The End Marks the Beginning

       The fall semester is nearly over, and that means intercession is rapidly approaching. It's important, then, to have a plan of work, so that we can be productive during the winter break. That said, my plan is somewhat different from those of my Research Methods classmates, mainly due to the fact that I’m the only student who will not be completing their thesis in the spring. As I mentioned in my introductory post (which seems so long ago at this point), I’m a dual degree student, in both the Museum Studies program and the Fine Art Studio program. Accordingly, I’ll be spending most of next semester working to complete a cohesive body of art, which I’ll be exhibiting at Gallery R for the Senior Show. During the 2017 Fall semester, then, I’ll be finishing my thesis through independent study with Dr. Juilee Decker, who normally teaches the Spring thesis class, and who is also my primary advisor. I want to stay as focused as possible, of course, on my Museum Studies thesis, so I’m still going to be working on it over the winter break, but my schedule is going to be a little more relaxed than ones like Katie, Hannah, and Kelli’s.

       By January 10th: I’ll have overhauled my thesis proposal, based on the edits and alterations suggested by the Museum Studies faculty members. I can’t currently say exactly how I’ll allocate my time so I can reach this goal, as I don’t yet know the extent of their advised changes. I will have two full weeks after Christmas to work on this, however, so I expect that if I plan to work at least 2 hours a day 3 times a week, that will amount to 12 hours, which will (hopefully) be more than enough time.

       By January 17th: I will have expanded my literature review, by exploring at least one additional resource for each section (English Common Press, Object-based Education, Interactive-based Education, Interpreter-based Education), in addition to adding in data from the Uncommon Press tech paper, which I finished editing for the team yesterday afternoon. This deadline will give me an entire week after finishing the recommended edits to continue researching and adding to my literature review. I plan to put in a minimum of 3 hours a day, to ensure that I’m able to reach this goal. 
       At this point I’ll also have started looking further into picking a 2nd reader. I’m considering approaching Brian Nagel, who serves as Director of Interpretation & Director of Programs & Collections at GCVM. I plan to contact Mr. Nagel during this week (January 10th-17th), hopefully to set up a meeting with him to discuss my thesis.

       By January 20th: I plan to have received Dr. Decker's approval & signature for my updated thesis proposal, so that I can have that taken care of before the start of the spring semester. I expect that this goal shouldn’t take much work, since it will be facilitated by my aforementioned goals. On the 17th I'll email email Dr. Decker my updated proposal, which will include faculty-advised edits & new literature review sources, so that she’ll have some time to review it.

       That's pretty much how I currently see things going. Now I have (at least what I consider to be) a treat for all of you. On Friday afternoon, the Uncommon Press team unveiled our press at the Cary Graphic Arts Collection. I would say that the press was 99.9% complete - it just needed a few minor alterations and additions, which we'll be completing today. The unveiling went quite well, and we had many people in attendance, including family members of each team member, RIT faculty and students, partners from the Genesee Country Village and Museum (who helped with blacksmithing & wood turning), and of course Steven Galbraith, Amelia Hugill-Fontanel, and Greg Decker from the Cary. While I was talking to Dr. Galbraith, he expressed his interest in my thesis, and offered to provide his assistance if I needed it. I think his input and insight could be very helpful as a third reader, or perhaps a second, if the possibility of having Brian Nagel fill the role of secondary advisor doesn't work out.

The (virtually completed) Uncommon Press, outside the Cary Collection on the 2nd floor of the Wallace Center.

It's been a great experience working with this team, and with any luck, I'll be able to work alongside some of them again in the future, once we're out of RIT and have entered our professional careers.

Obligatory team photo. Left to right: Daniel Krull, Seth Gottlieb, Randall Paulhamus, Veronica Hebbard, Ron Maguire (GCVM), Ferris Nicolais, and Matthew Schofield (GCVM).

Intercession Plans

My plan of work for intercession is as follows:

Week of Dec. 18^th:

-       Take advice and feedback from final session of class and make appropriate changes to current work

-      -Continue research

Week of Dec. 25^th:

-       Finish reading “From Storefront to Monument”

-       Continue research

Week of Jan. 1^st:

-       Finish reading “Understanding Jim Crow”

-       Continue research

Week of Jan 8^th:

-       Finish reading “Routledge Companion to Museum Ethics”

-       Set up meeting/interview time with Kathryn Murano-Santos

Week of Jan 15^th:

-       Revise and make additions to lit review – specifically add an overview of museum ethics

-       Begin writing first draft of introduction

Week of Jan 22^nd:

-       Finish writing first draft of introduction before first day of class

-       Get signatures from Juilee Decker and Michael Brown on proposal

k    My goal for my thesis over break is to regularly allocate time each week to addressing the hurdles listed. During the semester, I couldn't focus 100% on my thesis because I had four other classes and work that took up most of my time. Over intercession, I will not have nearly as many distractions and I am confident I will be able to make quite a bit of progress. I plan on contacting Kathryn Murano-Santos at the RMSC to at least set up a meeting/interview time, if not have the meeting/interview over break as well. This will be a big item checked off the list, as the information she will give me about the panel and the RMSC will be the basis for a large portion of my thesis.

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My plan for thesis over break

My plan of work over the intercession is the following;

December 13- Receive feedback from faculty and Joelle Adolfi about revisions of proposal

December 15- Cocktails with Creatives: M.C. Escher – MAG event (possibly)

December 22/29- MAGthursdays, Memorial Art Gallery hosts a weekly event at the museum with live music, food, wine/beer (observation)

January 3- January 23- begin drafting thesis and working specifically on writing out the interview portions and observations of the Happiest Hour, get RMSC survey results from Joelle and process the results as compared to my research

January 23- Get signatures from Tina Lent and Joelle Adolfi

I will be at RIT over intercession so I plan on working through some of the aspects of my thesis throughout the weeks. I definitely will no abandon my project and I am going to set aside time to write and compile my own observations. I have outlined key points that I would like to cover in my content outline that I would like to address in regards to the observational approaches I will take at these events. I hope to come away with a better understanding of what individuals are engaging with and how their behavior speaks to their experience at the museums.

Blog 7: Thesis Progress Over Intercession

Over intercession my plan of work includes the following schedule below:

Plan of Work 
Week of Dec 19th
• Fix suggested changes from the review of Muse Faculty and Advisers
Week of Dec 26th
• Continue research on digitizing bound books
• Research papier-mâché books
Week of Jan 2nd
• Continue research on cradles and how to make them
• Continue conversation with Dr. Galbraith about how to treat the book during the 3D scanning process and if they already have a cradle that can work
Week of Jan 9th
• Research alternative places to 3D print on RIT’s campus just in case the filament at the Construct does not provide a high enough resolution
Week of Jan 16th
• Edit Intro and first body paragraph
• Contact Mike before the start of the semester to schedule some time to come to the archive during early Spring Semester
Week of Jan 23rd (week 1 of Spring Semester)
• Make sure that the proposal, intro, and research are completed before the first day of class

My goal is not to abandon this project during the course of the break and leave everything to the last moment before the first day of school. My plan is to allocate at least two days a week to each bullet point. My goals include to edit the parts of my thesis that already exist, research papier-mâché books and create a work schedule that will orchestrate all the people involved in my thesis. One circumstance that might hinder weekly progress is my possible internship at Kodak; however, I am still able to work on my thesis at night as well as during the weekends. I do not doubt that I will make progress this intercession and I can't wait to experiment next semester.

My Thesis and its Evolution

Going into this class, I had very little idea of just what I wanted my thesis to entail.  Did I want to do research?  Did I want to construct a project or program?  And what topics would I include?  As I researched theses and saw the various kinds of papers previous students had created, I eventually came to the conclusion that my thesis would be best constructed of something that I had interest in, and especially something that would be relevant to my career prospects.  My thoughts often went back to my recent internship at the Aviation Museum of Kentucky, where I got a feeling for the type of work environment and museum that I would enjoy working with.  From there, I looked at topics related to aviation that I felt I could do good research on.  I had began my planning looking at things from the perspective of research, and had planned to make my thesis a research project.  I arrived at thinking of a topic that had relevance to aviation yet also contained appeal to people with interest in art or history.  I planned to research military nose art, the tradition of painting the front of an aircraft's body.  My research of the existing literature on this subject went well, and after meeting with my primary and secondary advisors, my thesis plan underwent its main major change.  Instead of conducting a purely research project, I am instead constructing an online exhibition on nose art.  This expanded my reading from the history of nose art outwards into audience engagement and visual interpretation methods.  I feel that my current plan is suitable to move forward with, and look forward to any minor changes that I decide to tweak in regards to my exhibit construction.

My thesis has taken many turns throughout the semester. At the start, all I knew is that I wanted to make it about fiddle music, but to what extent, I had no idea. When I finally had the idea to record a podcast, it felt like a lightbulb came on above my head. Since then, I have decided to not only record the songs, but also to interview people about what this music means to them. I want to show how this music was not only important to people back in the past, but also today. I am envisioning a blog where these podcasts can be found that will also give some background as well as some primary sources (sheet music, dance cards, advertisements, etc...)

The Evolution of My Thesis

My thesis topic thus far has evolved into a completely different and more focused issue. From the beginning, I was focusing on aspects within museums that enhanced the visitor's experience but was more interested in a technical aspect (i.e. applications, tech within the museum, etc.). From there I narrowed my research down to another aspect of visitor engagement -- the way in which museums are engaging millennials with after hour events at their museum. Finally, I have focused my work onto the Rochester area museums that have been participating in these types of after hour events.

As of now, I see my thesis evolving into a more in-depth topic once the observation and survey questions are completed. I believe that it will be a great resource for anyone looking for research into the engagement of millennials in cultural institutions.

Printing Press Thesis Evolution

My thesis has evolved significantly over the last three months. Originally, I had just a rather vague idea of a potential thesis idea - I wanted to utilize my work as part of the Uncommon Press team to approach the subject of a reconstructed printing press from a museum studies perspective. Since then, it has gone through a few iterations. I next thought that I’d focus on the way in which such a press, being held by a cultural institution, could be utilized by a local school as an educational object. As I’ve done more scholarly research & discussed the project with my primary adviser, Dr. Decker, my thesis has changed to its current version, which is to analyze three educational methods utilized by museums, objected-based, interactive-based, and interpreter-based, and to formulate an educational procedure or plan which utilizes the press in a way that offers maximum learning potential for visitors.

Hannah, an interpreter from Edes & Gill, a colonial printing shop experience in Boston, MA, speaking to visitors
while Seth holds up a freshly printed copy of the Declaration of Independence.

As I continue to work on my thesis, I certainly expect it will continue to change, but likely in more subtle ways. Since our thesis proposal is due in a week, it would obviously be best if my focus stayed primarily on the press in relation to the educational methods that I mentioned above. It's quite possible, however, that my ongoing research into scholarly writings on museum education will mean that another useful educational method will become apparent. If that happens, I'll likely incorporate it into my thesis, since my goal is to create the most successful educational plan possible. I mentioned this in our last class, but just over a week ago, we brought back nearly all of the wooden parts of the press from our custom woodworker in Harrisburg, PA, after spending the day working on finishing up a variety of smaller details. We're actively working on getting all of the metal pieces ready, but it's still looking rather impressive.

A sped up video of Seth interacting with the reconstructed press at Edes & Gill, 

and getting to personally print out a copy of the Declaration of Independence.

I mentioned this in our last class, but just over a week ago, we brought back nearly all of the wooden parts of the press from our custom woodworker in Harrisburg, PA, after spending the day working on finishing up a variety of smaller details. We're actively working on getting all of the metal pieces ready, but it's still looking rather impressive.

The press as it currently stands, with virtually all of the wooden parts complete & in place. 

Thesis Evolution

My thesis project has been moving right along, and I am happy with where it is heading. My initial thought process was not very specific, all I knew was that the carousel panel was something that interested me and I thought it would make a good thesis topic. I have honed the research question and have settled on "What are the best practices for displaying or exhibiting racist or offensive objects and memorabilia in museums?" I decided to make the question specifically about racist objects (depictions of African Americans and slave objects in particular) so that my research can be very focused. But, I believe that while this research will be specific, the themes discussed and best practiced devised from it will be able to be applied to sensitive or offensive objects of all facets (e.g. gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, etc.).

The research I have done thus far has been very enlightening, and the case studies I have looked at have been quite informative. While approaches may differ, there seems to be an over arching agreement that honesty is the most important aspect when interpreting these objects. Being upfront about what they are, what they represent, and their place in our country's history seems to be the way to go. I look forward to continuing my research and watching my project come along. I am excited to get started on my case study at the RMSC and see how a local institution attempts to grapple with this issue that has arisen in our own backyard.

Blog 6: The Continuing Evolution of My Thesis

My original thesis was entitled "The Effect of Accurate Reproductions in the Research Environment: The Use of 3D and 2D Facsimiles in Replacement of Fragile Objects." Over the course of this semester my thesis has evolved to be entitled "The Effect of Accurate Reproductions in the Research Environment: The Use of 3D Facsimiles in Replacement of Fragile Objects." As you can see, there was only one change in the design of my thesis which includes dropping the focus on 2D facsimiles. 2D facsimiles were going to be create and printed in the real world; however, having a 3D facsimile in real life will include printed out pages and a 3D printed cover so I combined the idea. Physical 3D reproductions and digital versions on the computer will increase the object's accessibility and preserve its original form. The focus on digitization and 3D reproductions is still the topic of the thesis; the way it is described in the title is the only change.

Since the summer, I pictured my thesis as one that focused on making fragile objects accessible to the public in person and online. It is evolving through the connections I make. At first, my thesis was an idea formulated through research. It has now expanded to include the Construct, the Library Company in Philadelphia, the Cary Archive and Shawn Foster. These connections are allowing an idea to become a functioning project. Without their help and support my thesis would only be theory based and unable to make concrete determination on feasibility of reproduction creation for a small institution. Choosing the papiermache book has solidified my ideas. I will soon include research on the digitization of books. Similarly, my thesis might change after the first round of testing at the Construct. This week, I went to the Construct to start the tests for 3D scanning and found that the portable scanner is not good at picking up reflections but it is good for picking up detail. If I am able to scan the papiermache book with this scanner the next step is to determine the necessary level of resolution. If these tests do not exhibit the high resolution prints I desire, I may have to find an alternative 3D printing connection to ensure the reproduction can be used as an alternative to the fragile original.

What I've Learned & What I'm Learning

I have finally chosen a thesis topic that I am passionate about and gathered a host of sources discussing best practices for museum professionals engaging with climate change within their institution, how to best contextualize climate change to visitors, how historic buildings are directly effected by changes in the climate at large (as well as how this influences the microclimates which develop inside the building), the structural and behavioral changes seen in buildings affected by a changing climate, and how museum objects respond to shifts in both microclimate as well as the climate at large. My bibliography and sources seem very promising and have my interest in a death grip; I am incredibly eager to dig into these readings and really develop a more fulfilled and full understanding as to how our shifting environmental conditions are directly impacting objects of visual culture such as museum objects and buildings. Research into the ways that local Rochesterian cultural institutions and professionals have engaged the public on the topic of climate change and sustainability as well as how these professionals use climate controls in a museum setting seems both exciting and informative. The interviews, especially, will be very interesting I am sure.

I look forward to beginning writing and continuing research on my project! Please, let me know if you have any questions or if I did not explain a facet of my topic accessibly (or at all).

My Thesis Topic

As per my second post, I have moved my thesis project idea from the realm of social justice to that of climate change. I want to critically engage with the following questions: are museums recognizing the effects of climate change and taking action in regards to their own institution's climate control systems? Are museums and other cultural institutions within the Rochester area making strides to engage and educate their public about the realities of climate change? Are museums entirely devoted to climate change, such as NYC's The Climate Museum project, able to engage in meaningful discussion with the public on the topic of climate change, environmentalism, and on the topic of actually making changes within one's daily routine in response to climate shifts/pollution?

In other words, I want to be able to critically and qualitatively analyze whether visitors outside of New York City (residents of other large New York cities such as Rochester) have heard of the The Climate Museum or engaged with topics concerning climate change through local institutions' exhibitions, objects, or community outreach programming. How do local Rochesterian museum professionals attempt to engage the public with discussion involving climate change? Does the public find these engagements successful and do these museum professionals find their methods of engaging with said public successful? Are local Rochesterian museums making infrastructure, HVAC, or climate control changes in response to major shifts in temperature, pollution, and weather-related phenomenon (i.e. harsher winters, dryer and hotter summers, wilder fluctuating humidity levels)?

In order to do this I will be reading critical articles and literature from museum professionals dealing with the topic of climate change, infrastructure professionals discussing best practices for climate control and building preservation, and the effect that shifting climates have upon museum objects (humidity, mold, etc.). I will also be interviewing local Rochesterian museum professionals, RIT faculty, and RIT students in regards to how they have engaged with the topic of climate change in a professional sense or through museum visits.

What I've Learned and What I've Left to Learn

My research has been going well so far.  Early on, I started out with researching writings on military mindsets, soldiers' psyche, and ethical theory.  As my thesis is shifting to a more applicational study on how best to effectively construct and interpret an exhibit on the history and significance of aircraft nose art in the military, I have begun to research the history of this art.  This is building a good foundation upon which I can lay my groundwork.  I've found books and articles that have thus far done a good job at providing me with details and events relating to this history.  I've still got some reading on history to do, which will no doubt expand my knowledge further on that front.  The main focus of the remaining research that I need to learn from is that of exhibit design and iconographic theory.  Exhibit design is obviously an important topic to research for my thesis, since it will inform many of the decisions I will be making regarding the design and focus of the exhibit.  Iconographic theory will also be a valuable research topic for developing my interpretation plans for the exhibit, as the content of nose art has much to do with the significance and meaning behind symbols and images.

What I've learned so far

So far, in my research, I have learned quite a bit about my topic. The main thing I have learned is there is a lot of case specific information about exhibitions that have displayed culturally sensitive or provocative objects. Not all of them have to do with African American or racist art/objects, but there are many examples to study within the broad spectrum of my topic. I have also learned a lot about the history of African American/racist art/objects. It is quite fascinating to delve deep into this subject, and it is also interesting to look at this topic from multiple view points. I am gathering a lot of good information and I am beginning to formulate an outline of how I want to lay out my thesis. I am also figuring out how to separate my sources according to topics and themes.

For my thesis, I still need to finish my reading and research. I need to learn proper format and citation methods. I also would like to find more scholarship on displaying racist objects. I have attempted to contact both the Jim Crow Museum and the National Museum of African American History and Culture to see if they have any information for me, but unfortunately, have not yet heard back from either. I am still hopeful that I will though, these requests can sometimes take a bit of time.

Research Update: What I've Learned & What I Still Need To Learn

Currently, the core of my thesis is focused on the use of an English Common Press reconstruction as an educational object. Accordingly, I've been looking into scholarly work on museum-based learning. More specifically, I'm examining methods for & perspectives on education through objects, interactive education, and education which utilizes interpretation. One of the things I've learned is that the museum field’s current perspective on using an object for interpretive educational purposes is essentially a 3-part process. First, one would want to begin by focusing on the physicality of the object. Next, one would use information related to said object to move toward examining the people who would be connected to the object, and these people's actions. Finally, one would transition to examining the broader ideas which are relevant to the object and to the aforementioned individuals.
Throughout this entire process, however, it is important to make a connection with the modern viewer or visitor. This seems to be where my research on interaction and interpretation will be helpful. I've gathered multiple sources which delve into the topic of interpretation, including the types which are facilitated by a docent or a 1st or 3rd-person interpreter. This is also where my investigation into museum theater is starting to help. By creating a reconstructed printing press, we're taking an object that is generally unusable due to its age, and providing one which is fully operational. I'm currently of the opinion that having a costumed interpreter operate the press while engaging with visitors could be quite beneficial for visitor education. We actually had this experience at the The Printing Office of Edes & Gill, where we talked to an interpreter named Hannah about the replica press which she was operating.

Interpreter Hannah with the Ralph Green replica press at The Printing Office of Edes & Gill

One area which I certainly need to explore more deeply is that of scholarly data pertaining to the history and creation of the English Common Press. I have learned some useful information, of course, during my time working on the project, especially when assisting with on-site research at the museums and historical societies we've visited. This was especially true when I looked through & duplicated about half a dozen folders of documents held at the Exeter Historical Society and the Vermont History Museum. During this research, I actually have the opportunity to examine some fascinating primary source materials from both Elizabeth Harris and Clinton Sisson, in which they discussed the provenance of the Dresden Press.

The Dresden Press at the Vermont History Museum

I still need more historical information, however, if I want to provide a sufficient understanding of the press in the earlier, foundational part of my thesis. Currently, I plan to obtain this knowledge and information through various methods. I’m going to interview Seth Gottlieb, another member of the Uncommon Press team, since he has been the primary historical researcher for the project. Seth also has at least one scholarly source that he plans to share with me, which I expect will serve to further enhance my understanding of the subject.

Uncommon Press Team Photo (Seth, Ferris, Veronica, Daniel, Randy)

What I Have Learned

My topic is about the old time fiddle music of Western New York. I (finally) met up with Prof. James Kimball at Geneseo last week, and he will truly be a great source of information. He was able to answer a few questions that I had and also was able to point me in some new directions that I had no previously thought of. He was also able to help me compile a list of local players that follow in this tradition of old time playing. I have learned a lot, it is surprising to me to learn just how many different traditions and songs were popular in New York. There are also some books that I have picked up that have interviews with New York musicians.

Though I have learned much, there is still more to do. I still need to decide specifically what I want to include in the thesis and begin researching those things in deeper detail. As of right now, I have a very broad overview of everything that I want to do, but taking some time to narrow it down will be my next step in research.  

What I've Learned So Far

My topic, about young adult engagement in museums with regards to special events and programming, has been very interesting so far. I have found that several museums around the world are actually very concerned with the status of their engagement with this age group (19-35). There have also been studies done by large institutions like the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum that include statistical information that is quite interesting to look at. For example, the largest age group attending their after hours events are from ages 24-26 at about 32% of their attendees. Other studies include surveys and more qualitative data which I will use as examples for when I begin to collect my own data.

As for the things I still need to know; I am interested in interviewing some of the local professionals that plan such events and see what their ideas about the success of their programs are. I would also like to see how I can link these experiences to a text that I have been reading called The Great Good Place by Ray Oldenburg. In this book, he discusses the idea of a "Third Place" and I find it fascinating the connection that can be created between people and these "Third Places".

What I've Learned in Class Thus Far

In order to write a thesis or any other piece of critical academic literature, a solid foundation for research methodologies, writing clarity, the formulation of specific research questions, analysis of data, formation of conclusions from the evidence presented/collected, and a solid understanding of how to format and structure citations are required. In other words, in order to construct an academic work that directly engages with difficult subjects, one must be able to dissect, analyze, and critique scholarly sources as well as refer to them correctly. In order to even begin the process of academic inquiry and research, previous examples of theses or academic studies/experiments already extant in the field need to be read as both examples of what works in regards to forwarding one's argument(s) and what does not. How do you, as an individual, present your ideas in a way that engages meaningfully with your audience? This is the driving question behind what we do within our Research Methods class with Professor Caroll.

The pieces that we have examined in class as well as on our own serve as perfect examples of the possible shortcomings or over-extensions of a thesis topic which either make or break the effectiveness of the conclusions/research presented. For example, when reading the "I Know I’m Home When I Have One: The Cultural Significance of the Garbage Plate of Rochester, NY" article the issue of having a succinct, accurate, and specific abstract was explored. Namely, within the abstract it was stated that the cultural roots of the foods and ingredients used within the garbage plate would be discussed and analyzed, however, the work itself focused more upon how the community perceived the garbage plate itself. The ingredients were mentioned, but only in their relation to other popular bar foods and juxtaposing the complexity of the garbage plate (i.e. the amount of ingredients) with community members' own previous experiences with Rochester's food culture. What this piece did do well was explore how a detailed community survey/interview allows multiple perspectives and meaningful details one may have overlooked to come to the surface of a discussion: the experiences of the community became the focus and framework for the academic work and subsequent discussion. 

When reading through and attempting to summarize Elizabeth Bucar's work dealing with the ethics of visual culture and the social act of seeing, I tackled a common issue inherent to academic writing. How does one succinctly and effectively communicate a wealth of heavy theoretical and abstract concepts? Bucar was writing in response to a panel of Religious Ethics discussing cultural anthropologist Kenneth George’s book [as well as other examples from the literary discourse regarding visual culture], Picturing Islam: Art and Ethics in a Muslim Lifeworld (2010), a retrospective of the collaborative work between George and Indonesian Islamic artist Djalil Pirous wherein the concept of creative visual expression is examined as a means of cultivating a specific self-concept and developing a moral framework from which to engage reality. Bucar's essay revealed to me just how difficult and crucial being able to succinctly provide contextual backgrounds for one's argument is when writing for an audience that may or may not be familiar with the concepts one is exploring. This was very helpful for me as Bucar summarizes the current conversations and topics circulating the visual culture aspects of religious ethical thought in an accessible, detailed, yet not long-winded manner. Hopefully I will be able to communicate myself as accessibly and thoroughly as I read through the literature surrounding cultural institutions' engagement with climate change.

I have been utilizing Zotero as a content management system for my research and it has been an invaluable tool. 
 

Bibliography
Bucar, Elizabeth M. 2016. "The Ethics of Visual Culture." Journal of Religious Ethics 44 (1): 7-16.
Fekete, Emily. 2014. “‘I Know I’m Home When I Have One:’ The Cultural Significance of the Garbage Plate of Rochester, NY,” Material Culture 46 (1): 25-43.

My Current Thesis Topic Ideas

Originally, I was going to tackle the question of how museums and cultural institutions interact with contemporary social movements such as Black Lives Matter, Free the Nipple, and issues involving the hijab as well as the representation of Muslim Americans in popular media (juxtaposed with the museological representation(s) of these people currently being exhibited or having been exhibited in the past). I wanted to focus upon the Rochester area, due to its history of tumultuous race relations, revolt, and large African American population as well as the international and interracial student population at RIT providing a wide breadth of demographics for surveys/interviews. In other words, I initially wanted to explore both how museums and cultural institutions in Rochester, NY (and the surrounding suburbs) meaningfully interact with contemporary social movements, what it means to interact meaningfully with these social movements (both from the museum professional perspective and that of those personally involved with the social movements being examined), and how museums may foster more intimate and powerful connections with local communities via interacting with relevant social movements.

However, after looking at myself and my interests I have decided to move my tentative topic in a more environmentally conscious direction: how are museums and cultural institutions interpreting and educating the public in regards to climate change? Are museums and cultural institutions able to leave visitors with valuable knowledge about their climate, environment, and the preservation of not only museum objects but objects that they use in their daily lives? Do museums meaningfully convey the importance of developing new modes of energy generation, an awareness of the drastic effects that humans have on their surroundings, or are visitor made aware that climate change affects their lives (and their futures) every second of every day? These questions, along with analyzing and critically examining how museums directly devoted to environmental issues such as proposed The Climate Museum of New York City have impacted both their local and global communities. Namely, how does The Climate Museum intend to encourage discussion as well as engagement with the topics at hand? Is that discussion meaningful enough to spur actual changes in people's lives? Have visitors outside of New York City (residents of other large New York cities such as Rochester) heard of the The Climate Museum or engaged with topics concerning climate change through local institutions' exhibitions, objects, or community outreach programming? How do local Rochesterian museum professionals attempt to engage the public with discussion involving climate change? Does the public find these engagements successful and do these museum professionals find their methods of engaging with said public successful?

I hope to answer these questions or at least suggest methods of best practices following interviews and surveys with both the staff/leading figures of The Climate Museum, the Rochester Museum and Science Center (RMSC), The George Eastman Museum (GEM), and other relevant local institutions (such as colleges/universities like RIT and the University of Rochester). Climate change and environmental degradation are ongoing, unstoppable issues that directly effect both the present and future of humanity: I hope to ascertain that this reality is both understood by and guides museum programming in a way which promotes active thinking and lifestyle changes within their local and global audiences.

What I'm Learning From My Thesis Research

The vanguard field of Digitization is one that is broad yet specialized. Most of my research consists of descriptions of procedures and technology such as the article "Digital Three-Dimensional Modelling of Donatello's David by Frequency-Modulated Laser Radar." On the other hand, some authors focus on the implications surrounding the accessibility and variety of the World Wide Web as defined by the paper “The Future of Museums in the Digital Age: New Models for Access to and Use of Digital Collections." Most researchers are worried about what laser, scanner or camera to use while others focus on how to monetize their digital collection. Along with this focus on the feasibility technology, authors such as Francoise Benhamou and Victor Ginsburgh of the paper “Is There a Market for Copies?” look in to whether reproductions can be used to deceive the art world as forgeries and if preservation through this method is detrimental becasue of it. Overall, on the technological side, I have learned what I should look for when scanning an object to make sure it is an accurate reproduction and how to 3D print. On the theory side, I learned how to organize and upload this information on the internet in a way to preserve its authenticity and increase its accessibility.

I have a handful of things I wish to know other than the feasibility of 3D scanning and printing archival objects as replacements which is the basis for my thesis. Some questions I still have include, can I 3D scan a book and upload it to an archive's website without the author's knowledge? If I need permission and the author is deceased, when does the content become public domain? The answers to these questions ensure that I would not run into any legal trouble while pursuing my thesis. I also would like to find out what is the best practice to scanning pages in a book. When a book is bound, a camera is unable to capture a flat surface as it might have it if the object was a singular piece of paper. The only way to solve these questions is through continued research and that is what I aim to do.

Potential topic

Since I want to explore a career in Museum Education, I think I’ll write my thesis about a topic related to the field. Specifically, I want to focus on adult learning in nonformal environments. I wrote a paper for Dr. Lent's class about the same subject, and I want to examine it further. 

There is a definite gap of academic research focusing specifically on adult education in museums—most of what I found was about children and school groups. To narrow my topic further, I think I’ll write about a specific underrepresented adult demographic, like seniors or adults without college educations. Museums claim to be centers for lifelong learning, so the academic research should reflect that. Seniors and retirees make up a large part of museum visitors, members, and volunteers, yet I can't find much about how to accommodate their educational needs. I'd be interested in a project that addresses this issue.

Introduction: Elizabeth Gwilt

Hi everyone, my name is Elizabeth Gwilt and I’m a fourth year in the Museum Studies program. When I first transferred into the program, I didn’t have a clue about which specific aspects of museum work appealed to me. But now, after taking more museum classes and learning from my own experience, I can say that I’d like to focus on the field of Museum Education. Examining how people learn in museum settings is very interesting to me. I’d love to learn more about methods for assessing learning, and how to design programming that meets visitors’ needs.

My first internship experience took place at the Henry B. Plant Museum in Tampa, Florida. Although I had a great experience, the small museum lacked an education department, so I hope to find another internship that can support my interest in education. In the meantime, I think my thesis will be related to education somehow.