Old Sturbridge Village: The Creation Of A Museum

Quoted by Handler and Gable, critic Ada Louise Huxtable declares the newly constructed reproduction of Colonial Williamsburg as “too clean,” arguing that it “does not include the filth and stench that would have been commonplace.” (Source E) This sanitation of the truth completely misrepresents history, and the educational value greatly suffers. Conversely, the National Museum of the American Indian hopes to avoid this lack of judgment by dedicating itself to the “preservation, study, and exhibition of the life, languages, literature, history, and Arts of Native Americans.” (Source C) The main goal of the museum is to “span all major cultural areas” (C) and educate the public about and preserve the rich history of such a vast culture. The authenticity and significance of artifacts are important to representing culture and history, and the ability of these artifacts to educate should be a key factor of the selection process.

One thing is the author could never truly understand my culture because she is not African american. She never had to go through things that almost every African American goes through on a daily basis. Throughout the article the author incorporated people's opinion of the museum who are part of the African american community. This way she presents opinion significant to me and my heritage. People who deeply rooted to the essay shared interesting insights. One woman whose story was in the article could reminisce the days of Martin Luther King Jr. giving his “I have a Dream” speech on the Washington mall. She wanted to introduce the pride and pain of African Americans. The author described the museum as a place where you can get culturally enriched because of all the things said in the writing. The author wanted to demonstrate who would benefit from the museum. Generations of people can come together and see their history together even if it very dark. This is one way the author The museum is a life changing experience. From seeing the casket of 14 year old Emmett Till who was lynched by a white men in mississippi in 1955. To seeing the slave trade routes and how millions of Africans were taken from their homeland. The museum is very deep there is even an exhibit that shows child size ankle cuffs. It is made clear before you enter the museum you will see heart wrenching things without it being

Another aspect that I found to be very interesting was the way in which each of the museums offered different multimedia formats to facilitate the visitor’s experience with the artwork in display. I noticed that both museums offered applications for smartphones and tablets, free of charge, to assist the visitors with getting the most possible out of the museum. Visiting a museum can be a very distracting task because there is so much to see and without a plan or a navigating system that helps you make your way towards the museum, it can be hard to gain something from your visit. Both apps are accessible to most people and very easy to navigate through. These apps included audio guides, exhibition information, calendars, events and so on. However, I noticed

“This world is but a canvas to our imagination”; which always has been throughout the years. Art has been separated in different categories such as architectures, sculptures, photography and paintings. For my semester project, which was to visit an art or historic museum; my classmates and I went to the Reynolda House Museum of American art which provided us both the art and history. At first, we all assume that the visit would be boring or the art gallery would be dull. What shocked us the most was the actual experience being in the museum instead of just talking about it. We experienced multiple feelings during our visit in the art gallery as well as the historic area. From the art gallery which held many paintings of artist, to the house that R.J Reynolds and his family once occupied. Furthermore, it also showed us the legacy of R.J Reynolds and his family has left behind for the people of Winston-Salem.

I chose this museum because it is located in one the city’s oldest parks on the southeastern edge of downtown and allows us to visually experience what life was like in North Texas during the 19th and early 20th century. It is situated along a charming redbrick Main Street, and has 38 exquisitely restored building that are fully furnished buildings, some of which include-- a log cabin, a Greek Revival style mansion, a school house, a shotgun house and a farmstead that dates back to 1840 through 1910, and invite us to scrutinize the past through self-guided tours and winsome living history presentations. Added to the atmosphere are live farm animals and a host of reiterating events, costumed docents, that range from mock gunfights to historical replications.It makes us step back in time at this wonderfully bizarre, victorian-era park.

After arriving and going through the security screenings, I proceeded to go down the stairs, entering the exhibit itself. Before even observing anything specific, it was immediately realized that this was no typical museum. Most people know that upon arrival, but only when you first enter the exhibit do you realize that this museum is not one that inspects the past, but one that reminds us of it.

In Steven Lubar’s book, Inside the Lost Museum: Curating, Past and Present, the recurring idea that museums are “more than the sum of their parts” plays a critical role in the overall argument (329). Lubar notes many aspects that make up a museum, the collection, for example is an essential part of any museum, but the community, as well as the experiences of the patrons create a lasting museum experience. Additionally, Lubar aptly utilizes real-world examples, contemporary and historical, highlighting the work of individuals in museums and establishing a connection between past and current events. Central to this narrative is the example of the lost Jenks Museum. Lubar uses this museum to argue that museums of the past can educate museum goers

This museum’s setting was not at all what I had expected and was rather disappointing. Most museums have a very solemn and academic mood that encourages silence and thoughtfulness. The Longmont Museum, however, is set up more like a childrens play area than an actual museum. There needs to be balance between children’s’ activities and adult academic learning. Children and adults should both be able to benefit from visiting the museum. Also, earlier in the semester when I was planning where to visit, this museum was the first search item that appeared after I Googled “Longmont Art

Throughout the experience, I learned the importance and care of working with an artifact along with operations within a museum. As I toured Heartland Museum, I witnessed all of the items that are stored behind the scenes because museums only keep a small percentage of the belongings on display. I also learned about the process of creating a display, which includes piecing together many details like attraction, relevance, and of course history. Museums must worry about the community’s interest in the displays. Lastly, I learned about the importance of an artifact by working with some of the items. It is important to handle artifacts with care because of the fragility of the item. After the information I learned at the museum, it was my turn to experience the public

While some may view museums as homes of the dusty, decrypt, and decaying, I think back fondly to the memories I've made in them. When I was four and living in a small apartment in Shaker Heights, Ohio, my father would take me to the Cleveland Museum of Rock and Roll on the weekends when he wasn’t busy working on his MBA at Case Western Reserve University. Every time we visited, I would tell my father that I would grow up to be just like Elvis, to which he would laugh and scoff affectionately. When we moved to Glen Allen, Virginia when I was six, we would occasionally drive up to Washington, D.C. to the Smithsonian Museums. On some Saturdays, we would walk for hours through the halls of art I didn't understand (and still don’t really understand) at the Museum of American Art. On other Saturdays, we would go to the Library of Congress, where I would press my forehead against the glass of the observation deck—much to the dismay of security guards. But perhaps the most significant "museum" I've been in is just a short three-minute drive or seven-minute walk from my suburban home: the Twin Hickory Public Library.

Early Saturday morning, I attended the Historic Brownsville Museum. I remembered visiting before to utilize the restroom since it was the only building close to the cemetery where I was volunteering. The restrooms were awesome because of their antiquity therefore I attended one more time for this project. As I entered for the second time, I saw shelves of merchandise or souvenirs from the museum. The lady up front charged my friend and I two dollars and gave us directions of the different halls and what types of exhibits we would encounter. We then proceeded to the first exhibits on the right of the entrance. I was ready for this adventure!

The technology this museum provides plays a very important role in this section because it understands the learning needs on children. Studio Play allows children to make art and it also permits that parents frame their kid’s art and hang it in the Museum. Children can discover and learn about art while reinforcing sight-words. Opponents might focus more on the consequences of so much technology due to today’s innovations such as video games that kids play. This can affect their sight, their environment, and behavior due to spending long hours interacting with these video games. Also, opponents may focus on the fact that museums are known for displaying ancient art, allowing people to go back in time, not to make art. In reality, the truth is that these technology is comfortable and safe. Kids find it easy to get engaged and focused. Imagination has been lost throughout the years and it’s very important that kids are able to explore their

I visited the Ancient American exhibit at the Field Museum and analyzed the voices that I heard within the different sections: the researchers, the curators or the people. Throughout the exhibit, I heard different voices, but the strongest voice I heard was the curators who put together the exhibit. The museum did a successful job at attaining all the facts about the Ancient Americans despite the lack of native people to get information from, but they were unsuccessful at capturing the people’s voice within the exhibit.

I was pleasantly surprised on how much I enjoyed visiting the Centennial Village historical site in Greeley. I happened to visit this museum on the perfect day because there were children from different schools dressed up and “living” how the people in Northern Colorado lived more than 100 years ago. With the children all dressed up like people used to dress, and doing the chores that they used to take on really made it the feel like I was back in time. I got to experience dozens of historical sites, live animals, schools, and businesses that really helped me understand part of Northern Colorado’s history.

A greater number of educators are looking to museums to help them attain their educational objectives. Howard Gardner has identified Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood as the perfect environment for stimulating the natural curiosity of a child. Furthermore, in response to demands for new educational approaches, older children are using museums to develop their critical facilities in art and design (Campbell, 1992).