Tag: Behind the Scenes

Categories
Behind the Scenes Curatorial

Layers of Exhibition Paint

Between each exhibition in the Museum’s Baker/Rowland Galleries, the walls are entirely rearranged. This past weekend, I watched (bringing donuts, getting in the way, occasionally being helpful) as the installation crew moved walls and started spackling and painting in preparation for European Design Since 1985: Shaping the New Century.

As the team moved large 12 foot x 10 foot x 2 foot wall sections from their American Quilts exhibition layout into the new European Design arrangement, I was surprised at what was revealed behind—layers and layers of paint that colorfully represents our exhibition history.

Continue reading “Layers of Exhibition Paint”
Categories
Art

Reasons Why the Art World is Small

This morning, on my way back from the docent room, I stopped at the crossroads of the main drag of the Museum’s offices. About to turn right to my cubicle, I found myself suddenly stopped by this painting, which hangs at the end of the hallway next to our director’s office. I see this painting at least twice a day, but I’d never stopped to really look at it. And so, I decided to investigate.

Continue reading “Reasons Why the Art World is Small”
Categories
Curatorial Exhibitions

Recording a Museum Audio Guide

Did you ever wonder what goes into producing Museum audio guides? I imagined that it involved a script, some research and a microphone, but I had no idea what the technical side looked like. I didn’t know if we recorded this at the Museum, or how everyone manages to sound so clear and polished. Now I know the answer to both.

Continue reading “Recording a Museum Audio Guide”
Categories
Events Exhibitions Museum Store

Quilt History in the Making

Bruce Seeds, Garden Quilt
Bruce Seeds, Garden Quilt (detail)

The thing I find particularly thrilling about the American Quilts Exhibition Store is that because quilts are such a living medium, a part of everyday lives, they often inspire very personal dialogues as visitors pass into the exhibition store. Every day we meet visitors who are eager to share their sewing stories—they admire the works in the exhibition in a profound way because of a shared experience with those artists. We learn about still-vibrant family traditions of sewing, memories of people’s mothers hand-stitching their clothing when they were children, the various techniques seamstresses develop over time, and the agony and the ecstasy of piecing those wee slippery scraps of fine fabric together.

Continue reading “Quilt History in the Making”
Categories
Art

Art In Bloom Setup

Two florists composing their arrangement, showing a plastic sheet that catches any drips of water

Today is one of the most favorite and least favorite days for the Museum’s curatorial staff. Today kicks off the annual Art in Bloom event, when our Garden Club invites floral designers to install flower arrangements based on works of art in our galleries. Yes, IN OUR GALLERIES. Conservators, registrars, and curators immediately connect “bugs” and “water” to flowers, so our team carefully monitors this popular event so it can occur without incident to the art in the Collection.

Continue reading “Art In Bloom Setup”