Items
Contributor is exactly
Alex Bice
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2020-04-14
Massachusetts Museums Go Virtual During COVID-19 Pandemic
Video produced by WGBY discussing museums throughout Massachusetts as they transition to a digital environment. The video highlights commemorations of Dr. Seuss, including programs at the Springfield Museum, as well as other programming at the Eric Carle Museum and the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston. The video highlights the thoughts of museum staff as they transition to an online environment, and shows some of the approaches that different cultural heritage sites are undertaking to continue engaging with their audiences. -
2020-05-13
Moving hands-on online
Online Question and Answers session done with the School and Family Programs Manager at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. The piece reflects on the Virtual Quilt Project, as well as the experiences of being an arts and cultural heritage professional during the CoVid-19 pandemic. This object highlights how museums have been forced to change their practices in response to the pandemic, and the unexpected benefits from some of those changes at the Institute of Contemporary Art. -
2020-07
Exhibit Opening for Learned from Our Neighbors: Lessons from the Elizabeth Peabody House
Eventbrite webpage for the virtual exhibit opening of Learned from Our Neighbors: Lessons from the Elizabeth Peabody House, which is housed at the West End Museum in Boston. The page lists what the event will include and how the exhibition was created. This object highlights how museums are attempting to engage with their audiences during social distancing, including community cultural heritage institutions. -
2020-07-08
Printing To Go
Twitter post from the Boston Public Library that highlights a new, socially distanced printing service that they are offering to the community. Social distancing and new cleaning requirements have limited people's abilities to access printers if they do not own one themselves. This object emphasizes how libraries and other cultural heritage institutions are altering their services to fit the current moment. -
2020-05-01
Seat at the Table - Paper Chairs
Video produced by the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, informing the public of how to be involved in their Seat at the Table exhibit even as the Institute remains closed due to CoVid-19. The changes that forced cultural heritage institutions to transition to virtual communication and exhibitions, especially impact exhibits that focus on community interaction and engagement. This object highlights how museums have taken those exhibitions, and personalized them so that their audience can still participate in a socially distanced setting. -
2020-05-27
Looking at Art
Video created by the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston as part of the activities for their Play Date events, which are tailored to families and young children. The video is aimed at younger viewers and models for them how to look at a piece of art, and includes some questions for the audience to ask themselves. As museums have transitioned more to digital spaces, they have had to create programming that can appeal to all parts of their audience. This video highlights how museums are continuing to engage with children during the pandemic, and how they are using their collections in an educational environment even at a distance. -
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
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
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. -
2020-04-21
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. -
2020-06-29
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 -
2020-07-01
Reopening Plan
Reopening plan published by the Walker Art Center in Minnesota. The plan highlights the precautions taken by the museum as it transitions from complete closure to reopening. Even as cases rise in several states, museums throughout the country are looking to reopen to a limited number of visitors while focusing on social distancing practices. https://web.archive.org/web/20200701142118/https://walkerart.org/visit/visitor-guides -
2020-06-17
The Legacy of the Duluth Lynchings
Video created by the Minnesota Historical Society to commemorate and remember the 100th anniversary of the murders of three African American men: Elias Clayton, Elmer Jackson, and Isaac McGhie who had been falsely accused of rape by a white woman. The video reflects on the continued trauma or white racial violence and terrorism in the United States, as well as the failure of the education system in Minnesota to focus on this event and its significance in the context of the recent murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers. In the midst of the pandemic and the protests related to the murder of George Floyd, museums are grappling with how to commemorate important moments in the nation's past. This is especially true of moments of racial violence and trauma, which hold increased significance with current discussions surrounding white supremacy. -
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
Letter to the Community
Letter posted on the Science Museum of Minnesota website, addressing the killing of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Museums and cultural heritage sights, especially those in Minnesota, have sought to stand in solidarity with protestors demanding justice for George Floyd. This has been complicated by social distancing and pandemic related closures that prevent museums from physically holding events tied to issues of race in the United States. This particular letter highlights the museum's own complicity in perpetuating racial injustice. -
2020-06-18
The Museum of Russian Art Reopening
Facebook post from the Museum of Russian Art that highlights the institutions plans for reopening, including the social distancing and contact tracing requirements to visit. As reopening continues in some states, museums are having to inform their audiences about their new requirements and policies. Posts like this highlight some of the approaches that museums are utilizing as they seek to welcome back visitors while keeping staff safe. -
2020-06-22
#MuseumUpClose
Facebook post from the Science Museum of Minnesota, highlighting a small piece of an object in the collection and asking users to guess what the object was. Museums have used several different hashtags and social media approaches to get people to engage with their collections digitally. -
2020
MNHS History at Home - Online Activities
Webpage from the Minnesota Historical Society that includes video activities, print outs, and zoom backgrounds. The content on the site covers multiple different age groups, from coloring books for young children to zoom backgrounds for older children and adults. Webpages like this have become a crucial way for museums to pool their online resource, and offer engaging material to audiences that are quarantining and/or socially distancing. -
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. -
2020-04-22
HMSC Connects! Earth Day
Webpage created by the Harvard Museums of Science and Culture to educate and inform the public about vital environmental issues on Earth Day. This resource emphasizes the difference between 2020's socially distanced Earth Day, and how the holiday has normally been seen as a time for people to celebrate their natural environment and continue protecting it. The webpage includes resources for activities as well as lesson plans produced by the Harvard Museums, Harvard University, and other organizations in the Greater Boston area. Resources like this highlight how museums and other cultural institutions sought to continue using public holidays as opportunities to educate, even as they were no longer able to host physical events in their own spaces. https://hmsc.harvard.edu/earth-day -
2020-06-09
Harvard Museum of Natural History #MuseumAtHome
Coloring page for the exterior of the Harvard Museum of Natural History published on their Twitter page as part of the social media campaign #MuseumAtHome. This is also tied to their #ColorOurCollections social media campaign. Both campaigns are part of Boston museums' efforts to engage in socially distanced outreach as a result of the CoVid-19 pandemic. -
2020-06-11
BPL To Go
Service offered by the Boston Public Library in response to continued closure related to the CoVid-19 pandemic. Service allows for library members to pick up books, movies, and CDs from library locations. FAQs and press releases related to the program highlight the compliance with social distancing, as well as quarantine protocols for materials that are loaned out. This service highlights how libraries are coping with the coronavirus, both in terms of being unable to welcome visitors but also how the coronavirus affects their lending of physical items. -
2020-04-05
Harvard Museums of Science and Culture Explorers Club
An Instagram page created by the Harvard Museums of Science and Culture in 2020. This page's first post was from April 5th, during the pandemic. The page posts photos, offers activities during social distancing, and different ways to engage with science and other cultures in one's neighborhood or immediate surroundings. The page also promotes virtual events that are put on by the Harvard museums. This page highlights new approaches to engagement that museums have had to develop as they have been forced online, and how they're relating their collections and expertise to the current pandemic. -
2020-03-30
Tweet re: treatment of Las Vegas Homeless During Pandemic
Tweet reacting to the news that with the closure of a major homeless shelter in the city, the Las Vegas, NV and Clark County governments had agreed to set up a makeshift shelter by drawing separate squares on an open-air parking lot. #HIST5241 -
2020-03-20
Be Like Kylo Ren Meme
Image describing attributes of the fictional Star Wars villain Kylo Ren that have since become positive traits associated with social distancing during the CoVid-19 pandemic. Original Post: https://twitter.com/KyloIsSad?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthorhttps://twitter.com/KyloIsSad/status/1241141044315451393 #HIST5241 -
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Open Letter to Cook County Regarding COVID-19 and Cook County Jail: Protect Public Health through Decarceration
Open letter that calls on the Cook County Jail to decarcerate in order to protect those inside from the spread of coronavirus. #HIST5241 -
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Los Angeles Tenants Union: Rent Forgiveness Guide for Tenants Unable to Pay Rent During Covid19
This resource is an open guide published by the Los Angeles Tenants Union that seeks to inform tenants about their rites, and encourage them to undertake a rent strike if they should have to choose between paying for rent or paying for food during the pandemic. For many people, a lack of work has made access to funds for living expenses more difficult. #HIST5241 -
2020-02-21
Taiwan CDC Health Declaration and Home Quarantine Form - English and Chinese
This resource is a checklist and formal notice presented to those arriving in Taiwan that they should quarantine themselves for 14 days. The document includes instructions during the quarantine and a temperature tracking form. #HIST5241 -
2020-03-29
Spread Good Vibes Street Chalk
This artifact is an example of the street chalk that seeks to encourage positivity as the pandemic continues across the United States. -
2020-03-22
Video of Las Vegas Strip
Video is a drive down the Las Vegas Strip that highlights the lack of people, and emptiness of the space following its closure and the shutdown of the casinos. #HIST5241 -
03/22/2020
They Canceled Commencement
Image of text chat that discusses the canceling of Tufts University commencement and shows graduate in cap and gown with clown makeup on in response. Meant to highlight how several graduates around the country feel as their events are canceled in the face of the pandemic. #HIST5241 -
2020-03-26
They Canceled Commencement Reaction
Image shows an experience that is relatable to many people graduating from high school, college, or graduate school. This piece highlights the many emotions students have, and how they have been impacted in this moment. -
2020-03-29
Reclaim Our Homes: Rent/Mortgage Suspension Now!
Petition addressed to the Governor of New York State and the state's congressional delegation that calls for the suspension of rent/mortgage payments and for the housing of homeless New Yorkers. #HIST5241