Items

• 
  2020-05-29

  Self Guided Activities

  Self-guided activities that are part of the Play Date event series for children and families hosted by the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. As museums had to transition to virtual engagement and shut down their physical sites, they had to find new ways to interact with their audience. This was especially true for events tailored for younger audiences, who might not find the same enjoyment from a virtual museum as opposed to the physical space.
• 
  2020-06-02

  Unlocking Museums: Moving Forward in a Crisis

  Panel hosted by the Boston Globe on how museums may change and grow in response to the CoVid-19 pandemic. The panel includes the directors of the Institute of Contemporary Art, the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum, the Museum of Fine Art, and the MIT List Visual Arts Center. This video panel offers an reflection on how museums in Boston began to think about their reopening, and what policies they had in place over a month before some officially reopened their doors.
• 
  2020-07-10

  Friday Art Notes: Riffs on Real Time

  Essay written by the Barbara Lee Chief Curator of the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, reflecting on a piece of art in the museum's collection. This specific essay highlights the photographic series Rifts on Real Time, created by Leslie Hewitt. The essay itself reflects on the concept of time during of time during the pandemic, and the large amounts of time people have spent inside. In relating the thesis of the art to a common experience for some during the pandemic, the essay highlights how museums are relating their collections to the experiences of living in 2020.
• 
  2020-07-01

  Welcome Back! Free Admission for All

  Facebook event created by the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston to highlight their reopening schedule, and the free admission they're offering. The page also highlights timed tickets to control crowds, and what parts of the museum will be available when the museum reopens. This object highlights the conflict museums face in bringing back visitors and draw attention to their offerings, even as they need to continue limiting crowds.
• 
  2020-07-09

  Jon Mitchell Tweets about arts and culture institutions reopening

  Mayor Jon Mitchell of New Bedford joins arts and culture institutions from across New Bedford at the New Bedford Whaling Museum to announce that museums, arts and culture organizations will reopen on July 9 as part of Phase 3.
• 
  2020-06-30

  WBUR Town Hall: The Post Pandemic Society

  What will the post-pandemic world look like? Will many of us never return to the office to work? Will our children be in classrooms with only ten other students some days and learning from home the others? Will restaurants be able to survive with half the tables and no bars? Will our athletes play and our musicians perform in front of empty seats? Will we be a kinder, more equitable and less polluted society? Radio Boston host Tiziana Dearing leads the conversation with Dr. Helen Boucher, chief of the Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases at Tufts Medical Center; Dr. Lynn Perry Wooten, president of Simmons College; and Matthew Teitelbaum, Ann and Graham Gund director of the Museum of Fine Arts.
• 
  2020

  Threads of Connection Virtual Quilt

  Virtual project from the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston that is an extension of their Art Lab installation Threads of Connection. The project prompts people of all ages to create a quilt square of their own and email it to the ICA in order to continue building a vast digital quilt. This activity combines two things that museums have sought to do during social distancing; give people activities while at home and engage with them on social media. in doing so, it keeps museums relevant and engaging even if people cannot physically access their collections.
• 
  2020-07-08

  Massachusetts Art Museums Are Reopening

  News article published by WBUR in Boston that discusses the reopening plans of several art museums in the Greater Boston-area and the rest of Massachusetts. The article goes into detail about the opening plans of the Institute of Contemporary Art, the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum, and the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. As museums move away from closures, institutions are trying to spread knowledge of their openings as well as the safety procedures they're employing. As the pandemic continues, safe museums offer an escape from time spent indoors if one has the privilege of doing so.
• 
  2020

  Virtual Harbor Market

  Webpage from the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston that functions as an online version of the museum's summer harbor market. The page links to stores of BIPOC artisans and artists in the Boston area. Museums are more than just sites of learning, their spaces are often multi-functional and host many events throughout the year. Given the pandemic, museums have had to employ digital methods in order to take important programs/events and recreate them on their websites.
• 
  2020-05-29

  ICA Staff Recommends

  Webpage from the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston that highlights different materials that staff at the ICA are listening to, reading, watching, playing, etc. The list Pages like this emphasize how museums are seeking to help their audience engage in not just their individual collections, but the subject of the museum itself. This is especially true for more focused museums, like the ICA, that can encourage their audience to continue engaging in contemporary art even if the museum itself is closed.
• 
  2020-07-08

  MIT/Harvard lawsuit joined by Northeastern

  MIT and Harvard filed a civil action lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security against recent rules that would bar international students from legally remaining in the US if they take classes entirely online this fall. Thousands of students would lose scholarships, their inability to research, and their student status if the government decided to follow-through. These Boston universities are seeking a way to prohibit this ruling.
• 
  2020-07

  Visiting the ICA: Know Before You Go and FAQ

  Webpage of the Institute of Contemporary Art further explaining some of their reopening policies and answering likely questions. As museums are reopening, they require updated policies that are easily explained and accessible to visitors. This webpage offers further explanation on how new policies will affect visitors, and how visitors can obtain tickets to the museum once it reopens.
• 
  2020-07-02

  Article on the Shaw Memorial Installation

  Article from the Boston Globe covering the exhibit installation that has been placed on fencing surrounding the Memorial to the Massachusetts 54th Regiment, which serves as the starting point for the Black Heritage Trail. The exhibit covers the history and significance of the regiment, and includes pictures of primary sources related to volunteers. Outdoor exhibitions carry special importance during the time of the CoVid-19 pandemic, as they offer opportunities for the public to continue to interact with history even as museums remain inaccessible.
• 
  2020-06-30

  Virtual ICA Gala Honoring Virgil Abloh and Sterling Ruby

  Virtual gala hosted by the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston that honors two contemporary artists, Virgil Abloh and Sterling Ruby. The video features tributes from artists and others in the contemporary art world, as well as musical performances. Videos like this highlight ways that museums have sought to use virtual platforms to replicate events that once would have been in person. These events have significance in terms of raising money for the institution, as well as engaging their audiences and members.
• 
  2020-07-09

  ICA Boston Reopening Policies

  Reopening policies of the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, including their new practices for the museum, the store, and tickets. The document also covers additional safety measures undertaken by staff. As reopening has continued in Boston despite rising cases throughout the country, museums and cultural heritage institutions are publishing plans that highlight their safety measures and how they're protecting staff and visitors. This document highlights several of the policies that many museums are employing.
• 
  2020-03-13

  New Bedford Whaling Museum Announces Closure in Response to Coronavirus Concern

  The New Bedford Whaling Museum announces closure due to COVID19 pandemic.
• 
  2020-06-30

  Welcome Back!

  The New Bedford Whaling Museum announces reopening for summer 2020, during the the COVID19 pandemic. The announcement shares details about new hours, opening dates, museum rules, online ticketing and timed admissions, and what visitors should expect during their visit.
• 
  2020-07-08

  HMSC Connects

  Harvard Museums of Science and Culture offers HMSC Connects, programming built to "acknowledge the trauma of the times." The programming includes virtual programming, a podcast, online resources, coloring pages, and family activities.
• 
  2020-06-12

  Racism and coronavirus add stress to already vulnerable communities

  This is the third episode of the Boston Children's Museum's podcast, Big & Little, a podcast for adults about kids and families. "In this episode, Carole [Charnow} talks with Manny Lopes, the CEO of the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center and a leader in community health care, about the ways in which Boston's vulnerable communities are coping during this challenging time and how today's uncertainty offers room for positive change to come."
• 2020-07-08

  Museum Reopening Updates

  Boston Children's Museum has posted updates regarding reopening in July 2020. Their June 24, 2020 announcement discusses BCM's commitment to their community and the safety measures BCM will be taking. "As we begin summer, I wanted to bring you up to date with our work to re-open the Museum. But first, I wanted to acknowledge your patience and support over the last three months. As parents and caregivers of young children, you have no doubt been challenged with schools and day care services being closed, work and employment disruptions, navigating through health challenges, and most recently the social upheaval in our country resulting from the death of George Floyd. More than ever, our children need our love and support. Their routines, friendships, and opportunities for play and learning have all been upended. It has been a trying time, with much anxiety and uncertainty testing us all."
• 
  2020-04-21

  Veggies, Not Art

  News story published by WBUR about the use of the Institute of Contemporary Art's Watershed as a food distribution site for families struggling with food insecurity. The story outlines the organizations that the ICA partnered with, and how the space is being utilized. As museums are no longer able to use their space to welcome visitors, some have sought to build on their community partnerships and use these facilities to benefit communities that are facing the economic and health effects of the CoVid-19 pandemic.
• 
  2020-06

  A Mini Guide to Creative Protest

  A guide to creating protest materials developed by the Art Lab at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. The brief guide asks participants how they can inspire others to fight for racial justice and Black lives. The guide also links to examples of each type of protest materials that are available in the ICA's collection and viewable online. As protests against the murder of George Floyd by 4 Minneapolis police officers have happened across the country, museums and cultural heritage sites have stood in solidarity with these protests while highlighting how their own collections relate to ongoing discussions about race in the United States.
• 
  2020-06-19

  Statement from the National Parks of Boston Superintendent

  Statement from the Superintendent of the National Parks of Boston, Michael Creasey, reflecting on the commemoration of Juneteenth and the Battle of Bunker Hill as well as nationwide protests against racial injustice. The statement highlights the National Parks of Boston as sites for discussion on theses and other important issues. As coronavirus and the protests again police brutality have swept the nation, cultural heritage sites have show how their collections are meaningful and relate to the struggles that are visible in this moment.
• 
  2020-06

  Art of the Parks Competition Created By Boston Harbor Now and the National Parks of Boston

  Webpage created by Boston Harbor Now and the National Parks of Boston to inform the public about the 2020 #ArtofThePark competition. The webpage details the time period of the competition for each park, as well as the available prizes and where to locate each park's prompt. With social distancing, #ArtofTheParks offers those in the Boston-area a way to engage with heritage sites even if they still cannot physically interact with them.
• 
  2020-06-30

  Boston African American National Historic Site - Art of the Parks Prompt

  Twitter post from the Boston African American National Historic Site detailing their prompt for the #ArtofThePark contest. Participants are prompted to create a piece of art inspired by the site that illustrates the narrative of the BFNHS. Campaigns like this highlight how cultural heritages sites sought to engage with their audiences during social distancing, and how they hoped to continue to have the public interact with the histories they commemorate.
• 
  2020-06-30

  Funding Received

  Announcement by the West End Museum in Boston that they have received funding from the National Endowment of the Humanities through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020. The post discusses what the museum hopes to do with these funds, and how the funds will support them and their staff during the pandemic. As museums struggle to remain financially solvent through closures, grants and other funds have become a vital lifeline. This is especially true for small institutions that lack the large funds of major institutions.
• 
  2020-05-12

  Federal Court in Boston Rules Strongly in Favor ofImmigrants Detained by ICE at Bristol County

  Since March, Boston's Lawyers for Civil Rights worked to improve the situations of immigrants held in detention centers. "In a powerful order, a federal court in Boston ruled strongly in favor of immigrants detained by ICE at Bristol County. The court ruled that the Bristol County Sheriff and ICE likely have acted unconstitutionally and shown deliberate indifference to the substantial risk of serious harm posed by COVID-19 to the detainees in their care." This success shows how civil rights lawyers were correct in fighting to improve the situations for immigrants. The lawsuit led to the release of more than 50 detainees.
• 
  2020-04-02

  Boston's Lawyers for Civil Rights Group File Additional Briefs for Coronavirus ICE Lawsuit

  After filing an initial lawsuit against ICE and the Bristol County Sheriff in March, Boston's Lawyers for Civil Rights group filed more briefs with the latest from medical and public health experts and actual stories of survival in Bristol County. Detention centers and ICE have largely ignored the health and safety protocols being instated by health officials, so as the coronavirus has spread, nothing has slowed the spread in detention centers and prisons.
• 
  2020-03-27

  Coronavirus Suit Filed Against ICE and Bristol County Sheriff

  A class action for emergency release has been filed in federal court by individuals in civil immigration detention at imminent risk of COVID-19 infection due to life-threatening conditions in the Bristol County House of Corrections run by Sheriff Thomas Hodgson. The complaint, filed by Lawyers for Civil Rights and Yale Law School’s Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic in partnership with the Brazilian Worker Center, contains alarming accounts of cruel and inhumane conditions: guards who report to work with coronavirus symptoms, and detained individuals who are still being brought into the facility – amidst the contagion – without any medical testing or screening. Even after one of the individuals who recently arrived fell severely ill, Bristol County and ICE failed to provide sanitizer or disinfectant. The immigrants bringing this case are literally trapped, and subject to imminent infection, illness and death because of their detention conditions under Sheriff Hodgson and ICE. In filing this complaint, Maria Alejandra, Julio Cesar, and their peers seek emergency release and alternatives to detention for all immigrants experiencing life-threatening conditions in Bristol County.
• 
  2020-06-29

  Help History Emerge Strong

  Tweet from the Minnesota Historical Society that metions the financial challenges they face as an organization. The webpage asks for people to donate, and notes that early donations will be matched thanks to a grant funded by the MNHS Executive Council. Museums of all sizes have faced financial hardship as they were forced to close their doors and lay off talented staff due to pandemic-related closures. As they reopen, they continue to face these financial challenges. https://web.archive.org/web/20200701142946/https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fmnhs%2Fstatus%2F1277647526141853701
• 
  2020-04-10

  Action for Boston Community responds to the pandemic on Twitter

  Action for Boston Community Development(ABCD) is a nonprofit organization that works with low income individuals and families in Boston, Massachusetts. Low income communities have been hit the hardest during the Covid-19 pandemic, and ABCD offers resources such as food pantry services, diapers, and activities to keep children occupied. ABCD has been a staple in many Boston neighborhoods and while Covid-19 has created obstacles for the organization, they remain committed to serving the needs of the Community in any way possible.
• 
  2020-06-26

  Boston Public Library, Shelf Service Live

  Twitter post from the Boston Public Library, as part of their campaign to promote adult summer reading. Post announces that for the day (June 26th), librarians will be responding on twitter to people asking for book recommendations. Because libraries are no longer able to operate out of their physical spaces, librarians have had to seek new ways to interact with their publics and fulfill their traditional duties. Posts like this emphasize new approaches that librarians are taking, as well as the increased role of social media in interactions between libraries and the public.
• 
  2020-06-20

  Summer Solstice 2020 Virtual Celebration

  Video virtual celebration of the Summer Solstice hosted by the Harvard Museums of Science and Culture. The video includes scientific and cultural presentations, as well as activities. Programming is drawn from the four museums that make up the Harvard Museums. As museums have been forced into online outreach because of the pandemic, they have had to change how they celebrate and commemorate important days and events.
• 
  2020-05

  Lawyers for Civil Rights Boston, Coronavirus Legal Warriors

  "As legal first responders, at a time when many doors are closing, we are opening ours wider. In response to an unprecedented need, we’re adding a new coronavirus legal warrior to our team. This expansion is critical to deepening and expanding free support for affected families, including help with unemployment claims. We’re also unveiling a state-wide initiative to support hundreds of small businesses. We’re joining forces with over a dozen legal, business, and community partners, launching a large-scale initiative for small businesses affected by the crisis: https://www.covidreliefcoalition.com/en Check out our coronavirus resource page in English, Spanish, and Chinese. Join us on Facebook every weekday at 10 AM for the latest scoop. Injustice doesn’t take a break during the crisis — and neither do we."
• 2020-05

  Lawyers for Civil Rights Boston, Blocking Courthouse ICE Arrests

  Boston's Lawyers for Civil Rights group filed a case blocking immigration arrests in and around courthouses. The pandemic has not stopped ICE from detaining immigrants. "Lawyers for Civil Rights’ landmark case blocking immigration arrests in and around Massachusetts courthouses, Ryan v. ICE, is the first case of its kind in the country. The case was filed in partnership with Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan, Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins, Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), and Chelsea Collaborative with pro bono support from Goodwin LLP. It is now on appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit."
• 
  2020-05

  Lawyers for Civil Rights Boston, Coronavirus Response

  Lawyers for Civil Rights Boston offered this Coronavirus Pandemic Response update outlining the work they have continued doing during the pandemic, including information about intake, community legal education and outreach, legal advocacy, small business support, unemployment assistance, medical-legal partnerships, and litigation. "The demand for our free legal services has increased exponentially since the start of the public health and economic crisis. Since March, we have received over 350 requests for legal assistance (intakes). The estimated demographic breakdown is as follows: 55% Black; 25% Latinx; 10% Asian American; and 10% other."
• 
  2020-06-03

  Lawyers for Civil Rights Boston, COVID Resources

  Lawyers for Civil Rights Boston offer resources for legal, medical, unemployment, housing, and economic support on their COVID response webpage . This document is in English and the site also offers translations in Spanish, Mandarin, and Vietnamese. While the world shut down for the pandemic, ICE continued to detain and deport immigrants here in the US, and the Black Lives Matter movement's response to police brutality sparked a number of arrests. Boston's Lawyers for Civil Rights organization has continued to offer legal support for those in need and has kept a running page of legal updates.
• 
  2020-04-28

  Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health Orders: April 28 - May 12, 2020

  These two orders, issued by the Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner in late April and early May of 2020, waive the time frame for CNA training and the need for health screenings in Massachusetts schools. Both of these mandates reflected the constant need to buttress the number of frontline medical personnel available for service, as well as the fact that Massachusetts schools would no longer require such screenings due to the transition to virtual learning.
• 
  2020-04-20

  Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health Orders: April 20 - April 28, 2020

  Issued at the end of April 2020, these public health directives include guidance on staff-to-patient ratios in dialysis units, COVID-19 data accessibility, allowing certain referrals to labs conducting COVID-19 testing, and essential practices for the continued operation of farmers' markets in Massachusetts. While most of these orders highlight the virus's testing and healthcare impacts, the last ordnance reflects the careful mitigation efforts employed to ensure access to a healthy food supply.
• 
  2020-04-04

  Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health Orders: April 4 - April 8, 2020

  The public health directives contained in this set provide a closer look at COVID-19's impact on daily life in Massachusetts as it pertains to personal health. These orders sought to relieve the burden of prescription refills on quarantined individuals, clarify the essential practices of grocery stores, and details on the reporting COVID-19 case numbers and all relevant data.
• 
  2020-04-03

  Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health Orders: April 3 - April 4, 2020

  These orders offer guidance on the maximization of healthcare availability, the compounding and sale of over-the-counter hand sanitizer at pharmacies, the continued expansion of the available pool of medical personnel, and public health guidance on the operation of garden centers/nurseries as an essential service.
• 
  2020-03-28

  Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health Orders: March 28 - April 2, 2020

  These public health orders primarily address long-term care and assisted living facilities within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Specifically, they expand the number of medical personnel permitted to administer rescue inhalers and epinephrine injections in community programs, address the transfer/discharge of patients from long-term care facilities, while expanding the pool of nurses qualified to work in assisted living programs. Moreover, the orders give the Department of Public Health the authority to run criminal background checks on volunteers for MAResponds. Orders such as these detail the different ways that state governments, like Massachusetts, attempted to reinforce their healthcare system in the face of the pandemic.
• 
  2020-03-24

  Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health Orders: March 24 - March 26 2020

  Because of the coronavirus's potential to overwhelm the healthcare system at virtually every level, the Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner issued these orders to address the maintenance of adequate hospital staffing, the need for more medical personnel to perform a greater range of functions, and the steps grocery stores and pharmacies need to take to ensure customer safety. While providing a look into COVID-19's effects upon the public health system, these orders also render a snapshot into how the "new normal" began to take shape in Massachusetts.
• 
  2020-03-23

  Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health Orders: March 23 - March 24, 2020

  Contained in this set are public health orders addressing modifications to medical examiner inspections, the production and donation of hand sanitizer in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the closure of day programs, and directives for pharmacies to ensure the continuation of operations and the reduction of exposure to COVID-19. These orders give testament to the drastic alterations that COVID-19 forced upon the state, as well as the country and the world, as it aimed to combat the growing crisis.
• 
  2020-03-17

  Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health Orders: March 17-March 18, 2020

  These public health directives issued by the Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health reveal how the sudden health crisis forced the MA Department of Public Health to quickly adapt to a disease that had stormed the state, the country, and the world. These orders include guidance on the reassignment of physician's assistants to address the shortage of healthcare personnel, the administering of medications to treat opioid addiction due to said personnel shortage, the continuity of emergency medical services, as well as sharing of vital information with first responders.
• 
  2020-06-17

  Make Your Own Monument

  Webpage created by the Boston National Historical Park to celebrate the Bunker Hill Monument. The page includes instructions for kids to create their own monument that they can then decorate, and gives an explanation of the battle that the Bunker Hill Monument commemorates. The page further asks kids to reflect on "What do you want to commemorate or remember?" The pandemic has forced changes in how people commemorate important historical or cultural events, items like this illustrate how cultural organizations seek to keep these events in the public consciousness and relate them to present day issues.
• 
  2020-06-18

  Virtual Bunker Hill Day Commemoration

  Video produced by the Boston National Historic Park commemorating the 245th Anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill. The video features speakers from several organizations discussing the importance of the battle. https://www.facebook.com/BostonNHP/videos/639899866613819/?v=639899866613819
• 
  2020-04-20

  Marathon Monday

  Facebook post by the Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston Public Library, reflecting on what would have been Marathon Monday (the day the Boston Marathon is traditionally run) had the pandemic not force it to be rescheduled. The post mentions the proximity of the library to the finish line of the marathon, and includes a map of where the race begins in Hopkinton, Massachusetts.
• 
  2020-05-08

  Zoom Backgrounds

  Social media post on the Facebook page of the Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston Public Library. The post highlights eight different historical maps from the collection, noting that those interested can download these maps and use them as backgrounds on a video conferencing platform like Zoom. Due to social distancing, video conferencing apps like Zoom have become increasingly popular, and cultural institutions have sought to utilize and promote their collections in ways that are compatible with these platforms. https://web.archive.org/web/20200622122709/https://www.facebook.com/bplmaps/photos/a.10150599262740304/10163440288820304/?type=3&theater=
• 
  2020

  West End Museum #Museumfromhome

  Post on the Twitter page of the West End Museum, highlighting an antique bicycle from their collection. The museum's then-current exhibition focused on cycling, and the role women played in the development of cycling as a pastime and means of transportation. Social media posts using #MuseumFrom Home became a crucial way for museums to interact with the public and was accessible to all institutions regardless of their size.