Personal Narrative: The Twin Hickory Public Museum

Never before have I seen a museum as grand as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. From its architecture to its massive art collection, The Met has a little bit of everything and one is sure to find something that captures his or her interest. Considering that The Met is the United States' largest art museum, it is easy to get lost within its many corridors and wings. My visit to The Met took place during the last week of July. Despite the almost unbearable heat and humidity that hung in the air, visiting museums under these climate conditions is a welcome respite from a suffocating, yet bright summer afternoon.

Museums are information organizations, that is, they are about giving the most up-to-date information to their patrons. No matter how well their organization, commercially, is wrap it up that part of them remains the same. From the two museums that I visited, the Henry Ford Museum and the Museum of Natural History, are clearly about passing information to the patron. There are differences between them, however, it is the equivalences that I want to focus on as they are what bind them. The three areas of focus are community, academic outreach, and the stories they share.

Interestingly, my first visit to the Museum was almost accidental. When I was a freshman, my mother was taking an art class at the College of Staten Island which required a class trip to the Metropolitan Museum, and my brother and I both agreed to accompany her. I will never forget the moment that I first laid eyes on the Metropolitan Museum. Although it was a dark, cold winter night, the shimmering lights made the building most inviting. As we crossed the threshold, I was struck by

Over the weekend, I took the time to explore two museums. The first museum I visited was the D.I.A , also known as the Detroit Institute of Arts. The D.I.A was a very beautiful, multicultural, and unique place. I also took the time to visit and explore the Charles H. Wright Museum of Detroit. Luckily, these museums weren’t too far from each other they were roughly 5-7 minutes apart. The Charles H. Wright Museum was also very beautiful, it was more appealing to me because it is a museum that exhibits and highlights the history of the African American culture. The Charles H. Wright museum also happens to be the largest African American museum in the world.

I arrived at the museum at exactly 9:26. Due to the fact that the house was not scheduled to open until 9 am, I was afforded the opportunity to take a stroll downtown for the first time in almost 8 years. As a kid, my mother and her sisters would take myself, my sister and cousins on “field trips “to downtown Savannah. Like most low income families, we didn’t have a lot of money therefore we found ways to enjoy the city without breaking the bank. This relates to the topic at hand

On April second my honors class went on a day trip to the Chickasaw Cultural Center. It is in Davis and near the Tushkahoma site in September. I had been to many cultural centers before, but I cannot remember if I had been to Chickasaw’s specifically. I went separate from the group due to colliding plans. Therefore, I went with my friends Allison, Alyssa, Alie, and Jordan. Driving to the Cultural Center our GPS sent us to a campground, so we had to turn around and ask for directions. Eventually, we located the huge sign, which we somehow missed, pointing us in the right direction. Driving in, I was quite surprised at how clean it was. You could tell that they took pride in their heritage, just by the way they presented the center to us.

The Colorado History Museum was a phenomenal place to visit; it felt life like from being in my Colorado History class in college as well as in my high school ones. I had the ability to see what it was like living in Keota, as well as being a huge size person walking around the Denver area, and lastly saw a few pieces of clothing that were the Native Americans during Bent’s Fort. Every detail in the museum I tried paying attention too, because I did not want to miss anything.

My skills as a patient, independent problem solver who is both confident and knowledgeable in both the Royal Ontario Museum's history and collections will contribute to my success as a volunteer assistant. By working at an overnight camp, I have learned to be patient with children in a variety of situations such as high stress and lack of rest. After babysitting an assortment of clients over the course of three years. I have become an experienced and confident independent problem solver. Being a lifelong member at the Royal Ontario Museum and having attended many ROMkids programs, I am at total ease and have developed a thorough understanding of the ROM layout and the history behind gallery artifacts. My demonstration of patience, problem-solving,

My work with the Freehold Public Library has been a huge part of my life, as I have volunteered there since I was 12 years old. I have grown up with the library, and my experiences with the library, whether it as a volunteer or a customer, are very important to me. I started volunteering for summer programs at the library. I then joined the Teen Library Committee and did service projects for the community as a part of it throughout the year. I also encouraged my brother and a friend to join the Teen Library Committee with me. As a part of this group, I have been able to do service projects for a wide variety of causes, such as making food for a local soup kitchen, making dog treats to donate, and making cards for those stationed overseas or in the hospital. In 8th grade, as a part of National Junior Honor Society, I wrote a grant for the library to expand their young adult collection. I spent months talking to Mrs. Kathy about the public library system and the issues that this library faces

I had been wanting to visit the Palmer Memorial Institute since Professor Porter mentioned it in class because Sedalia is not far from where I live. Today, I finally got the chance to visit. I actually enjoyed walking around this historic site more than I thought I would. The first plaque I read was on that described the origins of the Palmer Memorial Institute. The school was previously named Bethany Institute and was founded by American Missionary Association in 1870. Not too long after, in 1902, the AMA was forced to withdraw its limited financial support. Because of this, Charlotte Hawkins Brown courageously reopened the school in the fall of 1902 and renamed it the Palmer

My experience to the Dallas Museum of Art was a bit different from the last time I had attended the museum. I was curious to see what pieces of art there would be and if it would be the same as the previous visit which was long ago, but to me all the pieces of art were so different and very interesting. It may have been because I saw all the pieces in a new perspective since learning about the different types of paintings there can be and knowing how and where sculptures come from. Even though I do not know much of art I really gave it a try into seeing what the artist may have wanted us to get out of his work. By reading a view of the chapters made me aware of art, I wouldn’t call myself an expert, but it was actually nice knowing that a

One art piece standing in a museum can be interpreted in my many different ways: one way for each person. But that piece gives off a similar vibe to almost everyone. The artist tries to show a greater message to the viewer. It’s the viewer’s job to dive in deeper into the work, and walk away understanding a bit more of another’s standpoint and approaches to the world. Even if we don’t touch upon that subject, I plan to investigate this idea by just going to museums I can reach out to. Walk around all the floors, and see how art has progressed and altered our

Throughout this course, I have reaffirmed my desire to engage others in the process of learning. I have always been fascinated by the potential museums possess to involve visitors in inquiry and even cultivate a love for learning. Accordingly, my goal has always been to bring my passion for learning to museum visitors. Due to my background in archaeology, I have always given the bulk of my attention to objects within museums, giving little thought to my own experience let alone the experiences of others. Museums Today: Missions and Function, however, has taught me to emphasize the museum audience and the experience of visiting rather than the collection itself. The concept of being audience focused rather than collections driven, is

Don’t get me wrong: I love museums. I like reading about the subject weeks in advance. The unspoken rule that one must not speak if not necessary. I like watching people’s pupil’s blossom when a piece sideswipes their senses. The timid way people point at admirable pieces. I like all these aspects of museums and more. That said, if I didn’t see The Absinth Drinkers I doubt I’d value this assignment.

According to the American Alliance of Museums, community engagement in museums includes the use of this facility as “a center where people gather to meet and converse and an active, visible player in civic life, a safe haven, and a trusted incubator of change” (Long 141). Different museums