Items

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  2020-06-09

  The Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles Create Puzzles for the People

  At the beginning of June, MOCA updated its online store to include items relevant to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. I have several screenshots of different puzzles, masks, books, etc. but I thought this one was particularly interesting. In the articles I’ve read about museums creating an effective online presence, the main idea is providing the user an opportunity to engage in a transaction. Here MOCA is giving the user an opportunity to buy a puzzle from them and also engage with their focus on contemporary art. While doing the puzzle, the purchaser will be thinking about MOCA, even on some kind of subconscious level. In a sense this helps to build community and, in the future, will serve as a token of the time spent in quarantine. One day the puzzle will serve as an artifact. To state the obvious, selling puzzles is relevant because at the beginning of quarantine this was an activity a lot of people did. I think for a small time was difficult to get your hands on a puzzle. MOCA is not only providing an online user with the opportunity to engage in a transaction, but it is a relevant transaction. This demonstrates MOCA’s ability to effectively adapt to the changing social landscape. My submission is important to me because in pre-COVID times I loved going to the museum and I think it's great to see how they're still trying to build community.
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  2020-11-04

  A Puzzling Distraction

  HIST30060. Millions of people picked up hobbies during their respective lockdowns, mine happened to be puzzles. A few in this photo I had before lockdown, but most was bought in the lead up to, as well as during. I bought my first colour puzzle about a month before lockdown started, when I first discovered the board games store Mind Games in Melbourne's CBD, though I did not touch it until study at home began. These puzzles gave me something I could be good at, with only one still incomplete months after I first got it (in my defence, it changes colour). They allowed me to multitask, I would watch movies for university while I had a puzzle in front of me, I discovered so much music through my Spotify recommended playlists that have become solid favourites, I've caught up on podcasts that were usually relegated to my daily commute to university. They gave me something I could control, in a time of change and confusion, a welcome distraction from everything happening outside of my house.
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  2020-07-03

  Another Day, Another Puzzle - Day 112

  With calendars cleared as a result of shelter-in-place orders we have had more time to enjoy some of our family's favorite past-times. Cards and board games that were collecting dust have made their way out of cabinets. But what we've spent more time on than anything is puzzling. While each member of our family will puzzle here and there, our 5 year old son is a constant at the puzzle board. His attention and focus to puzzling is way beyond his years. Puzzling has given us the gifts of togetherness, joy, and consistency during these uncertain times. Another puzzle complete on Day 2 of our get away. A puzzle to match his shirt!
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  2020-07-02

  Another Day, Another Puzzle - Day 111

  With calendars cleared as a result of shelter-in-place orders we have had more time to enjoy some of our family's favorite past-times. Cards and board games that were collecting dust have made their way out of cabinets. But what we've spent more time on than anything is puzzling. While each member of our family will puzzle here and there, our 5 year old son is a constant at the puzzle board. His attention and focus to puzzling is way beyond his years. Puzzling has given us the gifts of togetherness, joy, and consistency during these uncertain times. A family member that lives nearby was out of town so we decided to pack up for a little get away. The change of scenery was incredible on so many levels. We also scored access to a new collection of puzzles. We started with a small 200 piece puzzle within 30 minutes of arriving!
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  2020-04-22

  Another Day, Another Puzzle - Day 40

  With calendars cleared as a result of shelter-in-place orders we have had more time to enjoy some of our family's favorite past-times. Cards and board games that were collecting dust have made their way out of cabinets. But what we've spent more time on than anything is puzzling. While each member of our family will puzzle here and there, our 5 year old son is a constant at the puzzle board. His attention and focus to puzzling is way beyond his years. Puzzling has given us the gifts of togetherness, joy, and consistency during these uncertain times. In this image, a glimpse of our family remote learning schedule and some school work are seen in the background. The presence of his "lovey" in hand is also a reminder to remember how young he is to be living during something as big as a pandemic.