M

SUMMER 2014

useolog
MUSEOLOGY GRADUATE
PROGRAM NEWSLETTER

DIRECTORS NOTE: Kris Morrissey -When AAM Came to Town

We will long remember 2014 as that year when
the American Alliance of Museums came to
Seattle and Museology decided to use the annual conference as a professional development
playground. We cancelled classes that week,
enrolled all our students in the conference and
prepared them with an elective class with topics such as how to give a TED-like talk and
networking for people who hate networking.
A promotional booth was loosely structured
around the theme of Head in the Clouds, Feet
on the Ground suggesting our balance between
research and practice; an alumni reception honored our growing body of alumni in the field;
a Research Poster session at the Seattle Public
Library reflected our culture of research-based
practice; and a series of promotional videos and
STQRYs helped us connect with AAM guests.
Thanks to the professional generosity of colleagues in our field, we were also able to balance the overwhelming size of AAM with small
roundtable discussions between students and
innovators in our field including Elaine Heumann Gurian, Nathan Richie, Nina Simon, Elee
Wood, Peter Linett, John Fraser, the Incluseum
and others. All this work was supported by the
fabulous support of Museology staff, Lisa Hayes,
Andrea Cohen and Maya Farrar and student
committees led by Julia Miller, Ellen Roth, Sara
Strasner, Jimi Hightower, Wolf Clifton, Faithe
McCreery, Beth Smith and Lucas Sheetz.

Distinguished Thesis Award and Kevin Bicknells Bonderman Award to spend nine months
traveling the world with his skateboard. We also
added two more faculty to our Interdisciplinary
Advisory Group Scott Magelssen, Associate
Professor of Drama and author of the new book
Simming, which asks if we are better citizens of
the world if we are invited to step into each others experiences; and Julie Johnson, Associate
Professor, Landscape Architecture whose work
explores how the design of neighborhoods and
urban open space can support community life
and ecological processes.
In the spring, 34 gradutes joined the field and
in the fall we look forward to welcoming 35 incoming students.
Our thanks to all of the faculty, students and
alumni who contribute to the success of our
Program!

Other recent highlights include our ongoing

role in the AAMs Excellence in Label Writing
Contest, Dylan Highs UW Graduate School
Kris Morrissey, Director

PAGE 1

Awards

Dylan High Receives Distinguised Thesis Award

Dylan High (13) received the University of Washingtons Graduate School Distinguished Thesis Award. Each
year, this prestigious award recognizes outstanding and
exceptional research and scholarship at the masters level
by a graduate student at the University of Washington.
In his thesis, Ethnic Identity Formation in Adolescence: Impact
of Teen Programs in Museums, Dylan provided a deeper understanding of the opportunities for community impact
through museum programming. Examining programs
that facilitate the development of ethnic identity among
teenagers at three museums in the United States, Dylan
explored ways museums increase an understanding of

cultural heritage and community involvement among

adolescents.
Dylans work was supported by his Supervisory Committee including chair Dr. Kristine Morrissey, Director,
Museology Graduate Program, Dr. James A Banks, Killinger Endowed Chair and Director, Center for Multicultural Education, and Dr. Lizette Gradn, Chief Curator
at the Nordic Heritage Museum and Affiliate Associate
Professor in the Department of Scandinavian Studies.

Students, faculty and staff congratulate Dylan at his award reception. Photos courtesy of UW Museology.

Kevin Bicknell Receives Bonderman Travel Fellowship

The Program is excited to announce that Class of 2014
graduate Kevin Bicknell was awarded a Bonderman
Travel Fellowship. Bonderman Fellowships enable students to undertake independent international travel to
explore, be open to the unexpected, and come to know
the world in new ways. The Fellowship is intended to
introduce students to cultures, peoples, and areas of the
world with which they are not familiar.
Kevin is now traveling to countries of the Balkan Peninsula and Southeast and East Asia, using the universal
language of skateboarding to connect with people along
the way. He has been skateboarding for much of his life,
and throughout his travels, he will be looking at it from
a new perspective. At the same time, Kevin believes
that skateboarding will bring a sense of familiarity to
the places that scarcely resemble home. Kevins destinations are: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo,
PAGE 2

Macedonia, Bulgaria, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan and

China.

Kevin sits with his skateboard in Budapest, Hungary in 2012.

Photo courtesy of Kevin Bicknell.

Excellence in Exhibition Label Writing

Museology at AAM Marketplace of Ideas
The purpose of the competition
is to elevate the quality of museum
communication with visitors, and
the involvement of the UW
Museology students insures that
we are not simply recognizing the
excellent work of current label
copy writers and editors, but are
also helping to develop the next
generation of museum
professionals.

Visitors ponder the years recognized labels.

Photo courtesy of Kevin Bicknell.

- John Russick, Curator of the Chicago History Museum

Each year, during the Marketplace of Ideas at the AAM Annual Meeting, professionals from every corner of the field
gather to share ideas and celebrate the years best in exhibition label writing. The forum for their conversations is a
display showcasing the recognized entries for the Excellence in Exhibition Label Writing Competition presented by
CurCom (AAM Curators Committee). The display area bursts at the seams with insight from enthusiastic professionals who are passionate about their work. In a field that puts such emphasis on community and collaboration, it is
no surprise that the event feels less like an awards display than it does a brainstorming session amongst peers.
2014 marked the second year that Museology partnered with CurCom to organize the contest. Kevin Bicknell (14),
a recent graduate of the Museology Program, was chosen as the Project Manager for the competition. In this role,
Kevin assisted in every aspect of the competition, from sending out the initial call for entries to organizing the display at the conference. Along the way, Kevin responded to questions from jurors and submitters, compiled entries,
arranged meetings, and much more. Through this partnership, the competition has become not only a chance for
professionals to share their best work, but an opportunity for a student to gain first-hand leadership experience, and
make valuable connections in the museum field.
In 2015, Elizabeth Rudrud (15) will serve as the Project Manager for the Label Writing Competition. We hope to
see you next April in Atlanta!

2015 Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo

April 2629, Atlanta
The SocialValue of Museums: Inspiring Change
PAGE 3

New Directions in Audience Research

By Nick Visscher

New Directions in Audience Research, was initially funded

in 2009 by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. In partnership with Audience Research
staff at the Woodland Park Zoo, we developed a focus
area of coursework and directed fieldwork focusing on
training students in Audience Research & Evaluation,
most importantly, teaching students to value evidencebased practice within informal learning settings. The
grant closed in 2011, but New Directions in Audience
Research has become a sustained initiative within the
Museology Program. Since its inception, 131 students
have participated in at least one aspect of the initiative,
and weve completed 37 evaluation studies within 9 local informal learning sites.

Summary of Results

Data suggests that the Aquariums Harbor Seal Exhibit

renovations increased visitors time in the space. Median total exhibit times for visitors who took pathways
through the outdoor portion of the exhibit increased by
over 35% from the front-end evaluation. The average
number of times visitors who took outdoor pathways
stopped similarly increased 40%-55%. Visitors responded positively to the exhibit and particularly enjoyed the
visibility of and proximity to the seals offered by the
space. Most visitors did not notice the algae in the pool
and those who did generally thought it made the exhibit
look natural or realistic.

Half of visitors reported learning something new from

This year we have 3 yearlong evaluation studies underthe exhibit, with the greatest number of visitors citing
way with student teams working at the Museum of His- information about the seals appearance, diet or behavior.
tory and Industry (MOHAI), the Seattle Aquarium and
One-fifth of visitors recalled seeing or hearing conserthe Henry Art Gallery. To view reports from past projvation messages in the exhibit space. Of these, most
ects, join the University of Washington Museology Grad- recalled messages related to exhibit themes of Marine
uate Program group on informalscience.org. Heres one Debris or the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
example of this years evaluation projects.
This evaluation contributes research of how, and in what
Project Spotlight:
ways, an experience at an aquarium exhibit impacts
Seattle Aquariums Harbor Seal Exhibit
visitors. Specifically, findings from this study will contribute data concerning visitor awareness of conservation
Project Description
messages and exhibition effectiveness. Results will help
The evaluation team collected 187 timing and trackto inform other informal science learning institutions
ing instruments on total exhibit time, time spent in
conducting evaluations relevant to conservation awareindoor and outdoor portions of the exhibit, locations of ness or renovating their exhibits.
stops, visitor behavior in the exhibit, and some relevant
demographic and environmental condition information.
The team collected 118 interviews on visitors attitudes
toward the exhibit, specifically perceptions of the care
and environment of the seals and the algae visible in the
pool, as well as on what information visitors recalled
from the exhibit space, with a focus on conservation
messages.
Quantitative data from both instrument types was analyzed using Excel and SPSS software. Qualitative data
was analyzed through a coding process that utilized both
emergent and a priori coding, using categories of exhibit
themes provided by the Aquarium.
PAGE 4

Students from the Class of 2014 point to their New Directions.

Photo courtesy of UW Museology.

Museology Program Connects with iSchool

The UW Information School

Information Schools are interested in the relationships

between information, technology and people. Their
work addresses questions such as How can we use
information to help people achieve their potential and
How can we harness informations capacity as an agent
for positive change? We think these types of questions
connect strongly with the work of museums and we are
working with the UW School of Information (iSchool)
to prepare our students to strengthen the natural and
strategic partnerships that can exist between museums
and libraries.
Kris Morrisseys academic appointment was expanded
this year to include an affiliation with the iSchool and

Joe Tennis, Associate Professor of the iSchool, joined

our Museology Interdisciplinary Faculty Group last
year. Two Museology alumni are currently enrolled in
the PhD program in the iSchool. Travis Windleharth,
13 is focusing on knowledge organization and will be
working on electronic game metadata standards for
use by libraries and museums and is also interested in
researching systems for better organizing evaluation data
and information across the museum field. Rose Paquet
Kinsley, 12 is one of the co-founders of the Incluseum
project based in Seattle and her work focuses on creative
and inclusive ways to embrace the capacity of museums
to to act as agents of social inclusion.

Museology Interdisciplinary Faculty

Jordanna Bailkin, PhD
Professor, History
Leslie Herrenkohl, PhD
Professor, Educational Psychology
Bruce Hevly, PhD
Associate Professor, History
Julie M Johnson, RLA, ASLA
Associate Professor, Landscape
Architecture
Miriam Kahn, PhD
Professor, Anthropology
Adjunct Curator, Pacific Ethnology,
Burke Museum
James Kenagy, PhD
Professor, Emeritus, Biology
Curator of Mammals, Emeritus,
Burke Museum
Steven Kerr, PhD
Professor, Education
Peter Lape, PhD
Associate Professor, Anthropology
Curator of Archeology, Burke
Museum

Scott Magelssen, PhD

Associate Professor, School of
Drama

Bradley Portin, PhD

Director and Professor, Education,
UW Bothell

Galen Minah, PhD

Associate Professor, Architecture
Graduate Advisor, Architecture

Kenneth Smith, PhD

Senior Lecturer, Evans School of
Public Affairs

Kris Morrissey, PhD

Director, Museology

Julie Stein, PhD

Director, Burke Museum

James Nason, PhD

Emeritus Professor, Anthropology
Emeritus Curator of Pacific &
American Ethnology, Burke Museum
Former Director, Museology Graduate Program

Joseph Tennis, PhD

Associate Professor, The Information
School

Wilson ODonnell
Associate Director, Museology
Richard Olmstead, PhD
Professor, Biology
Curator of Botany, Burke Museum
Theodore W. Pietsch, PhD
Professor, Aquatic and Fishery
Sciences
Curator of Fishes, Burke Museum

Robin Wright, PhD

Professor, Art History, School of Art
Curator of Native American Art,
Burke Museum
Director, Bill Holm Center for the
Study of Northwest Coast Art
Shirley Yee, PhD
Professor, Gender, Women, and
Sexuality Studies

PAGE 5

Alumni Updates
Last year, in celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the UW Museology Program, we asked alumni
to send in an update of their current positions and projects, as well as a reflection on their time in
the Museology Program. We include the following stories to share updates and success of some of
our alumni.

Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, Skagway, Alaska

By Samantha Richert, 09

Two aspects of the Museology Program have been

particularly helpful in my work for the National Park
Service. The Program offered me the opportunity to
acquire a wide range of skills, including archives management, and helped me build my collaborative experiences. As a curator for the National Park Service, I
manage a wide range of material, including archeology,
natural history, historical and archival collections. The
park staff brings a wide range of experiences and perspectives to work, which we blend together to manage
the four units of Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park that vary from the internationally renowned
Chilkoot Trail to our twenty-two historical buildings in
downtown Skagway.
Our centennial project for the 2016 anniversary of the
National Park Service is the restoration of Jeff Smiths
Parlor. Originally the den of con man Soapy Smith, the
building was turned into a dime museum in the 1930s
by Martin Itjen, an eccentric entrepreneur, showman
and folk artist. Itjen constructed animatronic figures
of Gold Rush characters to populate the museum along
with an enormous taxidermy mount of two moose
locked in mortal combat. After Itjens death in 1942,
the museum was run by his friend and protg, George
Rapuzzi until the early 1980s. George and his wife
Edna filled out the museum display with a wide array of
Gold Rush artifacts and Alaskana, carefully identifying
every object with hand-printed labels and commentary.
Klondike Gold Rush NHP received the building as
part of the Rapuzzi Collection donated by the Rasmuson Foundation in 2007. Serious water damage had
compromised both the building and the collections it
contained, including wall coverings of historic newspapers and documents. Restoration of the building has

PAGE 6

been a collaborative
process across the
park, including the
Maintenance, Interpretive and Resource
divisions. The museum program has
also benefited from a
partnership with the
Alaska State Museum
and the Student Conservation Association,
which supports our
Klondike Gold Rush Historical Park
artifact conservation
Photo by Samantha Richert
internship program.
Its difficult to connect with conservators due to our remote location, so
the internship program has become a core component of
preparing artifacts for exhibit. Working with our skilled
and creative Maintenance staff has been particularly
fulfilling, as they have supported the internship program
with specialized electrical and wood-working skills in
addition to their massive effort stabilizing and restoring
the idiosyncratic construction of Jeff Smiths Parlor.
I chose a career in the National Park Service because
I believe in the worth of civil service and the importance of caring for our special places and shared history.
Working on this project, these lofty goals have unexpectedly directed me toward loving restoration of a strange
little dime museum in a very remote section of the
United States. My studies with UW Museology fostered
a flexible and open attitude toward museum management that is the basis for a rewarding, unexpectedly fun
career.

Alumni Updates

Holding onto the Spore:

Stink Ants, Neon Signs and Other Unaccredited Wonders

By Erin Langner, 07

Two sandlots full of dusty, broken neon signs, surrounded by chain link fences, secured by a pile of
Master Locks hardly sounds like the stuff museum
dreams are made of. But this placethe Neon
Museum, in Las Vegas, Nevadabored itself into my
brain. Much like the Museum of Jurassic Technologys famous spore we know so well as the one that
lodges itself inside the [stink] ants brain and immediately begins to grow, captivating the mind of
Lawrence Weschler, in his essay Mr. Wilsons Cabinet
of Wonder, this very unaccredited place still does not
leave me alone, more than five years later.
Between the Neon Museums piles of dirt-ridden,
Greco-Roman letters that covered Caesars Palace in
its early years and the purple shards of the 27-foot
atomic cloud that once announced the Stardust casino
in a sparkling rain of lights, I could see the wonder
Weschler found in the MJTs semi-functional phones
and half fictional exhibits. The slick, midcentury
script of the integrated Moulin Rouge casino carried
the more serious story of Las Vegass desegregation
in its simple, white font that refused to blend in with
its whimsical neighbors. Howard Hughess corporate
takeovers on the Strip were caked onto the filthy,
once-silver slipper that he famously had turned off,
now sitting in a deflated posture against the crunched
sign for its gambling hall entrance. The interior,
slot machine-topping neon of the 90s radiated in
its familiarity as the former backdrops from reality
shows whose stars found themselves living in casinos
during a particular peak in Strip prosperity. That the
first tour I took was an unshaded, hour-long walk in
temperatures upwards of 95 degrees, and that getting a cab back to my hotel required an additional 30
minute search as a popsicle from a gas station I found
along the way drenched my forearm in red, sugary
drip lines, only heightened the lasting impact of the
experience as I mulled over everything I had just seen
while wiping away the sweat and corn syrup.

Las Vegas signs dont have much inherently in common

with the Megaloponera foetens Weschler encounters in
the Museum of Jurassic Technology, or even with the
traditional museum experience. However, as a place
stripped bare, when compared to the policies, structures and comforts of most institutions, the wonder
I saw in the Neon Museum that paralleled Weschlers
reaction to the MJT was easier to see. I found myself,
months later, immersed in the stories the Las Vegas signs
told about history, design, and pop culture. At first, I
used my addiction as inspiration in my work on museum
programming for adults, mashing up disciplines and
histories into tours and late-night events that aimed to
uncover the unexpected moments of awe I experienced
at the Neon Museum in a more conventional museum
environment. Now, I have moved on to freelance arts
writing, including a book of essays on the true moments
of museum-esque awe found on the Las Vegas Strip.
While not every museum professional may experience relevance and inspiration in the Neon Museum or
Museum of Jurassic Technology, the value of finding a
placeor simply a thingthat evokes the obsessive,
spore-boring wonder that museums were founded upon
is something to seek and hold onto, wherever you find
it; you never know where it will lead.

Image courtesy of Erin Langner.

PAGE 7

Alumni Updates
Weaving Rainbows:

The Chronicle of the Royal Textile Academy of Bhutan

By Pema Chhoden Wangchuk, 10
It all began in the late 80s when a Tibetan carpet expert
and a consultant to the World Bank, Diana K. Meyers
was visiting Bhutan. While in the country, Ms. Meyers
had the opportunity to meet Her Majesty, the Queen
Mother, Gyalyum Sangay Choden Wangchuck. They soon
developed a warm and friendly bond conversing about
their shared love and passion for textiles. Their conversations over time led to the creation of the Textile
Arts from the Land of Thunder Dragon exhibition at
the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts.
The Peabody Museum had previously acquired a sizable
collection of Bhutanese textiles from a wealthy donor.
This rich and fulfilling experience further inspired Her
Majestys interest in preserving the nations ancient art,
and in May 2001, with financial support from the Royal
Government of Bhutan (RGoB) and Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), the countrys
first ever Textile Museum was established in the capital,
Thimphu.
Bhutanese and visitors from abroad witnessed the opening of the museum with much delight, only to realize

The Royal Textile Academy.

Photo courtesy of Pema Chhoden Wangchuk.

PAGE 8

there was something lacking; the evident absence of the

finest prized weaves. Karen Mazurkewich, a journalist
from the Asian Wall Street Journal was one of the many
visitors at the function who immediately took note of
this as she covered the event in the August 10, 2001 issue. Writing Since Bhutans Textiles Are So in Demand,
Countrys Own Museum Cant Get Enough, the article
underlined the regrettable fact that a majority of the
countrys treasures resided abroad, particularly with two
private collectors.
Call it coincidence or karma, Dr. Frederik Paulsen;
Chairman of Ferring Pharmaceuticals came across the
same Asian Wall Street Journal article in 2001. When he
visited Bhutan in the spring of 2003, he brought with
him 113 of the most exquisite textiles obtained from
one of the donors mentioned in the Journal. This was
the largest collection to have ever been repatriated to
the country. Not only did Dr. Paulsen generously gift the
113 pieces to the museum, but also proposed to fund the
expansion of the existing museum by adding an auditorium, a weaving center and a conservation center.

The Royal Textile Academy.

Photo courtesy of Pema Chhoden Wangchuk.

Alumni Updates
Continued from: Weaving Rainbows
Under the patronage of Her Majesty Gyalyum Sangay
Choden Wangchuck, the Royal Textile Academy (RTA)
built on 4.75 acres of leased government land, was finally instituted in May 2005. After years of cooperation and
conscientious hard work, an official grand opening was
finally observed on the 4th, 5th and 6th of June 2013.
Weaving and the role of textiles have been pervasive
since the dawn of culture. With rapid modernization
gradually eroding this living cultural and artistic heritage, the establishment of a Cultural Hub such as the
Royal Textile Academy will not only help in ensuring a

past, present and a future for Bhutan but also go a long

way in keeping the tradition unimpaired and vibrant in
this globalized era.

Curatorial Team

The museum concept is still new in Bhutan, and having

professionally trained staff such as our three curators,
Mrs. Tshering Uden Penjor, Ms. Karma Deki Tshering
and Ms. Pema Chhoden Wangchuk proved to be a great
asset in establishing the newly inaugurated Royal Textile
Academy of Bhutan (RTA).

Photo by Lincoln Potter.

www.lincolnpotter.com

Photo by Lincoln Potter.

www.lincolnpotter.com

PAGE 9

Alumni Updates
Continued from: Weaving Rainbows
With an MA in Museology from the University of Washington, Seattle, all three Curators are actively involved in all
fields across of museum work, from collections to registration to developing educational programs. Recently, the
RTA introduced educational programs for schools and almost all schools took part in the event with great enthusiasm, even sending Letters of Appreciation to the RTA, which was an accomplishment and a great boost for the RTA
team to come up with more educational & fascinating programs for the students and visitors.
For now, the Curators are working on the details and logistics for the travelling exhibit on Castles from the Czech
Republic that will be hosted at the RTA in February 2014. The RTA also has a Contemporary exhibition coming up
at the old Textile Museum where costumes from the Fashion Show that was held during the grand inaugural of the
RTA will be displayed.

Pema with her father during Graduation at the Burke.

www.lincolnpotter.com

PAGE 10

Photos by Lincoln Potter.

www.lincolnpotter.com

Caught on Camera: MUS 588: Public Programs

Winter 2014

Nowhere is innovation more obvious and exciting than in

the adventurous and entrepreneurial Northwest. Connecting with MOHAIs new Bezos Center for Innovation,
the Museology Public Programs class partnered with a
number of individuals and organizations including Washington Trails Association, Outdoor Research, and UW
Libraries Special Collections and Mountaineers Books to
plan a First Thursday event at MOHAI.

Amanda Discusses Apps for Outdoors.

Photo by Dominic Arenas Photography.

Cell phone time.

Photo by Dominic Arenas Photography.

Leonard Garfield, Director of MOHAI chats with Ken Meidell,

President and Chief Operations Officer of Outdoor Research.
Photo by Kris Morrissey.

Lauren welcomes children to the First Aid station.

Photo by Dominic Arenas Photography.

PAGE 12

Start with the right shoes.

Photo by Dominic Arenas Photography.

Caught on Camera: Alumni Exhibition Openings

Pitch Black: African American Baseball in
Washington
Northwest African American Museum
February 1 November 9, 2014

Pitch Black: African American Baseball in Washington, is an

original exhibition that illuminates the personal narratives of
blacks in our communities who enjoyed the dynamic sport of
baseball in our State.

Chieko Phillips 11, Alex Curio 10, Andrea Cohen 11, and
Tasia Endo 11 at the opening for Pitch Black. The exhibit was
curated by Chieko Phillips.
Photo courtesy of the NAAM.

This exhibition was curated by Chieko T. Phillips, Exhibitions

Manager at NAAM in consultation with a community advisory
committee inlcuding Bill North and Joe Staton. Additional curatorial assistance was elicited from Hal Kramer, Jordan Leonard,
Barbara Johns, Vicki Halper, Becky Alexander and Julie Nathon
Sayigh of EDX Design.

Revealing Queer

Museum of History and Industry

February 14 - July 6, 2014
MOHAI proudly presents Revealing Queer, a landmark exhibit
exploring how the Puget Sound LGBTQ community has grown,
changed, become more visible, and worked towards equality.

Erin Bailey, 13 at the opening of Revealing Queer at MOHAI.

Photo courtesy of Erin Bailey.

This exhibit is the result of collaboration between many individuals and organizations, led by Erin Bailey and Nicole Robert,
co-founders of Queering the Museuman ongoing project
to uncover and share LGBTQ stories in institutions across the
country. Bailey and Robert worked closely with a Community
Advisory Committee composed of representatives from local
LGBTQ organizations to create Revealing Queer.

Glassorama: Habitats for Kids Design Glass

Museum of Glass
May 7 - September 7, 2014

Inspired by the success of the creative Kids Design Glass program, Museum of Glass has collaborated with high schools
in Pierce County to demonstrate the abilities of young artists
through a design competition for students. The contest challenged students to design a three-dimensional environment for
a Kids Design Glass creature of their choosing. Three proposals from students at Federal Way High School and Tacomas
Stadium High School have been selected by the Museum for
Glassorama: Environments for Kids Design Glass, on view from
May 7 to September 7, 2014.

Katie Phelps, 12, Curatorial Assistant at Museum of Glass,

works with students from Federal Way High School on their
Glass-o-rama.
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Picardo, Federal Way High School.

The chosen dioramas will be on display with the original Kids

Design Glass pieces in the Museums Grand Hall, along with
reproductions of the proposals that were submitted, but not selected. The selection was curated by Museum of Glass Curatorial
Staff, including Museology alumna Katie Phelps 12.

PAGE 13

Museology @ AAM
It is no surprise to me that so many AAM sessions are populated with thinkers and do-ers who are
alumni of the Museology Graduate Program. There is something that happens in Graduate School.
Maybe its the hours of reading and thinking and questioning, or maybe its the hours of hanging
out in coffee shops and pubs with colleagues and classmates; Somewhere during that time, dreams
become expectations and then experiments, ideas become personal philosophies and then practices,
expectations become experiences and habits. The boundaries begin to dissolve between research
and practice, between learning and knowing, between being a student of and being an expert of
and then suddenly its 2014 and AAM is in Seattle and we, the faculty, are sitting in the audience,
our students are at the podium and we are learning from our former students.
On behalf of the Museology faculty and faculty of museum studies programs everywhere, we applaud the work of graduate students everywhere and we thank you for inspiring us and for changing
the ways we think about museums, communities, knowledge and our society.
- Kris Morrissey, Director
The following alumni and faculty presented at sessions during this years AAM Conference:

Diversity Inside Museums: On-the-Ground

Perspectives
Museology Presenters: Renae Youngs, Todd Mayberry,
Tasia Endo
Behind the Scenes: Inviting Guests into Restricted Areas
Museology Presenters: Meagan Huff, Laura Phillips
Seattle Museums: Building Place + Building
Community
Museology Presenter: Brian Carter
Re-imagining Your Logic Model: Using an Old Dog for
New Tricks
Museology Presenter: Elizabeth Rosino
Stop, Collaborate and Listen: Making the Most of Evaluation
Museology Presenters: Renae Youngs, Emily Craig, Betsy
OBrien
Cultural Conversations with Teens
Museology Presenter: Dylan High
Not Just for Kids: Giving Adults Permission to Play
Museology Presenter: Winifred Kehl
PAGE 14

Accessing Smartphones: Mobile for All in Museums

Museology Presenter: Tasia Endo
Revealing Urban Histories Through LGBTQ
Museum Programming
Museology Presenter: Erin Bailey
Hack the Museum: Experiments in Exhibition-Making
Museology Presenter: Whitney Ford-Terry
Deaccessioning for the Better
Museology Presenter: Hollye Keister
Growing a Culture of Research in Museums
Museology Presenter: Jessica Luke
Happiness, Sustainability and the Museum
Professional
Museology Presenter: Andrea Michelbach
Building Evaluation Capacity for Museums and Staff
Museology Presenter: Nick Visscher

Museology @ AAM
Poster Session - Food For Thought:
Pushing the Boundaries of Research-Based Practice
Seattle Public Library

Emerging professionals are changing the ways we think about museums, libraries, communities, knowledge and
social experiences. Addressing the AAM theme of Innovation, this student-curated poster session covered a range
of research projects that advance the conversations in our field including rethinking workplace behaviors, emerging
forms of engaging communities, measuring the happiness of museum professionals, authenticity of skateboarding
exhibits, math in Science Cafes and VideoBlogging.
Photos by Chris Cadenhead.

Graduating student Taline Kuyumjian shares her thesis research

with students and museum professionals.

Museology students enjoyed a small group discussion with Nina

Simon, author of The Participatory Museum and Director of the Santa
Cruz Museum of Art and History.

Anna Johnson in front of her poster about math attitudes and

interests of adult science caf participants.

Illustration by Crista Alejandre in response to Nina Simons

roundtable. Read more about Cristas work on page 19.

PAGE 15

Museology @ AAM
MuseumExpo Booth: Head in the Clouds, Feet on the Ground
During the AAM Museum Expo, students asked attendees to join the conversation about research in
museums.
Photos by Chris Cadenhead.

PAGE 16

Museology Alumni @ AAM

One of our favorite parts of AAM was running into our alumni throughout the conference. Whether at the MuseumExpo,
Marketplace of Ideas or conference sessions, Museology graduates were hard to miss!
Photos by Chris Cadendead.

Class of 2012 alums Winifred Kehl and Zulma Lin GarciaMorales get creative at the Marketplace of Ideas.

Katie Phelps at the Museum of Glass booth.

Elizabeth Rosino, 10 shows off her research at the Marketplace of Ideas.

Dylan High, 13 presents his research on teens.

Class of 2011 alums Renae Youngs, Betsy OBrien and Emily

Craig host a session at AAM.

Class of 2011 alums Marina Hernandez, Hillary Saalfeld and

Andrea Godinez catch up at the Museology Reception.

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Museology @ AAM
After a full day of sessions,round table discussions and networking,
alumni, faculty and friends celebrated at the Museology Program
reception.

Kris Morrissey, Wilson ODonnell and Katie

Hall 14 at the Museology repcetion.

Sarah Taggart 15, StephanieWilkes 15, Jimi

Hightower 15 and Sara Olivo 15.

Zahava Doering, Dale McCreedy and Jessica

Luke at the Museology reception.

Kelsey Wynne 10, Lace Thornberg 10 and Liz Rosino 10 catch up.

Students in the clas of 2014 enjoy the photobooth.

Caitlin Steele13, Brian Carter 06, Zachary Stocks 14, Chieko Phillips
11, Alex Curio 10 and Anne Melton 12.

Carrie Plank 13, Zaira Arredondo Mata 13 and Lissa Kramer 13.

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Museology @ AAM
As partof our activities during AAM, we asked Crista Alejandre (13) to react to and interpret some of our events during the conference.
A self-described illustrator by night Cristas cartoons brought levity and insight to the conference. The cartoon below was created in response to a roundtable discussion with John Fraser, Peter Linnet, Kathleen McClean, Elee Wood and Julie Johnson. For more cartoons, visit
our website at museum.washington.edu.

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Museology Graduate Program

Box 359485
Seattle, WA 98195
uwmus@uw.edu

Museo-log is produced by:

Katie Phelps & Andrea Cohen

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