Draft One Done!

Many things are happening at once, but this is one thing I can check off my (immediate) to-do list! Making significant progress feels amazing and the foundation of my work is shaping up. Next steps are to assemble a coherent audit out of the audit from my visit to the Boston Museum of Science and to visit and audit Dyer Arts Center. I have decided to drop the Memorial Art Gallery as a case study because the workload is not feasible for me at this point and I feel that it is the weakest of my case studies. Dyer covers a gallery that specifically serves a Deaf audience and the MOS has the most resources associated with a museum serving a large, broad audience that is reaching out to integrate the Deaf community. The MAG has few available resources pertinent to my writing and I feel that my point can be made well with the two case studies I have chosen to continue with. Now, to write the case studies while I await feedback on my literature review!

First Draft of Thesis!

I just sent in my first draft of my thesis! I am really happy to have reached this milestone- it actually was a lot easier than I expected it to be. Writing usually is my favorite part of any assignment, so I guess it makes sense haha. I'm really enjoying writing about the relationships between DC politics and the Smithsonian in particular- did you know that the United States Bicentennial was originally a part of Nixon's re-election campaign before Watergate happened? I'm looking forward to doing more legal based research and writing in the upcoming weeks! 

First draft of thesis is in!

I am feeling very excited today because I finally completed my first draft of my senior thesis! In all honesty, I never thought that I would be able to write 20 pages on one particular topic, so I have really surprised myself with this milestone. I am very excited to being able to devote some of my focus now to my project, and actually work on getting my model up and running. I am excited to try out my model and evaluate its effectiveness. I am also hoping that I will have time to work on doing a little more research and writing to strengthen my thesis and hopefully add on another 5-10 pages before February ends. Overall, I am really happy with the position that I am in right now, and to finish this semester strong. 

Introduction to my Thesis - Etta Arnold

 Hello everyone! My name is Etta Arnold and I am a fourth year MUSE major at RIT. Despite starting out as a chemistry major, I soon found myself deeply involved in art and museum studies at RIT. I spend most of my time at RIT now working and doing letterpress printmaking in RIT Cary Collection, working in Shop One, and helping out University Gallery with installation. This past semester, I got the honor to be invited to be a student producer for the Beyond Fashion show held at the end of the past three fall semesters. The show encourages designers to create a wearable garment/art piece that reflects the Vignellis' design principles, and this year's theme was 'The Grid is Everything.' This role as producer meant the rest of the team and I spent weeks managing, gathering artists, photographers, production assistants, new media designers, models and much more. It also meant working very closely with the Vignelli Center and the archive itself, and eventually creating an exhibition of the show in University Gallery. The show and my thesis focus on the relation of the clothing designs and holdings of the archive, analyzing how a fashion show can be created out of an archive that isn't fashion related. This week I have finished up installation, and look forward to more Vignelli events to come! 

An Introduction to my Thesis

 Hello! My name is Caitlin McCabe and I'm double-majoring in Museum Studies and History with an immersion in ASL/Deaf Culture. My thesis focuses on museum accessibility and intends to examine the current industry perspective on accessibility by comparing it to the DeafSpace movement. DeafSpace is an architectural philosophy that was founded at Gallaudet University in 2005 and is both a descriptive analysis and a prescriptive guide for the design of physical space used by d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing (d/D/HH) people. The five principles of DeafSpace - Space and Proximity, Sensory Reach, Mobility and Proximity, Light and Color, and Acoustics and EMI - contextualize how d/D/HH, both signers and non-signers, understand and navigate the space around them. DeafSpace approaches design from the perspective of disabled people and accessibility as first principles and I am interested in seeing how museums can change their approach to and struggles with accessibility through this approach. I am conducting three case studies that I feel exemplify a range of relationships with accessibility and the Deaf community. Dyer Arts Center is a small, free to access art gallery that showcases Deaf artists and is located in the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, so it is by and for the Deaf community. The Memorial Art Gallery is a mid-sized museum in Rochester that serves its large Deaf community, but is not necessarily for Deaf people. The Boston Museum of Science is located in a large city and serves its diverse greater metropolitan area but has recently published detailed research on how they can serve their d/D/HH constituency. At this point, I have one exhibit assessment under my belt (the Boston MOS) and am looking forward to my other two assessments. The end is in sight!

116 Days Until Journey's End

 So, this is my first Blog Post for MUSE 490: Senior Thesis

I began this journey towards earning my Museum Studies BS in 2017. It's scary and amazing and exciting and stressful to realize that, Gods willing, I will reach its conclusion in 116 Days. 

For those reading who may not know me, my name is Angelique Armstrong and I have been employed here at RIT since August 2011 and attending classes part-time. 

I've had a lot of random ideas for potential Senior Thesis projects; including introducing First Person Interpretation at the Susan B. Anthony House, putting up an exhibition of Photos depicting wildlife found on the RIT grounds, introducing diversity in Interpretation and Representation at Genesee Country Village and Museum, and something [undefined] having to do with the Erie Canal and packet boats; like a Rochester addition to the Erie Canal Museum system. 

This summer I was inspired to work on a project that hits a number of personal interest points - Wildlife Photography and specifically my bird photos, and Native American/Indigenous influences in interacting with nature. The current working title for my project-based thesis is Through Caretakers’ Eyes: Reshaping the Euro-American Birding Experience through the Inclusion of Narratives from Indigenous Communities of Western New York.

The title has been evolving as I find more information or speak to different people, and as of this past weekend I had the opportunity to meet with a members of the Seneca and Oneida Nations and their input may result in a minor shift in direction; at least as far as what my proposed deliverables might be. 

Initially I was planning to create a birding guide that could act as a cultural alternative to the traditional Sibley or Audubon Guides, one filled with Indigenous cultural content; but when discussing how my project might benefit members of Indigenous communities it was suggested I contact the Seneca Language Immersion Program (Deadiwënöhsnye’s Gëjóhgwa - "The Group of People Who Protect The Language"); and that my guide might be developed to be used to aid in teaching and learning the Seneca language; as the numbers of fluent speakers is diminishing. 

This suggestion was very inspiring to me, though initially I have some anxiety as far as what kinds of deliverables I would be able to complete by March 5th. 

While this project was initially driven by my personal interests... maybe it doesn't have to be about me at all; or... so much. 

Next on my to-do list: 

• Reach out to someone at the Seneca Language Immersion Program (Immersion Director, Amber Bennett: amber.bennett@sni.org)
• Schedule a "team" meeting with 1st and 2nd Readers
• Finish reading "Words That Come Before All Else: Environmental Philosophies of the Haudenosaunee" 
• Start reworking my Thesis document
• panic

oh, here... meet my writing partner, BoyKitty Jonesy 😁 

Introduction

Hello!

My name is Izzy Moyer, and I am a fourth-year Museum Studies Major at RIT. I am very excited to be embarking on my last semester here at RIT and finishing up my thesis this semester. I am a little nervous about getting everything that I want to do complete, but I have a lot of great people supporting me and helping me get this project done. 

The goal for my project is to create an indoor navigation model for a specific museum, that visitors to that museum can access on their mobile devices to navigate the museum. For my project, I am going to be using the platform "Mappedin," which allows you to create one free space per account. By the end of this project, I hope to have an interactive that is functional and can be accessed on my chosen museum's website. 

By biggest concern for this project is actually writing my thesis. My dad gave me advice that he was told when writing this dissertation for his PhD., that is to work on your paper for 10 minutes, and then decide from there if you want to continue. 

I can't wait to share my experiences with you all in my last few months here at RIT! :D

An Introduction to Me and My Thesis!

Hi! My name is Emma Nastro and I am a fourth year Museum Studies major with a double minor in Environmental Science and Art History and an immersion in Legal Studies. My thesis topic is the governance structures and legal frameworks of the Smithsonian's history museums, and how those structures and frameworks can prevent the Smithsonian from portraying complex historical narratives or views that vary from that of the current United States government. Right now I am looking at the Smithsonian's leadership format and bylaws, as well as laws passed by Congress regarding the Smithsonian. I will also be looking at case law regarding situations similar to the Smithsonian (of which the legal definition is very unclear). This thesis was inspired by my love of legal research and my love for public libraries, which are facing a lot of censorship threats currently and are being covered extensively in mainstream news alongside issues of free speech on college campuses. I wondered if public museums like the Smithsonian faced similar threats as to what content they could put in their exhibits and programming. I'm looking forward to sharing my research and writing progress throughout this semester :)

Starting Spring Semester!

My name is River Starliper and I'm in my final year of Museum Studies here at RIT. My thesis seeks to research and understand participatory living history exercises based on a specific (albeit nontraditional) example: welcome to the realm of alcohol and general debauchery, the Renaissance Faire is in town!

If you've never been to a Renaissance Faire (typically just called Renn Faires or any other variation of the spelling), you may be surprised to find that the "Renaissance" in question is based more on fantasy and fairgoer-culture than any real-life time period. But these Faires still act as an exercise in participatory living history, in which costumed interpreters guide visitors through a setting that exists apart from the modern world. These Faires do not so much attract the hobbyist historian as they attract hippies, costumers, day-drinkers, witches, and generally those who consider themselves a part of some form of counter-culture. 

My paper aims to examine the relationship between informal (and, in some cases, inaccurate) re-enactment and more formal "living history" or "museum" educational modalities. This research examines alternative methods of "meaning-making" for museum and Faire visitors, and explores how even experiences that are not "historically accurate" can provide valuable educational insights about a topic, time period, or cultural phenomenon.

This is a project born out of personal interest that has morphed into (at least, for me) an interesting conversation on how we learn about the past.

Stay tuned as I continue my journey into new academic depths. Forsooth!

Pictured: Myself (left) & friends in homemade costumes outside of the 2023 Pennsylvania Renaissance Fair

Introduction to my thesis- Sydney Arcuri

My thesis topic is discussing the different types of digitization used in museums and other collection-based institutions and how these technologies shape the way in which museum collections are accessed by the general public. From my class in research methods that I took last semester my overall thesis and abstract have not changed all the much. This is the current iteration of my abstract as of 1/16/2024:

This thesis paper will focus on museum digitization technologies and examine the promises museums make regarding this technology. Museum digitization has the potential to provide numerous educational and interpretive possibilities to a worldwide audience from anywhere in the world anytime. However, as technology advances and becomes more readily available, museums and other collection-based institutions make promises surrounding these technologies with little to none anticipated or expected obstacles. Firsthand experience observed through a summer internship at the Field Museums in Chicago, Illinois serves as a base foundation for this thesis. Primarily focusing on digitization, this internship allows for an avenue to test whether these promises of digitization are possible. Paired along with comparative analysis with other organizations, the validity of these museums goals of digitization will be scrutinized and questioned. The scale and size of these comparative institutions was taken into consideration since museums of different scales experience things different from one other. The goal of my thesis is to first explain what is digitization and some different technologies that are commonly utilized. Then this thesis aims to explore whether museums are over ambitious when it comes to the digitization of their collections. This thesis asks if museums can really live up to their grand pronouncements of having all of their objects digitized within the next few years. Asking can they really do this or is it even physically possible given the limitations of outside factors such as budget, time, staff, resources, collections, and other similar variables. 

Welcome to my Thesis Project: James Falotico

    Hello, my name is James Falotico; I am a 4th year museum studies major currently working on my thesis/capstone project. To briefly introduce my project, I am researching and analyzing the evolution of the public's opinion on exhibitions that focus on displaying World War 1 propaganda posters. For the research side of my project, I have found case studies from various exhibitions from the 1970s, 2018, and 2023. For the project-oriented side of my thesis, I have curated and installed an exhibit titled Selling War and Buying Patriotism: Propaganda, Posters, and Prose from WWI and WWII. This exhibit displays various World War propaganda posters from my collection and explores themes seen through a modern lens. I will invite the public to take an exit survey during this exhibit to gauge modern public opinion on World War propaganda. Finally, exciting news: the exhibit has been installed and officially opened today (1/16/2023). The pictures below are from the installation of Selling War and Buying Patriotism: Propaganda, Posters, and Prose from WWI and WWII.

January Updates for Spring Semester

My project has mostly stayed the same since my final submission in December of my proposal. I am still very much focused on the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival, the apply industry of the Shenandoah Valley, and the relationship between the two. My literature review focuses on background information on the definitions of festivals, the roots of agricultural festivals, and a brief history of the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival. I did not spend much time looking at my thesis over the winter break so I could come back to the spring semester with a fresh mind and excitement for what I worked on in the fall. I did, however, spend a day at the Handley Regional Library in their local archives collection to find more primary source material and photographs. I will have to access historic photographs via their PassPerfect archives website. I did find three interesting sources that relate to how the community see the festival and its history (two blog posts from 2015, and a 1977 festival souvinir program). I also viewed a 1927-1932 ledger that allowed me to better understand how the region exported their apple products out of the country, via train car and shipping vessel, to different parts of Europe. The hardest part that has not been able to be secured in any way is the interviews I was hoping to do. I will be continuing revisions to my abstract and literature review as time allows while adding new elements to my paper. 

Introduction to my Thesis

    My thesis will discuss how informal learning about art and history has evolved since the establishment of the first museum in the United States and how significant federal funding has aided this evolution. The key research methods include the examination of primary and secondary resources, including oral histories held by the Smithsonian Archives of American Art. Using these in conjunction with the work of theorists John Cotton Dana, a library and museum professional, and John Dewey, a theorist of experiential learning, I will demonstrate the connections between art education, museums, and libraries and what they share with the histories of the Charleston Art Museum and the Federal Art Project. Building upon these resources and drawing new conclusions from them, this thesis will ultimately explore the lasting legacies both of these have had on informal learning of art and history in museums and beyond.  

    As of now, my research has consisted of exploring stories from artists who directly experienced the implementation of New Deal Era programs such as the Federal Art Project. I have also been familiarizing myself with the different policies and legal details of these programs using the reports on art projects created by the director of the Federal Art Project, Holger Cahill.

😃

Jill Johnson Thesis Project

First day of MUSE 490 and this is where my abstract now stands.

Abstract:

Objects without a narrative are simply things. By contrast, an object with a story can be used as a vehicle for a museum to open dialogues with visitors about the people of that time period, how they lived their lives, and what social aspects influenced them. The story of an object, what makes it different from hundreds of others just like it, can change it from ordinary to extraordinary and be used as a powerful learning tool by helping the audience to create connections and make meaning of what they are seeing and experiencing. This thesis will explore the relationships between objects and their un-visible or hidden stories in order to show the importance of narrative and meaning making in museums, particularly living history museums. By examining, researching, and exploring ten objects from the collection of the Genesee Country Village & Museum (GCV&M), a 19th century living history village in Western New York, this thesis will demonstrate the importance in using narrative in interpretation. The key research methods include examination of primary and secondary literature and the creation of new primary sources. Previous and newly-created interviews with long-time interpreters of the historic houses at GCV&M will provide insight into the kinds of questions visitors ask about the objects filling the sixty-eight historic structures on the campus. In addition, literature written by museum professionals will support the research by uncovering current practices and approaches around objects and storytelling, meaning making in museums, and the importance of those in a historic house, site, or living history village. These two avenues of research will become the basis for storytelling about the ten items selected from GCV&M in order to show the extent to which narratives in a museum or historic setting are key to successful visitor education and can be used as a way to help tie them to the past while making meaning in their present and guiding their future. Shifting from research to application, this thesis will culminate in an online exhibit for GCV&M to see how the narratives created as part of this project can, in fact, turn ordinary things into extraordinary objects that reveal hidden histories and bridge the gap between past and present and guide the audience into making meaningful connections.