Crew members from Earthworks Urban Farm in Detroit pose with their produce.

So my personal Detroit visit included conversations with Matt Sikora, head of evaluation at the DIA, and Jennifer Czajkowski, Direct of Interpretive Programs at the DIA. For those of you into evaluation, the DIA conducts what I consider to be an unprecedented amount of formative evaluation, or evaluation that is done during the formation of an exhibition (like market testing), which dovetails nicely with their strong commitment to innovative interpretive strategies, an effort in which Jennifer is highly instrumental. These interpretive strategies, the incorporation of which is based on the theoretical work of Abigail Housen and stages of aesthetic readiness, include thematic curation of exhibitions, specific language in wall text that isn’t necessarily rooted in art history, and other assistive devices, such as “I Spy” plaques and, my personal favorite, the table in their Fashionable Living exhibition that shows pieces on display being used in an 18th century dinner. The truly innovative model of how learning and interpretation (formerly, education) and curatorial interact to create one type of “optimal visitor experience” is somewhat antithetical to our approach, yet both of our institutions are striving toward the common goal of supporting the relevance of art in everyone’s lives. Read the rest of this entry »

The decline of the American City, particularly those for whom manufacturing was the primary economic driver, is long-standing topic of study and debate—a casualty of the most recent economic crisis or of more long-term political, social, and economic decisions and impasses. An expedition party from the Pulitzer ventured to Detroit recently, visions of Gordon Matta-Clark dancing in our heads and curiosity about how the arts were surviving in what is inadequately-described-as a challenging urban environment.

The flight to Detroit already spoke volumes, as we encountered what is becoming increasingly rare in this economy—a relatively empty flight. A friendly seatmate and Detroit suburb native shared with me the story of what industry still exists within Detroit, namely the military industrial complex that enables Windsor (part of Detroit’s metropolitan area) to continue to thrive. He also shared with me what would be the first of many glimmers and even rays of hope about the state of the arts—that he, a dedicated military contractor with very little arts interest otherwise, was a frequent and ardent visitor for the Detroit Institute of the Arts. We were greeted in Detroit by a sparkling new terminal, complete with indoor fountain, tram, and light and sound installation, and fairly easily found our way to Midtown Detroit, roughly equivalent to Grand Center in St. Louis. Read the rest of this entry »

The Pulitzer’s facilities management gives insight into our Tadao Ando building in the video series The Ando Building. In this video, Facilities Manager Steve Morby answers the question: Where does the water from the reflecting pool go?

What questions do you have about the Pulitzer’s building?

From an e-mail yesterday:

“Hi Amy…!!!!

I was getting coffee this morning, and I saw one of your wooden screen printed ads for the Gordon MC show. It looked really cool!”

Those exclamation points make me happy.

Since last Wednesday, after a trip to All Along Press, the Pulitzer’s communications team has been Read the rest of this entry »

In June, I nominated Kay Renner for Hospitality Hero. Hospitality Hero is an award for dedicated service “above and beyond” the average daily service and is presented by CVC (Convention and Visitors Commission) every year. Lisa Harper Chang and I feel Renner deserves this award due to her ability to help, always with a smile, and a keen ability to make all feel welcome at the Pulitzer. Here is my interview with Kay via gchat, done at the Pulitzer front desk, about the experience of winning:

me: Ok here we go
Kay: bring it
me: How does it feel to be a Hospitality Hero?

Kay: I think it’s an interesting title, but it feels good to know people care about kind interactions among the community. To be a part of the staff at the PFA and to be recognized for trying to do the best I can here feels great. I think we have many Hospitality Heroes here in our space. Read the rest of this entry »

As we usher out the grand ol’ paintings and think forward to Gordon Matta-Clark, the focus of my preparations involves deciding what type of staffing the new exhibition will need. With a new exhibition, everything changes. The way that we discuss the exhibition changes. The approach to visitor education and programming changes. So there’s a lot of flurry of information swirling around me in the office right now, but it won’t be until the works are installed that the true sense of what our Visitor Service roles will be.

Gallery Assistants will be studying up on the artist’s work and biography as well as the sort of ideas present in 1970s New York and how they may or may not relate to our own city in the current time. Gallery Assistants are here for the public, and this won’t change–answers to the questions of visitors will be readily accessible from the gallery staff.

The dialogue between art and architecture will continue, but in what way will the Pulitzer perform social and political roles as Gordon Matta-Clark did? And for that matter, how will someone who visited us for the first time during Ideal (Dis-) Placements now come to understand the work of Matta-Clark in our space?

For the past two months, since I’ve last posted, we’ve all worked
together on preparing for the upcoming exhibition. As an assistant to
both curatorial and community engagement, I’m in a wonderful position to help connect the two areas. With Gordon Matta-Clark’s work, art and community more than overlap—they blend seamlessly.

Specifically, I’ve helped Lisa, our Manager of Community Engagement,
prepare for events that explore and celebrate the social aspects of
Matta-Clark’s work. For example, we’re talking about ways to highlight
Matta-Clark’s interest in food and cooking (he helped found a New York
City restaurant called Food in 1971), and how to integrate culinary
arts into our programming. Research has been tasty, to say the least.

I’ve also assisted with some of the content that could make its way
into the catalog. Matta-Clark was a very comfortable, articulate
writer and interviewee, and we’ll have plenty of original quotes and
statements from the artist himself.

Overall, the curatorial and community engagement departments have been quite busy and very exciting. I’m looking forward to seeing what other ways the two will connect over the next few months.

During last Sunday’s Frame of Reference, interesting dialogues surrounded the works of Old Masters. Five Pulitzer volunteers stepped fearlessly into the gallery for a rare opportunity at public speaking. These docents discussed with viewers what it was that kept them looking at their chosen work. From ideas of love and chivalry to discussions of the emotive side-effects of diagonal lines chosen by Tintoretto, docents explained things from their unique perspectives. (We had in our midst a couple artists, historians, a social worker, an engineer and a police officer.) And so too did our visitors; some already had a keen interest in the subject, while others happened by and caught an earful. Sometimes the earful developed into a paused moment to look again at the paint inside the frame and allow the ideas to dance around outside of it–giving new meanings to the original artist depictions.

We thanked our docents for their time and research, and I was baffled that they kept thanking me. An interested audience, eager to see things from a new perspective, found the Pulitzer this past Sunday. On behalf of ourselves and our docents, we thank those visitors for sharing their ideas and thoughtful conversation.  

The process of redesigning the Pulitzer’s Exploring Art program has been long and circuitous.  We have agreed at last on the intended audience and overall purpose for the program: to draw in first time visitors and individuals who do not normally have any interest in or feel uncomfortable in art museums. We have structured the program content so as to put visitors at ease and increase their comfort level within the walls of the Pulitzer and with the art itself. We have trained our docents in Visual Thinking Strategies and facilitating group dialogue. And now, as we schedule our first group of visitors, our discussions have centered on how to best evaluate Exploring Art.

In theory, to effectively evaluate this pilot program we should take extensive measurements regarding our participants’ experience. Administering surveys pre-visit, immediately post-visit, and two weeks after the visit would allow us to establish a base line and track changes over time. The breadth and depth of such data collection would give us a richer picture of Exploring Art’s impact.  However, with each level of increasing evaluative rigor we also increase the invasiveness of our questioning. Requesting participants to complete a 20-item survey and then consent to supplying personal contact information is hardly a lighthearted trip to the museum.

Of course, some visitors may truly appreciate being able to share their opinions; some may really value taking part in the program piloting. Still, in many ways our goal of making first time visitors feel comfortable is at odds with our goal of in depth evaluation. Which leaves us with the question — How do we balance this tension between wanting quality data that can inform future programs and wanting to create a welcoming atmosphere for potentially nervous or disinterested visitors?

Every Thursday, 7-8pm, Ann Haubrich and Jane Ellen Ibur give KDHX 88.1FM listeners Literature for the Halibut, an hour of readings, interviews, and discussions on Literature. Last week they read newly-published poems of St. Louis-born poet Frederick Seidel, but this week they’re rewinding a couple millennia for–you guessed it–Ovid’s Metamorphoses.

Special guests tonight include our very own Senior Curator Francesca Herndon-Consagra and Kress Interpretive Fellow Hannah Fullgraf as well as St. Louis Poetry Center Consultant Lorin Cuoco. They, along with Haubrich and Ellen Ibur, will read sections of the Classic and talk about next weekend’s A Marathon Metamorphoses. 

Ann Haubrich will be reading at the marathon, so you might think of the show as an auditory preview. If you haven’t checked out the A Marathon Metamorphoses blog lately, read today’s slant on Ovid from St. Louis Magazine’s Culture Editor Stefene Russell, who will also be reading next weekend and has helped host Literature for the Halibut in the past.