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Museums Respond to Crisis

Elaine Heumann GurianMay 2014

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Who Am I and What I believe -- Elaine Heumann Gurian

Who I am: An American, married, a parent and grandparent, old, an artists and

photographer, and a Jew with German, Dutch and Ukrainian ancestors.

An experienced museum administrator, educator, writer, teachers and a consultant to governments about museum change.

A facilitator about process not a content advisor.What I believe: Museums are public spaces for strangers to meet and learn that

house evidence of human and natural activity and history. Believe that museums have a fluid definition and can do anything the

director and staff want. Determined that museums are part of the civic landscape and as such

have a moral responsibility to be helpful to citizens in building peaceability if they choose.

Happy to experiment in creating methods that make museums helpful.

www.egurian.com and egurian@egurian.com

DEFINITION:AS RAPID RESPONSE TO UNPREDICTABLE AND UNEXPECTED EVENTSCATASTROPHESWAREMERGENCIESACCIDENTS WEATHERVIP VISITS, DEATHS, ETC.

LOCAL, NATIONAL, INTERNATIONAL

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OBVIOUSLY UKRAINE KNOWS ABOUT MUSEUMS ACTING IN CRISIS

Ihor Poshyvailo, the deputy director of the Ivan Honchar Museum, and other co-curators have collected artifacts from the protest movement, including hand-painted banners; stretchers; helmets; and even a large catapult. Joseph Sywenkyj for The New York Times Unfinished Revolution: The Artists Soldier On, Ukrainians Turn to the Arts in a Time of Upheaval, By RACHEL DONADIO APRIL 29, 2014

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AND ABOUT ART AS IMMEDIATE EXPRESSIONAs Katya Soldak in Forbes wrote on

May 19, 2014“Despite Russia-fueled separatist violence in the East and the country’s uncertain future, Ukraine finds room for art.”Fear and Hope – a group exhibition by Ukrainian artists Mykyta Kadan, Zhanna Kadyrova and Artem Volokytin – opened this past weekend in Kyiv during the European Night of Museums in the Pinchuk Art Center.

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SO PERHAPS MY USEFULNESS IS:Organizing possible responses,Putting them in context,Giving illustrations,

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AND PUTTING THE ISSUE IN A PHILOSOPHICAL FRAME And suggesting that all civic

institutions (museums included) can, if they wish, play a part in current events, that is helpful, builds cohesion, peaceability and unity.

They also can do the opposite and cause more upheaval if they wish

And even non-action is also a kind of tacit action.

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“As trusted public institutions and privileged spaces for reflection, intellectual stimulation, debate, and community gathering, museums have a tremendous power to shape history, national memory, and public opinion.”

Van Orden, Vanessa, EXHIBITING TRAGEDY: MUSEUMS AND THE

REPRESENTATION OF SEPTEMBER 11, August 30, 2004,Master’s thesis, JFK

University, p17This Master Thesis formed the backbone of this presentation with thanks to

the author.

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LONNIE G. BUNCH, “IN THE SHADOW OF UNCERTAINTY: MUSEUMS IN THE AFTERMATH,” MUSEUM NEWS 81, NO. 1 (JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2002): 41.

“Museums are developing programs and exhibitions that demonstrate that cultural institutions are of value to their community in good times and invaluable during times of pain and crisis.

Museums all over the country are working to create opportunities that allow visitors to see our institutions as places of healing, education, affirmation, and reflection; cultural entities that are ripe with contemporary resonance; and sources for historical knowledge—helpful tools for people wrestling with despair and uncertainty.”

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MUSEUMS AS TRUSTED INSTITUTIONSIn 1998, American historians Roy

Rosenzweig and David Thelen published a report based on interviews with 1,500 Americans on the popular uses of history in American culture. Of all sources of historical information, respondents named museums as the ones they trusted most—above relatives, universities, books, and television.

Roy Rozensweig and David Thelen, The Presence of the Past: Popular Uses of History in American Life (New York: Columbia University Press, 1998), 21-22.

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SOME MUSEUM SOMEWHERE IS OR HAS ACTED ON EVERYONE OF THESE

EXAMPLES MANY HAVE BEEN INACTED HERE IN

UKRAINE

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WHAT ARE THE WAYS MUSEUMS CAN RESPONDObviously museum can respond to timely

events both in the moment, in the short term and over the long term.

Every museum, given the likelihood of some crisis, should discuss its position and prepare its plans and infrastructure.

But crisis can often overtake us and some of us act in the moment,

And then we need to gather, reflect, decide on a course of new action if any and act.

It is preparation and infrastructure that makes immediate action often easier.

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MUSEUM STAFF AS PROTECTOR OF COLLECTIONS, PEOPLE AND PROPERTY

Emergency protection of collections, building and people safety is obviously the first call. Unfortunately I am not an expert on these.

Blue Shield has resources and people willing to help. http://www.icomos.org/en/get-involved/inform-us/heritage-alert/heritage-at-risk-reports-2

There are stories in Ukraine of people saving their collections heroically and of damage as well.

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MUSEUM AS SPACE PROVIDER:Offering other institutions to set up

service delivery over long term if their building is damaged,

Allowing storage of material moved from other buildings for safe keeping,

Offering space to be used for mourning, services, celebrations and information provided by others.

Making assets available (kitchen’s, toilets, seating, etc.) available for non-museum users.

AS CUSTOMER SERVICEChange hoursChange admission charges and

processInvite different use (sleepover,

coffee, respite, etc.)Access to toilets, food, etc.

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Museums as providers of:COMMUNITY & SOCIAL SERVICE

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Offering aid to patrons with direct and immediate help,Offering staff and other’s refuge short or long term, Bringing in health care and social service workers to offer service to staff and others in the aftermath, Offering space to other services to set up and deliver services,

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AS ACCESS TO EXPERTISEMaking experts available to

media.Making broadcast and Wi-Fi

available to citizens.Putting curators on floor

available to citizens.Inviting experts in and making

them available in public spaces.

AS ACCESS TO CONTENTChanging current installed exhibitions to

reflect immediate issue where appropriate.

Create infrastructure for rapidly changing exhibitions or parts of exhibitions.

Moving relevant collections, photos, etc. to front space that highlight their relationship to current events.

Use photojournalism to created immediate though unfinished exhibits.

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AS CONTEXTAllow and encourage place for

inspiration and reflection.Create spaces for meditation.Place performance, programs,

debates within exhibition spaces originated for another purpose.

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AS COLLECTIONS ACQUISITIONSAcquire material recently

producedDocument recent eventsAdjust a collection policy in the

light of contemporary concernsCollect eyewitness material

(visual and vocal)

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AS METAPHOR

Use content already in museum but of another time or place as metaphor for this event.

Use fiction, irony, theatre as window on current event one remove.

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AS LONG TERM REFLECTOR

Many museums review the material and discuss it historically. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum opened fifty years after liberation.

In advance and preparation, Museums can:Establish an internal ethos that supports

response in terms of human resources.Have pre-arranged exhibition systems

in place that allow for responsiveness.Think that exhibitions in real time and

those done later with more reflection can exist side by side in the same institution.

Have ongoing relationship with other systems (i.e. journalists, media, etc.) who can provide access to in time information or systems.

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IN ORDER TO CREATE RAPIDLY CHANGING CONTENT, Museums need:

Systems that turn exhibitions around in short period of time

Have ongoing scan of current events as part of some job descriptions

Have a review process for topics that is based on timely response

Be considered a resource by community

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Museums must debate internally and consider :How willing they are to put up raw data without

much reflection, in favor of speed and flexibility.

Their relationship to social service,Their willingness to make their physical assets

available to others, The consequences of taking political sides or

seemingly political sides,Their willingness to have their more trusted and

neutral space used by politicians. Changing their collections policy,Willingness to take a stand on moral issues as

part of their responsibility.25

AUTHORITY CONSIDERATIONS

Who speaks for the museum?Whose voice is in the exhibition?What is the museum stand on

debate and controversy?Is the museum organized for

shared and multiple perspectives?

Is this a “viewpoint” museum?

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