Avoiding Reading 13.1.12 (plus some notes)

So, I have officially wasted yet another perfect study day due to procrastination. “Perfect study day?” you ask. Yes — the perfect study weather (slightly overcast and cool enough to rug up), no noisy neighbours, and a sleeping husband.

Source

Things I have done today:

• Running errands in town (we booked haircuts for both of us and an eyebrow wax for me, and then we had to pick up Dan’s pay, which was of course followed by the exciting weekly visit to the post office and then brunch at the cafe)
• Watched YouTube videos (generally titled “How I Organize my Planner” and “What’s in my School Bag” — I’m a nerd/geek/loser, get over it.)
• Tried on outfits to wear to summer school (I want to look like me, but professional too — and many of my summery dresses feel too short for that description!)
• Started writing a shopping list for when I visit Officeworks (nerdily excited to spend my birthday money from Dan there)
• Taking Charlie to the beach (but not for long due to massive winds down there today — boo!)

Thesis Thoughts

I am lucky I have already hit on the broad topic I want to research for my thesis. But this is also a bit troublesome for me, due to the fact I now feel a little overconfident, and like I have already achieved my January academic goal. Really, I should be reading more and trying to narrow my focus! Especially as I am beginning to feel passionately about ‘curating for kids’ (in such a way I am hoping to do well enough to do my PhD after my MA — whereas earlier in my MA, I was not convinced I would ever be at that point, and would just keep doing odd courses to get pieces of paper).

I already feel better about my thesis topic than I did the whole year of my Honours.

And, to add something productive to my day, please indulge some random mind dribble regarding ‘curating for kids’:

• Any interviews, surveys, etc. I want to do need to be decided upon pretty ASAP re: ethics need to be put through
• Look into UN ‘Convention on the Rights of the Child’ (CRC) >> Articles 12 & 31 primarily re: child’s rightsto ‘cultural citizenship’
  • “…Article 12 – the right to participation – and Article 31 which defines participation in the arts contexts…” (Mai & Gibson, 2011)
  • I could look at this in general, and then see how it is/n’t implemented in Australian institutions (above article mentions QAG as a good start — can toooootally have a study holiday there haha — and NGA and NGV are easy trips also), and then move on to howit could be implemented by these institutions and others
    • Look at how these institutions have been designed by and for adults, and how they can be adapted to suit the needs of children? >> Not sure. I know the NGA had a reworking of the gallery floor when they remodelled, meaning the children’s gallery was removed (and now only seems to ‘reappear’ in blockbusters, and even then it is behind a closed door!)
      • The words ‘segregation’ and ‘integration’ come to mind here >> loaded words but they certainly seem correct

I really need to read at least one article this evening before I wake Daniel up for dinner.

The Art of Bird Watching at the NGA

As part of my undergraduate career I created a ‘mock’ exhibition to be held in the NGA’s children’s gallery. This assessment piece was one of three undergrad items I physically stored away for future use (the other two being my Honours thesis journal and a course booklet about collecting, which contained many useful references). And I am now so grateful that  I kept this assessment — it has many small points within it that are bringing forth more ideas with each re-read.

• Using a smaller kids-orientated (and single themed) exhibition as a ‘gateway’ to the National Collection as a whole
• Using artworks to explore a broad context in a kid-friendly manner (From this example — what is bird watching [at the gallery]?, what is a bird?, what are feathers?, how do birds fly?, nests and eggs and chicks, birds you can watch, how can you help birds?, activity::a bird you can make) — providing age appropriate materials, as well as further resources for families/schools to use outside of the gallery to continue the learning outcomes of the exhibition
• Introducing kids to a variety of media used by artists, as well as objects the general public may not consider ‘art’ (or may be viewed as artefacts, etc. depending on definitions produced by institutions)
• Running public programs in conjunction with the exhibitions in order to further promote the exhibition PLUS art making in general (not to mention using it as a further ‘gateway’ to the gallery)
• Guided (or self-guided) tour of the gallery as a hide-and-seek style affair — moves children out of the designated gallery and into the institution as a whole >> ‘gateway’
• Check the aims of institutions re: programs for children (and what are the targeted ages?) >> think about what is my definition of ‘children’?
• Publications available in connection to children’s art gallery >> how interpreted for use by kids? parents? schools? community groups?
• Introducing children to a variety of art styles, cultures, mediums, artists, eras
• Display of a child friendly exhibition = low hung works, etc >> exhibition display
• Catalogue and textual materials encourage a link between the theme and the art >> creates further interest for viewer
• Connecting with community [interest] groups in order to widen the appeal of exhibitions
• Continuously available activity within the gallery space allows children to physically participate within the exhibition, without having to be on site at the specific times of other organised activities
• The addition of interactive questions within wall labels as a way of guiding children’s viewing of artworks

EDIT

This is exactly me right now, while I am doing prelim reading:

SOURCE