Annotated images of museums and attractions I found of interest when I visited the west coast of the USA in 2014 to attend the Association of Childrens Museums Conference and present a paper to the American Alliance of Museums AGM and Expo. For more see museumsliteracies.blogspot.com.au
1. Gratuitous observations made
2014 travels to the
west coast of the USA
Los Angeles
Phoenix
Association of Children's Museum Conference
Las Vegas
Seattle
Alliance of American Museums AGM and Expo
San Francisco
including the surprising highlights:
Las Vegas’ Neon Light Boneyard Museum
San Francisco’s 826 Valencia The Pirate Store
3. The cafes, shops and site given the same
prominence as the exhibitions
4. • Getty Family Room
• Two languages in signage
• Little relationship
between inside and
outside-though adult
galleries showed scant
regard for this
opportunity (the
landscaping stunning but
the weather is hot to the
point of hostile)
• Family booth at the entry
with children's trails and
hire of audio trail for
families
5. • Getty Family Room
• 5 immersive rooms
with photo of artwork
at the entry of each
eg a child can try out
the bed
14. An exhibition that explored museums as cultural and
historic artefacts. Included photographs of dioramas,
wax portraits and re purposing photographic
negatives. It was unrelated to my research yet fed my
fascination with collections and the notion of truth.
It was enchanting.
19. • Downtown Phoenix was low rise;
misted footpaths and had Little
Free Libraries dotted around
town
20. Study tour of Phoenix Children's Museum
Customised family friendly
promotions by monthly
program sponsor
ATM and two tiered bubbler
at the entry
21. Playful even in
the corridors
Pop up corridor sports based on
Special Olympics program for children
22. Still in the corridors-
for storing shoes
Rearranging bouquets of flowers. The Van Gogh (a
reproduction, though in the States who can tell and
would it matter here?) as inspiration.
35. Chihuly in the Bellagio Foyer
Kitsch surprisingly difficult to find
though gold when it was
36. Floral painting based on artwork by
Polly Thayer displayed in the garden
to cross promote a travelling
exhibition from the Boston Museum
of Fine Arts in the Bellagio’s own
Gallery.
‘Drink, play, discover’
Slogan for grown up child’s space in
The Luxor
41. • Lessons from the International Community:
Museums, Teachers and Literacy
Education and Interpretation
• Wednesday, May 21 10:15-
11:30a.m. Washington State Convention
Center 620
Innovative Art Teaching Using Museum
Resources explores the “A is for Art” program, a
collaborative effort between the Asian
Civilisations Museum and the Singapore
Teachers’ Academy for the aRts, which aims to
build competencies of elementary art teachers
to meaningfully engage students in museum-
based art lessons.
• Dating Literacy: A New Relationship examines a
pilot project between the Museum of Old and
New Art (MONA) and the Tasmanian Museum
and Art Gallery in which partners from
museums, a state library, community agencies
and families address literacy as a new organizing
principle in which to encourage public
engagement with museum collections and
ideas.
•
Global Perspectives
Presenter: Greg Stevens, American Alliance of
Museums; Helen Whitty, Powerhouse Museum;
Melissa Viswani, Asian Civilisations Museum,
National Heritage Board
67. Valencia 827
826 Valencia is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting
students ages six to eighteen with their creative and expository
writing skills and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.
826 Valencia was founded in 2002 by author Dave Eggers and
educator Nínive Calegari. Its shop front is a Pirate Store that sells
pirate stuff and children's writings.
