Admittedly, this week has been pretty quiet at the museum, especially after the madness that was last week. Once the spring break of the Mesa public schools finished, the museum went back to the usual throngs of younger children. However, school groups are still coming to tour the gallery in droves, and I have thereby become a pro at assisting with the tour activity, a variation of the printing activity that occurred with the Hokusai class that I mentioned in the previous post. And that means that I get paint on my hands. A lot.
As we are in the second half of our project timeline already, I would like to take this time to broadly sketch out my plans for the remainder of the project.
In terms of the museum, I will continue to do what I do now, which is primarily assisting with the tour, especially with the painting and printing at the end of each tour. At some point, I will begin to lead a tour stop or two, helping to educate the tour groups on the topics of recycling, the oceans of the world, categorization of marine animals, or echolocation. This will definitely be a different experience for me, as I'm not the best public speaker. However, the task seems less daunting when the audience is more interested in the art on display than what I'm saying.
If I've learned anything from interning at the museum, it's that kids have a strange, unpredictable, wonderful insight. Even with my previous exposure as a TA to fifth graders, this is the first time in my life that I've had so much time close to such a younger generation. (I should mention that I also underestimated the collective destructive power of kids under the age of six. I will never make this mistake again.) As such, I am planning some sort survey as I mentioned in the post before. I have a prototype of one, but I'm contemplating having two: one for teenagers or adults, and the other for children. In any case, some form or either can hopefully begin to circulate next week at the museum.
As for outside the museum, I find that I don't go to other sources of public art enough. However, I plan on visiting Roosevelt Row again--this time in the daylight, a piece known as Her Secret is Patience in Downtown Phoenix, and perhaps a couple of other works on the list that can be found here: http://dtphx.org/2015/10/01/9-public-art-projects-in-downtown-phoenix/.
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| Her Secret is Patience |
I really want to experience more of the city I've lived in for ten years, especially because there's a strong chance that I'll be leaving soon. Therefore, I'll spending the remaining weeks going out and not just photographing art, but also exploring the spirit of the city. Stay tuned for more photos of local public artwork!
First, a correction: You are an EXCELLENT public speaker! I am sure that you will be an exceptional tour guide! Have you found that school groups are most popular among particular school districts/grades? Are these groups charged admission?
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting about public art in our backyard - I am planning a visit to see the sites you mention. Her Secret is Patience looks spectacular!
The groups that frequent the museum are almost always kindergarten to second grade. Any older and it becomes difficult to hold their attention. As for school districts, they seem to come from all over--I've heard that it takes some groups almost 40 minutes to drive to the museum. And I believe all visitors are charged admission, including parents (there was a particular issue regarding this matter a week ago, if I remember correctly).
DeleteMY brief experience in Mr. Cleland's sixth grade art class confirmed your point that kids have a "strange, unpredictable, wonderful insight." It's hard to keep up with them sometimes; their minds are always racing ahead. It's hard to believe that we were just like them not long ago!
ReplyDeleteThat's a really cool picture. I've seen that piece of art often during the day, but I never knew it lit up. Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteHey I recognize that piece! Not because I've actually seen it but because I watched a Ted talk given by the artist. What kinds of questions are you going to ask on your survey/what kind of information are you looking to gather?
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