The Importance of Educational Programming

When the general public thinks of museums or heritage sites, the first thing that usually comes to mind is education through exhibits, historical re-enactments, and artifacts. This is certainly true, and many institutions go to great lengths to make sure their visitors leave with new knowledge gained. However, it is important that an equal amount of effort goes into educational programming whether it’s at a large museum, a local heritage site, or art galleries.

Helping a member of the Saturday Art Club at the Peterborough Art Gallery make some handmade paper. Photo courtesy of Cheri Patrick

Summer camps, Saturday morning clubs, and other forms of youth engagement all help make museums more accessible. The more an institution does to appeal to grade schoolers, high schoolers, and young adults, they gain a better reputation. Diverse education programs show that museums are more than just academic organizations meant to acquire, research, and store/display historic artifacts.

Supervising children is a huge responsibility. This includes being by their side and assisting at all times when they need to harmful things like hot glue guns or (as pictured above) a blender. Photo courtesy of Cheri Patrick

A good example of an institution’s educational programming matching its mission is the Art Gallery of Peterborough. In its own words, “the AGP will present a variety of visual art experiences and explorations to stimulate and expand public perception of art as a part of our life and community”. Through its educational yet entertaining Saturday Art Club, where children are encouraged to express themselves through various forms of art, the AGP succeeds in their mission. While I volunteered with the Art Club, I saw that a successfully run program results in excited and happy participants.

A good educational program equals happy participants and proud volunteers! Photo courtesy of Cheri Patrick

However, the contents of an education program don’t always have to be set in stone. Many programs (such as the Discovery After Dark evening presented by myself and my colleagues from the Fleming MMC program at the Peterborough Museum & Archives) require a certain level of adding and subtracting. Meaning that it’s important to realize what activities might need to be taken out and what will be replaced.

29634438_1444228355686316_2113708331_o — Svenya Scherer and Holly Peterson teaching a group of Discovery After Dark participants about Irish mythology and folklore. Photo credit: Hannah Richardson

29633111_1444228279019657_343061482_o — We were initially worried about the participants not being invested in the educational portion of the program. However, setting “story time” during snack break worked to our advantage. As the children ate, they were quiet, attentive, and interested in the powerpoint. Photo credit: Hannah Richardson

29632793_1444228525686299_1943451199_o — A slide from “Celtic Folklore: More than Leprechauns and Pots of Gold”. Photo credit: Hannah Richardson

29681075_1444228359019649_712883854_o — The main craft of the program: paper mache cauldrons painted and then decorated with jewels and glitter by the participants. A huge success, especially when it was time to decorate them. Photo credit: Hannah Richardson

29527254_1444228572352961_1106099628_o — Svenya Scherer preparing the evening’s powerpoint. Being prepared for technical issues is important, because they are almost always guaranteed to happen. Photo credit: Hannah Richardson

Other important lessons gained from this particular volunteering opportunity: think fast, go with your gut feeling, and most importantly, be positive, helpful, and fun.

Condition Reporting In Situ

In partnership with the Peterborough Museum & Archives, the Museum Management & Curatorship students helped rehouse and fill out condition reports for a variety of textile artifacts.

For this In Situ, we split up into small groups and were given articles of clothing that ranged in size, style, and age. For my group, some of the articles we condition reported included a Victorian era overcoat made of lace and silk, a long ladies’ coat made entirely from satin, and a vintage brassier.

portfolio photos5 — A ladies’ lace and silk overcoat, circa 1890 Photo credit: Meghan Poxon

28125169_10210465318620852_23094932_o — A vintage brassiere with netting, Photo credit: Emily Paul

Along with condition reporting, which included measuring, classifying, and physically cleaning the artifacts, our other major task for the afternoon was making sure the textiles were properly and neatly stored within their boxes.

portfolio photos1 — Measuring a Victorian overcoat, Photo credit: Meghan Poxon

photoset — Vacuuming a Victorian overcoat, Photo credit: Meghan Poxon & Hannah Richardson

28170968_10210465311140665_379688436_o — Examining an accession number stitched to a Victorian overcoat, Photo credit: Emily Paul

28126216_10210465312540700_952103414_o — Condition reporting a ladies’ long satin overcoat, Photo credit: Emily Paul

Closely examining a Victorian overcoat, Photo credit: Emily Taylor

It was crucial that we handled the objects gently and fold them with the right amount of acid free paper as protection. We were also recommended to fill the box to the best of our abilities, but also leave enough room for other possible, smaller artifacts.

portfolio photos3 — Carefully packing up a Victorian overcoat, Photo credit: Hannah Richardson

28061282_10216278015409241_5524149973086227723_o — Moving a box of textiles to its location within the PMA Curatorial Centre, Photo credit: Shoshanna Watson

28171035_10210465317580826_1268713521_o — Making sure a box is neatly and carefully packed, Photo credit: Emily Paul

The importance of this In Situ experience was to show us how much organizational skills and an attention to detail can help combat dissociation (one of the more overlooked agents of deterioration) within a museum setting.

At Home With Monsters: The Power of “Weird” Exhibits

Generally speaking, most museums and art galleries don’t have a place for the outwardly macabre. Of course some institutions will house artifacts with sordid pasts and will host public events with a spooky, Halloween theme. Yet in my experience, rarely have I seen museums host frequent exhibitions that revolve around the historical and cultural significance of the Gothic, the supernatural, or the uncanny.

Then I visited the newest temporary exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario, “At Home With Monsters”. Through costumes, movie props, and personal collections, it follows the creative mind of critically acclaimed and eccentric Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro.

tumblr_oyfxniRSss1rk1cx8o2_1280 — Costumes from the gothic romance “Crimson Peak” directed by Guillermo del Toro; photo credit: Hannah Richardson

“At Home With Monsters” isn’t just an opportunity for fans of Del Toro to get closer to his work. It’s proof that when museums and art galleries try something different, something new that’s meant to be taken seriously, they can create an exhibit that’s truly unique, inspiring, and breath-taking. Even when the collection they’re working with is so unconventional and, for lack of a better term, weird.

Yet that’s what history and art is; it can be weird, personal, thought-provoking, and even scary. One other similar exhibit that comes to mind is a past temporary exhibit at the Peterborough Museum & Archives which showcased the darker side of Peterborough’s history through wreaths made out of human hair and post-mortem photography.

tumblr_oyfxniRSss1rk1cx8o4_1280 — The Angel of Death from Del Toro’s “Hellboy II: The Golden Army”; photo credit: Hannah Richardson

Of course not every museum is obligated to creep out their audiences in order to be interesting or worth visiting. It’s just one of many options if they wish to take their institution to another level. After all, “weird” exhibits make for great conversations afterwards.

Kingston & the Ontario Museum Association Conference

Every year the OMA (Ontario Museum Association) hosts a conference where curators, museum faculty, and more gather in one place to discuss everything from the future of museums, how we can make museums better, and how we can establish museum galleries on the moon. I and a handle of other students in the Museum Management & Curatorship program at Fleming were fortunate enough to attend both days of the conference in beautiful downtown Kingston earlier this month.

20171012_095529 — Kingston’s City Hall, credit: Hannah Richardson

Even as someone who has been to expos and conferences in the past, the OMA Conference was a bit overwhelming – but exciting at the same time. It was inspiring to see so much passion for museums in one room, or rather one hotel. One of the highlights was the discovery of scriptwriting for historical reenactments and spirit walks – which are just as important as legitimate heritage sites as they are as a means of entertainment for tourists and school groups. During that particular session, there was also a brief workshop specifically dealing with scriptwriting and how it’s sometimes a group effort. A couple Fleming students and I were in the same group for the exercise and I don’t think I’ve laughed so hard in just 10 minutes before.

20171012_135307_HDR — Amy Barron presenting the session titled “Dead Men Do Tell Tales”, credit: Hannah Richardson

All in all, as my very first OMA Conference, it was a wonderful experience and I was especially impressed by the OMA’s commitment to the inclusion of Indigenous voices and practices. Reconciliation isn’t just hiring Indigenous faculty in museums or displaying Indigenous artifacts – it’s respecting Indigenous traditions, building better relations with First Nations, and making an effort to decolonize museums and heritage sites.