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Metropolitan Museum Filter

Flood — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 09:27:50 -0800

Metropolitan Museum of Art filter: Any suggestions for visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art with teenagers? I will be in NYC for a brief trip with my extanded family. Two of my teenage nieces have become interested in Art History. I am going to spend a day with them at the Met.

I have studied art history. I have been to the Met several times, and know it a bit. I know the big highlights of the museum - but what are the really great things to see that people might overlook? Where in the museum are these things?

I am interested in hearing any other info that you would like to share about the musuem. Keep in mind, the goal here is to deepen and further teenage interest in art history.

Any and all thoughts are appreciated. Any good web-sites (the official website for the museum is very good, but anything else).

Information about travelling museums?

bwonder2 — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 00:57:16 -0800

Can anyone please help me remember the name of an artist, a woman, I think from the Philippines, who created and carried her own museum? Or similar projects of "mobile/portabe museums/galleries".

What are those personalized audio cones above me at the museum?

codybaldwin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:14:01 -0800

What are the personal/individual audio cones are museums called? Is it possible to make one at home relatively inexpensively? I can't find any information on them. This may be because I don't know what they're called, and so I couldn't really adequately look to see if this has even been asked before. Regardless, these are sort of halves of spheres that hang from above and project audio onto guests of museums. You also sometimes see them at internet and computer gaming cafe's.

So, what're they called?
How do they work?
Can I make one relatively cheaply?

What exactly am I learning and how can I use it for fun and profit?

doift — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:11:00 -0800

I work in a major US art museum, helping to manage the database that is used to keep track of the art, exhibitions, etc. In the context of this job, I have developed, quite unintentionally, a decent working knowledge of Crystal Reports and a little bit of experience with SQL queries. Other than this museum-specific experience, I know little about the world of databases. What other jobs could I do building on these skills, what else would I need to learn to do those jobs, and how should I go about learning it? The database software that we use is TMS, which is probably the most common software used by larger museums. I got into this particular job the way most folks do, by doing a lot of data entry at various museums and becoming a relatively advanced user, and stumbling into a job helping to manage the database and train other staff how to use it. Now I want out of the museum database world for a variety of reasons. The thing I like best about my job is the little data cleanup projects that make it easier for users to search for things- taking a hodgepodge of information and making it consistent is pretty satisfying.

So, educate me about the wide world of databases and the job outlook therein. I don't have a huge interest or aptitude in hardcore tech and programming, but I wouldn't mind moving in that direction to some degree.

What is this (possibly train-related) device?

humpy — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 05:59:31 -0800

I saw this thing on a recent trip to a train museum - does anyone know what it is? On a recent trip to the Rail Transport Museum I spotted this device in one of the older passenger carriages. I suppose I should have noted exactly *which* of the carriages it was, but anyway! As I recall, it was in a Pullman car, which was a sleeper. These carriages are all renovated/restored to varying degrees. As my daughter and I moved to the end section of the carriage, I spied this device on the wall. It kind of looked like a small light. I guess it was the size of my fist. If you look closely at the pic, you can see that it has a wire? cable? coming from the bottom of the device, into a drilled hole in the wall.
I asked the guide what it could possibly be. He had no idea! The device was mounted next to some cupboards that were "flush" with the wall. I suggested opening the cupboard door nearest the device, and seeing where the cable went to. After some difficulty the guide and I did manage to get the door open (he was a pretty cool guide, most museum guides would probably have told me to keep my hands off!), but of course the path of the wire was not visible (it must have gone off to the left of the cupboard).
Here is a closer look at the device. You can see it says "Call Dealer When Red". As you can see, it is red!
These carriages are pretty much stationary, but they are powered (the lights do go on and off, my daughter was playing with some of the light switches and they work as they would have when the carriage was in service), and they do move from time to time, and are even taken out of the museum, and members of the public allowed to ride in them (whilst being hauled by an engine). So even though they are museum displays they are expected to get (very limited) use in the real world.
What in the hell is this thing? Has anyone ever seen anything like it before?

What are the best living history museums?

beccaj — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:48:47 -0800

I love living history museums- especially the ones with actors. I am lucky to be close to Old Sturbridge Village and Plimoth Plantation. What other ones are great??? This past weekend I went to "King Richard's Fair" in Carver which is a Renaissance fair. It's great fun historically accurate it's not. I'd like to visit more and not only in the US. What living history museums are the best in the world??
Amazing AND amazingly historically accurate. I'm interested in just about any period in history.

Where to throw a party in San Francisco?

roxie110 — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:03:30 -0800

Suggestions for birthday party locations to rent in San Francisco? I'm thinking about throwing a party for my 40th birthday in October and have been racking my brain for ideas for places to go or to rent. My best guess is about 30 people (could be less or more, probably depending on how cool the event is!), preferably an evening/night event, and those thousand-dollar-and-up uber-swanky places are definitely out. It's quite likely I'd want to have a couple bands I know play, and have some sort of music going (probably from an ipod playlist) the rest of the time. I could set up some sort of bar if the venue doesn't have one--quite a number of my friends are big drinkers, so availibility of booze would help grease the rails!

Every year on my birthday I just have friends show up at a bar (Zeitgeist, Casanova) so I don't have to bother with planning. This year I'm open to trying something a little more special--but ideally I'd like the venue to be cool enough that it will do some of the work of making the party successful. (I don't want a bunch of people standing around just *looking* at each other. Horror!)

Any suggestions would be gratefully welcomed. From looking at past Metafilter postings, it looks like art galleries are a possibility--does anyone know one or two in particular that might do the trick? I'm also open to suggestions for places or party ideas that are very cool but that are outside of what it seems I'm looking for.

I would like to work in as a museum textile curator, what kind of schooling would I need for that?

Listening — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 00:06:20 -0800

I would like to work in as a museum textile curator, what kind of schooling would I need for that?

Met net vs associate vs individual???

smackfu — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 07:53:07 -0800

Can you explain the differences between the various Metropolitan Museum of Art memberships? In particular, if you have one, why did you pick that one and not another?

Dr Whoseum?

Gortuk — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:18:33 -0800

Where can I see Dr. Who stuff in or around London? My wife and I are recent (new series) Dr. Who fans, and making our first trip to London in early September. I've checked out http://www.doctorwhoexhibitions.com but it looks like we just missed an exhibit in London. Of the other locations, Coventry seems the closest, about 1 hour out - has anyone been there and is it worth the trip?

Being that Dr. Who is apparently quite popular in the UK, is there anywhere in London apart from the 'official' exhibitions to see Dr. Who stuff? (The ideal is that we can get a Stephen Colbert-style picture with our Dalek friend).

Bonus question: We're also Mighty Boosh fans, so same question but for the Boosh or any other nerd-related British TV shows.

How to incorporate a museum entry pin into a gift

ssmug — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 05:17:38 -0800

Give me some ideas for something fun and thoughtful to do with a museum entry pin thingy. You know those little round foldable metal clips you get when you go to a museum that you wear while you're in there? (I'd post a picture, but I don't know what they're called, and none of the possibilities I can think of come up on the Google. Hopefully you know what I'm talking about!)

Well, I'd like to incorporate it into a little gift to my GF who came with me to the museum. I've thought about attaching it to a note, but I've done similar type things and I'm looking for something more creative. I also thought about attaching it as a fun, whimsical necklace or something, but: a) those things are kind of sharp; and b) although I think she'd appreciate it, I don't think she'd ever wear it.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, MeFites!

How to retain a career in the arts industry

Weng — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:28:17 -0800

Is there a qualification that will (relatively speaking) "recession-proof" a career in the arts industry? For example, a management qualification? I have recently withdrawn from a graduate research program to work full-time in the museum & gallery sector (... and because, well, I found that I hated doing a PhD.) What I am now concerned about is how competitive this field is, and whether I may have disadvantaged myself by not having an extra qualification, beyond my BA Hons in Art History. Although I'm not keen on solitary academic research right now, I'm open to the general idea of more study - by coursework, for example - to gain extra skills & have better employment prospects.

I should add here that I'm not specifically interested in being a curator, although that is the area where I have done my internship and 1 year of work experience (just as an assistant). It's possible that I'd be equally happy in the areas of Education, Exhibitions, Marketing, Publications, Design, etc... the problem is, they are all specific skill sets in themselves, requiring e.g. an Education degree or Design portfolio. I am not sure where (or if) I want to specialise or how to get experience in those areas without more study - i just know I like working in this creative environment. I am a fairly typical ENFP personality type, if that helps.

* So my question is: Is there a general qualification that would give me a competitive edge in as many areas of museum & gallery work as possible? Is this what an Arts Management degree (e.g. Masters) is? Would this be more broadly useful than, say, a Diploma of Education? And if it really becomes hard to get a job in the arts (even more so that at present, I mean), am I better to get something non arts-specific? (I admit I have no background or apparent aptitude in economics and the like, although I am willing to learn.)

So I guess I'm basically asking which qualifications are most highly sought after in the museum & gallery sector (or more broadly the arts), by as many areas as possible?
(apart from a PhD, that is... if in fact it does top the list, as I have heard conflicting advice on this point.)

Do you know of any museums which watermark their online images?

COBRA! — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:58:19 -0800

I need a list of museums which watermark (or otherwise alter for the purpose of control) the images they make available online. Actually, I'm arguing that it's rarely done, and I don't find a lot of examples. But I worry about being wrong and missing a bunch.

Modern Art From 1980s

mshellenberger — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 20:10:41 -0800

I am searching for references and especially pictures of two pieces of modern art. Both were displayed at the same time at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the late 1980s. The first is called "The Rose" or perhaps "The Rows". It was a large piece of white canvas on a frame with red lines drawn on it and it resembled graph paper.

The second consisted of two large pieces of canvas on frames positioned above and below each other. In the gap between the to canvases was a racquetball that, I believe, was used to create the artwork.

I've searched Google (and its predecessors) many times over the years.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Best ways to harness the web for museum/gallery collection access?

Weng — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 14:12:09 -0800

What are the best, most innovative websites that provide access to museum or art gallery collections, or related art historical information? For each example, what are the factors that make it so good? This can be in terms of style, aesthetics, useability, novelty value, whatever. Primarily I am looking for examples of how the capabilities of the web have been made use of in order to create better access to art collections and their supporting material.

Any suggestions? If so, what is the actual technology / tool / software being used? [Sorry, you can probably tell by my terminology that I'm a newbie in this area...]

My purpose in asking is to help with the brainstorming of new project ideas, for a website that I may be involved in developing in future. Obviously I am kind of a luddite in this area, but need to start researching the possibilities that are out there... So, any pointers towards blogs, books or articles that discuss this issue would also be appreciated!

Thanks all!

What to do with an inherited tiger's head?

omnigut — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 13:26:09 -0800

We inherited a tiger's head from our dead grandfather, which was hunted around 1940. We'd like to know how much it is likely to cost, and what people think we should do with it; donate it to a museum? to an art college? to an insane asylum? Any suggestions appreciated. Photos are here, here, and here. You can see photos of it here, here, and here.

What's the best software for cataloging an art collection?

titans13 — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 09:47:05 -0800

What is a good software program for cataloging an art collection? I am helping somebody pick a piece of software to manage their extensive art collection at their home. I have heard of Past Perfect 4, but I know this may be overkill since this is something mainly used by museums. I am looking for something that will be simple to back up (either an automatic backup feature built in or a simple database file that I can manually set up a scheduled backup for). Thanks!

Help me identify this paintaing

GenTso — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:13:11 -0800

Who is the artist behind / what is the name of this painting? And what do you call art like this? I really like the shading and detail, and the Muslim-era look man. Trying to find this type of art in large print size.
FYI - I came across this from a link on Time.com (click "More features" on the right side of the "features" area at the bottom of the page).

Chicago for an atypical tourist?

fritley — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:42:52 -0800

I'm going to Chicago, Sunday - Wednesday. What geeky/techie things should I not miss while I'm there? I'm going to Chicago with a fellow geek friend for IMTS (machine tool/manufacturing trade show) next week. I'm looking for some fun things to do Monday and Tuesday afternoon/evening. I would like to know about any local electronics junk/surplus shops, machinery junk/surplus, museums that cater to adults and have interesting displays about technology (new or especially old), or anything else of the kind.

Examples of great finds that I've really enjoyed in other cities are Fair Radio (Lima OH), Exploratorium (San Francisco CA), HGR Industrial Surplus (Euclid OH), Boeing Surplus (Wichita KS), Early Television Museum (Hilliard OH), Pavek Museum (St. Louis Park, MN).

Modern art framing

jayder — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:15:23 -0800

Art museum painting framing question. A common style of framing in art museums --- especially with abstract paintings such as Cy Twombly and Mark Rothko's works --- involves a thin strip of wood around the edge of a painting, perhaps with a few-millimeter gap between the edge of the canvas and the inner edge of the wood. The strip of wood is usually flush with the face of the painting. That's all there is to it. I would like to replicate this effect with some paintings I have. Any idea how best to accomplish this effect? I am hoping to do it myself, using some basic hand tools, but I am not sure how best to fasten the frame to the painting, nor am I sure what is holding the frame together. The wood strips are very thin, perhaps a quarter of an inch wide, no more than half an inch.

How can I preserve Douglas Adams' typewriter?

The Shiny Thing — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:51:36 -0800

How can I preserve Douglas Adams' typewriter for the ages? And more generally, how do museums handle item donations and loans? The typewriter on which Douglas Adams wrote The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy is for sale.

I'm sorely tempted to buy it (how often does something like this come up for sale?!), but a) I wouldn't have a clue how to store or preserve it; and b) an artefact like this should really be on display in a museum somewhere.

So my question is - if I bought the typewriter, how would I go about loaning it to a museum? And more generally, how do museums deal with offers of loans or donations?

(I'm actually semi-serious about this. If you have any contacts in museums who I could talk to, shoot me a MeFi-mail.)

You have been looking at that painting a bit too long and it's making me feel like a nube

brandnew — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 04:32:24 -0800

Appreciating the visual arts: what should I be looking at? What should I be thinking about? OK, I love art. I had done several years of art technique in drawing, painting, and ceramics throughout middle school and high school, and a little bit more in college. I have taken (a while ago), classes on art history, so I vaguely remember the different art periods, and the meaning of art from a period perspective. I can appreciate the social aspects and movements that drive art. I understand a wee little bit on art theory - form and color, in particular, but not much.

Here's the problem: When I'm at a gallery or a museum, a lot of times I just don't understand what I'm supposed to be looking at. ISo, fall back to the aesthetics. I also try to role-play the artist - try to understand why they had made one decision over another. Finally, I try to appreciate the art technique.

But, to be totally and ignorantly honest, 75% of what I see, I don't understand. This is especially true in contemporary galleries, where I'm looking at art from this period. I end up passing up most of the art on the wall, because it's not immediately interesting or appealing. Especially photography - oftentimes, I'm puzzled and asking myself "why".

I really want to understand what I'm supposed to be looking at. But, I want to better appreciate art. I don't want to feel out of the know.

What are all of those other people (you) looking at when they look at a painting or sculpture? They seem to be standing there for a very long time.

Are there blogs or books that I can read to help decrease my art ignorance?

Hoping to see historic homes in Henderson

chihiro — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 07:48:26 -0800

Is the Clark County Heritage Museum in Henderson, NV still open? We'll be spending a week in Henderson/Las Vegas later this month and this museum looked really interesting, but their website is down and I can't figure out whether it's still open or not. Locals, help!

Name That Painting

ElmerFishpaw — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 15:34:02 -0800

Who painted this and what is it called? It was at the NY MoMA.

Do I work in a toxic environment?

Tullyogallaghan — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:04:50 -0800

How unsafe is it to work in a warehouse filled with hundred + year old stuffed exhibits (buffalo, cougars, birds, snakes, etc.) It contains the archives of a natural history museum. One of the scientists there told me that, although they would like to get rid of some of these old specimens, no one would want them as they were taxidermed the old fashioned way with mercury and formaldehyde, etc. They, also, have a bar of radium from Madame Curie but its on a different floor. I've inquired as to how its packaged but I'd be surprised if its done properly in a lead box. I just read an article that made a connection with working around formaldehyde and ALS - my most feared disease. I only work (volunteer) there 2 days a week but am I in any danger doing so? Thanks