Artists Work in Museums: Histories Interventions Subjectivities

Artists Work in Museums: histories interventions and subjectivities brings together artists, historians and museum professionals to explore the history and contribution of artists working in museums as members of staff. It examines how the museum has functioned as a specific site of cultural production and subjective engagement for artists and designers in their role as directors, curators, project managers, and educators. Drawing on specific case studies and interviews, the essays document the historically contingent, problematic character of the artist museum professional, and his/her agency within the museum system

Museums and the ‘new museology’ : theory, practice and organisational change

The widening of roles and expectations within cultural policy discourses has been a challenge to museum workers throughout Great Britain. There has been an expectation that museums are changing from an ‘old’ to a ‘new museology’ that has shaped museum functions and roles. This paper outlines the limitations of this perceived transition as museum services confront multiple exogenous and endogenous expectations, opportunities, pressures and threats. Findings from 23 publically funded museum services across England, Scotland and Wales are presented to explore the roles of professional and hierarchical differentiation, and how there were organisational and managerial limitations to the practical application of the ‘new museology’. The ambiguity surrounding policy, roles and practice also highlighted that museum workers were key agents in interpreting, using and understanding wide-ranging policy expectations. The practical implementation of the ‘new museology’ is linked to the values held by museum workers themselves and how they relate it to their activities at the ground level

Art history and the public at the National Gallery

Paper given at History and the publi

The New Museology

"Traditionally, museums have concerned themselves with foremost with conservation and classification. But what is conserved, and why? How is it classified? And who does this benefit? Are exhibitions really designed with the visitor in mind? And what qualities of experience are being offered? These are just some of the pressing questions which the authors - museum professionals, historians and critics - raise in this volume." -- Publisher's website