News: Jewish Museum reopened (and reimagined)

For those interested in how cultural diversity is represented in London's museum scene: the Jewish Museum has reopened after a lengthy extension and total refurbishment campaign:
http://www.jewishmuseum.org.uk/New%20museum%20-%20now%20open!
I gather it has done some serious reimagining of how to re-present its collection.
I have not visited yet, but if any of you have a chance to visit over the next few months, I'd love to hear from you with your impressions!

Museology Seminar Series

Hello All,

you are all warmly welcome to come along to our next Museology Seminar Series talk, supported by the Centre for Critical Studies in Museums, Galleries and Heritage. We are very pleased to announce that Dr Rhiannon Mason, Senior Lecturer from the International Centre for Cultural and Heritage Studies at the University of Newcastle is coming to talk to us. The title of Rhiannon's talk is:

'One Voice to Many Voices: Co-production in Art Gallery Displays'

Wednesday 28th April 2010, 1.00pm - 2.00pm
Old Mining Building, Lecture Theatre

All Welcome

For more information on these seminars email Mark:
m.w.westgarth@leeds.ac.uk

Fragments of History

The textile collections displays at the V&A....
Hello all you museum goers...I've been thinking about Textiles lately (mainly because we worked up an application for an AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Award with Temple Newsam House on textile collections...more on that soon I hope)....and thought I'd go and check out the textile displays at the V&A in London - this was not my sole purpose of visit actually...I went to see the Strawberry Hill exhibition...which is interesting, but not as interesting as it should/could have been I think?....Anyway, I was not really surprised to see that the textile collection displays were rather dark (such material is quite obviously light sensitive), but was quite surprised to see how 'dated' they are. The comparison to the new displays, such as the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries........(shown here)....are too obvious to state - (and you'll notice that textiles are on display here too.....)
However, comparing them does direct attention to something that appears (to me anyway) to be interesting....i.e. the role/nature of the 'fragment'. The majority of the textile collections are quite literally 'fragments', (displayed in mahogany frames that you need to slide out to see, but this is by the bye)....and the things in the Medieval and Renaissance galleries are also 'fragments' - but there seems to be a kind of coherence in the new galleries that's absent in the old textile displays (maybe it's just to do with narrative....?)...Anyway, I only mention this because on my way between the new Medieval and Renaissance Galleries and the Textiles Galleries I came across a display of fragments that seemed to offer a similar kind of fragmentary narrative as the textiles displays..........the Cast Court (and more especially, Trajan's Column). The Column, cut in two, displayed and displaced, just reminded me of the cut squares of textile fragments in the textile displays. You kind of understand what they are, but at the same time you don't....if you get my drift?
Anyway...food for thought?....
Mark

Museum Studies Careers Workshop

Following on from the Transforming Skills event organised by Mark, which took place in February, I have organised a Careers Workshop for Art Gallery and Museum Studies students. The event is aimed at teaching students (including myself) how to write a successful job application, CV and how to prepare for a job interview. A number of museum and arts professionals from around the country have been kind enough to give up their time to come and speak to the students about their experiences in the industry. The organisations involved include the Leeds City Council, Leeds City Art Gallery, Henry Moore Institute, York City Art Gallery, East Streets Arts, Marks and Spencers, Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery, Ryedale Folk Museum and the Museums and Libraries Association in Bristol. This event will give us a great chance to ask all those niggling questions we have as well as providing us with a great opportunity to network and meet people in the industry!

The event is taking place on Friday 16th April in the Old Mining Building, G.19, between 10am and around 3pm. Lunch is provided and their will be refreshments throughout the day - what more could you want?!

Hybrid Art & Science Symposium

I'm going along to this symposium and I've heard there's still places available until the 13th of March if anyone else is interested, it's £15 for students and £20 for grown-ups. It looks like an excellent companion to the museum and heritage technology seminars we've been treated to recently. There's more information here.

The London Art Market

Hi All,
me a just a few of the undergrads went on a field trip to London on Wednesday this week, as part of the level 3 module 'The Art Market: moments, methodologies and meanings'. Here they are outside of Sotheby's in Bond Street....we visited quite a few 'spaces and places' associated with the art market...including some major dealerships such as Marlborough Fine Art, Richard Green (who was packing off for the art fair in Maastricht), Mallet (the famous furniture and dec art dealers) and, of course, White Cube. We also took in an auction sale at Bonhams, Bond Street, and whilst there were'nt any spectacular prices at the sale, the students did see the intense social processes at work in these 'Tournaments of Value' (as cultural theorists call such events).
Anyway, more anon on the relationships between art market and the museum....
Mark