MUSEUM STUDIES QUIZ 2
What is "hygroscopic"
(readily taking up and retaining moisture) Changes in temperature and humidity cause a cycle of expansion and contraction in these Objects. Materials include wood, paper, natural fabrics, paints and dyes.
Purpose of creating condition report (know one)
Condition reports help to keep tabs on the physical health of art and are very important when it comes to appraising the value of work. Condition reports are a safeguard against future destruction of the work and help to cover liability for damaged work.
What is one (of three) main ways of determining authenticity of a collection object
SCIENTIFIC, HISTORICAL, STYLISTIC ANALYSIS Scientific: provides data that can help to define the physical nature, composition, and structure of an object Historical: tries to establish the provenance (history of ownership) of an object by tracing its history through surviving records or oral testimony. Historical analiysis also examines the authenticity of the details shown in the paintings or object; the forger or faker may make make mistakes about costume, Decoratuve arts, or inscriptions for the period he or she is trying to present. Stylistic analysis: compares the object with known productions of the same maker or in the same cultural era: a knowing connoisseur or art historian may be able to see differences in style that reveal an object's fraudulent nature.
Know relationship of stewardship to "public trust"
Stewardship is the careful, sound and responsible management of that which is entrusted to a museum's care. Possession of collections incurs legal, social and ethical obligations to provide proper physical storage, management and care for the collections and associated documentation, as well as proper intellectual control. Collections are held in trust for the public and made accessible for the public's benefit. Effective collections stewardship ensures that the objects the museum owns, borrows, holds in its custody and/or uses are available and accessible to present and future generations. A museum's collections are an important means of advancing its mission and serving the public.
Kinds of Planning (know 2)
Strategic Planning, Financial Planning, Collection planning, Exhibit/Event Planning, Disaster
Know the general "UV content" of two light sources (of 4)
Sunlight: High UV present (eliminate or filter) Incandescent lights: low UV presence Fluorescent lights: UV present (eliminate or filter) LED lights: low UV presence
Intellectual Control
The creation of tools such as catalogs, finding aids, or other guides that enable researchers to locate relevant materials relevant to their interests.[...] includes exploiting access tools developed by the creator of the materials and, typically, received with the collection. However, these tools must be integrated into the repository's other tools.
Financial Planning
This committee assesses the financial health of the organization and makes appropriate adjustments to income and expenses to keep a balanced budget. Heavy board involvement; Assessment of current financial situation and trends; may involve professional financial planner; will the current needs change? what if the unthinkable happens?
Planning/Preparedness
may involve drills, staff and volunteer training; a written plan including likely scenarios; "first aid "information for various kinds of art objects; an equipment kit; identifying/securing potential resources and suppliers, alternate museum site; temporary financial arrangements, can be long-term phase.
Response
reacting to the immediate threat, evacuate building, trust and work with local authorities; human life takes precedence; lasts until situation is stabilized, usually short-term phase.
Disaster
response and recovery phases; temporary financial needs/circumstances? Building and collection -staff based; available resources and mutual aid; a physical recovery "kit"?
What is a "microclimate", why is it potentially important
the environment immediately surrounding an artifact. [...] designed for optimum storage, display, or treatment conditions can be created and maintained in showcases, storage cabinets, rooms, or plastic bags. Creation of a [...] may be intentional or unintentional. can cause Pests if conditions not contained
What is the purpose of a facilitator/consultant in planning process
A professional that provides expertise in planning process and functions in an objective fashion
Standing Committee
a permanent committee that meets regularly
Recovery
Activating your plan; possible moving and stabilization of objects; working with conservators and insurance companies; can be very long-term phase
Does every collection object need an accessions number? Why?
An accession is one or more objects acquired at one time from one source, constituting a single transaction between the museum and a source (Burcaw 1997). When objects come into the museum, they should be evaluated before being accessioned into the collection. Temporary Custody allows you to record important information about the source and print a receipt for the donor prior to the museum's decision to accession and number the items. Once the decision has been made to accession the objects, an accession record and number will be assigned to the collection. However, there may be occasions when items are accessioned immediately. Some would argue that the records are as important as the objects themselves. Keeping good records is a primary function of a good museum. Your museum has placed its collections in your hands. Someday you will pass the collection on to its next caretaker. It is your 85 fundamental responsibility to hand over the collection and its records in good condition.
What specific information is usually contained in a catalog record (know at least four)?
Artist's name, Artist's nationality and life dates, title, year of creation, media, size, value, history/provenance, description, image, donor info, condition, LOCATION, etc., etc.
Collection planning
Assessment of collection currently; address care of collection; growth; focus, direction, uses, etc.
What changing situations might museums encounter and react to (know 2)
Audience: size, make-up, preferences, Financial situation: internal, external, Facilities: expansion, contraction, condition, Collection: expansion, contraction, condition, Surroundings: how have they changed or stayed the same
two planning obstacles The Bell Museum faced in the case study of their museum move
In 1992, the Bell Museum was struggling to survive the present, not planning for the future. The museum was simply not a priority of the university's administration. Budget cuts had already seriously compromised the institution, but the worst was yet to come. To consolidate teaching and research activities in the biological sciences, the university administration decided to move the museum collections and research staff to the St. Paul campus, leaving the public staff and activities four miles away on the Minneapolis campus. Recognizing the threat that the institutional split and movement of collections posed, the museum undertook both the Conservation Assessment Program and MAP II to assess the implications of the impending rift for the collections. Once the consultants assisting on these projects overcame their disbelief at the thought of moving the collections and the research staff far from the public facility and staff, they provided many recommendations that proved critical in the institution 's efforts to maintain collections properly. These studies also provided additional external voices warning of the damage caused by separating the public and scientific staffs. This is what can happen in the absence of aggressive, long-range planning. The museum was forced to spend its limited financial and human resources responding to the decisions of people who knew little or nothing of the museum and its needs. Fortunately, advisory board members and community leaders resolved to become proactive and asked the important question, "Is the museum a priority for the University of Minnesota?" In the process, they issued in an era of long-range planning.
What is a "Foot candle" and how is it used by museums
In the U.S. museums, light levels are generally described in foot-candles (fc); originally the amount of illumination made by one small candle from a distance of one foot. Other countries use different units of measure that we must convert (lux or lumens) to foot-candles. Exposure to light takes into consideration intensity, duration and UV content but also the durability of the object being illuminated.
WHAT ARE Two prior assumptions regarding the value of museum planning
Museum Planning assumes that change is inevitable and desirable and acts on that assumption. Museum Planning assumes that nothing is perfect and most things can be improved upon. Museum Planning assumes that a team approach is more desirable than an individual approach
2 main aspects of a museum's security system
Museum Security results from a combination of human and equipment components and is only as effective as these work together. Security, Display- Human: Guards, Curatorial Planning, Security Supervisor Equipment- Alarms, cameras, closed and locked cases, etc. Security, Storage- Human- Collections Manager (controlled access) Equipment- Alarms, cameras, recorded entry
Building or Major Renovation Planning
Necessarily involves outside experts; assess needs; Heavy board involvement; study feasibility; "capital campaign"?; interruption of services?
Strategic Planning
Overarching; Fundamental decisions about what an organization is, does and how it gets there, can include entire Board; may revisit mission, the "road map"; in many ways it is the most important kind of planning.
What is "RH" and why is it important
Relative humidity is the amount of moisture in the air compared to what the air can "hold" at that temperature. It is expressed as a percentage, i.e. 57% RH. When the air can't "hold" all the moisture, it condenses as dew.
What are 3 phases of a Disaster Plan and their definition
a series of written policies and procedures that prevent or minimize damage resulting from disasters (either man- made or natural) and help a museum recover. All museums are expected to have plans that address how the museum will care for staff, visitors and collections in case of emergency. This should be tailored to the museum's specific circumstances and facilities and should cover all relevant threats or risks to the museum, its collection and its people. This includes evacuation plans for staff and visitors and plans for how to protect or recover collections in the event of disaster. The plan should also outline the responsibilities of each involved party. 3 PHASES ARE Planning/Preparedness, Response AND Recovery.
Condition reports
are a tool artists, curators, conservators, insurance companies, appraisers, and museum professionals use to keep track of the changing physical condition of artworks. [...] help to keep tabs on the physical health of art and are very important when it comes to appraising the value of work and help determine responsibility in the event of damage or to monitor slow degradation.
Who uses condition report in the "art world"
artists, curators, conservators, insurance companies, appraisers, and museum professionals
Exhibit/Event Planning
curatorial /support staff; usual vs. unusual in scope; "Blockbusters"
Ad Hoc Committee
formed for a specific, often temporary purpose
What is Integrated Pest Management
is a broad-based approach that integrates practices For economic control of pests. [...] aims to suppress pest populations below harmful levels. Rather than total eradication of pests, [...] uses methods like traps, cleaning and regular monitoring to control pests. [...] strives to employ the least toxic approach first -why?Textile and natural history collections are especially susceptible to threat from pests but wood, paper and other materials are at risk too.
What does a "Hygrothermograph" do and why is this useful
is an instrument that continuously measures and records both temperature and relative humidity, simultaneously, onto a paper chart or in a digital format. Digital recording units are now common.
