How to get kicked out a museum

So, say you wanted to get kicked out a museum. Barring the normal ways (stealing, defacing property, bellowing obscenities, use of illicit substance, weapons, etc), what would it take? I ask because a young man was asked to leave the infamous Creation Museum last weekend. According to him, he was talking with his friends, mocking the exhibits, and was suddenly confronted by the museum security staff.

Admittedly, he was wearing a tee shirt that was deemed offensive. (Whether it was or not is not the point.) But, he did as others have done, turned it inside out and went about his visit. I was not present on this trip, and of course my own biases are coloring my opinion. It is possible that to one set of eyes, it was entirely justified. But, from most reports, the majority of what was happening was commentary on the exhibits. Mocking, yes. Loud, by some reports. But no one was swearing, no one was threatening, no one was defacing anything. The major issue seems to be the real or perceived discomfort that other visitors experienced.

So the question becomes - is mocking the content of an exhibit enough to get you kicked out? And how much does the context of the exhibit play into that? Is a museum that is afraid of ridicule and criticism doing any good? Is it ok to reprimand or expell one visitor for the comfort of another?

Situation 1: At a modern art exhibition, a PhD student is intently studying visitor reaction to an installation. His attention wavers when a family comes in and loudly begins mocking the work - "My 4 year old could do this," "This isnt art," and so on. The student tells the security guard that the family is ruining his visit.

Situation 2: A curator is about to give a docent tour of a natural history hall. After gathering a crowd, she notices a large group on their own tour, complete with leader. The other group is using the dinosaur display to discuss ways to teach creationism. The curator is afraid that this group will counter her information and upset her group.

Situation 3: A school group is visiting the the Holocaust Memorial. Another group there at the same time is discussing the exhibits and making comments that deny the holocaust and seem anti-Semetic. The group is not overly loud and is not being aggressive, but the children in the school group are trying to listen in. The teacher is very worried that some children might be swayed by their rhetoric. She informs a guard.

So, what do you do? Each situation is different, and context does matter. Is it different for a private institution vs. a pubilc one? Where do we draw the line between allowing discourse and censoring speech? Is free speech a right in a museum?

Me? I get it. The Creation Museum is much like the group in Situation 3. The families involved were worried that their children would overhear the rhetoric and suddenly become "eeeevil atheists" (muauhahahahah). I understand. It makes me sad, but I understand. I hope that other museums see this incident and take heed. A truly educational organization allows for discourse and disagreement. It embraces multiple viewpoints and helps people winnow out their own truth. It does not proselytize and it does not censor. Yes, even if a Holocaust denier is giving a tour of the Holocaust Memorial - a good educator uses that as an opportunity to teach.

The sad thing is, AIG could have used this moment for good, but instead, they showed that they really are preaching to the choir, and they have no need for any of the rest of us.

Talking in the dark

On Thursday, I was fortunate to get a chance to attend a special seminar led by Tammy Borman about dialogue in museums. She had us participate in dialogue, rather than just listen about it (instructors, take note!) and we all came to some interesting conclusions about what it means to dialogue in a museum. 

One thing that was brought up was having a space for dialogue in a museum. I have a great interest in how the physical space affects learning, and so I have been really thinking about this. If physical space is a barrier to cognitive learning, it must surely be a barrier to deeper levels of understanding that are generally brought about by dialogue.

So, when the comment was made that dialogue can happen anywhere, I had to have a think. In a very broad sense, yes, dialogue can happen anywhere. If people are comfortable with the idea of dialogue, then they can dialogue in a car, in an uncomfortable room, even over the phone or Internet. But for relative strangers, in a space that already brings about feelings of discomfort (as museums often do), physical discomfort can limit a willingness or even ability to unpack feelings and get deep.

I titled this post as I did, because the whole conversation brought to my mind a specific memory. My freshman year of college, I vividly recall having a "kiss and tell" session with my girlfriends. One of those "let's talk about sex" moments that all young adults have at some point. Some of us knew each other well, some of us were practically strangers, and the conversation was a bit embarrassing for most of us (we were shy and pretty damn naive). So, we turned out the lights. Suddenly, the comfort of not having to see the people you were addressing made it seem that much safer to share. It was a silly moment, but really helps me understand why I feel so strongly that physical comfort is important to dialogue. This isn't to say that I think dialogue is space-dependent, but I think that certain levels of comfort must exist, and that additional comforts make this sort of conversation much easier to have.

More on this later, I'm sure. But how about you? Do you think that dialogue can be affected by physical space?

Um...wow.

So, two kitty cats teach us about museums. Honest, scathing, cruel and wonderful. Probably overly general and a little mean, but it's a really good look at the museum as a temple.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaFbmuEUdwI

I wish I knew how to embed video, but trust me, this link is worth clicking on. The title of the report: "The Creation of Value: meditations on the logic of museums and other coercive institutions." 

Wow.

How can your museum help end poverty?

Today is Blog Action Day. The topic is poverty. Blog Action Day is about getting bloggers to discuss one issue, to change the conversation and get people talking. I'm so on board with that. So a celeb blog (like Perez, which yes I read, don't judge me) could discuss Brangelina and others who are attempting to make a difference in the world.  A blog about politics can discuss policies and such that can help. But what can a blog about museums discuss?

Much is made of the importance of museums to society. Museums provide a place for contemplation of aesthetic wonder, for learning about the past, and for imagining the future. Ideally, museums provide resources to the community, educate citizens and offer opportunities for engagement with others. But can museums help alleviate basic problems? Can museums have an impact on poverty and hunger? You all know the answer - of course they can!

So, here are some ideas, off the top of my head...with some links.

The Tenement Museum has amazing community programs that help address poverty through dialogue and education. The most powerful programs  target school children. One program leads students through a discussion of class bias, and another teaches about substandard housing, and encourages students currently living in substandard conditions to report violations to the housing authority. These programs empower people to seek ways out of the cycle of poverty and oppression. 

The Workhouse, in the UK, chronicles a solution from the past.  While many of us would shudder at the idea of the workhouse today, we cannot forget that the minds behind the idea meant well.  Programs help visitors relate past and contemporary issues of poverty and welfare. 

One program idea I've had for a while would involve working with groups like Spatulatta or Young Chef's Academy to teach kids and families to create easy, healthy, cheap meals. Food is expensive, and increasingly so. Parents dont have time or energy to cook. My own spouse grew up with this model. Mom's tired from working overtime. Food is expensive, and there are only two of them, so, its cheaper and easier to hit McDonalds than to make a meal. The problem there is that you set up kids for a lifetime of drive-thru dining - which leads to nutritional deficiencies, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and overall poor health. Museums, while teaching basic nutrition, should help teach families about budgeting, cooking small meals that can be reheated, and making healthy snacks. They should help families embrace local markets and learn to clip coupons.

In the same vein, many museums are located in urban areas, but areas with green spaces. Most museum campuses have some sort of green space available. How great to turn an unused patch of land into a community garden? Families can work their patch to plant veggies that they can then harvest and eat. Too many tomatoes? The museum can teach the science of canning or freezing. Or better yet, partner with a food bank and donate the proceeds. 

Many museums host resource fairs. The Children's Museum of Indianapolis hosts an annual back to school festival. This festival offers visitors a chance to have vision and hearing screenings done, as well as get basic immunizations. All at low or no cost. In addition, we partner with Backpack Attack to distribute school supplies to over 20,000 children in our local area. 

Offer classes - as a children's museum we tend to focus on kids, but parents need classes too. We have recently begun hosting basic finance classes. We also host computer classes through our local library branch. Offer babysitting certification. Teach parenting skills to young parents. Offer resources for foster and adoptive parents. Offer opportunities and respite for those caring for elders. 

Discounts - no one should ever be barred from your museum because they cannot pay. If they will not, thats one thing, but if they truly want to come, there should be a way. Offer programs, opportunities, free days, etc, to allow everyone to have access.

Most importantly though, museums can help by working at the roots of poverty. Help your visitors understand that poverty affects people in every city in the world. Help children and families recognize consumerism and the problems it causes. Help them understand that people living in poverty are not lazy, nor are they stupid. Help them understand that barriers to education cause a cycle to exist. Stop promoting the "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" mentality that if you want something enough you can do anything.  Stop promoting the myth of the meritocracy. Start the conversation about why this isnt true. Help visitors appreciate the opportunity to learn, to get good health care, and to have a hot meal and warm bed. Help grow compassion and understanding. Help them name the prejudices and biases that keep people locked in poverty. Help empower them to seek justice and stand up to those who would keep the cycle of poverty going.  Show examples from the past and connect them to the present and future. Bring about understanding.

Museums educate. That's what we do. We can host free nights and give things away until we are blue, but unless we educate people - both those in poverty and those who believe they will never be touched by it (especially those who believe they will never be touched by it) then we will not break the cycle.

OK, soapbox done. Carry on.

Blog Action Day, 08

Tomorrow, October 15, is Blog Action Day. The topic for 2008 is poverty. What to write about? I've a few ideas percolating. We'll see what comes out, eh?