Post-Internship Reflection / August 14, 2009

A week ago today was the last day of our summer internship in AIC’s department of museum education. The last week of the internship was an interesting one… On one hand, we were not too busy. Most summer camps in Chicago had concluded, so we did not have many tours and we were not doing any new research. On the other hand, we had many moments of fun and excitement as well as a few unexpected spurts of busyness. On Thursday, we all had the opportunity to help with the AIC art activity at the Chicago Children’s Museum Art Day and, upon returning to AIC that afternoon, we jumped in to help with the Discerning Eye program for a group of approximately 200 medical students. After that long afternoon, we very much enjoyed hanging out together at the jazz concert at Pritzker Pavillion. On Friday morning, my tour group was over an hour late and I didn’t get the chance to give my final tour – instead we just showed the group the Japanese screens exhibit and did the studio activity. That somewhat disappointing experience was followed by an excellent lunch with all of the interns at Terzo Piano. And we concluded Friday afternoon with more food – a potluck reception in the docent room. That was a lot of food and a lot of people in one small space! But it was great to spend the last couple of hours with all of the great educators who helped us along and taught us so much during our time at AIC.

Overall, the internship was a great experience filled with learning opportunities and the chance to develop relationships with new colleagues, mentors, and friends. It was so much fun getting to know the seven other interns and I miss having a group of girls to hang out with everyday. The process of both learning together and learning from each other was an important part of the internship for me. It was always fun to return to the docent room after tours and share with each other our successes and failures, the funny things kids say, and the frustrations of chaperones who are more trouble than they are a help. It was also great having a group of interns with different interests and areas of expertise to which you could turn when you needed help with anything from research to pronunciations. So, did we ever decide – is it SHEE-vuh or SHIH-vah? Guh-NESH-ah or Guh-NESH? Just kidding! Miss you all – Monica H., Liz, Kristin, Mari, Monica B., Kimberly, and Becca!

Becca's photo of the group at Pritzker Pavillion on our last night together.

Since I have a few minutes this morning, it thought it might be fun to post some of the objects I have used on my tours.

“SUPERHEROS IN ART” (Art from Many Places Tour)

1). Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes, Spanish, 1746-1828, El Maragato Threatens Friar Pedro de Zaldivia with His Gun, c. 1806

2). Bernatt Martorell, Spanish, Saint George Killing the Dragon, 1434/35

3). India, Rajasthan, Boar Incarnation of God Vishnu (Varaha) Lifting the Earth Goddess Bhudevi, 11th century (this is not the sculpture at the museum, but it is very similar)

4). Harriet Hosmer, American 1830-1908, Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra, c. 1857

5). Cy Twombly, Peonies, 2007

“REAL AND IMAGINARY PLACES” (another “Art from Many Places” tour)

1).Winslow Homer, American 1836-1910, “The Herring Net” 1885

2). Peter Blume, American, born Russia, (present-day Belaurs), 1906-1992, The Rock, 1944-48

3).

4). Gerhard Richter, German, born 1932, Woman Descending the Staircase, 1965

5). Joseph Cornell, American 1903-1972, For Juan Gris #7, 1954

Week 8 / August 3

I can’t seem to write about just one thing this week. I keep thinking about objects I wanted to use because they would have been wonderful. I wanted to use the architecture and design galleries in the Modern Wing more, particularly Bruce Goff. There is the list of artworks that would be on the “inappropriate” tour for young minds (Jeff Koons and Hans Bellmer top this list). I could also write about the things I’ve learned. My thesis was about object-based learning in the classroom and I’ve spent the last eight weeks using object-based learning in the museum. It would also be lovely to write about all the wonderful people I’ve met. I’ve learned so much from my fellow interns and they are the nicest group of people ever. So, you can see my dilemma. I’ve decided not to make a decision and say a little bit about lots of things.

architectural fragments

Afternoon sun on the Grand Staircase

I highly recommend visiting the architectural fragments on a sunny afternoon. It is especially nice when you don’t have a chance to go outside during the day. Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy.…

Monet's Waterlilies

Chicago skyline seen through Lurie garden

The art in the garden was my favorite tour this summer. The garden club from a Skokie elementary school came to the museum to look at artworks that depict gardens and then went to the Lurie garden to tour with an educator there. The tour had real purpose and it was specifically related to something the students and chaperone’s were already invested in. The chaperone’s were involved in the discussion and as a result so were the students. It was the tour that taught me the most. I won’t detail specifics since I have already mentioned how delightful this tour was once before. I will say that all my tours following this one went well. I realized how important it is for everyone in the group to participate for a tour to go “perfect.” Instead of getting frustrated when things didn’t unfold the way I expected them to I began to think of my tour as the first step. Many of the groups this summer were composed of students and chaperone’s that had never been to the museum. It’s not easy to look carefully at art and draw conclusions about it. It takes practice to give a tour and to participate a discussion on one.

Jeff Koons, Woman in Tub.

All school groups will stop and stare at this sculpture. I found that the phrase, “This isn’t the artwork we’re talking about today” abbreviates the gawk time…a little bit.

The past two month have gone by so fast.    We’ve learned a lot, we’ve laughed, and we’ve cried (mainly from blisters on our swollen, tired feet), but all and all I must say it has been a good run. For all those who may read this blog after the AIC Interns ‘09 have long departed here are some words of wisdom.

FYI – The Logistical: The education department here at the AIC is comprised of three divisions – Student Programs, Family Programs, and Adult Programs.  The AIC has a structured two-month internship program, to which I applied and was accepted.  There are eight interns total, including myself, this year.  We are based in the student programs department and our primary responsibilities have been to research and conduct tours for groups of school children that range in age from pre-kindergarten to high school.  Tours are scheduled five days a week from 10:30-11:30 and are sometimes followed by a studio activity and/or lunch.

In addition to student tours, I have also conducted tours for family programs and adult programs.  Family tours are scheduled Thursday through Saturday and are especially designed for family groups, grownups (parents, grandparents, etc…) who are visiting the museum with children. The tours are half an hour long and are followed by a studio activity. Adult tours are scheduled throughout the day as well as Thursday and Friday evenings, when the museum has extended hours, and are either an  hour or a half hour long.

On top of touring responsibilities we are also working, in pairs, on a research based teacher packet project.  The teacher packet is focused on one work from the museum’s modern and contemporary art collection.  I have been assigned to work on Martin Puryear’s Sanctuary, 1982.  The packets are designed to be used by teachers in the classroom and consist of a brief biographical essay on the artist and description of the work, discussion based questions, and activities.

A short reflection and food for thought: This internship has provided an important opportunity to see if/how theory and practice come toghther.  I must admit, in my museum studies course we read a number of museologist pontificating on rather Utopian ideas.  I like Utopian ideas, the problem with Utopian ideas is that they should not be seen as a means to end.  Museum operate under physical, financial, and logistical limitations.  The challenges faced by museum professionals, especially those who work in the education department, are changing as museums attempt to assert a new position for themselves as not only repositories of precious objects, but also cultrual centers, and dare I say entertainment venues.  These are important roles for the museum to adopt.  Asking questions that motivate discussions are a place to start: Who/how does the museum represent?  How are objects interpreted?  How do people learn in museums?  What is the nature of the visitor experience in the museum? What is the relationship between the museum and the community?  I’ve apprecaited that during the internship at the AIC, I was able to discuss some of these questions with my fellow interns and museum staff.  The future for the AIC looks exciting, I was happy to have been a small part of it.

The Bedroom by Vincent van Gogh

We were warned, we try to plan, and yet sometimes artworks unexpectedly disappear from the galleries.  Case in point, the other day I had planned to use Vincent van Gogh’s The Bedroom on a student tour.  I visited the painting thirty minutes prior to the tour, but when I returned with my group it had been removed and a little card hung in its place.  The card informed visitors that the picture had been taken to the conservation lab.  Later that afternoon we went down to the conservation lab as part of our MPS (Museum Practice Seminar) and saw the painting laid out on a table.

Encountering the painting in the lab was euphoric.  It had been taken out of its decorative frame and delicately placed on a soft dark piece of cloth.  Laid out in this manner, the edges where the canvas had been pulled over the stretchers where exposed.  In places the cloth had torn, allowing the warm colored wood to peek through.  We learned that the picture had been cut from its original canvas and lined with a new canvas for support; the seam was visible.  When the picture is hung in the gallery, visitors can devour the way in which van Gogh slathered paint onto fabric, but under the microscope (used by conservators to assess deterioration) the real lushesness of the surface is revealed and the hairs on van Gogh’s brush are like pronges of a fork dragged through white creamy chocolate mouse or silky dark ganache.

Seeing the painting and discussing conservation methods with the staff brought home the fact that artworks take on lives of their own.  Time and experiences mark themselves on the surfaces of objects through discoloration and deterioration.  Albeit contemporary conservation mantras that mandate “do no harm” and use only reversible methods, extreme efforts are taken to make certain that objects put on display look as “original” as possible, negating the effects of their age.  This means cleaning surfaces, painting in missing portions, or replicating necessary accouterments.  I left the lab wondering what objects are considered candidates for restoration?

During my museum studies courses we had a lengthy discussion regarding The Henry Ford Museum’s decision to purchase and restore the Rosa Parks Bus.   After purchasing the bus, The Henry Ford undertook a $300,000 project to restore the bus to it’s “original” condition.  This was in anticipation of constructing an exhibit that would allow visitors to sit in the bus, an attempt by the museum to simulate what it would have been like to be a passenger on the bus in the 1950s. The Henry Ford is not an art museum and the objects in their collections are framed as things that “document the American Experience.” But can it not be said that some of the dilemmas faced by conservators restoring the bus are the same as those faced by art conservators?  How much do you negate the effects of time to give the visitor an “original” experience?

Visitor’s have expectation when they come to a museum.   They have a desire to encounter works that meet preconceived ideas of “original,” the “real” thing.  What visitors are accustomed to, and what curators often deliver, is an “original aesthetic” experience of the object, one that is reconstructed, put back together by the talented team of experts that work in conservation labs.  What about the life of the object?  Its history?  We often forget that works of art, like all other objects, are objects.  And unfortunately along with that condition come the limitations of aging.  Artist’s have made efforts to highlight the ephemeral nature of art objects creating works that either exaggerate the ephemeral quality, Spiral Jetty for example which is now consumed by the Salt Lake, and which even when it emerges is not the same as the 1969 “original” because it is covered in salt crystals.  Where did the object go? and Where has it been?  Are as important to ask as what the artist’s aesthic intentions may have been.  Learning to love artworks as objects, appreciating their histories, and their objectness is somewhat of a challenge.  But one that is well worth the struggle.

Week 8 / August 5, 2009

One of the best things about an internship at The Art Institute of Chicago is their great collection of artworks. One of the worst things about an internship at The Art Institute of Chicago is that the collection is so darn big you can’t possibly research and prepare everything you want to include on tours! During my eight weeks here I have had the opportunity to research and practice teaching with many familiar artworks as well as others that were completely new to me. Giving tours with Monica H. during the first couple of weeks helped me to prepare artworks that I may not have used otherwise (such as Caillebotte’s Paris Street; Rainy Day or the Monet gallery). I have really enjoyed my thematic tours such as “Music & Dance, ” “Heroes in Art,” and “City Life.” But, there were other ideas for tour themes that I never got around to preparing: landscapes, funerary objects, body language, artworks made of wood, and the list goes on… Below are images of some of the artworks that I wanted to include on tours but never had the opportunity (with the exception of the Vernet, which I did manage to squeeze in on my only Animals in Art tour last week – see the dog and birds?!). This is the online version of the “Themeless Tour I Never Gave:”

Landscape with the Penitent Saint Jerome, 1530/40. Flemish (Antwerp).

Morning, 1760. Claude Joseph Vernet, French, 1714-1789.

Bandleader, c. 1765. Manufacturer: Meissen Porcelain Manufactory, German, founded 1710, after a model of Kändler or Reinicke.

View of Cotopaxi, 1857. Frederic Edwin Church, American, 1826-1900.

The Tub, modeled 1889 & cast 1919/21 . Edgar Degas, French, 1834-1917.

Week 8/ August 5, 2009

In keeping with the theme of information that could be helpful for future interns, a list of ten things I would have never expected and learned, aka a highlights list of some of the fun, unexpected, and occasionally offensive things that I have come across in the last 8 weeks.

1. Adults aren’t always more well-behaved than children. Sometimes, the opposite proves to be true. I think it might have something to do with the fact that (most) kids are more afraid of breaking the rules.

2. If you are excited about all six objects on the tour you had planned, the group will most likely be late. At first I was upset about it, but last week I had one of my best tours, and we only got to three objects because the kids were so interested in what we were doing (and, of course, twenty minutes late).

3. Little kids can be the most smart and observant people in the world. While looking at St. George and the Dragon on a Family Tour, I had a TWO YEAR OLD say “It looks like a kingdom.” It made my entire day.

4. Talking through a work of art with someone else is one of the best ways to understand it. I’ll admit to not being a huge fan of the Richter Ice paintings until we, as a whole group, discussed them.

5. Smaller children, who I assumed would want to run everywhere, turned out to be the slowest walkers ever. Little legs aren’t made for a jaunt from the Impressionist galleries to the third floor of the Modern Wing. My family tour is probably 1/3 walking, which is fine, but something I had not prepared for.

6. Sometimes people will ask borderline (or even not so borderline) offensive questions on a tour, and it’s important to be prepared. Not in terms of necessarily having an answer, but at least ready to not make a shocked face. I’ll be honest, this one was hard for me.

7. When in doubt, a well-planned activity can be a lifesaver if kids aren’t engaging with a work of art. And, I guess 7B, what works for one group might not work for another, and it’s important to realize that’s okay, no matter how not great it is in the moment.

8. Learning the elevators can be key to a successful tour. Everyone loves elevators, and they’re a good way of moving a group up the stairs quickly, and many people need or prefer to use them.

9. For some reason, I’ve had a lot of little kids ask about the gift shops, but have had no group leader actually take them there. There are FIVE in the museum, and many children will be impressed with that fact.

10. Most importantly, everyone wants you to succeed. Not only the people we work with, but visitors too. I was terrified before my first adult tour, and even though it didn’t go perfectly, a few visitors came up at the end to say how excited they were that we interns were here this summer and how great of a job we were doing

Striking a balance between aestheticism (letting the art speak for itself) and didacticism (using educational materials to promote meaning-making strategies) in a contemporary installation is a tall order, but one that is pressing for an institution whose mission states a commitment to education (and yet makes no direct reference to education in the galleries): “To establish and conduct comprehensive programs of education, including presentation of visual artists, teachers of art, and designers; to provide educational services in written, spoken, and media formats.”  The labels and wall panels provide a minimum of written didactic information.  Audio guides give a broader range of voices and discuss briefly some of the hidden challenges in making, exhibiting, and interpreting contemporary art.  But the real meat of interpretation, in my experience over the past eight weeks, is on the tour.  I learned more about the works and their installations from Lisa Dorin (assistant curator of contemporary art) and Jenny Gheith (curatorial assitant) than from any other source.

In touring groups for a few weeks now, I’ve begun to think a lot about the nuances of visitor experience and how choreographing encounters with works of art is the most important task all art museums must perform.   Designing and executing this task requires input from a variety of people and departments, each making important contributions and suggestions.  Along these lines,  it was exciting to meet with Lisa and Jenny from the contemporary curatorial department.  Our conversation provided information about the installation that helped me to appreciate the nuances of individual works on the second floor of the modern wing and the complexity of relationships between them.  Lisa and Jenny communicated Curator of Contempary Art James Rondeau’s vision for the galleries and how he approached the hanging of works to tell a local as well as a more universal story of contemporary art.  This story may be apparent to those who are knowledgable about the history of contemporary art, but the majority of visitors may pass through oblivious.

Although the didactic information in these galleries still leans towards the traditional, efforts have been made by the curatorial department to extend tombstone labels, on occasion, including brief descriptions.  I appreciate the large panels that represent artist’s voices and give information about the core ideas of their oeuvres.  These are small gestures that help visitor’s structure their encounters with works that may otherwise seem overly abstract or obtuse.

A 2003 issue of AIC’s Museum Studies was dedicated to the history and continuing vision of the museum’s education department.  The issue is a compilation of essays that treat the subject of museum education in both general and specific terms: the field of museum education and its history, and museum education at The Art Institute of Chicago.   I was particularly motivated to consider the function of the museum education department at the AIC after reading Danielle Rice’s essay “Balancing Act: Eduction and the Competing Impulses of Museum Work”  in which she discusses the tensions (emphasis on the plural) that often exist between proponents of aestheticism (curatorial) and didactism (museum education).  Rice concludes that the binary is a productive one and that art museum installations should not adhere to one side or the other, but that museum professionals should work together to interrogate where the two side converge and diverge:  “[I]t is in the dynamism of these conflicts – in this case, between letting works speak for themselves and finding a way to help audiences interpret them – that the story lies, not in resolving the issues, but in engaging with them in innovative and increasingly subtle ways over time.” (Rice, p. 19)

Week 8 / August 4, 2009

There are so many works of art at the Art Institute that it would be impossible to talk about every piece that catches our eyes and imaginations. Some things we would like to have presented were purely for their interest or intellectual value, while others would have been interesting in a more subversive way…

The Tour That Got Away:

Monica would have liked to do a tour on Diego Rivera and his circle. You know, Rivera’s The Weaver, Orozco’s Zapata in the same gallery, some photos by Edward Weston and Tina Modotti – and maybe even some influences like Cezanne and Picasso. Alas, it would only have been appropriate for an adult tour and there just wasn’t the opportunity.

Photograph by Edward Weston

Mari would have loved to have shown Duchamp’s Hat Rack, but ultimately decided against the exercise of defending the work for the 30 minute duration of a tour. She is also startled that despite the breadth of Picasso’s work, she didn’t manage to work him in on any tour.

Marcel Duchamp's Hat Rack, 1964

The Worst Tour in the History of Ever:

If there was one at the AIC, it might look like this:
1) Lucian Freud’s Sunny Morning – Eight Legs, 1997 – just not acceptable, ever. As we have discussed in the past, some works should just be left to individual discovery. Sometimes kids show up on these adult tours, you know?
2) Bruce Nauman’s Clown Torture, 1987 - we actually saw this work on a docent-led tour. Unfortunately, 30 minutes on a Modern Wing Highlights does not provide sufficient opportunity to unpack this work. The group almost rioted.
3) Robert Ryman’s Elliott Room – hypothetical dialogue:
Us: “What do you see in this painting?”
Them: “White.”
Us: “What do you see that makes you say that?”
Them: [Silence]
Lovely paintings, but a little esoteric.
4) Rabbit Tureen – Ok, confession: we actually thought of using this on an “Animals in Art” tour. We vowed never to tell anyone.

5) Any photo the size of a Post-it note. With adult tours averaging 30 people, as nice of a work as it may be, it’s just not feasible.
6) Colima Figure of a Dog – Affectionately referred to as “Fat Dog.” Monica actually did insist that the 3-year-olds check it out during an “Animals in Art,” but how could you talk about it for 10 minutes? A certain adult program’s lecturer confided to Mari that she thinks a sign should be placed next to Fat Dog that reads “Dogs are Food.”

"Fat Dog" in all his robust glory

Just because you’re interested in a piece, doesn’t mean that it will be appropriate, fit into a theme/topic, or be conveniently located. Take heed, dear future interns!

week seven / July 27

When we interviewed for this internship I remember hearing comments from Robin about how incredibly busy we would be. I also remember thinking I have a child and I just finish graduate school, could I really be busier than that. Well, one MIGHT have much bigger demands of their time. That is the truth. To prove it, I am publishing my calendar this week.

Monday July 27:

8:15 – Arrive at work early. Today Monica H. and I ran a Cy Twombly based project for the Intergenerational program.  It was a good group and they accepted working on an art project without a table in stride.

10:00 to 11:00 – Art from Many Places tour with 6th through 8th graders. Note: this was the most challenging tour group I’ve had and Robin followed me for an evaluation. In addition, the group was 30 minutes late and I had to chop half of my tour

1:00 to 5:00 – Begin planning for hour long adult tour with Becca next Monday. Practice Art from Many Places for tomorrow. Probably need to select some new objects to talk about. Finish planning and researching for ABC’s animal tour on Wednesday.

Tuesday July 28:

10:oo to 11:00 – Art from Many Places tour. Bonus! I was able to share this tour with Monica H. Collaboration is good

1:00 – Evaluation with Annie.  We had a half hour chat about the internship.  This experience has been impressive.  I can’t believe the things we have accomplished in a short time.  It is incredibly well organized.  Honestly, I can’t believe how much they trust us just to go learn through experience.

2:00 – Social with interns from photography as well as prints and drawings.  I got a luscious mango smoothie kind of thing.  Soak up the sunshine, chill for an hour, next.

3:30 – Museum practices seminar with Conservation.  Conservation is amazing!  Funny story, this morning a couple of us went to Van Gogh’s bedroom with our tour group only to find a blank spot on the wall.  What do you think the first thing we saw was?  Yep, Van Gogh’s bedroom.

Evening task: finish and practice ABC’s Animals in Art tour.  Work on Art in the Garden if time permits.

Wednesday July 29

10:00 to 10:45 – ABC’s animals tour.  This group ended up being much smaller than was planned.  Becca and I got to do the tour together.  Again, yippee.

11:00 – Locate all artworks for Art in the Garden tour tomorrow.

1:00 – Work on Art in the Garden for tomorrow

2:30 to 4:30 – Museum practices seminar with Contemporary Art.  This was incredible.  I think getting a walk through with curatorial staff before we start touring would be a great thing to do.

4:30- Meet with Robin. Discuss tour she observed.  We talked quite a bit about chaperone’s.  Yes, they do make a difference.

Evening task: practice Art in the Garden for tomorrow

Thursday July 30

9:00 – Practice Art in the Garden with Becca

10:00 to 11:00 – Art in the Garden. The group was small enough for Becca and I to do this tour together. This was the best tour I had all summer. The chaperones were great, the kids were great, the artworks were lovely. Yeah

1:00 – Let the joy from the morning tour spill over into the afternoon.  Think happy thoughts as I plan for the Family Gallery Walk and the Adult tour.

Afternoon: work on adult tour for Monday and Family Gallery walk for tomorrow.

Friday July 31

9:00 – I have this morning to finish planning my adult tour.  I am talking about Joseph Cornell, Martin Puryear, and Jeff Wall.  I’m apparently in love with Jeff Wall because I use Poppies in the Garden or The Flooded Grave on every tour.  I think it might be a good idea to run through my family gallery walk a couple of times.

1:30 – Walk around the museum and recruit families for the Family Gallery Walk.  I meet a really nice lady who was here with her three children.  She told me all the artworks her kids had seen in school that they were looking for.  I told her I would show her where to go to find them between stops on our tour.  I got all proud when I realized I actually know where most things in the museum are located now.

2:00 to 3:00 – After some confusion about who was taking which group our tour got underway.  This was another extremely fun tour.  I modified the art in the garden tour and everyone really seemed to enjoy it.  I think gardens are something most people have some experience with and find it easy to talk about them.

3:00 – Keep working on adult tour for Monday.

5:00 – Go home, make food, work on tour.

This weekend: Practice for adult tour.

As you can see, there isn’t much space in this schedule for walking around the galleries to just look at stuff.  There is also precious little down time when you aren’t here.  It is an intense experience but worth every nail biting second.