semi-daily musings from a sentimental fool.

now, focus.


Saturday, June 28, 2014

Puddle Jumping

                              Mary Mikel Stump | That's The Way | 2009 | screenprint | 22 x 28 inches


I'm going to London. In fact, I'm going on a trip of a lifetime to study behind the scenes of many of the major museums in London...and two in Oxford, just in case I thought I wasn't dreaming.  As I am to write reflections each night as part of my coursework, I thought I'd do the same here.  I started this blog as really more of a journal for myself and to share with anyone who cared to read it, which may be limited to my mother and, well,  that may be it.  

That said, I haven't really shared here at all since starting my MA in Museum Studies at Johns Hopkins 3 years ago.   For me, I took the tortoise route, doing one class per semester (alongside a more than full time job) and taking summers off  from school to enjoy being a mom with my boys (still alongside a more than full time job).  Now, I find myself at the "capstone" of the Hopkins Museum Studies program.  At first, I thought I'd do the domestic Seminar. It is in Philadelphia this summer and looks to be amazing. I mean who wouldn't kill to go behind the scenes at the Mütter Museum? Okay, maybe not the best choice of words, there, but I digress.  When Hopkins' foreign seminar in Barcelona fell through and they changed it to London, all bets were off.  I talked it over with my husband, Marty, and we both agreed that I had to go. I mean, the UK is the virtual birthplace of museums, don'tcha know.  We concurred that I'd never have this opportunity again.  So, on July 4th, I will eschew my annual viewing of 1776 for a view of fireworks from a British Airways' Boeing 787 Dreamliner.  

Excited doesn't begin to cover how I'm feeling.  I'm thrilled to the point of nausea, for so many reasons. So, instead of talking about all that is obvious, I'll just move on to the class itinerary.  I'll be doing extra things, as well: I'm going to see the final performance of PunchDrunk Theater's The Drowned Man, as well as a tour of Dennis Severs' House-both of which are most definitely on my personal bucket list.  I'll also be  co-presenting at the EVA Conference (Electronic Visualisation in the Arts) on the app that I partnered to develop for The University Galleries at Texas State University.  Finally, I'll be turning (to quote Sally O'Mally) the big five-O while I'm gone.  So, this is a big trip in so many ways.  Most of all, it signals the beginning of the end for this degree, which is a long awaited completion (for all of my family and friends!). 

So, stay tuned and come along with me, if you are so inclined.  Here is "our" itinerary...

Johns Hopkins MA Museum Studies – London Onsite Seminar 2014 

Programme

Sunday 6 July

12 – 4             Meet 12.00 noon, Foyer, University of Westminster, 309 Regent Street, London W1B 2UW. Get-to-know and introductions. Brief tour of University area. West End “cultural walk”, Regent Street to Trafalgar Square.



Monday 7 July

8.30 – 10       Breakfast and formal induction programme – Boardroom, 309 Regent St. Outline main seminar themes, seminar structure, day-by-day schedule, assessment, and group work instructions. London Living issues.

10 – 11            “The Education of the Eye”: early history of the University of Westminster – the Royal Polytechnic Institution. Anna McNally and Claire Brunnen, University Archive Team.

11 – 4.30         Site Visit, British Museum. The Encyclopaedic Museum – history and contemporary mission. Viewing of selected galleries, including the Enlightenment Gallery, the Parthenon/Elgin Marbles, Living and Dying, and exhibition “Ancient Lives, New Discoveries”.

7 – 8.30         Welcome Reception. Welcome by Professor Alexandra Warwick, Head of Department of English, Linguistics and Cultural Studies.



Tuesday 8 July

7.00am          Deadline 1st journal entry

8.30                Discussion. Annotation 2 instructions. Site visit review presentation.   Introduction to the day ahead: “Collecting London”

9.30 – 10.30  World War I and the Regent Street Polytechnic. Material in the University Archives. Archive Team.

10.30 – 5.30  Site Visit, Museum of London. Exploring the collection, including London and World Wars I and II displays. Staff discussion led by Dr Cathy Ross. See appended detailed programme for this visit.

5.30 – 6.30    Tour of London’s Roman Wall.

6.30                 Pub meal.



Wednesday 9 July

8.30 – 9.30    Discussion. Site visit review presentation. Introduction to the day ahead: “The Great Exhibition and the establishment of the South Kensington Museums.”

10 – 4.30       Site Visit, Victoria & Albert Museum: Art and Design for All. Exploring the collection. Visit exhibitions “The Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945-2014” and “William Kent: Designing Georgian Britain”. Discussion with Johanna Banham, Head of Public Programmes.

6.00                JHU and University of Westminster Public Seminar: “The multi-modal museum: new initiatives on access programmes for Visually Impaired people and multisensory provision in museums”. Speakers include Marcus Dickey Horley, Curator, Access and Special Projects, Tate; Dr Alison Eardley, University of Westminster. Boardroom, 309 Regent Street.
6.00 Tea/Coffee; 6.30–8.30 Seminar; 8.30 Drinks Reception.



Thursday 10 July

8.30 – 9.30    Discussion. Site visit review presentation. Introduction to the Day Ahead: “Georgian London” High Culture and Low Life: Hogarth vs. Kent.

10 – 12.30     South Kensington Museums continued. Visit to “Wedding Dresses” exhibition at the V&A.

2 – 5               Foundling Museum. Explore collection. View exhibition “Progress”: four contemporary artists’ responses to Hogarth. Discussion with Collections Manager Alison Duke.

Evening free.



Friday 11 July

8.30 – 9.30    Discussion. Onsite review presentation. Introduction to the day ahead.

10 – 3              Site visit: National Portrait Gallery. The Pantheon concept. Representing British identity. History and contemporary celebrity culture.

3 – 5               Project work.

Evening free.



Saturday 12 July

10 – 12           The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace. “The First Georgians: Art and Monarch, 1714 – 1760”.

1 – 6                Project work.

Evening free.



Sunday 13 July – Free.



Monday 14 July

8.30 – 9.30   Discussion. Final Paper topics published. Site visit review presentation. Introduction to the Day Ahead: The Two Tates: History and modernity.

10.00 – 1       Tate Modern: Explore collection and view Matisse exhibition.

1 – 2                Lunch, and Tate Boat to Tate Britain.

2 – 5                Tate Britain. Explore collection and view exhibition “Kenneth Clark: Looking for Civilization”

Evening Free.

12 midnight: Annotation 2 submission deadline.



Tuesday 15 July        Day trip to Oxford

                        Meet 8 a.m. at Victoria tube station. Further details to follow.

10 - 1              Visit to the Ashmolean Museum: “Crossing Cultures, Crossing Time”. Discussion with Dr Giovanna Vitelli, Director of the University Engagement Mellon Project.

1 – 2                Lunch at the Lamb & Flag pub.

2 – 4                Visit to the Pitt Rivers Museum. Discussion with Hannah Eastwood, Education department.

4 – 5                Visit to the Museum of the History of Science. Viewing of exhibition “Geek is Good” and discussion with staff.

5 –                   Oxford walk, dinner and return.



Wednesday 16 July

9 – 12             Discussion. Site review presentation – double session (Two Tates and Oxford). Project discussion. Museum policy seminar.

12 – 5              Visit to Horniman Museum and gardens. Explore collection. Staff discussion in the Handling Collection base, led by Abigail Hinton, Schools Liaison Officer.



Thursday 17 July

8.30 – 9.30   Discussion. Site review presentation. Outline of Day Ahead

10 – 12.30     Florence Nightingale Museum. Explore collection and exhibition “The Hospital in the Oatfield – the Art of Nursing in the First World War”, new exhibition to honour nurses in the First World War; and discussion with exhibition curator Holly Carter-Chappell.

p.m.                Project



Friday 18 July

7 a.m.              Last Journal Entry deadline

9 – 2                Project Presentations (with breaks!)

2.30 – 4          Final seminar review

7.30                 Seminar dinner, Portrait Restaurant, National Portrait Gallery.


Saturday/Sunday...explore on my own
Monday, July 21 HOMEWARD BOUND