First Person Interpretation in Visual Art Museum
Introduction
This chapter examines three cases to understand how knowledge is constructed and the increase of visitor growth through performance in the visual art museum. The study employed inquiry-based approach, which stimulated learning among the visitors through inquiries or issues. This engages the individuals in creating innovative knowledge and comprehension.
Case Study One: Blanton Museum of Art, Petrobelli Altarpiece Exhibition
Tony Jackson and his team who form The Centre for Applied Theatre Research (CATR) launched a research project in conjunction with museum theatre. The research project entitled ‘Performance, Learning, and Heritage’ was intended to look into enhancing and use of performance as a means of learning and understanding for its visitors in museums and historic sites.Supported by a research funding from the Arts & Humanities Research Council (ARHC), the research project was conducted for three years during the period 2005 – 2008.
From the research project, the museum was portrayed as an institution that can provide a good learning environment and empowers the visitors to explore various cultural, artistic and scientific aspects and the creation of new knowledge and reasoning by visitors.Empirical evidence suggests that the capability of the museum as a learning institution has been underutilized.
Theatrical performance in museums has stimulated learning among the visitors especially in the role of Arabella, who led the audience on an adventure into the mystery of a painting that was segmented into four parts and spread around the globe. A qualitative examination of the role played by Arabella indicated that there was increased interaction among the audiences through enhanced contribution in the interactive segments of the drama. This was mostly noted amongst those in attendance during the post-performance through inquiries and exciting stages in the play. Furthermore, she facilitates a debate of its iconography and the dramatic performance of the artist, Paolo Veronese (1528-1588)using inquiries and exciting events.
Case Study Two: Collectors in Role II
In this case, the study examined the how knowledge is constructed from the perspective of visitors selected. The visitors were selected using first-person interpretation after they encountered an actor clothed in nineteenth-century business attire playing the role of William T. Walters who contributed to the development of Walters Art Museum through his artistic collection. To arouse interest, the actor used the theatre technique of improvisation to interact with the participants. This was intended to determine if they could critique the outcome of a specific role played by an actor. The interaction of the visitors with the actor indicated that there was mutual curiosity, laughter, and enthusiasm towards the theatrical performance.
The selected participants were engaged in a guided visualization named ‘a travel through time’ which acted as an introduction to the collectors in role II. This was intended to assist the participants in determining if they would purchase a particular art from six others in the museum.
For the audience to recreate paraphernalia of New York City during the early nineteenth century and blend with the current society, they were requested to envisage New York City over one hundred years ago. The session concentrated on various aspects of the society and its environments such as the atmosphere, the sounds, the people, the cobbled streets, the horses, the clothing, and carriages. This was important for the audiences to reconstruct and differentiate various aspects based on the current and past situation.
To determine what knowledge the participants had developed, the study adopted three main techniques namely the Feldman technique (1970) of inquiry based on art discussion, Michael Rohd’s (1998) values clarification/discussion starters, and Viola Spolin’s groundbreaking methods from her book ‘Improvisation for the Theatre.’ These techniques were intended to ask the participants to describe, analyze, interpret and evaluate a work of art. This was attained through several questions which were raised to enhance the imaginative role of the participants and experience the aspects of the society during the early nineteenth century. Some of the questions are as follows. What are you wearing? Long skirts?Petticoats? What do your shoes look and feel like? What accessories are you carrying? A purse?A cane?A pipe? What type of hat are you wearing? Now imagine yourself entering the very pristine mansion where the auction is taking place to which you have been specially invited. What do you feel as you enter this ornate, beautiful place? Are you excited to see the art collection? Are you praying your collector’s vision statement will win that exceptional work of art?
The study employed the use of survey to collect information from the participants. The participants were reassured that the information collected will be used to discover more insights about the artwork viewed. This activity was a reflection of ‘Vote With Your Feet’ created by applied theatre practitioner Michael Rohd, to engage the participants in a debate on the subject matter and empower them to share their opinions in the group as well as learn from other people’s perspective. The results indicated that there was increased excitement, imaginative and creativity of the performance that arouse interest among the participants.
Case Study Three: Denver Museum of Art, Foxy &Smoxy: Art Detectives Kids Program
In this case study, the children between the ages seven to twelve were provided with an opportunity to perform once a month from September to May where the entire family can assist Foxy and Shmoxy who are considered as intelligent, humorous, and entertaining foxes to search for hints and resolve the museum art ambiguities. Limited to only two opportunities, the audience is required to select a letter in the Fox Box, and then solve the challenges posed in the images to encounter the foxes. The role of Foxy and Shmoxy provided two primary functions. First, it provided an opportunity to nurture the dramatic performance among the young ones. Second, it introduced the children to the art museum as a form of stimulated learning. This program goes beyond the normal setting of a school curriculum by supporting middle-schoolerswith problem solving and creative thinking skills.
Chapter V: Economic Sustainability of Interpreters in Museums
This chapter examines the economic sustainability of role of interpreters in a visual art museum to understand the existing relationship between visitor statistics and cost factor related to museum guides. The chapter begins by presenting the visitor’s statistics followed by cost differences associated with museum guides before concluding.
Visitors Statistics
For the museums to adequately account for both new and its current audiences, performance and museum guides were used. Before the performance, the audiences were presented with an auction pieces and a book, which acted as a program guide and a register for collecting the audience statistics using embedded survey inquiries. In the participatory play, ‘Beneath the Gavel’ which was performed in the New Britain Museum revealed that 40 percent of the audiences cited that this was their first while 67 percent of the audiences were from Connecticut urban region. In addition, the results indicated that more than 50 percent of the audiences had gone to a theatrical performance less than three times in a year.
Credited to the ideas of Colonial Williamsburg, there is need to examine the past and present trends to learn about the future. Colonial Williamsburg perceived that there would be a significant decline in the number of visitors to the art museum during the early 2000’s.Through a project entitled ‘Revolutionary City,’ the museum concentrated in the recreating and reassuring its audience on some of the dynamic and engaging takes during the period 1774 -1781, without necessarily asking the audience any questions. In addition, the various historical interpretations have depicted social and political events using the phrase ‘street theatre’ during the same period. This phrase has supported the existence of Colonial Williamsburg and its adoption as an interpretation or educational guide for reconstructing historical performance in the museum. Thus, museums have significantly contributed towards the development of educational theme parks. This was brought up by Handler and Gable, who describe Colonial Williamsburg as a Republican Disneyland, similar to vacation packages, restaurants, and hotels, and the lack of social issues presented in the museum. This dissenting view tends to suggest that museum cannot assume the role of a learning environment, which will significantly hinder the development of future museums.
Research has indicated that free entry to art museums plays a critical role in sustaining the numbers of audiences available during any perform. However, other art museums still opt to charge a fee during admission. There are other approaches which need to be taken into consideration to enhance the growth of audience in an art museum by taking cultural aspects and low-income families into consideration. Most non-profit museum memberships are tax-deductable. This could encourage visitors to create a membership where half the profit goes to the museum and the other half to a theatre production house.
Cost Differences in Museum Guides
There are different costs which affecting each particular museum guide. Audio guides have been considered as a crucial element in enhancing the visitors’ experience in the museum. It has been classified into two categories namely the digital and analog audio guides. Analog guides or docents are still expensive for guests while the digital guides are more expensive to rent and maintain for the museum. Most of the museums, in America and Europe at least, still charge for extra programs or performances. For instance, at the Louvre Museum, the audio guides have been fixed at a price of 5 Euros available in different language content. Researchers in the field of computer science and museum guides such as Othman, Mohd Kamal, Helen Petrie, and Christopher Power through their study entitled ‘Measuring the usability of a smartphone delivered museum guide,’ demonstrated that different materials are required in performance, for example, smartphones, cultural places, venues among others to offer museum guides for its audiences automatically replacing the initial docents.
The Smithsonian museum associated with a role for ‘enhancing and promoting the dissemination of knowledge’ on how a museum could efficiently utilize its valued resources. In addition, the Colonial Williamsburg and its Revolutionary Program have provided opportunities for top achievers in museum visual art, education, political leadership among others to increase interest amongst the public concerning current aspects while emphasizing on the association between historical events in a nation and modern-day living.
With the introduction of Tax Reform Act of 1969, the federal government designated museums and libraries as critical learning entities. The law further provided a fund to act as an incentive for the development of artworks in learning institutions such as museums. Despite the fact that the law was intended for learning institutions such as museums and libraries, the law excluded the role of the scriptwriters, artists, and choreographers from the tax provision.
There are a number of possible solutions which could be used to finance performance in smaller museums. One of solution of raising funds that can be done by small museum is through collaboration with theatre departments of local colleges and universities. For instance, the Petrobelli Altarpiece Exhibition presented in the Blanton Museum of Art used students from the local college to do first-person interpretation tours and in turn offered them credit for their classes. A second option is the adopted of discounted museum ticket prices for visitors already a part of a theatre in an effort to finance the audio guides. These funds can also be raised through tax-deductible membership which is composed of a set of benefits for the members such as pre-paid tickets, premium tickets among others to support artists and audiences during a performance.
Chapter VI: Implementing this Program into a Single Artist Museum
Introduction
This chapter develops a program in a single art museum similar to the artistic works developed in the Dali Art Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, and Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to understand some performance aspects. The Dali Museum, St. Petersburg, Florida is based on the workings of Salvador Dali (1904-1989) representing artistic creativity.On the other hand, Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is grounded on the tales of Andy Warhol, which investigate the legacy using the Warhol arts and documentation around the globe.
Research Goals
This research will address the following research goals:
To explore artistic mysteries, culture and hidden meaning using performance and artists;
To promote museum visitor self-expression and empowerment through creative activities and,
To stimulate dialogue and artistic interpretation regarding selected works of art through interaction with specific roles of actors and facilitators in a performance.
Scope
The program is restricted to the expected outcome of this project. First, these artistic works presented in the art museum permitted the discovery, communication, and meaning which can be used to explore and negotiate what they encountered. Secondly, the development of a program in a single artist museum is considered as challenging, relatable, meaningful, inquiry-based and is well-organized with strong ability to navigate. Third, it entailed programming that prompts participation and fosters creativity and self-expression among the participants. Fourth, the program explores the diversity of cultures and identities in exhibition content of the artistic works. And lastly, the project provides an opportunity to add meaning to the experience made with friends and family and to socialize and have fun.
Applied theatre has been depicted in the art museum as a place where there is a contrast between noncompliance and forms of creative writing. Live performance and visual art in the museum theatre is created on a temporary basis in which exhibited to engage viewers and start a more in-depth thinking process for both performers and viewers.
Population
To develop a program in a single art museum, the researcher will conduct interviews with students drawn from the Department of Theatre and Dance. The students that will be selected for the research will be undergraduate or graduate designated as actors in the Department of Theatre and Dance. In the selection, the researcher will also consider students who are talented actors, skilled teaching artists or facilitators in the department.
To evaluate performance in the art museums, the research will develop characters related to the performance and navigate them through dramatic situations that are associated with artworks. The research will also map out individual sections of the performance pieces to best guide the interactive moments while exploring two facilitation approaches as follows:
1. To explore the various dramatic entry points in the selected works of art;
2. To establish appropriate places for interaction with the museum audience.
The following questions would be used in an interview as a guide:
In your opinion, how does museum theatre affect your level of audience engagement with fine art?
This intended to determine the perception of the audience towards museum theatre and the artworks it presents. In this case, the participants are expected to provide the level of audience engagement in terms of how it increases or decrease their imagination, curiosity, creativity, stimulate dialogue and the capacity to learn about artworks. If the participants’ response is positive, it will indicate an increase with the various indicators unless otherwise.
Could you explain how museum theatre can encourage visitors to consider new ways of viewing and connecting with fine art?
This inquiry is intended to solicit possible strategies which can be used to promote regular viewing and visitation to the museum among the visitors to develop a relationship with fine art. These strategies could include reduced fees for entry or free entry, free seats for the first hundred individuals, increased sessions of interaction among others. These are expected to pave way for enhanced improvisation.
What techniques do you use to interact with the actor/facilitators of the theatre pieces?
This is intended to determine the various techniques which are used to facilitate the interaction between the visitors and the actors/facilitators. Some of the techniques which are expected from the participants include questions, performance pieces, artwork, and dressing attire among others. This could possible lead to development of concentrate strategies which can be adopted by most art museums.
How do museum theatre pieces stimulate dialogue between you and other visitors to the museum?
This intended to determine the various strategies which are used to enhance conversations among visitors after the presentation of a museum theatre piece. Possible strategies include question-answering session, self-directed questions among the visitors without the input the actors/facilitator, further clarification of artworks among others. This could possible lead to strategies which can lead to enhancing interactions among visitors as well as development and sharing of knowledge created by visitors.
What methods do you used to create a connection between your own experience and the works of art?
This intended to determine the methods which participants use to create knowledge from the works of art. This will be very critical in determining how knowledge is constructed among the visitors which could influence museum as a learning environment.
If any, what are the long-term effects of participation in a museum theatre event?
In this case, the research intends to find out the expected benefits which are anticipated from the participation in a museum theatre event among the visitors. These benefits could assist the museum in setting a long-term membership which could be used by the visitors to easily access the various performance and schedule of the museum.
In your opinion, what would happen when a theatre practitioner partners with the education department of a visual art museum?
The research intends to explore the expected role of the museum as a learning environment and how best can it be improved through the support of the education department? This is expected to critique some of the existing teaching methods used in the visual art museum as well as develop or adopt other learning paradigm to enhance knowledge construction among visitors.
Describe your experience of the museum theatre acting ensemble regarding the creation, implementation, and evaluation of theatre and visual art partnership?
In this case, the actors/ facilitators are expected to portray the extent to which they have been involved in the creation, implementation, and evaluation of theatre and visual art partnership? This will be useful in determining their level of competency as well as the relevancy of their information. This will ensure that the research obtain accurate and verifiable information from the actors/facilitators.
During the interview, the actors will also be asked various questions. For instance, Have you had any experience with theatre in museums? How do you feel about devising new theatre pieces? Would you want course credit for being part of the ensemble? Moreover, the students were asked to teach the research a particular aspect to explore their interest, experiences and observe their teaching approaches they adopted.
The researcher will also provide the actors with the journals of the Blanton and a detailed rehearsal schedule which will be used in the performance pieces. In this case, the students will be encouraged to keep track of their ideas, expressions, and thoughts concerning the character and narrative development for the dramatic pieces. The primary purpose of the actors is threefold namely to narrate the artworks, perform the dual role of the actor and facilitator in the museum theatre, and integrate art analysis into the theatre pieces.
There are cases where drama can be of use in an art museum. A suitable example is when museum theatre in the form of a gallery or other spaces can be used in another museum. Some of the specific examples where drama can be of use in an art museum include portraying an artist figure in an artwork, narrating a story concerning an artwork, performing a traditional scripted play, role playing, interacting with visitors and using drama-based instruction as an interpretive tool with visitors. This represents dual feedback in which continuous dialogue with the visitor could permit the separation of other experiences in the museum. Therefore, there is need make the theatre more open to the public as either social institution that supports cultural aspects or educational institutions to provide learning.
Limitations
During the interview, it is anticipated that some of the actors will fall into the trap of the making entertainment out of their colleagues in role their top priority. This will present itself as a challenge in the role work since it is easy for the actors to be associated with the humor of character development and creativeness. There are other cases during the performance when the actor in role step in and the actor out of role reminded the participants on the purpose of the project to ensure that there is a balance on creativity and confident art interpretation. It is imperative that the researcher is required to hold the community in high esteem when they are learning about its mission, goals, and history.
Conclusion
From the onset, this research intends to develop a program in a single art museum in which interviews will be used to determine how knowledge is constructed, the critical role of interpreters and possible ways of enhancing visitor growth. In order for this program to succeed at a single artist museum, it must take some aspects into consideration. First, the program solely relies on actors or facilitators only to enhance the relevancy of the data obtained. Apart from the cost factor, the program needs to consider the use of inquiry-based learning approach among the visitors to develop and share knowledge constructed. These elements are critical in the future development of this program at diverse art museums. The section presents the results obtained after conducting the interviews with participants.