PGAV Destinations’ Post

In the Natural History Museum in London, there is a 5m wide slice from a giant redwood. Its rings chart the 1,300-year life of this 101m tree till it was felled in 1891. Although its roots do not go down that deep (one to two meters on average) they spread as much as 30 meters in all directions. Why? Well, the giant redwood grows where there's plenty of surface water, it doesn't need to tap into deeper water supplies. It needs to capture as much as it can. The Shepherd’s Tree, found in the Kalahari Desert, has roots that go 𝟳𝟬𝗺 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽! And yet it only grows up to 10m tall. So while the expression in the image isn't accurate, it still points to truth. The taller we grow and the tougher the situations we face, the more we need resources and relationships to support us. ----------------------------------------- Enjoyed this? 🔄 Share with your network so they can benefit. 👣 And follow me for more sketchy ideas on creativity and critical thinking.

Did you know that the Statue of Liberty was a gift from the people of France to the people of the United States? Rider University organized an NYC trip for the international students on our second day of orientation. This included a trip to the Statue of Liberty, the One World trade center and Times square. Since I love traveling and knowing about the places I visit, I did a quick research and the story of the Statue of Liberty mesmerized me! While I'm not going to elaborate on it, here are some aspects that I loved: 1. The crown of the statue has 7 spokes to indicate the seven continents and the 7 oceans highlighting the universal concept of Liberty. 2. The torch is a symbol suggesting that the liberty enlightens the world. The torch you see in the hand of the statue isn't the original one. The original torch is placed inside the museum that's in the same premises. 3. The statue is made of copper. And the green color is due to its oxidization (what a magnificent color!) The tablet in her other hand, her robe etc have symbolisms. I'd highly recommend that you visit The Statue of Liberty when you are in NYC and don't miss the 10 minute movie that they play at the museum narrating the history, significance and the making of the Statue. ----- For more stories, related to my recent move to the US to pursue my higher education, do follow me on Instagram at @afew.handpickedthings. I share experiences and tips frequently there through my reels and stories. --- Miles Education

In response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, cultural institutions across the United States redoubled their efforts to digitize their collections of art and artifacts. This move toward digitization among museums did more than increase the accessibility of their holdings, it allowed curators to construct interactive online exhibitions catered to educators seeking unique learning opportunities for their students in a remote environment. Now, industry leaders like the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) complement their traditional exhibition schedule with robust web-based offerings as the humanities become increasingly digitized.⁠ ⁠ For example, the VMFA’s digital exhibition African American Dreams pairs art from its collection with a selection of written sources to show how African American artists both shaped and reflected the Black experience in North America spanning from 1619 to the present day. For example, the poems of Phillis Wheatley and the abolitionist writings of Frederick Douglass are put in conversation with landscapes by Robert Duncanson, the first world-renowned African American painter. In forging these connections between art and literature, African American Dreams invites young students to explore the ways in which African American artists made sense of their world while introducing them to both textual and visual primary sources. For more information on the image, we invite you to check out the exhibition using the link below. Image Credit: Marian Anderson, 1965, Beauford Delaney, American (1901–1979) Oil on canvas, J. Harwood and Louise B. Cochrane Fund for American Art, VMFA https://lnkd.in/eM3WNWyv

Interesting thoughts on Technical Art History in general, and more specific also on making reconstructions, by Erma Hermens.

Most museum collections are in storage. But when did these objects start being considered as 'reserve collections' or the problem of 'too much stuff' rather than as actively-used study collections? In the latest volume of Artefacts I trace how ideas of collections use changed over the 20th century, and offer some thoughts as to how even ubiquitous or generic items (the sort that often sit overlooked on storeroom shelves) might spark research questions. Yes, even this boring-looking black box voltmeter has potential. In another chapter, Sam Alberti, James Inglis, Louis Volkmer and I look at who's actually publishing research on science and technology collections, and where. Artefacts Volume 13, 'Understanding Use: Objects in Museums of Science and Technology' is available open-access. https://lnkd.in/eHynQYxT Thanks to Tim Boon, Liz Haines, Arnaud Dubois, Kate Steiner and the Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press team! #museummonday #museums #collections #storage #history #histSTM #research #openaccess

Learn about Alexandria's Freedom House Museum, a National Historic Landmark in Old Town, in this powerful piece by Tykesha Spivey Burton in AFAR.

The @tlantic Xplorers are sending you a virtual reminder that we are in this together. They perceive 'Resistance' as an unwavering collective force driven by unity and determination, never holding back in adversity. It is the call to join as one cohesive front, recognising our shared struggle, and pushing forward without restraint. Resistance represents the strength found when people unite. This zine is a virtual reminder that meaningful change demands unified action. The @tlantic Xplorers, an innovative youth collective, delved into the profound concept of 'People, Power, and Resistance' through a thought-provoking zine-making project inspired by the Black Atlantic exhibition at The Fitzwilliam Museum. Each student contemplated the personal significance of these themes and their relevance to individuals and communities. Through introspective questions, they chose a word, reflected on its essence and importance to them, and then swapped zines - challenging peers to understand and communicate each other's perspectives. This collaborative FUTURE/POWER project between The Fitzwilliam Museum, Museum X, and Soham Village College empowers young voices to engage in interdisciplinary research spaces. By exploring complex themes through creative expression, they influence and develop the knowledge our future societies will build upon. 🔗 Find out more about this inspiring collaboration: https://lnkd.in/eDzaYvMq 🎨 Artwork created collaboratively by members of the @tlantic Xplorers collective, Soham Village College. #YouthVoices #ResistanceTogether #BlackAtlanticExhibition #MuseumCollaboration #CreativeExpression #EmpoweringYouth #FuturePower #Codesign

In my expérience of teaching the history of European art in London,  as the Director of a Sotheby’s art course and of my own Riccardi Institute, to students of all countries, cultures, religons and ages, I believe from their own testimonies, that the study of Art History can be an initiatic path, both intellectually and artisticcally. For this one needs to teach them mythology in Greek and Roman classical letters together with the Bible and the Gospel, as well as the Golden Legend of the Saints of Voragines. There was the source of inspiration to all artists until the 19th century and the advent of the Plein-Air school and Impressionism, together with the great literary and poetical European texts of Dante, Shakespeare, Goethe etc. Art history encompasses politics, diplomacy,  trade exchanges, as witness in the various crafts and rechniques which developped under their influence, as much as religon, literature and philosophy. One must approach its study from a solid base of general culture in order to arouse a genuine passion for the heritage of the past in the continuity of a tradition in the act of creation in search of Beauty and excellence. 

Every exhibit is a story. When you take a moment to experience it, that exhibit story becomes part of yours. It’s neat to think about. Try this. Scroll through your camera roll to a photo you took at a museum or gallery and spend some time with the memories. Who was with you? What did you eat that day? What else do you remember because of that picture? You may have a surprisingly detailed recollection. Funny thing is, you likely don’t remember the actual exhibit story in this photograph. We are here to help with that. Capption keeps a history of exhibits you scan so you can reread every story and remember details you forgot, or learn things you may have missed. Having those details would ignite even more great memories. Making an exhibit story part of ours is how art moves us, how science teaches us. Go out and add to your story! Have a wonderful weekend. #Gallery #Museum #CoreMemory

“The demand that the museum “keep pace with society” reflects an awareness that the present cannot be dehistoricized.” (Or ofc depoliticised) I’ve been wondering why it’s culture that need suffer at the hands of climate, food or peace protesters — instead of BigBadCompany headquarters, say, or directing their ire at political institutions?That said, I’m intrigued by the evolving role of museums as the politicising of these spaces highlights their transformation into dynamic public spheres. Museums have found themselves in a position of urban piazzas — needing to balance their (oft contested) historical mandates with the demands of a changing society — and, maybe most importantly (?) as a political space. This idea isn’t new, of course, Michael Warner has written about it in his 2002 book Publics and Counterpublics where he articulates the “ambiguities, even contradictions” of a public space. Hannah Arendt had something to say about it, too, so I’m in pretty good company scratching my head about this. “When people dismiss the “nonsensical” gesture of throwing soup at Leonardo’s 1503 Mona Lisa, they miss the poesis inherent in the symbolism of pumpkin soup within French diasporic freedom movements[...]” 🔗 Read Charlotte Kent piece in Artforum International Magazine https://bit.ly/45TAqTL 📸 Food rights activists from Riposte Alimentaire throw soup at Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, 1503, Louvre, Paris, January 28, 2024. Photo: David Cantiniaux/AFPTV/AFP via Getty Images. #publicspace #protest #publicdiscourse #contemporaryart #art #politics