Weekly Schedule

CAVEAT - The current schedule is tentative and the dates of guest speakers and museum visits may change ----

Note: All readings should be done before the class for which they are assigned.

Week 1 (Jan. 28)

Introduction:

Introduction to the World of Museums

What the class is all about and what to expect

Short History of Museums—What we think of when we think of museums, museums without walls, what defines a museum (for example: Roman temples with statues as museums, Alexandria’s Library as a museum)

No Readings Assigned.

In Class We will watch We Love Museums to they love us back, with pinky and kim

Week 2 (Feb. 4)

Logistics: what is a museum?

Museum mission statements, who makes up a museum and how it is organized, issues of curatorial authority, and questions of the subjectivity of display.

Night at the Museum class discussion

Readings

E.G. Burcaw, (1995). “Museum Defined.” In Introduction to Museum Work, pp. 3-13.
P. Gerstenblith, (2006). “Museum Practice: Legal Issues.” In A Companion to Museum Studies, S. Macdonald editor, pp. 442-456.
H. Gurian (2006). “Choosing Among the Options” (pp. 48-56, chapter 5) Civilizing the Museum. Routledge.
Hein, H.S. (2000). “Introduction: From Object to Experience.” The Museum in Transition. A Philosophical Perspective. Smithsonian Press.
J. Terrell (1991). “Disneyland and the Future of Museum Anthropology.” American Anthropologist 93 (1): 149-153
C. Kreps (2006).” Non-Western Models of Museums and Curation in Cross-cultural Perspective.” In A Companion to Museum Studies, S. Macdonald editor, pp. 457-472.
Mission Statements and Websites of ICOM (International Council of Museums), AAM (American Association of Museums), AAMD (American Association of Museum Directiors)

Assignment due Feb.4th

Night at the Museum Movie Review.

Week 3 (Feb. 11)

Laws and Loans: Acquisitions

Antiquity Trade, Partage, Loans, the “Hot Pot”

Read for Feb. 11:

N. Brodie (2006). “US Art Museum Accessions.” Culture Without Context, Issue 18.
J. Cuno (2007). “Art Museums, Archaeology and Antiquities in an Age of Sectarian Violence and Nationalist Politics.” In The Acquisition and Exhibition of Classical Antiquities, edited by R. Rhodes, pp. 9-26. and response by Charles Rosenberg.
P. Gerstenblith (2007). “The Acquisition and Exhibition of Classical Antiquities.” In The Acquisition and Exhibition of Classical Antiquities, edited by R. Rhodes, pp. 47-63.
And response by M. S. Gold (2005) “Death By Ethics.” Museum News November/December.
R. Mead (2007). “Den of antiquity (Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Antiquities Department),” The New Yorker (April 9th, 2007) 83: 52-61.
C. Renfrew (2006). “Museum Acquisition: Responsibilities for the Illicit Traffic in Antiquities.” In Archaeology, Cultural Heritage and the Antiquities Trade, edited by N. Brodie, M.M. Kersel, C. Luke and K.W. Tubb, pp. 245-257.
AAMD New Report on Acquisition of Archaeological Materials and Ancient Art, June 2008, http://www.aamd.org/newsroom

Philadelphia Declaration

T. Hoving (2001). “The Hot Pot,” ArtNet Magazine, July 2, 2001.
B. Magness-Gardiner (2003) “Long-Term Archaeological Loans from Italy: Summary of Roundtable Discussions.” American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 107(3): 477-481
P.G. Ferri (2009) “New Types of Cooperation Between Museums and Countries of Origin.” Museum International Vol. 61 No.1-2: 91-94.

Week 4 (Feb. 18)

What is the “traditional” museum?

Virtual museum class discussion, Anthropology and Museums, visit to Annmary Brown Memorial and Manning Chapel with Steve Lubar

DUE: Virtual Museum Review

read for Feb.18

Collier and H. Tschopik (1954). “The Role of Museums in American Anthropology.” American Anthropologist 56: 768-779
AnnMary Brown Memorial Founding
Handler, R. “An Anthropological Definition of a Museum and it Purpose.” Museum Anthropology 17 (1): 33-36
Y. Rowan (2004) “Repackaging the Pilgrimage: Visiting the Holy Land In Orlando. “In Marketing Heritage: Archaeology and the Consumption of the Past, Y. Rowan and U. Baram, editors, pp. 249-266.
http://www.theholylandexperience.com/
Williams, Peter (2008). “Creation Museum.” Material Religion Vol.4 (3): 373-375
NY times article on Noah’s Ark Theme Park: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/06/us/06ark.html?scp=1&sq=%22creation%20museum%22&st=cse

The Virtual Museum:

J. Cheng (2009). “Web Site Review: Review of the Virtual Museums of Iraq. CSA Newsletter XXII(2).
P. Petridis, M. White, N. Mourkousis, F. Liarokapis, M. Sifniotis, A. Basu and C.Gatzidis (2004). “Exploring and Interacting with Virtual Museums.” CAA Portugal, paper presentation.

Week 5 (Feb.25)

Laws and Loans: Repatriation

The Great Debate and NAGPRA

Read for Feb 25.

T. Besterman (2009) “Returning a Stolen Generation.” Museum International Vol. 61 No. 102: 107-111.
M. Simpson (2009). “Museums and Restorative Justice: Heritage, Repatriation and Cultural Education.” Museum International Vol. 61 No. 102: 121-129.

CASE STUDY READINGS

Y. Hamilakis (1999). “Stories from Exile. Fragments from the Cultural Biography of the Parthenon (or “Elgin”) Marbles.” World Archaeology 31(2): 303-320.
C. Hitchens (2009). “The Lovely Stones.“ Vanity Fair, July.
J. Lobell (2009) “A New Home for the Treasures of the Acropolis.“ Archaeology, September/October Vol 62 (5)
D. Rudenstine (2000). “Did Elgin Cheat at Marbles?“ The Nation May 29, 2000: 43-51.
Snodgrass (2004). “The Parthenon Marbles as an archaeological issue.” In Material Engagements: Studies in honour of Colin Renfrew, edited by N. Brodie and C. Hills, pp. 115-124.
W. G. Stewart (2001). “The Marbles: Elgin or Parthenon?” IAL Annual Lecture, December 2000. Art, Antiquity and Law 6(1): 37-56.
Anderson (1996). “Reburial: Is It Reasonable? “ In Archaeological Ethics, edited by K. Vitelli, pp. 200-208.
G. A. Clark (1998). “NAGPRA, the Conflict between Science and Religion, and the Political Consequences,” SAA Bulletin 16(5): 23-25.
J. Watkins (1998). “Native Americans, Western Science, and NAGPRA. “SAA Bulletin 16(5): 23-25. A response to Clark.
L. Zimmerman (1998). “When Data Become People: Archaeological Ethics, Reburial, and the Past as Public Heritage.” International Journal of Cultural Property 7(1): 69-86.
http://www.kennewick-man.com
http://www.cr.nps.gov/aad/kennewick

Week 6 (Mar. 4)

Display of The Sacred I: Introduction and the display of Egyptian Sacred Artifacts

Introduction to the study of religious objects on display in museums (ancient vs. contemporary religions); Museums as sacred spaces

The display Egyptian sacred artifacts, 'issues and controversies of the display of mummies'

Read for Mar. 4

Art Museum as Sacred or Secular Space?

Gaskell, Ivan (2003). "Sacred to Profane and Back Again," in A. McClellan, ed. Art and Its Publics: Museum Studies at the Millennium, Malden, MA, 148-62.
Keane, Webb (2008). “On the Materiality of Religion.” Material Religion Vol 4. (2): 230-231
Duncan C. (1995). Civilizing Rituals: Inside Public Art Museums. Routledge, London. Chapter 1, “The Art Museum as Ritual” (pp.7-21)

Egyptian Religious Artifacts

Quirke, Stephen. Ancient Egyptian Religion. Read: Introduction pp.7-19 (optional for further reading chs.2, 5)
Taylor, John. Death and Afterlife in Ancient Egypt. Read pp. 186-193
Kozloff, Arielle. "Ancient Egypt in Museums Today." in Egyptology Today. Cambridge University Press. Read pp.144-148. SKIM the rest
Wieczorkiewicz, A. (2005). “Unwrapping mummies and telling their stories: Egyptian mummies in museum rhetoric.” In Science, Magic, and Religion: The ritual processes of museum magic, edited by M. Boughet & N. Porto. Berghahn Books, New York. pp. 51–74.
Kilmister, Hugh. “Visitor Perceptions of Ancient Egyptian Human Remains in Three United Kingdom Museums.” 14 (2003): 57-69
Lohnman, Jack (2006). “Parading the Dead, Policing the Living.” In Human Remains and Museum Practice , Vol 918 (Unesco) pp.21-24.

Week 7 (Mar. 11)

Visit to Boston Museum of Fine Arts with Phoebe Segal, Curatorial Research Associate

Week 8 (Mar. 18)

Visit to RISD museum with Gina Borromeo, Curator of Ancient Art

Week 9 (Mar. 25th) NO CLASS: Instructor Away

Students will schedule individual meetings with instructor to discuss their final projects during the week of March 14-18 or the week of April 4-8^th

**REVIEW ESSAY ON RISD AND BOSTON MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS DUE VIA E-MAIL BY MIDNIGHT ON THE 25^TH**

Week 10 (April 1^st) NO CLASS, SPRING BREAK

Week 11 (April 8^th)

Display of the Sacred II: Greek and Roman Religious Artifacts

Temples as museums, sacrality of ancient art, ancient views of museums and collecting

Read for Apr. 8:

Rüpke, Jörg. (2007) “Roman Religion-Religions of Rome.” In A Companion to Roman Religion, edited by Jörg Rüpke. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford. pp.1-10
Carpenter, T.H. (2010) “Greek Religion and Art.” In A Companion to Greek Religion, edited by Daniel Ogden. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford. pp. 398-321
Elsner, Jas (2007) Roman Eyes: Visuality and Subjectivity in Art and Text . Princeton University Press, Princeton. Chapters 2 and 9 (pp. 29-49 and 225-253)
Tanner, Jeremy. (2006) The invention of Art History in Ancient Greece: Religion Society and Artistic Rationalisation. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Selections from Chapters 2 and 5
Miles, Margaret . (2008) Art as Plunder: The Ancient Origins of Debate About Cultural Property. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Selections from chapters 3 and 4

Ancient Galleries Described

Petronius’ Satyricon (in translation) of Enclopius’ viewing of the picture gallery (83-90)

OPTIONAL:

Elsner, Jas. (1996) “Image and Ritual: Reflections on the Religious Appreciation of Classical Art”. Classical Quarterly (1996): 515-531

Week 12 (Apr. 15)

Display of the Sacred III: Indian Religious Artifacts

Display of religions that are still practiced.

Case Studies: Museums in the East vs. Museums in the West

Read for Apr. 15:

Mitter, P. (1992) Much Maligned Monsters: A History of European Reactions to Indian Art. University of Chicago Press, Chicago. 1992. pp 48-73, “paganism revealed.”
Eck, Diana. Dar'ś'an: Seeing the Divine Image in India. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1998. pp.3-10, 32-59, 59-63.
Brill's Encyclopedia of Hinduism vol. II. Selections: “Iconography and Image,” “Pūja and Darśana,” and “Temple: Form and Function”
Guha-Thakurta, Tapati. (2004) Monuments, objects, histories: institutions of art in colonial and Post-colonial India. Columbia University Press, Columbia. pages 187-204.
Reedy, CL. “Religious and Ethical Issues in the Study and Conservation of Tibetan Sculpture.” Journal of the American Institute for Conservation 31 (1992):41-51
Davis, Richard. “Indian Art Objects as Loot.” Journal of Asian Studies 52 (1993):22-48

Guest Discussant: Elizabeth Cecil

Week 13 (Apr. 22)

The Display of the Sacred IV: Byzantine and Medieval Religious Artifacts

Display of religions that are still practiced, holy relics and reliquaries, museums within churches, sacred collections.

Read for Apr. 22:

Bassett, Sarah. (2007) Urban Image of Late Antique Constantinople. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Selections from Chapters 2 (“Creating the Collection) and 5 (“The Lausos Collection”).
Evans, Helen (editor). (2004) Byzantium: Faith and Power (1261-1557). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. pp. 5-17 : “Byzantium: Faith and Power,” and pp.65-78: “Religious Settings of the Late Byzantine Sphere.”
Krueger, D. “The Religion of Relics in Late Antiquity and Byzantium.” In Treasures of Heaven: Saints, Relics and Devotion in Medieval Europe, edited by Martina Bagnoli, Holger Klien, C. Griffith Mann, and James Robinson. Yale University Press, New Haven. pp. 5-17
Klein, Holger. “Sacred Things and Holy Bodies: Collecting Relics from Late Antiquity to the Early Renaissance.” In Treasures of Heaven: Saints ,Relics and Devotion in Medieval Europe, edited by Martina Bagnoli, Holger Klien, C. Griffith Mann, and James Robinson. Yale University Press, New Haven. pp. 55-69
Nagel, A. “The Afterlife of the Reliquary.” In Treasures of Heaven: Saints Relics and Devotion in Medieval Europe, edited by Martina Bagnoli, Holger Klien, C. Griffith Mann, and James Robinson. Yale University Press, New Haven. pp. 211-222
della Dora, Veronica. “Taking Sacred Space out of Place: From Mount Sinai to Mount Getty Through Travelling Icons.” Mobilities Volume 4, Issue 2 (2009): 225-248
Frazer, Margaret English. "Medieval Church Treasuries." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 43, no. 3 (Winter, 1985–86):8-56. Skim (lots of pictures); pay particular attention to pp.44-56

Week 14 (Apr. 29) ''Last class

final poster presentations

final paper due