Brian Zabawa's Winter Break Plans

     Over the winter break, I am not really sure what I am going to be doing. I plan on spending a lot of time with my family. Covid has made it so that I could not go home and visit my family this summer and I miss them dearly. I haven't seen them for nearly two years and I am very excited to go home and take a break with them. Speaking of having a break that is something else I am looking forward to. This semester has had so many projects that I haven't had much time to sleep in or relax so that will be a fun part of the break.

    As far as working on education endeavours go I have a few plans. I plan firstly on completing my internship. I plan to do this by transcribing documents for the Smithsonian during the entire winter break. I also plan on working on my thesis's final deliverable in some way. I hope to have some sort of prototype for the cards at least mocked up and ready to show as a rough draft when I return to Rochester for the spring semester. 

Thinking Ahead to Winter Break

 While it seems impossible, my Thesis Proposal has been submitted, and I must now begin to prepare for how I can build upon my ideas over Winter Break. To begin, I will focus a large portion of my time on reading the wonderful resources provided to me by both my Primary and Secondary Advisors. Through these readings, I hope to learn more about the world of social media, and its multiple applications, in combination with how artists specifically use the various platforms. As I have devoted most of my time throughout the semester to learning about KAWS, I now understand the importance of understanding and learning more about the broader concepts of my topic- outside of my singular case study. In addition to these readings, I plan to continue to follow KAWS and his work through social media to ensure that I am aware of any components that may strengthen my Thesis.

Since this Winter Break will be longer than in previous years, I plan to set aside time each week to focus on my readings, and for further research I may conduct as a result. While I will set this time aside each week, I will also take time to step away from my project for a few days at a time, as I usually benefit from time away from projects as it allows me to think more clearly about where I wish to go. Through this balance of time spent focused on my project, and time spent away, I hope to emerge from Winter Break with a stronger argument and more fully-enriched research.

Thank you to everyone for such a great semester!

Post Sixth: Goals

 Hello Everyone!

I can't believe this is the last full week before the break. My goals over winter break are to keep researching more about the deaf community. Also, I will keep in contact with the Dyer Gallery to talk more about their accessibility. The main thing I need to complete is creating a survey for the Deaf community. Then I will post on social media to get the results. I have a lot of time on my hand, I will do a couple of times a week working on my thesis. 

A Late Intro

    Hello! My name is John Adil, a 4th year Museum Studies student. After working as an intern at my local art museum during the summers in Portland, Maine, I knew that it was something that I was passionate about. These experiences really formed my opinion and thought around the museum scape. In that program, I had the opportunity to learn about the business side of various sizes of museums and galleries; We would often take field trips to other institutions in and outside of Maine, making connections with the staff and their responsibilities. Upon arriving at RIT, I was exposed to a certain degree of technology that I had never seen before. A lot of my friends were Computer Science and Game Design majors. I really grew an interest in these fields, watching and learning from my friends. At the same time, my classes were touching on the subject of technology in museums. In Dr. Decker's Museums & The Digital Age course, we experimented with tech integration and virtual reality. In my head, I had never really connected technology as an educational tool for exhibits. My experiences going to museums have been so overwhelmingly "analog." This is certainly not a bad thing, but the role of integrated technology in museums has been an interest of mine for awhile. I want to see how museums adapt and evolve with tech in order to create better educational experiences with their visitors. In the future, I'd love to get some experience working on the digital aspects of museums, whether that is social media, digital learning tools, or, hopefully, technology heavy exhibitions.

     I haven't been posting about my thesis project. It has been a topsy-turvy semester for me, but my work has progressed. My ideas have also grown and changed overtime, so I will be documenting my thought processes as well as my physical work when it comes to what I have been planning. Overall, I am excited that I get the chance to work on an idea that I've been thinking about for a long time. 

Plans for Winter Break

 Over winter break I plan to continue working at the History Center. Therefore I will be able to be in the space and continue to see how they update their exhibitions and utilize their collections. I plan on taking notes not only on what I see and observe in the space but also their policies and procedures. I also plan on talking to those that work there about their ideas and wants with mini interviews. For this I need to create interview questions and schedule time to meet with each person. 

As I said I already am planning to be working in the space a few days a week so I will just have to add into my work schedule time to do work for my thesis along with the work my supervisor has planned for me. This will just take some readjusting to my work schedule but is totally do-able. 

Event for MUSE students

 Museum Student Networking Event Friday, November 13

Calling all current museum studies undergraduate and graduate students! Join us on Friday, November 13 for a Zoom networking event with fellow museum enthusiasts from museum studies and related programs! Learn what networking is all about and practice getting to know fellow museum students in rapid-fire rounds of speed networking! Free, but registration is required and limited to 100 participants. BYOBeverage-of-choice.

 

 

Museum Student Speed Networking

Friday, November 13

7:30-9:00 p.m. ET

Zoom

Free, but registration is required: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwpc-yurj8jG9THYezagFTjC6IJXyx8lDt9  

 

If you have any questions, reach out to Dr. Decker!

This program is brought to you by the Institute of Museum Ethics at Seton Hall University and the department of Museum Studies at Baylor University. The event is hosted by Purple Cow Career and Talent Development. www.purplecowcareers.com

 

Where I Am & Where I Am Going

When I initially began the research for my thesis, I was focused on bringing together the disparate details of KAWS' career, the influence of social media, and the relationships that are formed between museums and street artists. These ideas are still at the center of my research, but I believe that other components must be evaluated as well. 

Rather than viewing museums as and end-goal brought to fruition by an increased following, I believe it would be of more value to evaluate how an artist's following can bolster their career in multiple ways- or how they can broaden their following through other artistic avenues. As opposed to perceiving the museum space as a symbol of an artist's success, it is important to realize that brand partnerships/collaborations, different mediums of work, and a social media presence serve to enhance an artist's reach- in addition to recognition by a formal cultural institution. Instead of viewing the museum as the culmination of an artist's work, KAWS has prompted me to view this as one piece in a much larger puzzle, as his career continues strongly through many other facets of creation. Overall, I have come to believe that there are many more intricate interplays between an artist and their following (including what the following allows for), rather than simply between an artist and the museum. 

Objects Are Cool But Adobe Illustrator Is Not

 Working with material objects is so interesting. I find myself looking at small little details and markings that show these typefaces have been used and worked with countless times. There are little marks on each character that I can only compare to marginalia in books. They are signs that each character has been used and has an intimate history. I've learned about typefaces and the different forms they take. It's so interesting to look at what historically has been done to make typefaces in comparison to what is currently done to create typefaces. I've learned so much about the broader history of American Material Culture as well. It's absolutely fascinating to look at how this singular category of functional artifacts plays into the much broader field of American Material Culture.

As I am working through my project, I find myself struggling to learn the intricacies of Adobe Illustrator. I am very familiar with Photoshop and other pixel-based software, but for some reason, I cannot seem to get the grasp of vector based software. I need to develop a working proficiency in Illustrator so I am able to create digital versions of the fonts I will be recreating. I have plans to watch an extensive amount of tutorial videos through Adobe themselves and content creators on YouTube. I think also, something that I need to continue developing my understanding of, is how recreations of objects affect the issue of authenticity. Does authenticity matter when the reproduction is able to be used in the same manner as the original? Does there need to be a communication between the historical interpreter using the recreated characters and the audience that lets the visitors know that documents are being printed with modern typefaces? 

What I want from my topic

 For my topic, I still have a bit of focusing I need to do, but I have a relative idea about what I want from the project. For starters, I want to learn more about why more projects like this aren't done. I remember reading about projects where there are access points to collections in the museum, but they usually follow the same format of displaying stuff on a wall. I understand it is an extensive project to photograph and create labels for all these items, but why not just reduce the scope of the project. I would also like to know more about how patrons interact with individual pieces in a museum exhibit. Since the deliverable for my project will be more or less disconnected from the pieces around it, how will consumers interact with it?

As far as things I am learning I think it mainly stems from learning how children learn through playing. Different types of play help them to learn different things better. Including something enjoyable while learning makes the process far less jarring for little kids who have done nothing but play since they were born. It has also taught me that different age groups engage with different types of playing. Younger kids enjoy playing while learning, as long as the learning is done with simple concepts like colors and shapes. Older children (8-12) prefer to be challenged with puzzles which is teaching pattern prediction. Many card games and video games use this type of puzzle throughout games. They start with the most simple puzzle and slowly build on the solution from that puzzle to create the new puzzles. 

Post 4

 Hello everyone,

   Recently, I met up with my secondary advisor to discuss my topic. She told me something that I didn’t know about one of the museums. She mentions that the Met in New York City did have something related to ASL back in the 1970s. This information surprised me because ADA was created 20 years later, that seems like the Met was ahead of its time. Also, during my research, I found out that some museums in Europe are providing accessibility. Also, I was able to find out the majority deaf community approximate is 600,000. Only 0.22% of the population is considered deaf. 

There are a few things I need to research to gain more information to support my thesis. I have to create a survey to show the majority of preferences needs. It will be impossible to survey every deaf people all over the USA. I will focus on the NTID community because of the diversity, and they all are not from New York. This survey will benefit my thesis paper due to Also, research more about the history of deaf visitors. I need to add more depth about the ADA to explain certain points for the museum to follow. 

What I am Learning and Where I Would Like to Go

     As I have delved deeper into the multiple topics that will come together to create my final thesis proposal of how street art and museums interact, I have learned many of the intricacies of KAWS' early career, and his work with famous fashion brands. Beginning as Brian Donnelly, the artist eventually adopted KAWS as his artistic moniker based on the aesthetic value of the letters when painted together. Through the application of this tag throughout New Jersey and New York City, Brian Donnelly began to fully embody the persona of his artistic alter ego. Continuing with the beginning of his career, one of my favorite facts that I have learned so far is that a classmate at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, gifted Brian Donnelly with a key to open the menagerie of advertisement cases spread throughout the city. If this gift had never been given, KAWS may have not been able to access the advertisements he is best known for, as a means of initiating "forceful collaborations." Another interesting fact to note is the idea that Brian Donnelly did not intend for his career to be considered anti-establishment or rebellious, he simply wanted to use his abilities to alter and enhance advertisements that he considered to be fresh canvases. Through understanding KAWS' beginnings and views, it will enable me to write a more well-rounded paper, and view his career in a manner more closely aligned with his intentions.

    While I have completed a large amount of research on the beginning of KAWS' career, there is still much to be learned about him, as his influence has infiltrated international markets, and spawned many professional collaborations. Additionally, I will need to research the impacts of a large social media following, and how this vast group of supporters may affect, or be affected, by the ever-evolving art market. Through understanding how these various factors interact, I will be be better prepared to assess KAWS' relationship with museums- and the traditional values they imply. More specifically, I hope to examine the various celebrities who function as "influencers" for the work of KAWS, and also, how a large fanbase may influence the choices of museums as they seek to turn a profit and increase annual visitors. This following, and their impact on museums, will be further expanded upon as my research into KAWS' relationship with Japanese markets and the inclusion of statues and miniatures has altered the trajectory of his original street art path. While there may appear to be many disparate pieces presented, when combined, these elements will tell the story of KAWS' career, and how his influence has permeated even the most formal of institutions.

What I am learning and still need to learn.

 So far in my research I have learned that there are many different ways to bring out collections from storage but they are expensive and not always an option for smaller institutions. These large institutions are able to buy whole new buildings to display artifacts and hire individuals to help them with plans and building. While small institutions with small budgets do not have this option at all. They cannot just go out and buy a new space for their collections. I have found however there are ways for these small institutions to do things similar to what a large institution can do just a different way and on their own. Doing their own photography and creating an online presence are all ways that they can do these things on their own. 

I still need to find sources relating to my institution’s size. There is so much information out there about what large institutions can and are doing but not as much for the small ones. I think that as I go along with my institution they can provide insight and also point me in the right direction to sources that I may not be able to find otherwise.

Research Topic

My research question will focus on museums as spaces for informal and nonformal adult learning. Increasingly, museums are seen less as repositories for valuable objects, and more as spaces for dialogue, participation, and education. Many museums focus on a target audience of families with young children, while adult visitors present unique opportunities and challenges, and there has been less research dedicated to the adult visitor. Adult visitors have different needs and expectations, and they bring to the museum their own previous life experiences as well as a more established sense of personal identity. Unlike children who may be brought to the museum by parents or as part of school groups, adult participation in museums is typically voluntary, not mandatory. As part of my topic, I am interested in exploring successful examples of adult education and adult-centered programs in museums, potential barriers to adult participation in museums, and in investigating the needs of adult visitors so that museums may better expand their offerings to be more inclusive of a larger variety of visitors. I am particularly interested in the potential for adult programs in museums to address issues of inequity in their communities, such as the digital divide and the digital literacy gap.

Dudzinska-Przesmitzki, Dana, and Robin S. Grenier. “Nonformal and Informal Adult Learning in Museums.” Journal of Museum Education 33, no. 1 (2008): 9–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/10598650.2008.11510583.

Gutwill, Joshua P. “Science Self-Efficacy and Lifelong Learning: Emerging Adults in Science Museums.” Visitor Studies 21, no. 1 (2018): 31–56. https://doi.org/10.1080/10645578.2018.1503875.

Kim, Junghwan, Jieun You, and Soo Yeon Park. “Adult Learning for Social Change in Museums: An Exploration of Sociocultural Learning Approaches to Community Engagement.” Journal of Adult and Continuing Education 22, no. 2 (2016): 184–98. https://doi.org/10.1177/1477971416672328.

Robinson, Cynthia. “Into the Future: Adult Professional Groups and the 21st Century Museum.” Journal of Museum Education 36, no. 1 (2011): 103–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/10598650.2011.11510688.

research question and topic

 Aloha! Ua koho wau i ke kumuhana. Makemake au e noʻi i ka moʻolelo o ka hula ma Hawaiʻi. [translation Hawaiian to English: Hello! I chose a topic. I want to research the history of hula in Hawaiʻi.]

Through historical research, I want to outline the major events and cultural shifts in regards to hula. This will set a foundation for readers to understand the long-standing presence hula has in the Hawaiian culture. Through ethnographic interviews, I want to discover the thoughts and feelings about hula from the Hawaiian people. I have contacts with many people who are directly involved in the practice presently and in the past as well as those who are a part of the Hawaiian culture but do not practice hula. I think it's important to utilize interviews in my research because so much of Hawaiian culture is recorded through oral history. Using these two methods of research I aim to answer the following questions: How can hula be performed in an ethical and culturally responsible way? How can it be kept meaningful? How has hula evolved? How can we display hula in a museum? 

I am working on the historical importance of hula because I want to find out how it intersects in multiple aspects of Hawaiian culture (intersectionality) so that I can help others understand how to display intangible heritage in a meaningful and culturally responsible way. 

Third Post

Hello everybody,
For two of my research thesis, I wasn't able to decide which one to pick. My goal for this week is to make the final decision.  

1: How can Museums improve their accessibility for the deaf community? Also, I want to expand ideas of how to reach out the deaf audiences. Like I have mentioned in my previous post that how museums can try to improve their accessibility since individuals have their own preferences. To receive the information, I am planning to contact Ruth Starr since she is now working as an Accessibility Service expert. I would like to connected deaf communities by providing their needs for accessibility when they visit the museums. Also, I plan to come up with new ideas to support people with hearing loss by providing their preferred mode of communication. It is important that all of the visitors to the museums experience the exhibit equally and in ways that enable them to make lasting connections. If they not having their needs met during their visit, future discussions might not take place and visitors feel left out of the experience.  

KALISHER, ELANA. 1998. "Reexamining Diversity: A Look At The Deaf Community In Museums". Curator: The Museum Journal 41 (1): 13-35. doi:10.1111/j.2151-6952.1998.tb00811.x.

Renel, William. 2019. "Sonic Accessibility: Increasing Social Equity Through The Inclusive Design Of Sound In Museums And Heritage Sites". Curator: The Museum Journal 62 (3): 377-402. doi:10.1111/cura.12311.

2020. D1wqtxts1xzle7.Cloudfront.Net. https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/54407397/Bailey_Westerhoff_Thesis_July_2017.pdf?1505166315=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DIncreasing_Accessibility_Services_for_D.pdf&Expires=1600281316&Signature=DkqOCXOfFDkQ9WxmEqoXnPlX7cVhrSvB9gmacLyraS7LrowMIQhgqxglsI4ntrcKnqE~4iL-NXW0w5X4YuafY6H2AodYcuCUO61rxKdGHqqBx4aVEox1MxzvaSAVGjr~G3yJM9mh-LQc73RaEAa8MYS1iANQMK5UOARWMRGmXXr8nB5okBIyxlohooDRSnxK~-ZK1R6Xw15B22mDc0V2wnKKYENFEo1ZwRy2glfe6ff-BtM2lnNL4pMsuS-KW-qgAdeZol2tmVFv9Sm4kKfvugMbVWO2oRh3UELAcpty1j6Cq-wVYJcy6tRYMutPOK7IWlJud0vMvnF6evxVtBgmtw__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA.

2: What should the museums do with the stolen objects? The main focus will be on stolen arts during the Second World War. I would like to find out more information based on museums that do hold on to stolen arts. The case studies I plan to research will support the families' wishes for their lost artwork. For this research, I will work on discovering information by contacting some of the museums. 

"New York City Museums Are Fighting To Keep Art Stolen By The Nazis". 2018. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2018/11/24/new-york-city-museums-are-fighting-to-keep-art-stolen-by-the-nazis/.

"U.S. Museums Fail To Address Nazi-Era Stolen Art Claims ". 2020. Claims Conference/WRJO Looted Art And Cultural Property Initiative. http://art.claimscon.org/home-new/looted-art-cultural-property-initiative/advocacy/u-s-museums-fail-to-address-nazi-era-stolen-art-claims/.

"U.S. Museums Fail To Address Nazi-Era Stolen Art Claims ". 2020. Claims Conference/WRJO Looted Art And Cultural Property Initiative. http://art.claimscon.org/home-new/looted-art-cultural-property-initiative/advocacy/u-s-museums-fail-to-address-nazi-era-stolen-art-claims/.

Further Understanding Art Museums

 As I have continued to ponder the different ways in which I can research art museums, I have shifted from looking at the history of the institution, to the complex relationships between museum and artist. Using the Impressionists as an example, this group was so ignored by the French Academy that they eventually held their own Salons, creating a new type of "museum" experience. While this remained the norm for a short time, artists considered to be controversial eventually found their way back into the museum space. It is this point that I intend to delve further into as I am curious to understand the intricacies of a relationship dependent on an institution and an individual coming together. As an art museum must continue to generate income, they must consider the fact that the public may wish to see art by those who have opposed the institution in the past- meaning that concessions must be made. 

While there is much to talk about within this subject, it is the idea of what and how these two parties concede to each other that is of great interest to me. Will a museum be judged for inviting an artist considered "controversial" to its members? Will the artist be considered a "sell-out" for showing their work within a formal institution? It is these relationships and real life examples that I hope to examine and reflect upon, as a way to understand these give-and-take scenarios.

Research Question: I want to study institutional showings of controversial artists, to find out how they interact with the art museum, so I can help others to understand the intricacies of the relationship between both parties, and how each must concede to the other.

Digital and Physical Facsimiles

Hello again! Trying to clearly define the purpose of my thesis was rather difficult because I feel as if there are a lot of reasons this is something I should research, but I knew it is best if I focus on one reason why this topic is worthwhile. 

For my thesis research, I am interested in exploring the use of facsimiles in museums to answer the question: do digital and physical reproductions of wood type fonts allow for preservation of the original fonts while maintaining an authentic, participatory experience for visitors? I plan to work with the Genesee Country Village & Museum to digitally render and physically recreate a selection of their wooden type fonts that are used in the printer’s shop onsite. By creating these facsimiles with the intent of printing with them, I hope to demonstrate the capabilities of modern technology and the benefits of its use so as to better preserve the original artifacts while still allowing for historical re-enactment. 

Bringing out museum storage

 My research question is, I am working on how museums can take collections out of storage and bring them to the public eye because I want to figure out a way to help museums turn over their exhibitions so it is more beneficial to visitors. I plan on doing my research with the Tompkins Center for History and Culture so I am able to see first hand and up close what their current system is like and how it could be better. I also plan on making recommendations on how to rotate exhibitions more often and bringing in a digital aspect to showcase more objects. 

Johnson, Tanya M. "Let's Get Virtual: Examination of Best Practices to Provide Public Access to Digital Versions of Three-Dimensional Objects." Information Technology and Libraries (Online) 35, no. 2 (06, 2016): 39-55. https://ezproxy.rit.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.ezproxy.rit.edu/docview/1804902530?accountid=108.

Martini, R.G., Guimarães, M., Librelotto, G.R. et al. Creating virtual exhibition rooms from emigration digital archives. Univ Access Inf Soc 16, 823–833 (2017). https://doi-org.ezproxy.rit.edu/10.1007/s10209-016-0479-7

Siegal, Nina. “Museums Throw Open the Storage Rooms, Letting in the Public.” The New York Times, December 18, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/18/arts/design/museum-storage.html.

Pogrebin, Robin. “Clean House to Survive? Museums Confront Their Crowded Basements.” The New York Times. The New York Times, March 10, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/03/10/arts/museum-art-quiz.html?mtrref=www.google.com.

Second Post: Thesis Topic

Hello everyone! 

It has been interesting trying to come up with an idea that will last a year. So far I have been able to think of two subjects which were a struggle because I was trying to fit my idea into a thesis. The first idea is based on how to provide well-done deaf accessibility. I want to expand knowledge about how museums can try to improve their accessibility since individuals have their own preferences. Like I have mentioned in my first post, I did experience some barriers that I couldn't enjoy equally like other visitors on the tour. The second idea is to focus on the stolen objects being exhibited at the museums. I will go in the depth of the stolen arts during World War Two. I have conducted some research in the past few years to find a way to do the right things. I always thought the history of WWII and art was so fascinating. I was able to discover some of the arts that were stolen and displayed in the museums without the consent of the victims. Overall, there is only one problem which is determining the final decision of the topic. 

My Topic Idea

 Hello!

As we have gotten deeper into the semester and discussed possible thesis focuses, I believe I have started to form the basis of what I want to write about. Due to my continued interest in art history and art museums, I have chosen to focus on how the art museums of contemporary society have come to be. Stemming from the private collections of the wealthy, the earliest art exhibitions were available only to those with the status or wealth to engage with the collection's owner. From this point, the notion of the French Academy rose to prominence, and public exhibitions were sanctioned by the elite in conjunction with governmental forces.

While this manner of exhibiting artwork became the norm for many years, many artists became frustrated and began to rebel. Staging their own exhibitions, the Impressionists became the most well-known group to reject the traditional French ideals of exhibiting artwork, After so many years of being shown in the Salon des Refusés, the Impressionists worked to show that their work deserved the recognition received by other artists working in the classical tradition. From this uprising against societal norms, the Impressionists were able to hold their own Salons (eight in total), and normalize the idea that there is more than one acceptable version of art.

While this is a very pared down summary of all that took place leading up to the shift within cultural institutions, it is the framework for how I will further my ideas. While the Impressionists worked to show their art to a society hesitant to accept them, their influence aided in reaching the types of art museums we visit today. When visiting a modern museum and seeing the various types of work, one may not realize the history that allowed us to enjoy such an experience.

Idea for Topic

 Hi!

As I have been thinking about my thesis I have found myself struggling with taking my interests and creating a topic and research question. I have spent these first few weeks really thinking about my interests and how to take those and find something I would like to research. After this much needed reflection I think I have found a topic that will gauge my interests. 

I have decided to do a thesis on how to bring out collections and objects from museum storage. I have decided to focus on this area because I believe that museums have so many wonderful objects in their collections that never come out of storage and this does not benefit the public in any way. I am thinking about working with the Tompkins Center for History and Culture where I did my internship this summer. With their help I will be able to have hands on experience and a collection at my disposal.

I really like this topic, since I have thought of it I haven’t been able to think about any other. I think that I would be happy to spend a year researching and writing about this.

topic ideas

    Aloha iā kākou! Nui koʻu mau manaʻo no kaʻu papahana. He mea nui ʻo Hawaii iaʻu. [translation Hawaiian to English: Hello everyone! I have a lot of ideas for my project. Hawaii is very important to me.] 

    Currently, I have four different topics I'm thinking about pursuing. The first one is displaying intangible heritage in museums; this could include but is not limited to dance, music, and language. I thought of this topic with the Hawaiian culture in mind. Being Native Hawaiian is a huge part of my identity which brings me to another topic idea about the identity crisis of multi-ethnic Americans to discuss the theoretical framework of intersectionality. This proposal leans away from Museum Studies and more towards my cultural anthropology degree. Another idea that investigates multiculturalism is the relationship between museums or collecting institutions and native peoples. This could start discussion about indigenous notions of ownership and libraries as well as decolonizing museums. My final topic idea is Japan in American museums. This could go a variety of ways including misrepresentation of culture, traditional Japanese culture versus Japanese-American culture, the identity of Japanese Americans, Japanese American art from the American Internment camps during World War II, and Japanese immigrants in Hawaii. 

    All of these ideas are really broad and need to be filtered down a lot more. I'm working on formatting them in the x, y, z, statement from Turabian, Kate L., 2018. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. 9th ed. Chicago; London: The University of Chicago Press. 

introduction

     Aloha! ʻO Alana koʻu inoa. He papa kiʻekiʻe o ka papa hale hōʻikeʻike a me ka papa huli kanaka wau. Aloha au i nā hale hōʻikeʻike mai koʻu wā liʻiliʻi. [translation from Hawaiian to English: Hello! My name is Alana. I am in the senior class of the Museum Studies course and the Anthropology course. I've loved museums since I was little.] 

    As a child, I would visit the Honolulu Zoo almost every week until I started elementary school. When I got a bit older I started to visit the Bishop Museum with my parents. The museum would host traveling exhibits periodically, and my favorite was the installation on dinosaurs. Since then, my interests in museums have evolved quite a bit. Although my first love was museums with living collections, in high school my fondness for art museums began. The Honolulu Museum of Art quickly became one of my favorite places to be. I'd try to go every month and sit in the gardens. I make a point to visit every time I'm able to travel home, even though the exhibits hardly change. Today, I definitely have a preference for art museums, but traditional history museums still hold a place in my heart, as Night at the Museums is still one of my favorite movies. 

    As for future ambitions, I'm interested in working as a curator or in the marketing department of an art museum. It's really important for communities to have local museums and in uncertain times like these a marketing department is vital for the survival of institutions like the Honolulu Museum of Art. So far, I've had experience working in an archive, registrar's office, and collections department. My work has been focused on cataloging collections and organizing them in an online finding aid as well as research assistance on deaccessioning projects regarding NAGPRA protocols. 

December 2019; Tokyo, Japan; During my vacation to Tokyo this past winter break, I visited teamLab Borderless and wandered through this Crystal World exhibit. The light in this installation reacts to the visitors in it, making it an interactive and constantly evolving piece of art. 

[Image Description: The above image is a color photograph. There is a young woman standing in front of a wall of hanging LED strip lights that are a white/blue color.]

Preserving the Physical through Digital Means

Hello again!

For my senior thesis, I am hoping to look at alternate means of preservation. The rapid growth of technology has allowed for many new opportunities in the fields of Public History and Museum Studies. Google has partnered with many historic sites and arts institutions so as to create digital renderings of their buildings and sculptures, all of which are viewable through Google Arts and Culture. Other museums have allowed for open-source renders of their artwork to be placed on the internet so that visitors and any curious person can view an artifact in detail within their home and, for those with the ability to, create their own small models. I feel as if these technologies as well as new ones widely open up the field of digital preservation. Digital preservation (and the use of facsimiles) allows for many artifacts to be kept well beyond their natural life span. The unfortunate nature of physical materials is that, regardless of the sturdiness of the medium through which the artifact was made, they will at some point or another suffer from deterioration and other damages.

I am hoping to be able to work on a project with a nearby museum that would allow me to digitally render and then recreate an artifact or a series of artifacts in their collection. Ideally, the artifact to be rendered would be a functional piece so the durability of the facsimile could be tested as well. The recreation of a damaged artifact would be incredibly interesting to work on as well. 

The topics I am interested would involve research into photogrammetry and 3D modeling. I would need to learn different methods of photographing an object that would keep the depth, the color, and the overall shape consistent with that of the original. After talking with a friend who works in 3D Design and another in Game Design and Development, I have a couple of ideas of software I could use for creating the render as well as several methods that would work well for photographing the artifact(s). There are specialized programs that allow for multiple images to be composited into a single 3D render while there are other programs that I am capable of using that would let me alter the original render to be more accurate to the original. After creating an accurate replica of the artifact in its present state, it would also be possible to create an alternate file that could be used to "restore" any damages to the artifact. Those same programs also allow for the exportation of the file as an object file which would make creation in a fabrication lab incredibly easy. The recreations would most likely occur through several stages as each physical recreation would reveal changes that need to be made to the digital file.

Introduction

Hello, my name is Rachel and I am a fourth year Museum Studies major. I have a background in art and design, having previously completed an Associate’s in Graphic Design, after which point I transferred to the Museum Studies program at RIT. I currently work as a student archival assistant at the Cary Graphic Arts Archive, where I have helped to process new donations as well as rehouse objects, create finding aids, and clean wood type. I am also working on various transcription projects, as well as an effort to help preserve the experiences of the disability community for Journal of the Plague Year, a virtual archive documenting the COVID-19 pandemic.

My love of museums stems from a lifelong interest in the arts and art history, with some of my favorite childhood memories being the days I spent visiting the MFA Boston, discovering the collection and sketching my own artwork inspired by the objects I saw. Today, I’m interested in facilitating more accessible, inclusive museum experiences, so that more people are able to benefit from museum collections in this way.

Below is a photo of a case I put together (before captions were added) from an exhibition that I worked on to document the history of the Wallace Library at RIT.

Hello! A Small Introduction

 Hello! My name is Koda Drake, and I am a third year Museum Studies student. I remember being absolutely fascinated by museums when I was a child. On one occasion, I went to the Franklin Institute while they were hosting an exhibit on Tutankhamen, and I remember being completely awestruck by everything in the exhibit. I wasn't sure at the time if that was something that I would be able to do for a job, but that became my dream job for several years.

While I am much older than I was at the time of my visit to the Franklin Institute, I am still absolutely awestruck by Ancient History, particularly Ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian history. My interests have branched out a bit, and I find Early American and Pre-Colonial American history to be of particular interest. Art History, notably Rococo, Impressionism, and Post-Impressionism, are also some of the subjects I am most interested in. 

In regards to Museum Studies and potential work within the field, I am interested in becoming a collections manager or an exhibit designer. I would love to work on increasing accessibility in and to museums, though I am not quite sure how I would start with that. I have past experience with collection work. For several semesters now, I have been slowly working on creating a finding aid for the technical literature at Image Permanence Institute in Rochester. That project has involved cataloging the various manuals within the collection and creating a working finding aid after the complete list has been made. I spent a summer in Genova, Italy working with the Galata Museo del Mare as a collections management intern. I helped transfer information about their collection to an external database while also providing aid in moving, storing, and restoring some objects in their collection. My most recent internship experience has been with the Genesee Country Village and Museum working on cleaning and cataloging wooden font types. Unrelated to any particular requirements, I spend time doing transcription work through the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institute. 

July 2019; Genova, Italy; This photograph shows some of the preparatory work I had to do for creating object files in the external database. The museum did not have photos of all the pieces in their collection, and I need to capture images of some works already on display.

[Image Description: The above image is a color photograph. A corner of a room in a museum is visible. On the left blue wall, there are five paintings of similar sizes. These painting show ships at sea. On the right blue wall, there is one visible painting of a ship at sea. The right blue wall is partially obscured from view by another blue wall in the foreground with no visible paintings on it.]

First post: Hello!

    Greetings, My name is Amara Engel. I am a fourth-year Museum studies major. I always have fond memories of going to museums since I was a child. I love to travel and learn about different countries' cultural histories. I am interested in art and history. I am proud to be deaf, but there are times that I have to face some barriers in society. For example, I noticed a lack of accessibility for people who have disabilities in museums. Oftentimes the museum’s modification was to give me a piece of paper, so I could follow the tour, but I always felt left out. I felt I was not getting the same experience as everyone on the tour. Luckily, my family recognized this issue and were able to interpret for me during presentations and guided tours so I could understand more of what was being said by tour guides. Some museums will provide sign language interpreters if you request them a couple of weeks in advance. I understand that it is difficult to provide all of the accommodations. But they should be encouraged to provide accommodations that would allow many more opportunities for everyone to be able to enjoy the same experience.

    I did have some experience in hosting a gallery opening when I was a senior in high school. I was responsible for arranging my show by selecting my photograph pieces and negotiating with the owner of the gallery. This experience sparked my interest to pursue a Museum studies major. My goal is to improve museums' accessibility to have unlimited resources for each individual's needs. I hope I will become a museum educator and also, work with the collection. Below are two photos of the Getty villa's collection exhbition. This museum is based on Mr. Getty's interest in Roman culture. 

Introduction to Me!

 Hello, my name is Courtney Barber and I am a fourth-year Museum Studies major. I have always been interested in the arts, and spent much of my childhood drawing, and playing different sorts of theatrical games. This growing interest in everything artistic was fully recognized during an Art History survey course in my first semester at Monroe Community College. While I had always thought that art was beautiful, this was my first introduction to the professional field of the Humanities, and more specifically, museums. 

    From this point, I was able to complete my Associate's Degree in Fine Arts, and transferred into the Museum Studies program at RIT. After reaching RIT, I have been given many generous opportunities to work alongside museum professionals at both the George Eastman Museum and Genesee Country Village and Museum. While working with both of these institutions, I have maintained my interest in collecting and preserving artwork of the past, while also realizing a new interest in architecture. As I continue through my education and learn more about the field of museums, I hope to continue working alongside both objects and architectural structures- as their combined impact is all-encompassing.

                                  (Genesee Country Village & Museum, 2020)

Intro to Me

Hello, my name is Katie Keegan and I am a third year Museum Studies student graduating early. I am interested in history, art, and science. I am also interested in collections and preservation. Outside of my major, I enjoy soccer, reading, and spending time with my family and friends.

I do have some experience to help me with this. This summer I did an internship at the Tompkins Center for History and Culture in Ithaca, NY. I worked with the collections and exhibits department. I had the opportunity to work on an exhibit for women’s suffrage, writing captions for the exhibit, going through the collections picking out quilts for another exhibit, and seeing a new item be accessioned. I was very lucky to have interned there and I will most likely be going back in December. I have learned so much from this experience and I cannot wait to gain more experience. I have also taken a class called Cultural Informatics which helped me in the exhibit work that I did. Below is a picture of the Tompkins Center for History and Culture.

Welcome to Fall 2020!

Welcome back to our RIT Museum Studies Program, Seniors! This is the launch of the posts to be prepared by our 2020-2021 cohort undertaking part 1 of our capstone sequence of courses this Fall and Spring.  

We look forward to reading your progress. And, of course, good luck!

Dr. Decker

Last Blog Post

It's been interesting to say the least. While I certainly wasn't able to complete as much of the thesis as I wanted to, I still have to realize how much work went into the thesis and how much Iv'e grown in my writing. If it weren't for the amazing people that have helped me out, from classmates to professors, I really have learned a lot and have gotten to understand the nuances of writing and research.
I really wanted to complete this  case study and set out and finish the goal that I set out to accomplish since Fall of last year but it seems like most of us were not able to do that, but that's okay, we have to adapt and I know that everyone has been doing that and doing a tremendous just job of it on the fly. I hope everyone gave it their all in their own thesis and feels accomplished because I've read and heard about so many amazing projects and it hasn't been easy, but we're here now and done!

Thesis Post #6: Parting is Such Sweet "Sorrow"

I think I speak for everyone when I say I'm relieved to be done (or almost done). I'm a creature of fear, so now I have one less thing to be scared of. XD I'm still editing the thesis in preparation to submit the final document. It's been nerve-wracking and stressful, but I learned valuable things about my topic and scholarly writing. Thanks to my peers for the feedback you gave in class. I'm sure your theses are great, and I'm looking forward to reading them. :) Good luck in this final stretch!

Blog Post 13 - End of the Road!

I can't believe we made it to this point! I'm really proud of my final submission and what I was able to accomplish in the past few weeks. At this point I'm not sure if I'll do a poster but now that most of my final projects are out of the way I might have some time to get it done. I'm looking forward to virtual graduation  and waiting patiently for my diploma to come. I hope everyone is staying safe and sane through all of this, I know it's been a struggle being alone in my apartment for almost a month. The next few months are kind of a bleary fog in front of me right now but I hope that whatever you're doing for the rest of 2020 that you stay confident in yourself because you finished up this crazy semester and submitted an entire thesis!

Done!

I hope everyone is safe!

It feels so nice to be done! Surprisingly I still love dioramas, I thought this thesis would make me hate them for sure but it made my love for them grow. I hope everyone is done and happy with their final thesis. It's crazy to think about all of our hard work these past two semesters. I can't wait to send a copy to everyone I know, whether they want it or not. Well, this is goodbye and Goodluck to everyone in their future endeavors. 

Final Blog Post!

Hello everyone! Turned in my final thesis draft last week and I'm working on the revisions as I write this post. I am super excited to be done with my thesis but it feels bittersweet to not have a send off with you all this week (and no cookies). I wish everyone the best in their future journey and hopefully we'll see each other again!!

Blog post #12: So long, farewell!

Hey everyone! First off, congrats to everyone who's finished with their thesis - we did it!

My thesis was submitted not one, not two, but three times after Dr Lent and I both found errors. Whoops. But like they say, third time's the charm and now that it is finally (finally, finally) submitted, I feel great!

I've mentioned a couple of times in class that my mom is doing her master's this year, so we've both been writing a thesis alongside each other since the fall. Funnily enough, her final deadline to submit was ALSO this week, so we've been texting back and forth our page count - she beat me by just one page (!!) hers is 65, mine is 64. Talk about frustrating ;)

I hope everyone is staying healthy and not too stressed about the world. I know I have my up days and my down days, but I'm really trying to make the most of my last few weeks here in Rochester. Wherever you're going next, one more RIT semester, grad school, into the abysmal job market with me, I hope you find what you're looking for!

So Close!

Hey Everyone,

We're almost to the finish line and it feels crazy. Completing any work during this time has been a bit of a struggle but it feels really great to be almost done. I just have a few edits to complete on my paper and poster and then I'll be able to send it in! I'm excited to have the finished product in my hands.

I hope you all are doing well and staying safe. Can't wait to hear about your projects!

I can't believe we made it

Honestly, I can't believe we made it to this point. This semester has been stressful and changed many of our lives. Nevertheless, I am excited to see what everyone has researched and concluded with! I'm also excited to share my own work with all of you! We're all at the revising point so keep at it we're so close to being completely done! I have a lot of grammatical content to fix and a few other points so I'm going to do my best until it's time to turn it in! Thank you everyone for supporting me and for being amazing to work alongside!

Blog Post #5

Hello, hope everyone is doing well and finally able to adjust to the quarantine.

I've been kind of following a schedule but struggling to work on school as I've always used the library and specific schedule times to complete my necessary work but during these times I'm finding there's a lot of adjusting to do.

My thesis is coming along and after talking with my primary advisor I've had to make some changes to the structure, but so far adjusting to the writing as a result of the quarantine hasn't been too awful and learning and talking about the limitations has helped.Hoping to have the thesis done by this weekend and check early by my advisors for review before the full draft is due.

Hope everyone else is excited to finally be finishing up the project and see the research finally paying off as much as quarantine will allow!

Blog Post #5

Hello! Hope everyone is doing well.

Aside from the craziness, I have been making great progress with my thesis. My advisors and I agreed to make an in depth questionnaire to replace my focus groups. I sent the form out on Monday morning of this week and many of the women were excited to hear from me and interested in my project. I have about 8 surveys so far and I will be waiting until the end of next week to try to conclude the survey and get to writing. Now that I have the project aspect of the thesis done, I think writing will be much simpler as I only have to summarize my data from the survey and add my conclusion!

Blog Post 12- Getting there!

Hi everybody!

Adjusting to all this has been kind of all over the place for me but I'm making it through. I'm really glad I was able to get my visitor studies done before break so really now all I have to do is write. Writing is the hard part now, I've had so much trouble getting my thoughts onto paper and I kind of feel like I've lost the plot a little bit. I've made a lot of progress this week though so I think I'm finally leaving writers block behind (knock on wood). Kind of excited to get my last edits in and just breathe a sigh of relief at the end of all this.

Blog Post #5

Hi all,

I don't have too much to say this week, other than I hope everyone is well and still writing!

In spite of all that's happened, I'm trying my best stay relentlessly positive, and to not give in to those "gloom-and-doom" feelings that seem to be surrounding us. I have a lot to be grateful for-- I was accepted into a fantastic grad school, I ended up with 8 thesis interviews (one of which will be AJ's mom!), and I have two amazing thesis advisors who go out of their way to support me. There's plenty of silver linings to this, and I'm delighted at the opportunities I have to keep looking for them.

Thesis Post #5: Bitter Nectar

I was combining my lit review and thesis pages today, and I thought, "This is long." But then, I remembered that there were people last year who had over one hundred pages. :/ I suppose I should consider myself fortunate. Maybe people will be more likely to read it.

I hope people enjoy it. It's not the most innovative thesis, but at least, it's interesting to learn about how cultural institutions in another country work.

Stay safe, everyone. Here's a poem to cheer you up:

What Day Is It?

Hello Everyone,

Hope you all are doing well! The last couple of weeks have been super crazy and I'm still trying to get into a regular routine. My thesis is still progressing, although very slowly. I have a bit more to do and I just need to push through! I am hoping to have my rough draft finished soonish? I still have some pages to write and some edits to finish! I've been trying to think of all the information that is instrumental to its completion so that I am not adding any unnecessary fluff! My poster is also still on my list of things to do, and I will hopefully finish that piece in the next couple of weeks. Stay safe!

Blog Post #12: Slowly Adjusting

Hi everyone. It's been a couple of weeks and I am slowly settling into this new "normal."

One of the benefits of being a part time student this semester and last is that I already had a LOT of extra time on my hands, but now that school is cancelled and my three part-time jobs are cancelled, I have like a LOT times five free time now. Primarily this means extra sleep ;)

But since I've had to work at managing at my time for thesis all year anyhow, the lack of in-person contact isn't a world-ending shift for me. Luckily I got my case study done in February so I don't need to worry about that, and really it's all about finishing going through my edits from my advisors (and my mom!)

I hope everything is going well for the rest of you and I am so so sorry we won't get to celebrate our accomplishments in person in May. I'm still in Rochester so if anyone needs anything, whether it's a food delivery or anything else, please let me know!!

Hooooo Boy

Like what many other people are saying, Corvid-19 has completely changed our schedules and our abilities in completing and working on our thesis as well as staying safe. I had to suddenly move out of housing, which took about 3 days, and set up everything at my house. Everyone is doing well at my house for the time being, but its been stressful being locked up. We've also been having multiple power outages which has me worried. Despite this, the only set back I've had on my thesis is my ability to talk with the Latino community on campus to inform them about by program. I just hope everything can go back to normal soon. I hope the rest of you are doing OK. We'll get through this I'm sure of it! Good luck everyone and please use safe practices!

Corona Crazy

So this whole COVID-19 has definitely put some new stress on me and this project. So far I've just been making corrections on the Thesis and I plan and spending a lot more time reworking my poster as well as making a lot of structural changes to my thesis as advised. I am also trying to work on the Literature Review as my thesis is changing and developing I fell as though the works I now incorporating need to be reflected in the upcoming changes. Still a good amount of work but its certainly coming along. Hope all is well with everyone else, stay safe!

Blog post #4

Hi all,

To be quite honest, this is insane! I'm feeling anxious and-- in a strange way, it almost feels like I'm mourning the loss of this semester? I know everyone's feeling something similar, so I don't really feel the need to dwell in that headspace.

I've transitioned to phone call interviews only for my thesis. While I miss the easier-established rapport of interviewing in person, I really can't (and won't) complain. I feel so badly for each and every one of you that's struggling to or unable to conduct user testing / visitor studies / site visits  now.

Please know that I have the utmost faith in our shared abilities. I know everything sucks and the world is a bit of a scary place right now, but we'll get through this (hopefully) temporary setback together. Cherish all the parts of the thesis journey that have made you smile so far, and look for those silver linings.

Be kind to yourselves, and stay sanitized!

no words

Hello, I hope everyone is safe and as well as they can be at this time. I am feeling a bit discouraged and disappointed as school is shut down and commencement has been cancelled. I know all hope isn't lost but it's sad to know I wont be able cross the stage I worked so hard to get on. I am currently moving out of RIT housing and back home (I have not lived at home full time in about 4 years so it'll be a change for sure!), I am still working with professors on getting acclimated to online courses so everything is up in the air right now. As for thesis, my focus groups are put on hold and I have been researching ways to possibly do the groups on a video chat of some sort. Thankfully before the break --due to procrastination-- I hadn't sent out the forms to schedule the focus group. Just trying to get emotionally adjusted to these new changes for the semester and trying to get some rest for the duration of this spring break.

Things are certainly going

The last week and a half have been... A lot. With the spreading of this virus, to the move of everything going digital things have only gotten more complicated. I had the intention to get a solid amount of writing done and was hoping to make more edits but the last week has been filled with helping my family make plans and figure out what we're doing with the whole Pandemic situation.

As things are begging to settle more at home I'll be able to use more time to refine and work anew on my writing but for now, my situation and thoughts remain muddled. I am however trying to remain hopeful and optimistic about moving forward.

What is going on?!!

This whole situation has been unbelievable!
My whole thesis process has stop. I am currently trying to get back on track with my other class and thesis. I had to finish my visitors studies at one attempt and forget about doing a second go at it.  I only got to interview one of the two people I wanted for my thesis, so I will have to come up with something to replace that last component.
Its very hard to think about school with the current pandemic going on!
If this continuous will thesis even matter?

Hopefully we all finish something and get the most done we can

stay safe everyone!!

Thesis Post #4: All This

Well...

I'm pretty sure we're all on the same page. This is a very confusing time for everyone. It's hard to get into the swing of things with all the craziness going on, but I've been trying to do coursework throughout.

A couple weeks ago, I sent some emails to request contact information for the BCM, but there's been no response so far. If they don't get back to me by the time the thesis is due, at least I have some pictures of the exhibits from the Internet. I'm thinking about changing my thesis outline to narrow the scope, since I've gotten advice from a few professors about limiting how much I am trying to cover. It makes sense.

Hope everyone is staying safe and enjoying the remaining days of the extended break.

A Bit Behind Schedule

Hello All,

These past few weeks have been crazy. I was on a family trip when everything was announced and came back to a bucket load of emails. While away I didn't get as much done on my thesis as I would have liked. Honestly, a cruise isn't really the right atmosphere to work on work... sooo for the most part my computer sat in my backpack. I still have more to write, although the last few sections should be pretty easy. I also have a few more things to do on my online platform. This next week is going to be super busy and crazy but I am hoping to have everything done a couple days before the deadline... fingers crossed!

Blog Post 11: Also Sick

To absolutely no one's surprise I am sick 😷. I am currently riddling through how I'm going to finish my thesis the way I wanted to because both the museums I am focusing on are closed. I'm sure everyone else that was doing in person studies is feeling the same. Stay safe everyone, hope y'all are breathing a little easier than me.

Blog Post #11: Sick

I am incredibly sick right now.

I have not done anything new on thesis in weeks.

I am submitting this blog post for the grade.

Putting the pedal to the floor

So, I am writing this blog post right before our spring break just as a reference. However, I don't plan on completely taking this entire week off! My plan is to write the transcripts from both my interviews, yes I finally got them! I also want to complete my First Person and Hostile Terrain sections. From here all I would need to do is write about the project I want to do and then do the conclusion! I am also currently thinking about dropping my Bringing the Lessons Home case study. I think I have enough material as it is and I haven't worked much on it. Otherwise things are going smoothly and I know what needs to be done!

Week... 7

It's crazy that it is already week 7, and progress on thesis is slow! Poster power-point presentations are due tomorrow, which feels so soon! Hopefully things start to feel like they are coming together sooner rather than later! :(

Slow progress is still progress

Well, it feels like progress slows down every week that passes, but I guess the key is to keep slogging through it.  Spring break is around the corner and promises a brief period to catch up with everything that seems to be moving faster than I am.

Creating this poster has been more of a struggle than I'd like to admit.  I can see it in my mind, but getting the technology to work with me is painful to say the least.  Hopefully getting past this hurdle before spring break will help me go into it with new found momentum.  This cold rain that's supposed to turn into snow though doesn't really have me thinking much of spring time.  Oh well, soon with warmer weather and longer days should come better motivation and progress.

Blog Post #3

Quick question: How is it Week 7 already? 

This going semester is going by so fast, and somedays it feels like I'm just treading water to get by. Despite the stress, however, I'm still trying to have fun! I keep reminding myself that, by this time next year, I might be missing these moments, so I've learned to cherish every brain dump and laugh shared with my advisors. I'm doing my best to be present for every spellcheck, cup of coffee desperately consumed, and Hozier song played on repeat (he's key to my writing process!). It's a melancholy feeling, but it's also excitingly haphazard.

As I like to joke, I go forth under a “carefully crafted facade of competence.” Things are moving, albeit slower than I thought they would be. After Spring Break, I'll be in a better position than I am now, though, and that's a fortifying thought.

Hope everyone's staying warm and taking care of themselves!

Reworking material

In the last chunk of time between posts, I have mainly focused my energy into figuring out, more clearly, the form of my digital literature piece I am creating to go along with my paper. It's been a strange dive into deep considerations on concepts of mortality and sense of place and the stories we leave behind when we pass on. It's been a little jumbled and I've had a mess of ideas on how to go about actually creating it but I was able to set down with my secondary advisor who helped me center my ideas and bring into focus angles and ideas I hadn't thought about and considered with weight. Overall I feel like I'm making good progress on this part of my project even if I do need to rework some of the materials that I've already produced.

Week 7....Losing Momentum?

In the two weeks since the last blogspot my semester has kind of fallen apart. I got sick, and then had a migraine for 12 days and couldn't really go to class or write the way I wanted to. I had serious motivation issues and kind of felt like I was losing direction. Thankfully things started to look up this week and I have started to write again and I have plans to finally do my visitor studies this weekend. I'm nervous about not being able to finish the way I want to by the final deadline but hopefully I can maintain this new energy until then. My computer is also on its last legs and I need to get a new one, which is going to be a distraction over the next week or so until I can finally get a laptop that connects to the internet when I'm not at home. Other than that I'm excited to get into the poster sessions and get some feedback on my frankly terrible first draft!

Third Blog Post

It's an odd time right now, the workload and time I'm spending on this class compared to other classes is insane, but this is clearly a more important class and I'm keeping that in mind because I do like balance. My thesis feels oddly near completion, even though I've still got a few more sections to go through and have a lot more to say. My poster actually looks quite good, my only fear is that it is too simplistic, but I also must consider the fine line I have to walk when deciding the design and color layout of the poster. I'm actually really excited for feedback because I really do need it for this poster. I also am looking forward to the feedback from my advisors as their feedback and resources have been tremendous so far. I can't wait until Spring Break where I can finally dedicate a lot of time towards the thesis and ironing out the details, once the thesis is done I know it'll be a huge relief and accomplishment as I had no idea the amount of work that goes into these types of research papers, which is panning out to be really rewarding.