Hello friends!
Congrats on completing your proposals!
Now that we move into a more active phase...I am looking for volunteers!
What would qualify you?
- you use a mobility aid
- you feel the need to express concerns over physical limitations and public offered events/activities
Feel free to text me! (if you have my number) & if not, email me - ars3575@g.rit.edu
Thank you!!
In other exciting news, I gave my final presentation on my MUSE 340 (Introduction to Archival Studies) Honors Option project yesterday afternoon and it went incredibly well! My project was centered around developing an evaluation framework for different forms of accessibility in archives at institutions in Hawai’i. Although I’ve completed this semester’s commitments to the Honors Program and to MUSE 340, I am planning on continuing this project into next semester (and probably after graduation!) with the encouragement of my advisor, Landyn Hatch, and MUSE faculty and staff. I received great feedback on ways to improve this project, which I’ll be integrating into a more usable product I hope to share with a larger audience sometime next year. In the meantime, if you’d like to learn more or get involved with this project in any way, please email me at ram3077@rit.edu.
Over the break, I’ll be working on planning my exhibit and selecting objects from the Susan Greene Costume Collection as well as getting some much-needed rest. I’m very happy to be going home, but I’m so excited to see what the next semester holds for all our theses!
I hope everyone has a wonderful winter break and a happy holiday season! :)
Riley
As this semester ends, I wanted to give some background into my project, highlight some of the work I have completed over the past semester, and look forward to my upcoming project plans.
My whole life has been surrounded by trinkets, collected from my family members over many years. When I was about 10 years old, my sister and I were rummaging through the random contents that filled the basement and found a gallon-sized plastic bag filled with vintage Ray-Bans. After taking turns trying each pair on, we put the bag back where we found it and didn't bother to touch it again until years later, but it was a constant thought in the back of my mind. Around this time last year, as I began to prepare ideas for my thesis, my dad was going through a bunch of the stuff in our basement and told me the story of his father, Jerrold B. Smith. It turned out that those glasses from all those years ago, and most of the random trinkets that were floating around the house were his. This was the spark that set off my project. I knew I wanted to tell his story as an artist, and my family was excited to finally have someone with knowledge of museums and archives to tackle this project.
After the first few months of this project, I recorded three oral history interviews of people with various relationships with Jerrold B. Smith. I have dug through the collections to form a concise history and story about who he was. And I have begun cataloging and photographing most of the pieces. I began some preparatory exhibit work, such as selecting my space and date, University Gallery from February 12 - March 8, and roughly drafting what I hope the exhibit will look like.
Collections strewn about while recording Catherine Smith-Cole's Oral History Interview.
Over the winter break, I am going to work with my dad to clean up and fact-check some possible loose ends I have in my research on Jerrold's life. With the help of COLA Student Research Funds, I will also spend my time purchasing some supplies I will need to continue this project such as protective containers and sleeves. I will also spend my time drafting together my exhibit, and if time allows I will also read new sources for my paper to prepare for the spring semester.
I hope everyone has a fantastic winter break!
- Gabriella Smith
Hello, Everyone!
I hope the end of semester is wrapping up nicely for you all, especially as the holiday season is rapidly approaching. It has been great to work alongside my peers as we have developed our literature review and thesis for review in the spring. Everyone has worked hard, gained a lot more knowledge, and are track for success as we continue into 2025.
Having submitted my final draft of my literature review, I am especially excited to begin the recreation process over break and finalizing plans for my experiments against agents of deterioration. I am currently in the phase where I am looking and planning on buying materials in order to begin (I have many trips planned to Rochester's Fine Art Supply Store downtown)! What I plan to do over break is rest, but also get a jump start on my process and documentation. This is where the fun part seems to start.
I know we are all looking for some well deserved rest, and I wish the best holiday wishes to you all!
Hello all!
Today is the last day of MUSE 489! I am sad but thrilled to finish this class up for the semester. I am so thankful for my work with Dr. Decker and her support. Because of this class, my writing skills have improved significantly. Countless essays and research throughout this semester have taught me much about the process of creating an exhibit and working with a community. Although I have not done much hands-on work with this exhibition, my research has shown that I wish to work in community outreach.
For this post, I want to brush up on a potential project idea for the exhibition. The head curator of the James F. Montpelier Gallery in Ogdensburg, NY, Dianne Drayse-Alanso, asked if we could collaborate on an interactive for the exhibition. One of the many ideas we had was an Adirondack Lean To. Adirondack Lean-tos are a three-sided structure that provides shelter for campers throughout the Adirondacks. For those who do not know, Ogdensburg is located slightly outside the Adirondack Park. So, many students are familiar with Adirondack Lean-Tos and have camped in these structures. Because of this, Dianne and I believe that creating one with students out of cardboard and recycled materials would be perfect for our exhibition- Finding Balance; Exploring our Relationship with Nature. Below is one of the photos we are using as inspiration for this project.
It honestly scares me how quickly this semester flew by. Originally I was thinking this semester would drag on because of all the things I had to do but before I knew it we were at the end.
I'm putting my last few edits and fixes on my proposal before it needs to be submitted on Friday. I'd like to believe I'm on a good path and doing well with everything so far. The subject of my capstone is very important to me and I really want to do a good job and I'll keep working hard over break and into the next semester. There's only a little bit left at this point.
I'm really thankful to everyone who has been supportive of me thus far. I'm thankful for the Museum Studies program, the faculty, my classmates and my mom. I'm excited to keep going into the museum world and growing as I go.
Here's the last Peachy pic from me for the semester!
Hi everyone! Here are more of my amazing finds at the Livingston County Archives.
The main thing I wanted to get was photos of the Castle on the Hill when it was operating. Below are some pictures! I am going to use these as memory aids in my oral histories.
Hello, I hope everyone had a restful Thanksgiving break. Since I spent mine with a friend I haven't seen in ages and stayed at her family's house, we were often out and about–going to a concert, seeing Wicked, visiting the MoMA, etc! It was a very enjoyable time, but I am looking forward to some down time over winter break.
I have an exciting piece of news! The owner, Paige, of the Harajuku-inspired boutique Sweet Poison Cupcake has offered to loan pieces to the exhibition from the shop's collection, as well as her personal wardrobe. One of my friends that I interviewed reached out to her and told her about my exhibition, leading to her offer. I'm very grateful and appreciative of the people working with me and supporting me for this exhibition, I can't thank them enough.
Looking forward, I plan on revising my thesis with all of the helpful feedback Dr. Decker has given me and submitting the final version by the 6th. During winter break, I plan on coordinating with my interviewees the pieces that will be featured in the exhibition, as well as designing graphics that include their interviews.
Farewell, and stay warm!
-Carolyn
What a long crazy year it's been. I've changed so much during this past semester and the realization hit that I will not attend a fall semester again at RIT. This program has been so wonderful and welcoming, it truly is a little family. Everyone is so supporting and accepting and I couldn't have asked for a better college experience. Although there were its ups and downs, I will cherish every memory and grow from them. Compared to all the engineering programs, we are smaller in number, but while we may be small in stature, we are big in heart.
Thesis specifically has taught me so much and I've learned how to write more professionally. From putting together abstracts, literature reviews, and a proposal, I've really had the chance to hone in on an important subject to me and how to write about it. I've become a better researcher and still can't believe how far I've gotten. I'm proud of myself and everyone else who has gotten to this point and I congratulate half a year done!
Hello everyone!
The semester is almost over and I am so proud of everything we have accomplished so far. It is hard not to feel anxiety and pressure about upcoming final assignments, projects, and essays, but I find it helpful to remember how much we have done so far. We have developed topics, literature reviews, sources, and proposals, and we have nearly completed our second to last semester of college. Reminding myself that we have done all this, gives me motivation to complete the last stretch of the semester.
Only four short months ago I arrived in my first class for thesis with no clue what a senior thesis truly was or what my own could possibly be. Dr. Decker and my classmates guided me through the process and helped me find my topic. I could not have done it without Dr. Decker's support and will be forever thankful for the museum Studies Program as a whole for the way it has helped shape and guided me into the next chapter of my life.
For now, I will continue to revise, research, and study for my senior thesis to make it the best it can be. Throughout winter break I will work on my thesis and keep it in mind in what I do. I have also added my thesis topic to my resume for law school and believe I will be writing about my experience within my personal statement. This class has been eye opening and allowed me to develop and refine my voice as a professional and a student.
Thank you everyone and I hope you all have a wonderful rest of the semester.
-Kaitlyn Troutman
Hello!
I want to share why I am passionate about my current project. If you do not remember, my project is creating an exhibition at my high school. Here they host art exhibitions for grades K-12 twice a year. In the fall they host an exhibition with no particular theme. Later in the year, they host a spring art show with a theme. My exhibition will be held in the Spring, with the theme, Finding Balance: Exploring our Relationship with Nature.
As my fellow classmates and others who are viewing this may know, the end of the semester is a whirlwind. Through all that stress the most important thing is to remind yourself what you are doing it all for. One of these little reminders was through visiting the Fall Art Show a few weeks ago. I saw all these smiling faces of children, pointing to their work exhibited. Parents would take photos of their children next to it. Ear to ear were smiling faces. One of these happy smiles was my little brother Dakson.
Dakson is a six-year-old artist. He made an art piece of a snowy owl he was excited to share with me and my family. He felt accomplished that he was considered an artist among the crowd. Not only that, but he said he wanted to be an artist like me. It warmed my heart to hear those words. This is an experience I wish to continue to be a part of creating for other families and children. Please make way for the little artist, Dakson Duford. Pictured below is him and his work.
These past two weeks I have begun an in-depth review of the materials I have acquired for my project. These objects have been collected over 40 years and consist of a range of materials. Currently, the objects are stored in one large tote bin, a shoe box, and a small storage bin. Some pieces of the collection do not have a home currently and are waiting to be placed into their spot in the collection.
The collection includes newspapers, photographs, art pieces (metal & wood), paper documents, books, and drawings. This allows me to practice handling and archiving different materials. I have found the hardest part of organizing this collection is that it is very easy to get distracted and go into a rabbit hole of the little bits of history each piece has.
My process so far consists of maintaining a Google Spreadsheet which I will be able to update regularly and easily turn access over to my family members that will take over. As of right now, my inventory list looks a bit like the spreadsheet below.
As I progress through the project, I plan to select some of the items in the collection and place them in a Collection Management System (CMS) to further the project's goal of being a usable archive. The main objects that would be housed on the CMS would be a part of my physical exhibit that is opening in University Gallery in February. Before I get too ahead of myself I have to finish up my review and re-organizing of the Jerrold B. Smith Family Archives Collections.
Hello! I hope that everyone had a good break and was able to eat some good food, or buy something at a great deal! We are getting closer and closer to the end of the semester and it's somewhat scary to me honestly. Everything went by so fast and it went much smoother than I anticipated! I'm very excited about my capstone project and I feel like things are going in a good direction! I hope my classmates are also doing well with their thesis or capstones too.
I will admit, I never thought I'd get here. When I graduated high school in 2017, I never expected to really get very far or feel successful. I had a half assed plan to go to community college, get an art degree and then flounder about afterwards. But here I am, a Museum Studies major working on my capstone project. Another thing I never expected was to actually make friends. By nature, I'm extremely introverted and have severe social anxiety which is partially under control thanks to medication. I hadn't really had "friends" since about middle school and in community college did not manage to make any friends. When I first came to RIT as an Illustration major I didn't make friends either. Honestly, it looked like Museum Studies was going to be the same at first but I finally feel like I do have friends within the major that I enjoy talking to. It's been awhile since I've actually hung out with people. All I can say is I am very grateful for the Museum Studies program and all the wonderful professors I've had along the way. I don't know if this was too personal but I felt as if it needed to be said.
Anyway, I started writing this as a distraction from my other assignments but I do enjoy writing here and reading other classmates' posts. Hope everyone has a lovely day.
- Von Stevens
This is Little Miss Penny! I went to my cousin's house for Thanksgiving and this is her dog!
Hi all!
I’ve made lots of exhibit development progress! My exhibit will be centered around ~6 key concepts derived from sources in my literature review. These concepts–Constructing Identity, Fashion and the Body, Selling Self-Expression, Production Methods, Eurocentricity in Fashion, Fashion as a Cycle–will shape the physical layout of my exhibit and connect to its interactive elements. To create dialogue between exhibit objects and contextualize historic pieces from the Susan Greene Costume Collection, I will be incorporating modern clothing from my personal collection into the exhibit. These may also be included in hands-on events at the exhibit reception, allowing visitors to interact with exhibit objects without the concern of damaging GCV&M collection items. I’ve also decided to create a smaller digital exhibit, both as an additional interactive element to my project and as a means of documenting the physical exhibit beyond its lifespan in University Gallery.
Along with my exhibit progress, I’ve also rewritten my abstract and adjusted my research question to better align with my project. My abstract now reflects my project’s emphasis on the value of interpretation and visitor connection and asks how historic collections can be effective, relevant tools for combating misinformation. This change has given me a much stronger sense of direction with regard to my thesis work! I’m excited to continue working on my project and will be posting another update soon on my revised thesis proposal.
On a non-thesis note, the Independent Study project Caitlin McCabe (a 2024 MUSE grad!) and I completed on WITR's CD collection was recently featured in RIT’s University Magazine. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to share our work, especially in an article written by another MUSE grad, FelÃcia Swartzenberg! :) Please check out FelÃcia’s article here: https://www.rit.edu/news/witr.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving break!
Riley
Hello again! I am here to inform you all on updates and changes I've made to my original idea. Though the central idea of human remains in museums is the same, I will be focusing on the display and ethics behind museums along with four specific case studies: mummies, bog bodies, cadavers, and Body-World exhibits. These case studies are all remains, but in different forms that continue to be displayed around the world facing controversy and ethical dilemmas.
This project is all research based so I don't have exciting news to share about places I visited recently or people I've talked to, but I can talk about what I've read. For example, Body-World exhibits would use real bodies usually prisoners of war in their displays, without getting permission from the relatives of the deceased. To keep bodies preserved, a method called plastination was used where clear resin was pumped into the tissue and later hardened, preserving the remains and putting them on display.
I also briefly talked about in my first blog post how I went to Museo Egizio in Torino, Italy and that is what inspired me to choose this topic. Mummies are possibly the most displayed form of remains and can be found around the world in numerous institutions. The lack of ethical guidelines reside from the fact that the remains are ancient and no one can give consent on their behaves. If we're being completely honest, most people go to museums to see mummies as they are so popular, so getting rid of them could be detrimental to museums and their visitor count which is another reason they are displayed.
More will be discussed in my next post as I just wanted to give you all a little insight to my research as I changed the majority of my idea!
I recently visited the Livingston County Historian’s Archives to research The Castle on the Hill and collect memory aids for my oral histories. I would first like to thank the County Historian, Holly Watson, and Deputy Historian, Madeline Friedler. They both were extremely welcoming and willing to answer any questions I had. I had never done my own research at an archival repository, which was quite overwhelming at first. I am so thankful that Holly and Madeline helped me narrow my research scope down. When I arrived, they had pulled a large reference book, a research binder, and also pre-loaded digital photographs on a laptop for me. I looked mainly at the digital files, but the research binder also had some interesting information. I was especially interested in the Castle on the Hill photos from when the Landmark Society visited in 1989. The pictures showed the hotel deteriorating and vandalized. I had seen vandalism in the hotel before, but not this early, and also not documented formally. I also did not know that the hotel was in such a deep state of disrepair this early on.
Hello everyone! The weather has been so grey and it is hard to stay motivated this time of the year, but we have almost finished this semester. Completing my literature review and proposal (for now) was a major accomplishment and something I was excited to check off my list.
Developing timeline for my thesis was a very helpful aspect of the proposal process and one that will keep me on track for the rest of the semester and break. I will be visiting the MAG again after Thanksgiving break but for now I am editing my literature review and proposal, working on my final projects and assignments, and my law school applicatio
n. I am excited for a small break from school and seeing my family, hopefully it will give me renewed energy to complete the semester.
Before the end of the semester I am going to decide which of two directions my thesis will go in based upon my visits to the MAG and research I have been doing outside. I will either be adding to provenance research the MAG already has or I will be developing a way to make what they do have ore negating and accessible. My study buddy Arlo
Anyways that is all for now enjoy your breaks and keep working you got this! Enjoy this photo of my cat Arlo who I made hold this highlighter for me while I studied.
-Kaitlyn
Hello, Everyone!
It has been awhile. I hope everything is going well as we all wrap up this fall semester. As I have continued in Research Methods, I have developed my literature review and proposal, and am continuing to work on refining everything for faculty to read. I had a fun time planning out my timeline, as it gave me a better sense of what needed to be done, and what I have to look forward to going into winter break and the upcoming spring semester. One of my focuses from my timeline is the planning and preparation of the egg tempera paints and substrates.
I am currently researching natural, ethically sourced pigments, and comparing them via price point and shipping timeline. One source I am leaning towards is Koo Schadler, because of their affluence in the tempera painting community today, as well as the publications they have disseminated on the internet. I am also considering things such as sourcing natural earth pigments myself locally, in order to keep with consistency of where the materials are exactly coming from. Something I need to be aware of is time constraint, and how plausible it is to source, dry, and grind all these materials by myself if I went down this route.
Finally, I have started to research a selection of tempera paintings for the recreation process. While I haven’t narrowed it down yet, what I am primarily looking for is: skill level, time constraint, additives that may be included, time period, substrate, scale, damaged or non-damaged, and further. This is a concise version of a checklist I am planning to create and use in dwindling down the potential works. Overall, everything has been going smoothly, thus far, but I am looking forward to a nice relaxing break with my dogs!
It is far too dark outside and I miss the sun, but that's Rochester in the Fall and Winter for you!
I am back from midterms, and to keep you updated on my thesis, I have finished my lit review. Kind of. It's far from perfect, but it definitely approached good, and for something Dr. Decker says will never be or feel completely finished, that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.
I hung my survey flyers yesterday, and am totally not refreshing every hour to see if anyone has submitted a survey, which was a major relief and step forward for me in this project. I am also working on my thesis proposal (eek!) which is coming along much smoother than I imagined, although if my tech issues with google docs have anything to say about it, there might be a few more unseen bumps than anticipated. After the proposal, it's going to be revise, revise, revise. That lit review I mentioned? I forgot a key part that I should probably include, because having a thesis paper about visitor behavior and familiarity without mentioning the previous research done doesn't seem like a good idea if you know what I mean.
All in all, I've got a lot more writing to do to get this thesis past the good stage, and I've got a lot of waiting to do as well. Good thing I've got a bunch of sources I need to reread (and a google form to refresh)!
Yours in silly times, sleep deprivation and cat withdrawals,
Nic
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| Pete chilling on his heated bed (I MISS HIM SO MUCH) |
Who else is feeling good about their thesis and has 9 fingers?
Never do I!
hahaha...I know, hilarious. But in all seriousness, if you are feeling lost, tired, or like you're not doing enough, you're not the only one! These feelings are natural and in fact, normal.
I also feel weird talking about my thesis topic on our blog, because who wants to hear it? But I guess I have to get used to it because that is what we'll be doing in...9 days with our proposal and all of next Spring :)
My topic has expanded from the beginning of adding ramps to historic houses, to just focusing on a new walkway at the GCV&M for a more accessible time for visitors!
I have learned way too much about pavements...and gravel...
What is something your research has you researching that you didn't expect?
Comment below! ~
Hi! Long time no see...
I've taken the time this past weekend to reach out to four of my friends who are passionate about Lolita fashion and also wearers of it! These are simplified, but I asked them three questions:
1. Are you interested in being interviewed?
2. Would you be willing to lend pieces to be put on display in the gallery?
3. Are you interested in participating in a potential fashion show?
Three have enthusiastically responded with yes, while I am still waiting to hear back from the last one. In any case, I'm very excited to have at least three participants willing to be interviewed, have their pieces put on display, and participate in a possible fashion show (which I should later discuss in more detail with Dr. Decker).
My roommate, Alyssa, has also gladly agreed to lend her magazine to be put on display for the exhibition!
I'm very glad this is becoming more of a collaborative process. I aimed to not only make it about the fashion, but the community and directly involving the people within it, with their permission. I am so thankful for them! They are so willing to share their different perspectives, lend pieces and art, and model for a show.
See you next update!
- Carolyn
(Kamikaze Girls, 2004)
Hello! My name is Carolyn Lee and I am a fourth-year student in the Museum Studies major here at RIT with a minor in Literature and Media. I come from Phoenix, Arizona–my journey here was pretty much one extreme end of the weather to another, but maybe I will be able to survive any potential climate with this training, who knows!
I am currently working in the Story department for the Finger Lakes Virtual Museum Project partnering with MAGIC Spell Studios. During my time on the project, I have been learning, and am still trying to refine, the skill of researching a historical topic in depth and then trying to convey that information in a way that is educational, but still entertaining and precise. I believe this skill may aid me in my topic; a history that many are not particularly familiar with.
After wavering between two potential topic choices, I have decided to examine something I am personally interested in, the history of Lolita Fashion and its existence today. I will be enlisting the help of my fellow friends in the area who dress in Lolita, online EGL (Elegant and Gothic Lolita) communities, and my roommate Alyssa with her beautiful magazine she illustrated and wrote about the fashion.
All of this will hopefully culminate to make an exhibition in University Gallery that conveys a meaningful experience about this fashion style originating in Japan that has caused some controversy with its name and style, invoking many misunderstandings. I aim to deconstruct and question these criticisms in my thesis. Thank you so much for reading; I'd love to hear your thoughts so far on the fashion and topic if you have any at cel9559@rit.edu :)
Below is a photo of me in my first ever coord!
Hi all!
I’ve got a solid progress update to share! The first draft of my literature review is finished, and I’m already working on tweaking and improving the next version. I’ve got a good list of sources, and have gotten feedback and a handful of authors to include in my research. I’ve also started thinking about the structure of my final paper, using past theses from MUSE graduates as reference points. In terms of non-written developments, I’ve started putting together a list of contenders for the final 12-ish objects from the GCV&M’s Bruce & Susan Greene Costume Collection. A recent visit to the Wehle Gallery for the museum’s Agricultural Fair gave me the opportunity to get an in-depth look at the exhibit Becoming Gendered: Garment as Gender Artifact.
The most important part of my progress so far is that I’ll be able to create a physical exhibit as part of my thesis project! I’ll be aiming to display as many of my selected objects as safely possible, with replicas in place of those that cannot be displayed. I’ll be creating didactic labels for each object, as well as larger text panels that explore key themes of my project. I’m strongly considering an interactive element in the exhibit to connect with its modern fashion concepts, though I’ll have to do more research and brainstorming to determine what that might look like.
Once again, please do email me at ram3077@rit.edu if you have any feedback, ideas, or thoughts to share. Spooky season is also upon us, so please share any fabulous Halloween costumes you've seen with me! In the past few years I've been Cruella de Vil, Sarah Sanderson, and Lydia Deetz, and this year I’m working on an Edward Scissorhands costume.
Have a restful fall break!
Riley
Hello everyone! I am back to discuss my visit to the Memorial Art Gallery. In late September I went to the MAG to meet with Kerry Schauber, the museums curatorial research assistant and rights and reproduction. She has done the work to date on the provenance of the items within the Nazi-Era provenance list. When meeting with her, she pulled files on five of the thirty three items within the collection. I examined the information in these files, particularly the provenance research. I took notes on these items and paired particular attention to items that were noted by the Art Loss Register. The Art Loss Register is the world's largest online database of stolen art. The MAG submitted the items within their Nazi-Era collection to this database so further research could be done. Though items were noted for further investigation by the database, nothing definitive was resolved at the time. I would like to look more in to these pieces in particular and why the register noted them.
| Image of my visit to the MAG, (one of the pieces that is listed on the Nazi-era Incomplete Provenance List) |
These past few weeks have been a whirlwind of thesis work. While completing some background research to justify my thesis, I have also been working on the physical side of my project. I am preparing for my exhibit, which will be going up in the spring semester. Although my main purpose of the exhibit is to help justify why this archive is important to the collection I am creating, I am very excited to share my grandfather's work with the RIT community.
For the exhibit I have decided to split the narrative up into three sections; The Student, The Craftsman, and The Drifter. Each section represents a part of Jerrold's life and connection to the School of American Crafts at RIT. I am hoping to create a narrative that will connect the beginning and end of his career in the craft field and his story as an artist in Rochester, NY. Currently, I am in the process of finalizing the object selection for the exhibit and am hoping to represent all of the arts he participated in. His career was filled with creativity and innovation, and many have said that some of his work was ahead of its time, some pieces are relatively similar to the jewelry and sculptures we see today.
After I complete the object selection I plan on digitizing the objects I have selected. I really enjoy photography and am excited to practice my skills through this digitization. I also will begin preparing the text of the exhibit, along with its label copy and design. Once this is all complete I will be able to place my focus back onto my paper and get into the details about my thesis and its purpose.
Have a great fall break. I look forward to updating you on the progress of my thesis. If you have any questions you can contact me at ggs5178@rit.edu
- Gabriella Smith
Hello again everyone!
Since the beginning of the semester, I have been working hard to research and write my thesis, but today I decided to give myself a small break. Today, I visited the Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester, New York with some friends. Although I was not technically "working" on my thesis or project. I consider this leisure experience a light, but necessary form of work.
The point of this blog post is to say, that while you are working on intensive projects like these, take some time for yourself. Enjoy the world around you. It may seem like you are taking time away from your project, but, trust me, you are not. Leisure time is important to everyone's everyday functioning. In fact, you may find some inspiration along your small self-care voyage. I was inspired by the art that surrounded me in the gallery. I was able to scrounge up some ideas in my hand-dandy notebook for layout designs, potential projects, and interpretation. Because I had leisure time it inspired my project and helped me actively work on it without much stress. So, immerse yourself in the world around you, take a deep breath, and ask yourself, "Where are my feet?" Taking some time to focus on the now instead of what still needs to be done can do wonders for your mental health.
Be well! I hope everyone reading this is enjoying/enjoyed their fall break.
Below is a picture of my cat Prismo!
Hey, just a small update on some progress of my capstone. I have an inventory list of the objects I plan to use for the exhibit and I've made sure to have something that represents each of the aspects of culture I plan to talk about. I'm probably a little behind my peers but I'm still moving along. I had to get some new sources since some of the ones I originally had weren't as relevant once I had decided on my subcategories. Also, I had ordered a book which wasn't available online and it still hasn't come. BUT luckily, my mom used her status as a Professor Emeritus at U of R to access their library and helped me find some more sources (thanks mom!). One of which is specifically about one of the objects that I have, the krama. The krama is a piece of garment in Cambodian culture that has so many utilities. It can be worn as a scarf, bandana, belt, lower garment, face cover and head wrap. Krama are also used to carry objects and even as hammocks for small babies. So I'm very excited to keep going with my research. I won't post any pictures of my objects as I'll leave that as a surprise. But I think things are going okay, much better than I had expected.
Have a silly picture of Peachy from this morning!
Hello hello!
I'm back again with a small update as I head into fall break (which I will be taking advantage of to do more work and sleep). A lot has been done since my last post, but there's not much to say on it. I've done my annotated bibliography, where I found and read around 17 sources, but I am continuing to find more as I find gaps. I've started a rough draft of my abstract, and writing this reminds me that I need to go over it again, and even settled on a research question and location! I will be using my exhibit in the GCCIS atrium as the focus of my visitor study, with a high possibility of a focus group being derived from those survey respondents.
I've also started one of the largest parts of my thesis--- the lit review. I've got a very, very rough draft which is almost more of an outline, but I think I'm in a good place! I currently have three sections, but will be cutting one of those as it can be easily combined with the others. I'm planning on writing an introduction to my lit review, as currently it just jumps straight into what a visitor study is, and is a clunky transition as a result. My plans for the next couple of weeks is to revise my abstract (again) and finish my lit review and begin to revise that. Today (10/9) I plan complete my visitor survey so I can start gathering data, and so I have it prepared if I go to the MUSE 220 class so that they can fill it out.
Hopefully, I'll have a lot done after the break, and I look forward to updating you on my continued work.
- Nic Feldman
Slowly but surely I am piecing together ideas and using research/case studies to build my thesis. Starting with the introduction of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), I will talk about how this act has affected Indigenous tribes along with museums. The act of repatriating items has allowed museums to uphold their values and allow proper handling of items.
This ties into human remains curation as a whole as NAGPRA led the way to a conversation of handling and repatriated remains from institutions and museum around the world. I will look into cases in the UK regarding storage of mummies and bog bodies along with the use of remains for artistic/educational exhibitions.
Taking a step into the world of archaeology, I will talk about the new and more frequent use of reburial practices to respect cultures and local villagers. All this ties together to respectful treatment of remains and taking measures to ensure proper handling of items.
I don't have too much left to say except good luck and keep going to my fellow classmates! It's a hard and draining process that will all be worth it at the end.
Hello everyone,
This is Renee Guerin, just presenting an update on how my thesis is going. As a reminder, my thesis is on the recreation of 15th-century Italian egg temperas to determine if there are noticeable differences with the pigment (usability, structurally, and further) based upon the ethical versus unethical sourcing of materials. As I have continued working on this process, I have been reaching out to faculty, and well versed individuals to help inform me on a little more in depth context and knowledge they have on tempera and painting, as well as historical aspects. I gained more historical information on the fall of egg tempera’s popularity from Doctor Michael Amy, which lived longer within Italy, but with the experimentation and success of oil paints from Flanders, and the spread and diversification of the upcoming media, tempera lost its appeal because of its properties as a rapidly fast drying medium. He also happened to inform me on Russian tempera panels from the 19th century that were exploding because of the substrates lack of durability to climate and environmental changes, and how their conservation efforts included scraping away the initial substrate to reach the paint layer, and transfer it, with the use of heat, to canvas; this, in turn, altered the original piece because of its invasive nature. One of my own text experiments proposes to look at possible longevity of pigments, maybe through exposing them to harsh environments, such as extreme cold or extremely hot weather, and then a mixture of both, alternating. It was a very insightful conversation and I would like to thank Dr. Amy again for taking the time to discuss my topic and its history further!
Continuing on, I have been brushing up on varying artistic techniques with other media that could contribute to understanding the skill egg tempera requires to be successful. I have been focusing on a mixture of micron pen, scratch board, and watercolor, in order to practice the idea of layering of colors, as well as cross hatching, hatching, and line work over all. Tempera painting is often thin and requires multiple layers, as oil does, but because of its drying time, it is not easily blended, and requires layers of hatching and cross hatching colors to get gradations of shades and tones to create a sense of depth. What I plan on focusing in the second half of the semester after fall break is looking further into master copy artists, finding a tempera piece I think is achievable and will push me outside of my comfort zone within the time frame I have for my recreation work, and actually begin the process of making egg tempera, and the collection of resources, while documenting everything as I go. Below, as examples of practice work I have been doing for fun and for some classes that are providing me with further experience.
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Have a nice fall break :)
Hi all! I just finished the first draft of my literature review last night and I am so excited to start my project! I will be interviewing 3 Livingston County Residents about their memories and hopes for The Castle on the Hill. I sent out the flyer below to local historical societies and local nursing homes. So far, I am still waiting for someone to reach out but I am going to be advertising in person during fall break. Please feel free to contact me at ejg9342@rit.edu if you know anyone interested!
I am also happy to announce that I am the recipient of the College of Liberal Arts Student Research Fund! I am using the money from this fund to create a professional oral history kit and get processing software to make oral history transcriptions more accurate. I am so thankful to have received this award.
I am visiting the Livingston County Historian's Archives soon to get primary sources and memory aids for my oral history interviews. I am also creating my own oral history release form and procedures document. Next, I will have to connect with potential interviewees and create interview questions!
I am thrilled to start working with the community I grew up in! Please feel free to contact me with any questions at ejg9342@rit.edu!
Hello, my name is Gabriella Smith and I am a 4th year Museum Studies major with an immersion in Legal Studies. I am from Gasport, NY, and during my time at RIT, I have truly fallen in love with museums and archives and the process behind them. I have been involved with many types of archive and museum work as a student and had an opportunity to catalog a collection at my local hospital in 2022. My undergraduate thesis will focus on creating a family archive, specifically the collection of my late grandfather Jerrold B. Smith.
When I was younger I found a random plastic bag filled with authentic Ray-Bans and didn't understand their significance as to why my family had them. Over the past few years that mystery to me has been slowly solved, they were from my grandfather, Jerrold. Jerrold was a student of the School of American Craftsman at RIT in the early 60s and a professor of the program in the 70s. Before he died in 1986, Jerrold was a true craftsman, constantly trying new things and experimenting with jewelry and glasses. He had an impressive career at Bausch & Lomb as one of the eye-glass designers, with his memory immortalized in the rendition of the Wayfarer glasses, called the Drifter.
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| 1987 Ray-Ban Drifter sunglasses advertisement |
My thesis will focus on the three parts of Jerrold's life: the Student, the Craftsman, and the Drifter, by creating an archive that will protect his story and history. I will document my process behind creating an archive and why it is important specifically to Jerrold's collection. Throughout this year I will be cataloging the collection, digitizing many of the objects, collecting oral histories from family members, and also rehousing them into new containers for storage. I will also be creating an exhibit to display some of Jerrold's work and his story. All of these pieces will tie together in my thesis regarding the archiving of the collection.
If you have any questions about my project, you can reach me at ggs5178@rit.edu. :)
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Catherine Smith-Cole holding a photograph of Jerrold B. Smith and his co-workers at Bausch & Lomb. Image taken during Catherine Smith-Cole's Oral History Interview. |
