and promotion of the natural and cultural heritage.
Museums have a duty to broaden their educational spectrum and their audience. Rather than a simplistic, narrow-minded view and a select elite client base, museums need to open their arms to a whole variety of educational styles, ideas and participants. A kid from the "inner-city" may have just as much of an interest in Picasso as a kid raised in "high society". Both should have access. As well, who's to say that Picasso has as much to do with Van Gogh and Rembrandt as he does modern graffiti painting? Perhaps taken a more modern interpretation or even including technology and media might just be the ticket museums need to raise attendance and funds that are so quickly dwindling.
Article 5: Museums hold resources that provide opportunities for other public services and benefits.
The most popular phrase in American politics cans apply here: "Share the wealth!" Museums have privilege to some of the most invent specialisms, resources and skills that collaborations and sharing amongst various disciplines and industries that to selfishly cling to these things would be a greater harm than good.
Article 6: Museums work in close collaboration with the communities from which their collections originate as well as those they serve.
Although I feel this deserves a higher educational "duh" sadly this principle is not always followed. Museums need to collaborate with the community and allow the cultural perspective to be showcased alongside of collections. Without that context, what really makes an object so significant?
Article 7: Museums operate in a legal manner.
Here's that higher educational "duh" I was talking about. Duh! Museums have to operate in a legal manner. Follow the law or end up like Enron.
Article 8: Museums operate in a professional manner.
Again, duh! No sweatpants and cotton t-shirts unless you are working incredibly late at night. But even then, wear a pair of jeans an a nice looking t-shirt. In a more serious manner, museums have to follow ADA and have to provide their employees with a safe and productive environment.
With that all said and done, I hope that this brief overview helps introduce individuals to the Code of Ethics in a less intimidating manner than what it can be perceived to be.
#ICOM #CodeofEthics #PopCultureInterpretation #NotSoScary #ICOMforDummies
http://icom.museum/professional-standards/code-of-ethics/preamble/#sommairecontent
Article 1: Museums preserve, interpret and promote the natural and cultural inheritance of humanity.
Museums are institutions that are meant to keep collections in appropriate condition, studied to their fullest potential and made available to the public so that each item can tell its specific story and its significance to natural and cultural history. Simple as that. Museums are the keepers of the keys for your Harry Potter fans. Meant to make sure that things are taken care of in a proper manner but made available to serve a greater purpose.
Museums must create a main message and carry it out through their collections and exhibitions, and continuously strive to flow with the times.
Article 2: Museums that maintain collections hold them in trust for the benefit of society and its development.
Simply put, museums that have collections must maintain and expand their collections as a part of their duty to society of preservation and education. As Spiderman would say, "with great power comes great responsibility". Once you're bitten by that radio active spider of the museum world you're bound to carry out the proper care, studies and exhibition of current pieces and to seek out new and exciting objects.
Article 3: Museums hold primary evidence for establishing and furthering knowledge.
This means that museums hold a responsibility to the care, accessibility and interpretation of pieces within the collection. You cannot simply acquire items and put them in a basement never to be seen or heard from again, but rather, pieces must be cared for as one would care for precious family heirlooms. Do you think that the Queen of England simply throws her crown jewels into a box and puts them in the basement of Buckingham Palace? No! She puts them on display for the world to see and learn from.
Article 4: Museums provide opportunities for the appreciation, understanding and promotion of the natural and cultural heritage.
Museums have a duty to broaden their educational spectrum and their audience. Rather than a simplistic, narrow-minded view and a select elite client base, museums need to open their arms to a whole variety of educational styles, ideas and participants. A kid from the "inner-city" may have just as much of an interest in Picasso as a kid raised in "high society". Both should have access. As well, who's to say that Picasso has as much to do with Van Gogh and Rembrandt as he does modern graffiti painting? Perhaps taken a more modern interpretation or even including technology and media might just be the ticket museums need to raise attendance and funds that are so quickly dwindling.
Article 5: Museums hold resources that provide opportunities for other public services and benefits.
The most popular phrase in American politics cans apply here: "Share the wealth!" Museums have privilege to some of the most invent specialisms, resources and skills that collaborations and sharing amongst various disciplines and industries that to selfishly cling to these things would be a greater harm than good.
Article 6: Museums work in close collaboration with the communities from which their collections originate as well as those they serve.
Although I feel this deserves a higher educational "duh" sadly this principle is not always followed. Museums need to collaborate with the community and allow the cultural perspective to be showcased alongside of collections. Without that context, what really makes an object so significant?
Article 7: Museums operate in a legal manner.
Here's that higher educational "duh" I was talking about. Duh! Museums have to operate in a legal manner. Follow the law or end up like Enron.
Article 8: Museums operate in a professional manner.
Again, duh! No sweatpants and cotton t-shirts unless you are working incredibly late at night. But even then, wear a pair of jeans an a nice looking t-shirt. In a more serious manner, museums have to follow ADA and have to provide their employees with a safe and productive environment.
With that all said and done, I hope that this brief overview helps introduce individuals to the Code of Ethics in a less intimidating manner than what it can be perceived to be.
#ICOM #CodeofEthics #PopCultureInterpretation #NotSoScary #ICOMforDummies
http://icom.museum/professional-standards/code-of-ethics/preamble/#sommairecontent
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