Completing my First Draft!!!

 Right before spring break, I completed my first complete rough draft. It felt very satisfying to complete a good rough draft. I am working on strengthening my main argument by digging deeper into the analysis of my oral histories and primary sources. Also, just getting better at explaining my thought process and reasoning. Since I've worked on this project for so long, some details are so obvious to me. I am working on making my writing more detailed and accessible. 

Overall, I am really excited about completing my thesis and my poster session. I am looking forward to the poster session because I love to share my thoughts with the public. I also hope to get more feedback in the coming weeks. I haven't got a lot of engagement on my blog, but a significant amount on Facebook. I love sharing local histories and engaging people. I hope my thesis can help preserve the memory of The Castle on the Hill and help local historical societies. 

Below is a picture I am planning on using for my poster session. 

Picture of the Castle in 1989, Courtesy of Livingston County Archives

I can't wait to see everyone else's project!

Completing a Rough Draft

     It has taken quite a bit of time, research, writing, and caffeine, but I finished the first draft of my thesis. It is the most amount of pages I have written to date and I am proud of this fact. Though it took quite a bit of time to complete, I found that the actual writing of it, was not as challenging as I had thought originally. I have become so familiar with the topic that formulating my thoughts into words was not horribly difficult. 

    I still have plenty of revisions to make and more to add, but I will continue to work on it. Through peer revisions and my professor’s suggestions, I have noted what I need to change, clarify, correct, and expand upon. It has allowed me to look at my thesis from a new perspective. It is exciting to see what we are capable of when we challenge ourselves. I could not have completed the first draft of my thesis without the support of my professors and advisors, my peers, friends, and family. I am thankful to have those around me that push me to do my best and guide me toward reaching my goals. I will continue to work diligently toward completing these goals.

Updates and Awakenings

 Okay! This is my first post in awhile. I’ve been thinking about rewriting, thinking and rewriting and repeat. I’ve had a couple of revelations. 

First, both museums I am case studying are old and new construction. This is great in comparing the thought process behind their new additions and the ADA/thoughts on universal design. George Eastmans addition in 2021 was focused on accessibility, so this is easy. But, I still haven’t heard from GCVM after multiple attempts to ask them anything. However, this goes into my second revelation. 

Secondly, George Eastman is accredited by AAM and GCVM is not. A huge part of being accredited is public trust and transparency. George Eastman is showing their transparency by being forthcoming to me, and they even have a blog telling people about their additions, and constructions, etc. GCVM has a lack of transparency with the amount of times I haven’t been able to reach them. I also can’t find any information about their additions like the gallery…

…stay tuned for when I go to GCVM and try to make contact…

Rough Draft & Recreations

 Hi Everyone,

I am excited to share that I completed the second tempera painting and am starting to work on the experimental set up, which will begin this upcoming weekend. This is very exciting news because the experimental portion of my project is the key to my thesis. I have created charts that will help me further organize the data I collect, and determine a result to my processes. I am expecting this to take roughly two weeks, which will be perfect in timing for finishing up the posters as well.

In other news, I have also finished my first draft of my thesis, which was nerve wracking, but overall extremely exciting. It ended up being around 50 pages alone, and I still have more data to add, but it is all necessary, I promise. Thank you for everyone who has come along on this journey, as well as my fellow classmates, who have continued working hard on their exhibitions and their projects!

In addition, I find myself looking forward to the poster short course we will be having in class, as I have never made one at this scale for such a big project. We have all invested so much time, and sometimes money, into these, and seeing them come to fruition has been very satisfying. Being able to present with my fellow peers at the end of this long year is something I am most looking forward too. 

Below, I have attached some of the old process photos of the painting, because I want the finished outcomes to stay a surprise for my poster and thesis! Stay tuned!

Traditional Process

Contemporary Process

Rough Draft = Done!

      Even though I am proud of the research I am doing, having to sit down and write this 25 paged paper was something I was not looking forwards to. It took longer than expected and I am not sure I conveyed all the information I wanted to, but it is a good push off point! 

    My favorite part about this whole experience was being able to learn about a topic that interests me so much. Looking at the different museums and seeing their unique collections as well as how they store/ display them made me realize I made the right choice for my thesis topic. I was impressed with how both museums handled the calling change for updates in human remains display and storage standards. Both included the public opinions in the forms of forums and surveys asking advice on what they would like to see and to ensure comfortability. 

 Don't forget the poster session is coming up soon! That is where we all design posters according to our topics and talk about the main themes in our papers. Can't wait to discuss anything you may have questions about or other inquiries :)

 

Exhibition Recap & Thoughts

 Hi everyone!

As you know, Gabby and I had our exhibitions on display beginning February 12th, which will be de-installed March 17th. Our opening reception, which included Dr. Decker's exhibition, was February 18th. 

Overall, I was very happy with how Ruffles and Rebellion turned out. I ended up having to push the installation time over a bit, which was originally supposed to be Monday and Tuesday, with the exhibit ready to be displayed Wednesday. I simply could not make time in only two days to set up everything with just myself and my friend Bo without missing class, especially with the Gallery only being open until 5 pm. There was someone else I planned to have help us set up, but they had to cancel last minute. This honestly caused me a sufficient amount of distress. In the end though, everything turned out okay. 

After installation, I kept thinking about what I wish I would've done. For example, including a list of terms used in the Lolita community, or expanding more on the origin of the name. Even though the exhibition was supposed to essentially be the visual component of my thesis, I thought more about how I could've added things to make it more informative for the viewer. At the end of the day, though, we're always thinking about things we would've done differently and I'm thankful how this experience will prepare me for future exhibitions. 

My favorite thing to come out of this exhibition was the impact it had on other people, and the way it made them feel seen. I was a little afraid of possible critique, especially with many rules in the Lolita community, but when I posted videos of it on social media, everyone was really kind and appreciative. Many Lolitas thanked me for bringing the niche fashion to a wider audience, and a lot of people had questions. I'm proud of my work and hope to do future exhibitions such as these.

- Carolyn

Finished Thesis (For the Most Part)

 Hello!

    I am proud to announce that I finished writing my thesis. I still need to do a few things before submitting, like reading it over, correcting any mistakes I made, and properly citing everything. When I finished up the draft of my last section, it felt like a breath of fresh air. Since starting this project, I have been excited to see where it goes, what I will do with it, and how it will impact my community in Ogdensburg, New York. Regardless, like any big project, it can be stressful at times. Some things may not go to plan, and your vision may not be exactly what it originally was. In the end, like Professor Newman has said time and time again, "you get to do this." That repetitive statement helped bring me through any mishap, and like my excitement about wrapping up on my draft, I am ecstatic to see where the future of my exhibition goes.  Everyone in my thesis group is doing a wonderful job, and they all deserve a round of applause. 

Happy Writing,

Finn

Updates and my own blog!

 Hi everyone! Here is the link to my blog- https://castleonthehill4.wordpress.com/

Feel free to comment and share! I finished transcribing all of my oral histories and will have them up soon. Editing the transcriptions is taking a little bit longer than expected, but things happen. My main goal right now is to get a first draft of my whole thesis done. Also, figuring out the conclusion/ message I want to get across with my thesis. 

Overall, I am so thankful to have this opportunity and am looking forward to getting feedback from the Dansville Community.