September 7, 2003 - The Peace Corps Museum: Cultural Representation and the Peace Corps Museum
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September 7, 2003 - The Peace Corps Museum: Cultural Representation and the Peace Corps Museum
Cultural Representation and the Peace Corps Museum
Mali RPCV Stephanie Harris writes: "After I returned from the Peace Corps in Mali, I went to the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston to see a West African art exhibit that was being shown at the time. There I saw a simple dogon ladder, essentially a Y shaped log with foot notches. The branches represent the arms of a deity reaching up towards the sky and the seven notches are of spiritual significance to the Dogon.
NO WHERE in the museum exhibit did the label mention that the branches created stability when the ladder was propped up against rooftops, did it mention that the notches were to put your feet in or, besides the “title” that it was even used as a ladder. If I had not visited Dogon country, I would have assumed that the ladder was a central piece in a sacred altar."
Read and comment on this transcript of a talk given at the Annual NPCA Meeting in Portland on August 2 by Mali RPCV Stephanie Harris on cultural representation in museums, the way the issues of cultural representation will play into a museum of the Peace Corps experience, and how the museum can become a part of a new generation of museums where cultures are respected with dignity, stories are told and where we can come together as a community.
As part of the story we have included photos from the recent exhibit of the The Peace Corps Experience at the Multnomah County Central Library in Portland, Oregon from June 25 to August 4 that RPCVs who attended the NPCA annual conference in Portland had an opporutnity to see. At the bottom of this story read how you can help the Museum of the Peace Corps Experience become a reality and find a permanent home. Read the story at:
Cultural Representation and the Peace Corps Museum*
* This link was active on the date it was posted. PCOL is not responsible for broken links which may have changed.
Cultural Representation and the Peace Corps Museum
by Mali RPCV Stephanie Harris
Good afternoon. I’m going to start off with a story that I am sure many of you will be able to relate to. After I returned from the Peace Corps in Mali, I went to the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston to see a West African art exhibit that was being shown at the time. I was truly looking forward to seeing things from Mali, I was JUST back, and in desperate need of some sort of connection with my country of service. I moved quickly through the show, scanning the cases and labels for familiar names and places. Towards the back, I happened upon a floor to ceiling glass enclosure with a hodgepodge of items in it from Mali. Included was a simple dogon ladder, essentially a Y shaped log with foot notches. Now, I spent some time in Dogon country. I am not an expert in Dogon art, but I knew that the label I read next to the Dogon ladder was only telling part of the story. I can’t remember the exact wording, but it was something, like, the branches represent the arms of a deity reaching up towards the sky and the seven notches are of spiritual significance to the Dogon. NO WHERE did the label mention that the branches created stability when the ladder was propped up against rooftops, did it mention that the notches were to put your feet in or, besides the “title” that it was even used as a ladder. If I had not visited Dogon country, I would have assumed that the ladder was a central piece in a sacred altar.
Stephanie Harris: "How many of you have been in a museum, seen pieces from your country of service that were mislabeled, that were reflected as coming from the incorrect cultural group, or that were simply taken out of context?"
My experience and others like it are literally what took me to graduate school in museum studies and my masters project on cultural representation in museums. What I found is that the issue of cultural representation in museums is a hot topic in the museum community. Around the world, many museums are dealing with the repatriation of cultural property, attempting to dispel the myths of brutal savages in third world countries, and work with community representatives to ensure proper display, interpretation and scholarship.
Why now, though, after museums have been cabinets of curiosity for years, are they concerned with such issues? The most obvious answer is political correctness, but today, I would like to talk about some of the other reasons museums are concerned with cultural representation, the way these issues will play into a museum of the Peace Corps experience, and how we can become a part of a new generation of museums.
Christmas tree constructed from hollowed-out gourd, from the collection of Patricia Burke (Uruguay 1992-94)
This past May, the American Association for Museums conference was held just across the river here in Portland. Although the mood was somewhat somber as many cultural institutions are having to close their doors and lay off staff, I found several rays of hope in the conference theme “Bridges across the world.” The United States has rejoined UNESCO, international partnerships among museums are thriving, and, even in a time of limited resources and cutbacks, people are trying to find ways to work across oceans in planning exhibits, consulting on shows and in general professional development. One session really appealed to me entitled, “We’ve tried on the clothes and tasted the food, now what?” which included Ann Bryan, president and co founder of the Exploris museum in Raleigh, North Carolina. Exploris is a museum devoted to world cultures and was co-founded by RPCV Gordon Smith. Ann made a wonderful point about the timeliness of museums that are commited to Global Education. She mentioned that in this time of growing global unrest, our society is looking for ways to educate ourselves about cultures of the world. She believes that globally focused museums will continue to grow in the next several years the way that Science and Technology centers grew in the early nineties. We are beginning to realize that we have to prepare a new generation of citizens for the new world that we live in.
But how is it best to go about creating such an institution? I don’t know how many of you may have noticed the changing face of museums in the past ten years or so? In order to dispel some of the images of museums as mausoleums, curiosity cabinets and, quite frankly, elitist institutions, many museums have turned to exhibits that are much more hands on and that rely heavily on contextual environments. There are mixed opinions regarding the effectiveness of this kind of institution. While many people recognize the intent of trying to attract broader audiences and cater to different kinds of learning styles, still others view the shift of trying to change museums into amusement parks, with children running amok in native dress, pushing buttons on interactive displays, and in the end, learning very little. This also allows for very little room for the awe and wonder an object standing alone can provide.
Exhibits from Iran at the Peace Corps Museum
In my research, I learned that the most effective exhibits are those that let a person tell their story, while the objects and a few interpretive elements can help speak to people on a variety of sensory levels. A few museums have shown examples of how to do this well. Those of you who have visited the Holocaust museum in Washington, d.c. and have seen the exhibit entitled Daniel’s story know that a first person narrative can tell you more about the harrowing effects of genocide that anything else. Another excellent example is a recent exhibit at the Seattle art museum entitled simply “Art from Africa” where the curator chose to replace traditional labels with audio recordings from twelve guest curators who were local African chiefs and leaders.
The Museum of the Peace Corps experience has a chance to overcome all of the issues surrounding cultural representation in museums. The objects we have are gifts and items we aquired as guests in the countries. We imagine that there will be few issues relating to the repatriation of cultural artifacts.
Among us we have so many stories to tell about OUR experiences in another country. I’m sure that many of you feel, as I do, that regardless of the amount of time we spent in our countries of service, that we are still outsiders and some things about a culture can never be understood unless you were born into it. Our stories can tell people what the experience of living in another culture is like, as opposed to trying to interpret what they were thinking.
In addition to that, we have the cultural contacts among us that most museums would kill for. Imagine walking into a show about eastern European catholic icons with stories told from a PCVs friend. Or a show about west African hunters narrated by a PCVs host father.
By emphasizing the stories we can tell, I do not mean to leave out an important part of the story, the objects. I know that many of us have visited school groups, community organizations or have even simply shared our photos with family and friends in order to fulfill the third goal of the Peace Corps. But for anyone who has visited a museum knows, there are so many ways that objects can speak to us in a way that words cannot do justice. The tools people use to tend to their daily needs speak to the innovation of the human spirit. The need to express oneself is what bridges cultures.
Exhibits from Swaziland at the Peace Corps Museum
These objects we have must have a place to be preserved, seen and studied. Since I have become affiliated with the project, I have heard of the most amazing things that people are willing to donate. From radio recordings of historical events to magazine collections from 1970s Africa, we have objects that tell stories of the real people around the world.
I have been talking a great deal about cultural representation as a growing trend in a new kind of museum. This is because that is the most obvious issue the museum will address as it addresses the third goal in a real way.
But another trend occurring is redefining the role of a museum within a community. More and more museums are trying to become more than simply spaces where objects are stored and displayed. In the past several years, museums have proven themselves to be places of healing. The most recent example is during the space shuttle disaster, air and space museums around the country were flooded with visitors looking to make sense of a national tragedy. Museums responded quickly to the needs of their communities after September 11 in ways that no other institutions could have through educational shows on Islam to powerful documentaries on the people lost.
Museums also act as places where we celebrate that we hold most dear in our cultures. Its where we show visitors to our communities what is important to us, and even at times, who we are. In other words, museums are more and more becoming community centers. Places that are not detached storage facilities for objects, but places that engage their communities and ask them tough questions about where they were and where they are going. As we are in our fifth decade of existence, and over 160,000 in numbers and growing daily, it is about time, that we, the RPCV community had just that to begin exploring our experiences as a group and individually. Where we offer a place for recently returned volunteers to feel understood, to let potential volunteers know who we are and what we stand for and where we can gather together in times of crises to reflect and remember where we are going and what is most important to us.
Exhibits from Guatemala at the Peace Corps Museum
I am in no way saying all of this is a small feat, but we can and will be part of a new generation of museum’s where cultures are respected with dignity, stories are told and where we can come together as a community. It is a large task and we need everyone’s help to get there. If you cannot contribute financially, we encourage you to involve yourselves in our conversations. This is not simply a museum for our small grassroots group in Portland, it will exist for all of you, the many people we hold dear to our hearts in the countries we have served, and for all of its visitors. Many of you have sent us emails with your ideas and we hope that they will keep coming. The only way this museum will work is with your input.
That being said, there are many questions we still do not have the answers to, but by asking them, you are helping us in our process of visioning. We want to know how the museum can meet the needs of your specific community, what you would like to see in it and, any ways you feel that you or your group may be able to help out. We also invite all of you to join us at our reception at the Central Library at 3:30pm. It is only a taste of the possibilities of a museum. We will now accept questions and comments.
How You Can Help
The Committee for a Museum of the Peace Corps Experience is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation chartered in Oregon. Your tax-deductible contribution will make the creation of a Museum to share the stories of the Peace Corps and the world's cultures a reality.
Contact them to make a contribution at:
CMPCE
P.O. Box 14861
Portland, OR 97293
(503) 699-9833
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This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Museums; Cultural Representation
PCOL7663
20
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I am a longtime vintage paper dealer who deals with many museums, websites and private collectors {on dozens of subjects}Most buy for their archives, to frame or sell in their shops or online.
I have an unlimited amount of wonderful Peace Corp related paper...articles, cartoons, ads, stories etc.. etc from all eras and publications.
I would like to send you a package on approval...look it over and return the unwanted items with a check for what you keep. Its really that simple and has worked well for over twenty years. Email me any special wants and be sure to include your mailing address.
I look forward to hearing from you...
Sandra Baker
Searsport, Maine
Mrs Goulet was my English teacher at Debre Zeit. What peacisl people were the PEACE CORPS. I miss and long those beutiful golden ages of Ethiopia. What a great poem Mrs Goulet. I want you to know that you have changed th life of lots of people like myself. I appreciate that a lot. Thank you. Tewabech mengistu