Review!

First Person Museum. Vicki Solot, executive director; Dona Dorman, coordinator; Seth Bruggeman, Julia Foulkes, Tom Sugrue, historians; Aaron Goldbatt, Metcalfe Architecture and Design. First Person Arts. November 5 2010- December 18 2010.

The First Person Museum, held at the Painted Bride, is the pilot exhibition for First Person Arts (FPA), where “objects tell stories.”[1] Cleverly crafted, it presents a blend of stories, objects, and histories into the quaint yet substantial space. Funding and sponsorship for the non-profit organization’s exhibit came from the Engage 2020 Innovation Grants Program as well as The Pew Center for Arts and Heritage. First Person Arts’ mission is to “honor the experiences of everyday people” through storytelling.[2] Through seven StoryCircles held in various communities of Philadelphia, FPA’s team assembled sixteen stories and objects to borrow for a museum space to emphasize the importance of everyday objects. Rather than being a traditional history space with labels and objects or a space of only stories, the exhibit creatively balances objects with personal tales and historical contexts. It balances displaying how a single person values an object with a history of the original use and value of that object.

Overall, the exhibit space is used to its best possible advantage given its limited budget. The emptiness of some of areas is at times very obvious; however, given their constraints it is reasonable. While the homey feeling to the space creates an artificial context for the object (as does anything displayed) it is not detrimental to their mission. The seating arrangements actively encourage people to sit, relax, and enjoy the space. The dressers, tables and other furniture encourage people to make connection to their own objects. The setting emphasizes that these are everyday items. Even the placement of the dining table under the stairs adds to the homey feeling while utilizing all of the space.

However, there are a few issues regarding the layout. The primary issue centers on the middle of room, where the objects Carla’s Wedding Ring and Beth’s Sock are located. In order to read Beth’s object history, one has to walk around the table and sit on the sofa. The problem is not moving around the table but the space need to escape from the area is cut short with more furniture. When there are other people roaming the space, such as opening night, it creates a bottle jam. With only a few others in the space, it is a wonderful an invitation to enjoy the room, but with people present, it creates frustration.

Another misgiving with the center sitting arrangement is that it blocks off the backspace from the rest of the room, making that area feel bare while the center feels cluttered. In that space, the objects are more spaced out, and it only has one sitting option. While great for allowing a crowd of people time to view everything, when no one is there it feels empty. In addition, another chair by Shanise's Rhino would have prevented people from running into the mini-rocking chair. While the rocking chair is perfect, something softly alerting people to the potential obstacle would be beneficial.

The two other areas off the main space are confusing at first glance. The loft space, while understandable why they did not use it (stairs, lower ceiling, etc.) lacked sufficient signage, making it appear to be a random space. On second glance, its purpose as a media center became clearer. Having one room for all the visual and audio stories is a resourceful use of that space. The second room of object gives the initial response as a leftover space. However, on a second glance the additional space is used well. It is large room but difficult to use, however, the designers made it functional. Though it was sparse, the objects are still housed on tables and dressers with seating to interact with the objects. The wall of short stories whose objects did not make it into the exhibit found another life in a clever and enjoyable way. These stories feel integrated into the exhibit. It contained the right amount of emotionally charged stories with varying lengthens and photos of the objects.

The labeling of the exhibit is also overall effective. The colors were bright enough to be noticed without overpowering and preventing people from reading the captions. They are at varying heights and centered around the object, on either the wall or the table. The labels are often accompanied with photographs of the owner, creating a connection between the face, story, and object. The titles clearly states whom the object belongs to along with what the object itself is. The history titles themselves represented what the caption told without creating a false pretense. One concern is the label layout of Carla’s Wedding Ring as the object’s title and owner’s photos are not near the object. One has to look search to find them across the walkway, and with traffic, it is impossible to read them. One thing I remain ambivalent towards however putting on the history sections, “a little bit of history.” It seems odd, as there does not appear to be any added benefit to using that phrase, and it de-emphasizes the historical aspect of the exhibit. Perhaps it is more noticeable since the history labels are also in a smaller font and label size than the stories.

One aspect that is engaging is the different presentations of the stories. The panels are short yet engaging. The audio stories of the owner are very moving as they convey a more in-depth, personal story. The videotaped stories expose the visitor to more than just the story/object/history, but its everyday setting. For example, John’s fishing license videotaped not only shows the owner with the object but also tells the family’s history, how to fish, what other things relates to fishing, etc. It creates a larger context for the individual object. The owners chosen for the audio-visual components are charismatic and tell their stories emotionally and genuinely. Mixed throughout the spaces, all three media balance each other and do not distract or overwhelm visitors.

Another method through which stories are shared is through the booklets and bulletin boards throughout the exhibit. Booklets can found throughout the rooms on various tables with comfortable seating for reading. Divided by StoryCircle locations, each booklet has several stories ranging from one to three pages. Stories that are not included on the wall or in the exhibit found life within the pages. The wall objects as well as the exhibit items have their stories expanded in the booklets. The printed stories make a connection just as deep as the individual displays. There are also a few desks in the exhibit for visitors to write their own stories, display them on bulletin boards, and to interact with the exhibit.

The stories, in the exhibit, on the wall, and in the booklets, focus on ideas of remembrance, life, love, loss, and relationships between people. The tales balance each other without one theme dominating another. Carla’s Wedding Ring speaks of life lessons whereas Shanise’s Rhino states for illness, hope, and family. Kate’s Shawl represented changes in life and familial connections while Zhaoxi Zhou’s map conveys the helpfulness of strangers. Each story provides visitors with an example of an everyday object infused with personal history, and that every man has a past and a history that is worth remembering. 

The histories provided by various historians are thematically diverse. Some complement the story with histories of related context (Beth’s sock and women in knitting groups) while others provide surprising information (John’s fishing license and Pennsylvania’s fishing regulations). Though brief, the histories provide a sampling of how varied the backgrounds are for everyday objects. Individually and collectively, the histories emphasize that objects have a deep, complex, and often overlooked past. Objects that these owners hold important were created within a larger context that is just as powerful as the value they contain today. Though more in-depth histories would have been welcomed, the exhibit’s mission limited that access point.

The objects picked represent different material types and story attachment as examples of how objects contain meaning to people. It provides an avenue for people to see history in their everyday lives and homes. Not only does the exhibit fulfill its mission, it does so in a creative and welcoming space. It is not stiff, formal, or overwhelming. It does not dictate the take-home messages but encourages individual discovery. Though the histories are brief, each one had a theme that if someone wanted to learn more, he/she had a starting point to do so. The stories dominate the exhibit, but that is the intention of museum. While still historical based, highlighting personal connections is the primary goal. Though the walls and spaces are at places bare, the money spent towards video and audio equipment for the stories used wisely. Overall, the exhibit is well presented despite its limited budget and nontraditional take on a history museum. The past and present successfully emerge through the displays of everyday objects.

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[1] First Person Museum: Objects Tell Stories. Philadelphia, PA, 2010

[2] Ibid.

It Comes Down to Captions

The opening of First Person Art's exhibit at the Painted Bride is approaching soon. Here are some 50 word captions for the object, Kate's Shawl. Feel free to leave comments or email me thoughts.

1.      About Shawls
 
The Spanish brought the rebozo to Mexico in the 1500s and incorporated into the local culture. Used for church, dances, carrying items, and warmth, these shawls are stylish yet functional. Woven by men and women on looms, the rebozos’ beauty reflects the hours of labor required to create them.
 
Written by Jessica Clark
 
2.      About Function
 
Kate’s shawl is of the Mexican rebozo style. Traditionally, these shawls serve multiple purposes: covering women’s heads in church, for folk dances, but most importantly for carrying things. Food, materials, even babies are carried with these hand-woven shawls.  Even today, women use rebozos in the countryside to carry things.
 
Written by Jessica Clark
 
3.      About Heritage
 
Heritage is essential in Mexican culture. Shawls are beautiful hand woven clothing that represents their Spanish past and their current present. Today in cities, they are valued as adornments but in the country, they function as bags. However, when used in ceremonies no matter where, the past becomes present.
 
Written by Jessica Clark
 
4.      About Change
 
Both men and women on large looms weave rebozos. It takes days of hard physical labor to complete the intricate work of art. In the countryside where they are still made, the art of the shawl may soon be lost, as younger generations desire more modern fashions and attitudes.
 
Written by Jessica Clark

An Instillation

This week's assignment was a little outside my comfort zone, but it was still a fun experiment in creating an exhibit space.

Step One: Mission statement, take-home messages, and storyline

The mission and take-home messages remains similar to FPA’s in that it is to get people to understand that objects are a part of a larger history. That the everyday things we love are things we adapt to serve our purposes. Objects, though ordinary, are reflective of our lifestyle and become our history.

Step Two: Organize your storyline into “galleries of thought”

For me, the exhibit should be organized thematically by type, for example, clothing, toys, metals, or paper grouped together or near each other. This enables viewers to compare and contrast the objects to each other as well as time compare a grouping to objects in their personal lives.

Step Three: Inventory in the content and pin down the most important facts

The important part is to clearly link the objects to each other as to not make them appear to be random, things, but everyday things that hold meanings. This also should be done in a way that enables viewer to make the connection not only to thematic areas but to the overall collection. For FPA, the linking element is the value given to objects by people. These objects borrowed from real people show how we can take something with a specific traditional function and attach other purposes and sentiments to it.

Step Four: Find ways to motivate and engage your visitors

There should be multiple perspectives for each object, ideally two histories and a personal story or a longer history and a couple of stories to show that there is no one standard value. Voice-overs, films, texts, or touch screens can be used to encourage active participation by visitors. There should be areas to interact with objects, for example by touch (but use other non-valuable pieces). There would be locations set up around each grouping where people can tell their responses and display them up (on a cork board, magnetic board, etc). Soft, inviting music would be plated to calm the room, to make it less sterile and more welcoming. With visual interest and being allowed to tell their own story, it facilitates the message that these objects are more than histories or stories but connections to everyday life and that we make our culture.

Step Five: Plan the “look and feel” of your exhibit

Even though all the types will be together they will be arranged in a visually appealing manner. Not in height or style order but mixed to add interest. Lighter colors (off whites, blues, greens) will brighten the space without overpowering the objects. Also staggering along the wall or tables are the text panels in a pattern but not a strict linear line (because that gets boring). The main goal is to create a comfortable, homey space rather than a sterile space. The set up is like a home- living space, play space, office, dining area- to create a sense of comfort and familiarity. The objects become less on display and more associated with being in a home. Comfortable seating arrangements will be used, such as in clusters around sections of object to encourage conversation and to write their own reactions. The exhibit also flows from one area to the next, however it is not fixed (you don't have to go in a specific order to make sense of the place). 

Step Six: Produce the exhibit

Floorplan was an excellent site to create a blueprint of the exhibit. Even my non-artistic skills looks somewhat creative with this source.

Culture Divides

The rebozo is used in differently across Mexican culture as it strikes the balance between modernity and tradition. “As worldwide fashion trends turned toward 'modern' attire, many designers and consumers within Mexico embraced a new, more cosmopolitan look. Others cautioned against an abandonment of the nation’s traditional cultural heritage. As a result, many discussions of beauty and fashion incorporated new modern trends, while at the same time attempting to remain loyal to an aesthetic sense of nationalism and tradition.”1

 

In urban, modern areas of Mexico, traditional clothing is less likely to be worn on a daily bases or by younger generations. However, items like the rebozo are not forgotten. Traditional ceremonies, festivals, rituals, or important family events are times when traditional clothing is worn. In these times, the rebozo is a reminder of their past, of their heritage. It is worn in honor of Mexico’s struggles and triumphs since the Spanish conquest. The rebozo becomes a symbolic piece but used traditionally. For example, on a Catholic holiday women would use the rebozo to cover their heads just as it was used when the Spanish brought over the rebozo (or the repurposed local scarf). It may not be used for everyday life, but it still remains a part of their cultural past.

In other urban areas, the rebozo may be used as an accessory of fashion. In these situations, the traditional functions and symbolism are detached. The rebozo only looks like a traditional piece rather than function as one and when worn it is not for connecting with the past.

However, in rural areas such as Oaxaca and Tenancingo, the rebozo is used daily. The rebozo is used because it is practical and because of the heritage associated with it. It still covers the head in rituals or can be used for traditional folk dances, yet it is practical for carrying items. In these places, they embody their cultural past within their current culture. 

For these women, the rebozo is a large part of their culture not only in a practical sense but also in how it is made. The looms and weaving are equally important as the end product. The same method has been used for generations and they continue to carry on that tradition. However, that may all change. The younger generation in these country areas are not interested in learning the traditional techniques as they are more concerned with modernity.2

 

This transition between modernity and traditional inspired a museum exhibit recently in Ventura County, California. They took pictures of local Latinos who held onto a piece of their Mexican heritage in their daily lives. Jewelry, clothing, shawls, were all representative of holding onto their heritage while still being a part of a modern, global culture.3

 

In art, the rebozo represents the past. Most famous is Frieda Kahlo who represented herself in self-portraits with wearing the rebozo. Other artists also use the rebozo as a self-identification as part of a Mexican culture. In Mexican cinema, that trend is also present. In light of changes locally, globally, and economically, holding onto items such as the rebozo remains a constant remainder of who they are and where they came from. 

1 Rankin, Monica A.. "La ropa cósmica: Identity and Fashion in 1940s Mexico." Studies in Latin American Popular Culture 28 (2010): 96. Although she discusses trends of the 1940s, her points are still relevant today.  (entire article on pages 95-111.) 

2 Davis, Virginia and Steel, Hillary. “The Rebozo: A Mexican Tradition.” Fiberarts, 35 no. 1 (Summer 2008): 60-61. 

 

3 Lindell, Karen.  "New photo exhibit stitches together link between clothes and cultural identity." McClatchy - Tribune Business News.  18 September 2009. 

Other selected sources and background: 

Bishop, Joyce M. . ""Those Who Gather In": An Indigenous Ritual Dance in the Context of Contemporary Mexican Transnationalism." Journal of American Folklore 122, no. 486 (2009): 391-413. 

"The Culture of Mexico." http://www.earthyfamily.com/mexico-culture.htm.  

"Traditional Mexican Clothes and Costumes." http://www.buzzle.com/articles/traditional-mexican-clothes-and-costumes.html. 

 
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of American Regional Cultures: The Southwest. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2004. s.v. "FASHION," http://www.credoreference.com.libproxy.temple.edu/entry/abcarcsw/fashion.

Some Context

The original owner of my object was woman from a middle class background, who purchased it in 1955 while on a trip. Recently, she passed on it on to her daughter. The original owner is still alive and passed on the shawl, not because she lost interest in it, but as a part of the philosophy of managing Parkinson’s disease (those with the disease are encouraged to give their items away and tie up loose ends). The daughter does not use it or wear it, preferring to keep it safe and to protect the memories associated with it.

Shawls are not a rare item or necessarily unique, and while this particular one is a handmade one it still served the typical functions associated with it. Many people throughout the world own shawls and even though this is a handmade Mexican shawl worn by an American, it still has a generic quality. That is not to say it does not have unique features, simply that there are similar objects like it in the world. While its current use is containing memories, not long ago it was used as a traditional shawl. It was both a functional part of an outfit and symbolic adornment. The owner used it to make her feel worldly as though it was an accessory. However, it still served its traditional purpose of keeping someone warm as an article of clothing. Traditionally in Mexico, a shawl served several functions: a piece of clothing, a baby sling, and a carrier for market goods. To the original owner, she used it within one of its traditional functions; to its new owner, she has shifted its function away from its traditional uses to a sentimental purpose.

With seeing the shawl and reading the story associated with it, it made the story it real and tangible. The shawl shifted from a mere object to something of value; a story from words on a page to a physical representation of them. The wear and dullness in color show repeated use, but the story gives the context for how that shawl was worn and loved. The stains are not just evidence that it was worn or used in daily interactions but that it was important to hold onto even when some would consider it ruined. They transform a general object into something unique. It is no longer just a shawl but something personal with its own history.

In my situation and the way things were scheduled, I was first exposed to the shawl from the personal story attached to it. When I actually had the opportunity to see and feel the shawl, there was a dual reaction: it made the story real but also allowed the shawl to speak for itself, a little more objective manner. However, when words and thoughts become too challenging and insufficient in describing it, I tend to fall back on the story for guidance and “evidence” of the “real” story. Objectivity can never be fully achieved but that goal is always present, while also noting the instances of subjectivity.