Love comes in at the eye

LOVE COMES IN AT THE EYE relates the story of Marshall Craig, a Midwesterner transplanted to South Florida who turns 35 in the course of the book. Marshall is an assistant curator for a Miami art museum, a man who has been obsessed with--as he calls it--a greed for seeing from a young age. His fascination with the surface of appearance of things is exacerbated by his precocious studies in art and its histories. Marshall views himself as marked by his red hair and freckled skin, as someone whose chances of attracting a partner into a meaningful relationship have been diminished by his looks. He is colored by his image of himself as unattractive and most importantly, convinced that his romantic life would be more successful, more vibrant, if he'd been graced with the face and figure of, say, a Velazquez. When Marshall meets a Cuban-born man from Atlanta, he is transfixed by the conviction that this is the man the universe has selected for him. The thrust of the story goes beyond boy-meets/loses/gets-boy to an exploration of said boy coming to terms with his definition of self. In a pivotal span of six months, the book explores Marshall's obsessions with seeing and how they define his vision of reality, the emphasis placed on beauty in gay culture, the tentative beginnings of a relationship as it takes root and grows, and finally, the inexplicable, magical forces that direct our romantic destinies.

Luz e vida: uma proposta de formação continuada de professores

The Course “Light and Life”, which is a product of the present research, is a mediator in helping Science Teachers on how to deal with the Physics classes in secondary school. The aim of the present study was to propose a course which can help Science Teachers with their difficulties in the teaching of Physics in the later years of secondary school, mainly about topics related to the theme Light. The elaboration of the product of this research involved structuring and applying a course of continued formation through the “Fun with Science and Art Museum-DICA, under the theme Light, to Science Teachers of the later years of secondary school, in order to promote an environment of dialogue and problem raising as means of disseminating and discussing the teaching of topics related to Light in the teaching of Sciences. The formation course presented a flexible structure in order to widen the relation between the researcher and the teachers participating in the course, aiming to give an answer to the formative needs of the teachers in relation to the theme proposed. In order to know and discuss the problems and challenges of the teaching of Physics in the Science classes, an approach of insertion and integration of concepts related to the theme Light was conducted, mainly on topics relating to the contents of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, according to the curriculum and the abilities of Sciences worked on in class, through the approach of concepts and practice which approximate the practical and theoretical reality of the formative needs of the teachers involved in this study. This work aimed to understand the relation of Science Teachers with the theme Light and comprehend the relation of the teachers with the present proposal of continued formation promoted by the Museum DICA. The methodological option of this research remained in the domains of qualitative research whose analysis was based on the content analysis. The data collection was carried out through questionnaires and group discussions recorded in audio, besides the participative observation of the researcher. As the research product, the structuring and application of a course of continued formation of Science Teachers of secondary school was proposed, under the thematic Light, and a later restructuring of the course under the same thematic based on the data collected after the application of the referred course, which will be later promoted by the Museum DICA.

La museología en la encrucijada de los caminos

Durante los últimos años han aparecido un gran número de publicaciones sobre las perspectivas de evolución del mundo de los museos. La reflexión sobre el futuro de estas instituciones no es reciente: la prospectiva, método dirigido a elaborar posibles escenarios en el futuro, no es estrictamente hablando museológica, pero necesariamente interesa al museólogo interrogarse sobre el campo museal. A decir verdad, en su mayoría son profesionales del museo quienes han escrito sobre el tema (en el contexto museal) para adaptar la institución a los nuevos retos. Algunos museólogos, se han arriesgado a este ejercicio, de manera más o menos afortunada. El artículo pretende, después de presentar la literatura prospectiva sobre el museo durante los últimos cincuenta años, y de analizar los recientes resultados de los informes de prospectiva, interrogarse sobre la contribución específica de una reflexión museológica acerca del futuro de los museos más allá de los ejes clásicos (demografía, economía, nuevas tecnologías) que se utilizan con más frecuencia.

Estrategias museográficas actuales relacionadas con la museología crítica

Este artículo evita la mera disquisición teórica sobre museología crítica, sugiriendo en lugar de ello algunas pistas para calibrar su influencia en la praxis museal. Ante todo, se propone como emblemático de la museografía crítica el uso de interrogaciones en lugar de discursos asertivos; en segundo lugar, la sustitución de la impersonal autoridad institucional por prácticas participativas e interpretaciones compartidas, para dar idea de una variedad de opiniones, incluyendo las de gentes ajenas al museo; finalmente, es un rasgo distintivo el énfasis en la naturaleza subjetiva de los montajes museísticos, mostrando sus cambios a través de la historia, y señalando la autoría personal de las presentaciones y textos en el museo.

The challenge of migration and the european fortress

[ES]Se describe como las fronteras entendidas como barreras infranqueables están siendo reforzadas de modo creciente en diferentes partes del mundo en una época que quiere pasar como globalizado.

Arte, museu, educação: uma integração necessária na superação das tecnologias de controle social

This research aims to reflect on the strategies and mediation used by Oscar Niemeyer and Museum of contemporary art, in Curitiba, and Pinacoteca and Museum of modern art of São Paulo, to approximate audience of art. Recognizes that the gap between the two and that is reflected in the low visitation to art museums is the result of social control technologies historically elaborate and maintained to keep track of who has economic power over others , are people , as in the case of artistic appreciation, or countries, such as what happens with technology.It also presents some possibilities of subversion of this control , which occur especially because the human being creative and interpretive. Finally, it notes that the work carried out by the educational sectors of museums to attract different audiences is very relevant institutions and committed. With regard to teaching materials prepared and distributed to visitors, however, the need for some adjustments so that they communicate better with visitors and contribute, in fact, to deconstruct the idea of the Museum as an elite space and available only to a few privileged.

Illustrated catalogue of the permanent collection of pictures, drawings, etc., with biographical notes.

At head of title: City of Nottingham Art Museum, Nottingham Castle.

Lecture by Lawrence Small, given at Florida International University, January 12, 2001

Lawrence Small discusses the initiatives of the Smithsonian, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum's travelling exhibits and collaborations with Florida International University. University President Modesto Maidique speaks. Introduction and welcoming remarks by Dahlia Morgan.

DNA 05

Combined media on photographic paper on steel. 39" x 29" Princeton University Art Museum

Tortoiseshell or Polymer? Spectroscopic Analysis to Redefine a Purported Tortoiseshell Box with Gold Decorations as a Plastic Box with Brass

The study and preservation of museum collections requires complete knowledge and understanding of constituent materials that can be natural, synthetic, or semi-synthetic polymers. In former times, objects were incorporated in museum collections and classified solely by their appearance. New studies, prompted by severe degradation processes or conservation-restoration actions, help shed light on the materiality of objects that can contradict the original information or assumptions. The selected case study presented here is of a box dating from the beginning of the 20th century that belongs to the Portuguese National Ancient Art Museum. Museum curators classified it as a tortoiseshell box decorated with gold applications solely on the basis of visual inspection and the information provided by the donor. This box has visible signs of degradation with white veils, initially assumed to be the result of biological degradation of a proteinaceous matrix. This paper presents the methodological rationale behind this study and proposes a totally non-invasive methodology for the identification of polymeric materials in museum artifacts. The analysis of surface leachates using 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) complemented by in situ attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy (ATR FT-IR) allowed for full characterization of the object s substratum. The NMR technique unequivocally identified a great number of additives and ATR FT-IR provided information about the polymer structure and while also confirming the presence of additives. The pressure applied during ATR FT-IR spectroscopy did not cause any physical change in the structure of the material at the level of the surface (e.g., color, texture, brightness, etc.). In this study, variable pressure scanning electron microscopy (VP-SEM-EDS) was also used to obtain the elemental composition of the metallic decorations. Additionally, microbiologic and enzymatic assays were performed in order to identify the possible biofilm composition and understand the role of microorganisms in the biodeterioration process. Using these methodologies, the box was correctly identified as being made of cellulose acetate plastic with brass decorations and the white film was identified as being composed mainly of polymer exudates, namely sulphonamides and triphenyl phosphate.

Universal Museum - universal language? Art historian - curator

Marshal McLuhan’s prophetic vision of the global village is about to be realized. If we are aware of the fact that mass communication reduces the dimensions of our world and makes it more unified and universal, we should take this into consideration when planning the Universal Museum and the language that should be used in it. As curators, educators and museum staff we should not ignore the fact that the spectator/viewer is drawn to the exhibits not only by their own merit, but also guided and assisted by verbal messages, i. e. Labels, brochures. Catalogues etc. Hence, the crucial question is what we, the museologists, use as a means of communication when preparing for a Universal Museum. Should we use pictorial semiotics? This may be a partial solution, which is mainly restricted to objects that can be manipulated and moved by the visitor, as is the case in most of the technological museums. But since the range of objects on display at museums is vast and varied - fine art, archaeological finds, ethnographic objects etc., it may not be the answer to the whole spectrum of exhibits. Dr. Ludwig Lazarus Zamenhof, being an optimist, hoped that by introducing Esperanto to the multi-lingual world population, humanity would be able to bridge and diminish the gap of linguistic differences, thus creating a better understanding between the international communities. Unfortunately this vision was not realized. Esperanto was and still is an utopian and esoteric phenomenon. The barriers between nations still exist although, as mentioned earlier, mass media do help, in some ways, to reduce them.

“PROVINCIALISM, PICKING SIDES AND BIAS: EFFECTS OF GEOGRAPHY ON MEDIA COVERAGE OF CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART, 2005-10.”

The development of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, by Wal-Mart heiress Alice Walton has prompted diverse coverage from print and online media. This investigation looked at trends in news stories and commentary from 2005-10 to show how the location of a medium affected coverage. Through the author’s own observations and interviews with journalists and other interested parties, several trends emerged. Media outlets outside Arkansas portrayed the museum as trying to plunder the cultural heritage of local communities and relied partly on the museum’s association with Wal-Mart and stereotypes of Arkansas to frame coverage. Arkansas media, faced with limited cooperation from the museum’s public relations apparatus, typically played a cheerleader role, at times overemphasizing the importance of the collection in the art world and showcasing few critical voices in stories about acquisitions and other areas of the museum’s development.