Museum education

Webster dictionary, the literal definition of the word museum is “an institution devoted to the procurement, care, study, and display of objects of lasting interest or value; also : a place where objects are exhibited”. So what exactly do exhibitions represent and how do they do so? Exhibitions are put into museums that differ by age, target audiences, content, national and regional orientations and just simply by ambition. The type or genre of a museum might be the significant difference that…

The first thing that caught my attention about the Indiana State Museum was that the museum is basically divided into two parts. It is divided into the natural history side and the cultural history side. I found this very interesting, as I had just assumed that everything in the museum was imported, categorized, and stored in similar manors. When you think about it, it makes sense to divide the museum into two parts as it allows the staff members of the two teams to be specialized experts in…

Paine text defines a Museum as “a non-profit, permanent institution in the service of society and its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserve, researches, communicates, and exhibit the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment for the purposes of education, study and enjoyment.” After a recent visit to The Pioneers Museum in Colorado Springs, I have concluded that this museum is a model example of the various ways in which today’s museum have change…

The Museum of Natural History on the University of Iowa campus is located in the McBride Hall on the Pentacrest of the university. I arrived at the museum on a Friday afternoon around 1p.m., the building was mostly empty and the exhibit was easily accessible. I have been going to the museum since I was a child because it was a favorite of my parents. The museum had always kept me busy for hours at a time exploring and looking for things that I have not seen before. Since becoming a student…

What is the purpose of a museum or a historic site? On the surface, many would indicate that it is education. Through his monograph, Upon the Ruins of Slavery: Slavery, the President’s House at Independence National Historical Park, and Public Memory, Roger C. Aden argues that the purpose of a museum is much more complex than that, and it varies from person to person. He examined the various processes and problems that occur in the creation of a historical site. Specifically, Aden examines…

Museums can be a reliable resource for learning new information or seeing famous works of art. When securing a new piece of art for a museum, several factors must be considered. Among these are morality, truthfulness, and cost of the piece. They must all be considered together to have a successful piece of art for a museum. The truthfulness of a piece must be taken into account when acquiring it for a museum. The art should be an accurate representation of what actually happened, or at least…

The world sees museums as a place to go to be entertained or to learn about something. One of the world’s most popular museum resides in the upper west side of New York City. Aside from it being a tourist spot, it’s also one of the biggest museums and holds a huge collection of artifacts varying from different times of history. An approximation of the amount of artifacts is, “8 million, but many curators will privately admit that this is most likely a guess.” (Preston, :176). What people don’t…

From Emeka Ogboh’s soundscape in the African Art Museum to the spectacular Freer Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian museums are wonderful places to explore. So a chance to intern at one is an opportunity that cannot be missed. I have the required skill set and mindset called for being a member of the Smithsonian intern team, and the reward for the time put into the program is worth it. School never bothered me. Starting in elementary school, I received all A’s with a few B+’s in the mix. But once…

paleontologist who moved often from New York's American Museum of Natural History, where he was curator, to lecture halls and also to visit far away fossil fields that weren't open to the public. His total understanding and grasp of the fossil record allowed for significant advances in theoretical evolution and taxonomy. To further explain the previous paragraph the reader must understand a few terms. A curator is in charge of keeping up with museum records and, in George Simpson's case, the…

“Although museums have not abandoned, art curating is no longer necessarily tied to them… Instead, curating now encompasses not only exhibition making but also programming at many kinds of alternative venues, and is often adjunct to even the most experimental art space…