[NHCOLL-L:3485] RE: Research collections being used for artistic purposes?

[David Richman]

I totally agree.  We have enough problems in the museum world without 
confirming the worst suspicions of some administrators that we are 
irrelevant.  Such contacts demonstrate the potential and very real 
importance of the collections, when utilized properly!

Dave

David B. Richman (Ph.D)
Science Specialist/Graduate Professor and
Curator, The Arthropod Museum
Department of Entomology,
Plant Pathology and Weed Science
MSC 3BE, Box 30003
New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, NM 88003
Tel: (505) 646-7082
FAX: (505) 646-8087
Web pages: 
<http://spectre.nmsu.edu/dept/welcome.html?t=drich>http://spectre.nmsu.edu/dept/welcome.html?t=drich 



At 06:11 AM 7/3/2007, you wrote:
>I'm with you, John. Collections that are not used really do become 
>"useless."
>
>Collections use becomes abuse only when collections caretakers don't 
>take their responsibilities seriously. If collections staff do as 
>you have done, then the result is yet another demonstration of the 
>incredible utility of the materials we hold in trust.
>
>Cathy
>
>
>In a message dated 7/3/2007 12:16:02 A.M. Mountain Daylight Time, 
>jsimmons at ku.edu writes:
>We allow artists to use our collection to draw fairly 
>often.  However, I have also had experience with research 
>collections as art on a much grander scale.  Several years ago, I 
>was contacted by an artist from Dallas, Texas (named Tracy Hicks) 
>concerning a question he had about fluid preservatives.  This 
>contact led to Tracy proposing to make art out of our collection of 
>preserved frogs, by making molds using a cold-casting 
>technique.  Tracy demonstrated that the technique would not harm the 
>specimens, and worked in our lab long enough to gain our confidence 
>that his techniques would not harm the specimens and that he treated 
>our scientific collections with respect.  A colleage (Prof. Marjorie 
>Swann) and I eventually got a Museum Loan Network grant that brought 
>Tracy up to Kansas and loan of Asian frogs down from the Field 
>Museum in Chicago and resulted in a large installation exhibit at KU.
>
>Tracy has been scrupulous about crediting our institutions and 
>stressing in his art that he is using scientific collections in a 
>new way.  What Tracy does, in essence, is analagous to finding a new 
>research technique to derive information from a specimen--only he 
>derives beauty.  Check out his collection-based art at 
>www.tracyhicks.com.  It is marvelous.
>
>I encourage you to pursue the contact with the artist.  It can bring 
>a whole new audience to your collection (as it did to ours).  If you 
>have seen the work of Rosamund Purcell or Terry Evans (both of whom 
>make art by taking photos of museum collections), then you know what 
>a fresh and unique viewpoint this can bring.  The only caveats I 
>have are to lay down the necessary ground rules to give you a margin 
>of comfort (for example, how the photos are to be credited, how the 
>minerals are to be handled, etc.).
>
>The experience can be very rewarding for the collection staff, the 
>artist, and the public who benefits from seeing the art.
>
>--John E. Simmons
>Collections Manager, Natural History Museum & Biodiversity Research Center
>and
>Director, Museum Studies Program
>University of Kansas
>1345 Jayhawk Boulevard
>Lawrence, Kansas 66045-7561
>Telephone (785) 864-4508; FAX (785) 864-5335
>jsimmons at ku.edu
>www.nhm.ku.edu/herpetology
>www.ku.edu/~museumst
>
>
>________________________________
>
>From: owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu on behalf of jstolark at gmail.com
>Sent: Mon 7/2/2007 3:23 PM
>To: nHCOLL-L at lists.yale.edu
>Subject: [NHCOLL-L:3481] Research collections being used for 
>artistic purposes?
>
>
>Hello everyone,
>
>I just received a call from an artist who is interesting in using 
>some pieces in our collection for some of his work.  Specifically, 
>he is interested in taking photographs of some of our fluorescent 
>minerals.   Since we are not a museum but just a research collection 
>attached to a University, I don't normally get such inquiries.  Does 
>anyone have any guidelines for allowing individuals access to 
>research collections for non-research purposes?
>
>Best,
>
>Jessie
>
>
>Catharine Hawks
>Conservator
>2419 Barbour Road
>Falls Church VA 22043-3026 USA
>t/f 703.876.9272
>
>
>
>
>----------
>See what's free at <http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000503>AOL.com.
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