Museum visits-The Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) has a good reputation through museums and is a reputableknown educational institution. One of the missions of the CMA is to be one of northeastern Ohio’s primary civic and cultural institution. This mission reveals that the CMA want to position itself as an influential educational institution. The CMA put lots of effort into developing their educational role and servering the broadest possible audience

Stepping into CMA, I saw lots of patterns-round shapes with different color-put on the wall. When I got close, I found that the function of the patterns was not only to decorate the wall, but also to offer put some information that would help orient visitors. This included the items on exhibit, services and directions. Rresearches has shown that a good orientation can prolong the time that a visitor spends in the museums and helps them learn more easily. When I got into the education lobby, there were three big-size posters with good design style hung on the wall that mentioned about the educational programs that CMA provided in the past three months. The CMA puts concise information on the pattern, and tries to eliminate take the barrier between the art museum and visitors s away, and considers different sides in order to fulfill visitors’ basic need. The CMA had the project called “behind the scene” to welcome visitor to walk through the educational administrative area and let them participate in some activities in these classrooms in this area.

I spent a lot of time contemplating how art museums enhance their educational function in aesthetic and recreational way. In visiting the exhibitions, I walked into one room built out of glass, exhibiting sculptures. Light flowed through the glass, and danced on the sculptures. Because of this moment, the sculptures were no longer still and I couldn’t move my sight away from the sculptures. This installment let those sculptures show their unique beauty and materials. Also, labels on the wall provide more information about those artworks, not just only have basic information, like date and artist name. The content on labels includes the creating situation, quotation from the artists, and description for the artworks. Visitors would like to read label because they want to know further information about the artworks. The CMA provides different level of information on the label, and let visitors with different range of age to choose the useful information for themselves. When I learned the educational theories, I learned that the first thing we should consider is how to motivate students. I think this theory can be applied to different type of educational environment. The CMA understands their character as an art museum is to spread the art and beauty, and they wisely provide the beautiful and comfortable experiences that visitors will appreciate.

I often think about how the learning behavior in museums differ from the learning behavior in schools. After all, learning might happen in museums when visitors have good museum experiences. Visitors don’t exactly know what they want when they choose an art museums as a visiting place, however, they do know which one is they like. When visitors enjoy the museums, they will be impressed by museums, and remember most thing. After visiting museums, their brain will organize these experiences, and transfer experience to knowledge. When I visited the CMA, I recognize that art museum can let visitor appreciate, enjoy and learn. In this way, visitors could gain as good of an experience as possible.

Go find the treasure of the EAM

Collecting is a human’s born behavior. People collect for different reasons. Kids collect toys to have more fun and adults collect family items to keep their memories. Some collect fancy products to promote themselves while others collect valuable treasures to enhance their wealth. No matter what reasons they have, collectors show their character, their values for life, and their history through their collections. Part of the EAM's collection is local artwork that documents the history of art in Erie. According to the collection policy of the EAM, the EAM is devoted to collecting significant visual artwork so that it can be displayed for the majority of the citizens of Erie community. The collection and collection goal of the EAM, demonstrates that the EAM has a role as a conserver and educator in regards to the art history in Erie.

The EAM was founded by a art-loving member of the Erie community. Originally, the museum was just the Art Club of Erie. The purpose of the Art Club of Erie was to promote and further the arts by collecting artwork, holding exhibitions and designing educational programs. Through the efforts of its members, the Art Club of Erie expanded and became the EAM. The EAM’s history shows that the EAM has a deep connection with the city of Erie and the surrounding region. Now the EAM has become a blossom for art in the Erie region as the EAM becomes a lively and vital feature of its community.

Nowadays the EAM’s collection includes a wide diversity of artwork, with divergent purposes and characteristics. About a quarter of the collection is local artwork, and the rest of art collection is made up of many smaller sub-collections, including modern baskets, printings and photographs. Artwork is acquired primarily through purchase, gift and bequest. Due to budgetary restrictions, the EAM cannot purchase artwork often. However, there are two galleries in New York City which have donated many quality art pieces to the EAM. The EAM gets lots of contemporary artwork through these two galleries. Although half of the EAM's collection comes rom local donors, the other half comes from outside Erie, and thus widens the collection's scope.

A museum’s collection policy will decide what a museum becomes. The EAM is rooted in Erie and is dedicated to conserving local artwork. It has expanded its branches to different fields of visual art and has tried to bring significant artwork to Erie. The EAM can introduce different styles of artwork to people in Erie. It can also elevate the standards of art in Erie and can cultivate a spirit for art among the residents of Erie. The EAM is devoted to introduce a variety of visual artwork to people in Erie and to broaden the breadth of art cognition in Erie residents. If the EAM intends to position itself as an art educator in Erie, it is already on its way.

Welcome to First Friday!

When a person participates in First Fridays at the EAM, he or she might feel surprised. Visitors may expect all participants to just look around and listen to the tour very quietly. Visitors may imagine that they are making a pilgrimage to an art temple. However, if they followed Kelly, the director of the department of education at the EAM, into the gallery on First Friday, they would see her asking a question with a big smile. She asked a group of children who were with their families “Can you guys help me find the painting that has a kitty?” The kids quickly went in different directions to find the kitty. Kelly crawled on the floor, trying to mimic this kitty and the kids burst out laughing, and compared the pose Kelly that made to the kitty in the painting. On First Fridays, Visitors can understand that the picture in the collection are not just objects to be hung on a wall but that they can be a teaching tool for visitors. Most importantly, Visitors can laugh without any shame, say what they think and what they found. They can also interact with their companions.

First Fridays is a year round activity for preschoolers and parents, and is held on the first Friday of every month. On first Fridays, the museum staff leads adults and their children through exhibits using story, song and art making, During the First Friday Program, museum staff change the meaning of the space of art museums. Traditionally, the space of art museums has been like a temple for art. When an object enters into this space, it may change from an ordinary thing to be revered like the sacred stuff in a temple. Both people and objects should become static stuff without any noise, laughter, or footsteps. In contrast, the EAM allows adults and kids participating in First Fridays be themselves, and helps them to observe artwork in an interesting way. This program lets people change the character of the museum space, letting the space became a visitors’ space, not just a sacred temple. Behind First Fridays is the rationale that visitors should feel that the EAM is a place for everybody, and not a scary place but one that may help visitors to feel an affinity toward EAM.

On First Fridays, the EAM lets people discover art by themselves through combining exhibitions and art materials. As a Chinese proverb said,” Give me a fish and I eat for a day. Teach me to fish and I’ll eat forever. ” EAM does not just introduce the content of exhibitions, it also uses some questions to catch visitors’ attention, and to sharpen their sense concerning art. First Fridays help visitors enjoy and appreciate the art by themselves. The EAM tries to make visitors feel at home by allowing them to do what they want except hurt artwork. This program may help people feel more familiar with the space, and let people feel more free and relaxed. Furthermore, it can help them learn more efficiently. When you enter into EAM, the staff will greet you with the words ” Welcome Home! ”

The another dish EAM serves-The Erie Art Museum Blues & Jazz Festival

If music could become butterflies, you could have seen different types of butterflies flying through grass, sticks, and clouds at Frontier Park. People were cruising along trails, laying on the lawn, dancing in front of the stage, looking content and relaxed. This was the 17th Annual Erie Art Museum Blues & Jazz Festival, and the largest jazz and blues event in the region. People obsessed with jazz and blues must not miss this wonderful musical performance.

Nowadays, Jazz and Blues are very popular in Erie. How did this kind of music develop very successfully in Erie? It is possible to ascribe this success to John Vanco, the director of the EAM. I am told that John thought “Why doesn’t Erie have Jazz and Blues? I want to bring this music to the area.” And so, in 1982, John started a musical concert series. Because of the budget limitation, it was a small-scale concert. This concert did not become a music festival until 1992. The Erie Art Museum Blues & Jazz Festival could also have been born because of Jim Spiegel. Jim Spiegel was a big music fan, and a voluntary sponsor this festival who helped it happen. Thanks to him, Jazz and blues started flourishing in Erie.

There may be hundreds of musicians who applied for a performance slot this year. The more musicians who apply to perform, the greater the quality of this festival will be. EAM offers different types of Jazz and Blues that includes people of all races and a mixture of musical styles. In consideration of the audience’s needs, EAM chose some music suitable for dancing. Most people join the festival for recreation and entertainment. EAM tries to provide a variety of delicious dishes and let visitors enjoy this musical feast.

Erie Art Museum Blues & Jazz Festival is an important event in Erie. It can bring new visitors to EAM, and even bring wealthy donation for EAM. Therefore, the festival can be a medium between the EAM and residents who do not usually go to the galleries. It is also a medium between rich patrons and EAM. However, the motivation of joining the festival is not same as visiting the museum. Most people prefer outdoor activities than indoor ones because they want to relax their body and brain. They want to laugh, talk loudly, and dance.

EAM also notices that music fills a different need for visitors. EAM holds concerts three or four times a year inside the museum, and encourages visitors to look around exhibitions in the intermission. As part of its expansion project, the EAM plans to have a stage in the biggest exhibition room. EAM tries to offer different sensory experiences for visitors, not just the visual experience and also provide various programs to satisfy visitors’ need.

Now Erie Art Museum Blues & Jazz Festival has already stepped into 17 years, and become an icon of EAM, and a deep impression on residents in Erie. Even though there are lots of Jazz and Blue performances held in clubs, Erie Art Museum Blues & Jazz Festival still represents a great event in Erie. EAM not only serve a delicious visual treat, but also musical treat. In trying to broaden the type of visitors, EAM also broadens its functions.

EAM's good neighbor-the Glass Growers Gallery

Without financial support from the government, many museums around the world have to become financially self-sufficient to survive in a market economy. The EAM already has a variety of plans to deal with this situation. One of their plans is to rent spare spaces. The Glass Growers Gallery (GGG) is one of the EAM’s tenants and it is a business that is also compatible with the EAM.

When John Vanco, the director of the EAM, decided to have the GGG as a tenant, he considered that the GGG could attract more visitors for the EAM. Since the space rental income is just 3% of the total income, John can carefully choose tenants who are more suitable for the EAM. Moreover, John came up with Gallery Night in order to connect galleries and art-based businesses in Erie. Every other month the EAM and local galleries choose a Friday evening for Gallery Night. Gallery Night aims to encourage people to go to different galleries and museums through free admission. These institutions share visitors and expand the sources of visitors for the EAM. Deborah Vahanian, the owner of the GGG said being a tenant of the EMA, and being located near the EAM brings different type of customers and more educated clients to GGG. GGG likes to coordinate the opening day of new shows with the EAM’s receptions if possible. It seems that GGG works very well with the EAM, and also would like to build a cooperative relationship with the EAM rather than being a mere tenant.

GGG is one of the oldest galleries in Erie. GGG was started in 1974, and moved to the EAM location in 1999. GGG is like a large “cabinet of curiosity”. It exhibits different type of beautiful items, like paintings, handicrafts, and jewelry. When visitors get into GGG, they seem to have an art feast. In order to understand visitors’ thoughts, I talked with different visitors in the past week. All customers in the GGG said that there are lots of unique and pretty items in GGG. One customer expressed that the GGG is one of the most beautiful places in the Erie. Most just want to absorb and enjoy the beautiful atmosphere and some came to pick up gifts because they thought that the GGG is a suitable place. Personally I think that GGG is typical gallery in that GGG exhibits lots of artworks created by local artists, and also shows different items from across the USA. Whenever I visit GGG, it always brings me enjoyable and calm experiences. Most GGG customers visited the EAM, too, and thought that the EAM is a nice place, devoted to conserve tangible culture and the collection of artwork. Also, everyone agreed that the EAM made a big contribution to Erie’s art world.

In a time of resources integration, collaboration is better than fighting alone. The EAM extended a relationship to the GGG, and built individual collaboration. It’s a really wise step, as the two can benefit each other. Being a private institution, EAM not only deals with their collection and other affairs, but also works hard to balance their budget for long-term development.