Sites of Communication
Symposium 3
Speakers Day 1
Dr Gerard Vaughan
Director, National Gallery of Victoria
Welcome and Context
Biography
Dr Gerard Vaughan, appointed Director of the National Gallery of Victoria in 1999, is an art historian with extensive experience within the international art and museum worlds. His research interests are particularly concerned with the history of taste and art collecting in the 18th and 19th centuries, ranging from neo-classicism to post-impressionism.
After completing his Master’s thesis at Melbourne University on French post-impressionism, Dr Vaughan taught art history at Melbourne University before undertaking doctoral research at Oxford University from 1981.
For fifteen years from 1983 Dr Vaughan was the London-based adviser to the Felton Bequests’ Committee, and during the 1980s held several positions at Oxford University while completing his doctorate on the collecting of classical antiquities in 18th century England, under the supervision of Professor Francis Haskell. From 1989-1991, Dr Vaughan served as Private Secretary to the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University. During the early 1990s Dr Vaughan was Deputy Director of Campaign for Oxford University, at the time the most successful fundraising program undertaken in Europe, securing $AUD 1 billion. He became Director of the British Museum Development Trust in 1994, and in this role led a major development and fundraising program for the Museum, for a building project by Norman Foster.
Since becoming Director and CEO of the National Gallery of Victoria, he has been responsible for a redevelopment program involving two separate building complexes; The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia at Federation Square, and NGV International in St Kilda Road. Since the relaunch of the NGV, an ambitious exhibitions program – presenting both International and Australian art – has been undertaken, and NGV is currently preparing a major endowment campaign for the collection.Synopsis
This welcome address will open the symposium with a vibrant insight to the importance of, and inherent challenges for, galleries and museums achieving and sustaining relevance and meaning for audiences. This presentation will reference the history of the NGV and its recent redevelopment. Contemporary considerations for all galleries include our reasons for being and the diverse ways in which we engage with audiences.-
Associate Professor Ruth Rentschler
Executive Director, Centre for Leisure Management Research, Deakin University
Art and Audience
Biography
Ruth Rentschler is executive director of the Centre for Leisure Management Research, Deakin University. Ruth has undertaken many research projects and is widely published in the cultural field, focussing on museums and galleries. Titles include Cultural and Entertainment Industries Handbook, Innovative Arts Marketing, and Museum Marketing. Ruth is deputy chair of the board of Multicultural Arts Victoria. Ruth has conducted national projects for a range of clients, including Arts Victoria, the Victorian Government, Australia Council and AIATSIS.Synopsis
Telling stories are the raison d’etre of a gallery. Galleries are looking to new ways to tell stories by stepping up their engagement with audiences in order to create a recognisable look, name and stylea brand no less. The principal finding of years of research on art and audience is that having time to reflect on art is a key desire of a core segment of audience members at gallery exhibitions and an important part of the story-telling. When the experience is aesthetic, how does gallery staff ensure engagement with art is a quality experience? Galleries are determined to play an active role in understanding audience, segmenting audience and setting strategies for enhancing audience experiences. This presentation provides a brief history of galleries’ attitude to art and audience and the changes that are causing tensions in striving to keep a balance between quiet reflection of art and broad acceptance of wider audience needs to see art, so that galleries offer exemplary instances of image creation through exhibitions that reflect the gallery brand.
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Sebastian Chan
Manager, Web Services Unit, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, Australia
New Technologies, New Audiences and New Opportunities for Galleries and Museums
Biography
Sebastian Chan is currently the Manager of the Web Services Unit at the Powerhouse Museum. Coming from a background in social policy, journalism and media criticism as well as information technology, he has been building and producing websites and interactive media since the mid 1990s. At the Powerhouse he has been responsible for driving a strong user focus in design, usability and content, as well as expanding the scope and reach of the museum's suite of online projects. He is known as a cultural sector specialist in social media and Web 2.0 applications, as well as web analytics. He is a regular speaker in Australia and has also delivered workshops and presentations in the USA, Canada and UK.Synopsis
The oft-sought ideal of the museum as the 'town centre' may be difficult in our physical spaces but as the Web continues to rapidly change, new opportunities are emerging to allow museums and galleries to better engage with both existing and new audiences. Beyond our walls our audiences are increasingly blogging about their visit experiences, posting photos and mobile phone videos on websites. Some are even helping us augment our research and cataloguing. These changes are indicative of broader expectations by people seeking involvement and engagement in cultural institutions.Whilst some in the museum and gallery business ignore or wish to delay the impact of such changes on our institutions, this presentation will suggest that instead, we should not only seize but also experiment with these new opportunities to connect directly with our audiences and embed our cultural content and resources in everyday life.
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Kim Kanatani
Gail Engelberg Director of Education, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York
Learning Through Art and Beyond
Biography
Kim Kanatani is the first Gail Engelberg Director of Education of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and was appointed in 2001. She works with the education programs at the Guggenheim Museums worldwide to coordinate and work in synergistic exchange with the Guggenheim Museum in New York. Kanatani also directs the Sackler Center for Arts Education of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, an 8,200 square-foot facility that serves as a dynamic educational hub and learning laboratory for exploring and presenting a comprehensive range of program offerings in Modern and contemporary art. Exploration and experimentation with new technologies are among the Center’s hallmarks. Kanatani holds an M.A. in Art Education with teaching credentials in both elementary and adult education. Actively involved in the museum education field since 1981, she has published articles and catalogues on contemporary art education, received several professional awards and was honored as the National Art Museum Educator of the Year by the National Art Education Association in 1999. She was formerly the Director of Education at The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Los Angeles which she joined in 1985.Synopsis
Learning Through Art (LTA) is based on the notion that art is a powerful means to deepen and extend student learning. The program sends experienced teaching artists into New York City public schools, where they collaborate with classroom teachers to develop and lead art projects that support the school curriculum. During the 10- and 20-week in-school residencies, participating students examine, discuss, and create works of art. Visits to the Guggenheim Museum support the residencies, offering new insights into art and challenging students to think critically about art and ideas. During the 2004-05 and 2005-2006 school years, LTA completed two years of research to examine the effect of the program on third-graders’ critical thinking and literacy skills. The findings revealed that students participating in these 20-week, curriculum-integrated art residencies are better able to offer thorough observations and valid, supported interpretations about artworks and texts than comparable students not receiving the program. In other words, LTA helps students to become better thinkers and readers. The research findings are particularly significant because the study was quantitative and rigorous in its methods, with a larger sample size than most studies of its kind, and adds to a relatively small pool of research on the impact of the visual arts on student learning. Through statistical analysis, researchers were able to eliminate other possible causes of the impact, such as demographic or school factors. To the best of our knowledge, and based on an extensive literature review, this study is the first with a large sample size and rigorous statistical modeling to demonstrate these correlations and this transfer to literacy.
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Stuart Tait
Director, Market Relations, The Learning Federation
Facilitator of Case Studies: New Technologies
Biography
Stuart Tait has been working for Curriculum Corporation for over 10 years in developing digital content for Australian and New Zealand schools. For the past six years Stuart has been a senior manager in The Le@rning Federation (TLF), an online initiative for schools funded by all Australian governments and the New Zealand government and managed by Curriculum Corporation. Recently, Stuart has managed TLF's work with twenty cultural and public institutions across Australia and New Zealand. These projects have focussed on making selected items within the partner institutions collections available to schools for non-commercial educational use. Teachers and students will access this content through educational portals managed by government, Catholic and Independent education jurisdictions. In Victoria TLF content is available through the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development portal called digilearn. Prior to joining Curriculum Corporation Stuart was a senior education officer at Zoos Victoria.
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Rodney Bloom
Consultant, Eclipse Group
Arts 2.0 – Using Technology to Engage 21st Century Audiences
Biography
Rodney Bloom is the Strategy Director of Deloitte's Eclipse Group, Australia's leading online services group. Rodney leads Online strategy for many Government clients including Tourism Victoria, Department of Industry Innovation & Regional Development, Transport Accident Commission and Victorian Workcover Authority, amongst many others. Prior to joining Eclipse, Rodney was the General Manager of Tequila, an online marketing company with 55 offices worldwide. In that time, he led Tequila to two consecutive Interactive Agency of the Year awards in Australia, while working with diverse clients such as National Foods, Nissan, Telstra, Sensis, Pacific Brands, and Simplot. Rodney has recently taken on a new role at Deloitte as the Commercial & Strategy for Deloitte Digital, an innovation incubator business charged with delivering revenue from online properties. Rodney is a regular public presenter on Web 2.0 and a range of subjects pertaining to the Digital Industry.
Synopsis
The advent of the internet has changed the nature of communication between Arts bodies and its audiences. Rodney will explore what contextual changes continue apace and what that might mean for the Arts. -
Eleanor Whitworth
Senior Arts Officer, Arts Victoria
Victoria’s Cultural Network (VCN)
Biography
Eleanor trained in sculpture and has gone on to work in various capacities in the arts and cultural sector, including as manager of 5 Angry Men an international touring theatre company, on the redevelopment of the Meat Market in North Melbourne, and for the last two years, on the Victorian Cultural Network.
Synopsis
The VCN aims to enhance public access to Victoria’s cultural material. Linking Victorian arts agencies via a broadband network, the VCN explores opportunities for cultural organizations to reach new audiences through the use of broadband technology and a collaborative approach to delivery of cultural information. This short presentation will provide an overview of the VCN initiative. -
Jean-Pierre Chabrol
Manager, Multimedia, NGV
The Artist's Voice: Multimedia at the NGV
Biography
Manager of the Multimedia Department at the National Gallery of Victoria, Jean-Pierre Chabrol graduated from Ecole Louis Lumiere – Paris in 1990. He produced a number of awarded educational and cultural multimedia products in Europe. At the NGV since 2002, he is responsible for the development and integration of multimedia content in the Gallery.
Synopsis
The NGV has an extensive range of multimedia displays and new technologies are now a common tool used by curators. This presentation will give an overview of the different technologies with practical cases showing some of the outcomes, including those relating to the Victorian Cultural Network’s application at the NGV. Recently an NGV team travelled to Western Australia to film and document Aboriginal artists in preparation for a major educational project.
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Vince Dziekan
Senior Lecturer, Deputy Head Multimedia & Digital Art, Faculty of Art & Design, Monash University
Mediating Liquid Architectures: Comments on the Tate's Digital Programme for Expanding Audience Participation through New Technology
Biography
Vince Dziekan's current research forms part of an ongoing interdisciplinary project negotiating the impact of digital technologies on curatorial practices and the implications of virtuality on the art of exhibition. He has published widely in relation to these research topics in peer-reviewed journals and refereed conferences, both nationally and internationally. He was an invited participant in the Tate’s Online Event Forum program (Liquid Architectures), ISEA2006/re:mote and most recently delivered a keynote presentation at NODEM 06 Digital Interpretation in Art and Science Museums and Heritage sites in Oslo, Norway.
Synopsis
This short presentation will respond to issues related to online developments for engaging audiences through new technology. Drawing primarily on experience gained from participating in the Tate’s Online Event Forums program as an invited panellist, the discussion will broach the challenge of new institutional architectures – and the opportunities that surface when digital mediation transacts with real museum spaces. -
Dr John Armstrong
Associate Professor and Inaugural Knowledge Transfer Fellow, Department of Philosophy, The University of Melbourne
Aesthetics – The Art of Seeing and Feeling
Biography
Dr John Armstrong is Associate Professor and Inaugural Knowledge Transfer Fellow with the Department of Philosophy at The University of Melbourne. He has given many public lectures around the world and is the author of numerous articles and books. His work has received much praise for its elegance and clarity and has been widely translated. Born in Glasgow and educated at Oxford and London, he has lived in Melbourne since 2001.
Synopsis
What enables us to form deep and personally meaningful relationships to works of art? This isn’t only about knowledge or understanding; it’s about the capacity to feel close to- intimately alive to- a work in a public collection. -
Pamela Clelland Gray
Manager, Education and Public Programs, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
Facilitator of Case Studies: Learning and Experience
Biography
As Manager, Education and Public Programs at the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra, Pamela Clelland Gray has, since the foundation of the NPG in 1994 played a significant role in establishing that institution’s public and education program. Pamela has an Honours Degree in Art History and a Postgraduate Diploma in Art Curatorial Studies from the University of Melbourne, and a research Masters Degree from the University of Western Sydney, which focuses on contemporary learning theory as it intersects with curatorial practice in contemporary art museums. She is currently undertaking doctoral research at the University of Melbourne on the integrity of aesthetic education in the practice of the public art gallery. Bradley Shrimpton
Lecturer & Research Fellow, Centre For Program Evaluation, Department of Education Policy and Management, The University of Melbourne
Reaching Out: Youth Access Programs at the NGV
Biography
Bradley is a lecturer with the Centre for Program Evaluation, University of Melbourne. He has evaluated youth-focused mental health education programs, domestic violence education programs, arts programs for young women in prison and programs for young people at risk of early school cessation. In 2005, Bradley received the Australasian Evaluation Society 'Community Development Award'Synopsis
NGV Youth Access uses art as a platform for the development of self esteem and engagement for disadvantaged young people who are not in education and employment, and those who are at educational risk. The presentation showcases outcomes of two programs: for young people at risk of dropping out of school, and young women in custody.-
Ruth Komesaroff
Program Coordinator, Youth Access, NGV
Reaching Out: Youth Access Programs at the NGV
Biography
Ruth Komesaroff has been a teacher and arts educator for over 35 years. Ruth has an MA in Education from Columbia University New York. She has specialised expertise in working with young people including early school leavers and those at risk of long term unemployment. Ruth has coordinated the NGV Youth Access Project since the project commenced in 2003.Synopsis
NGV Youth Access uses art as a platform for the development of self esteem and engagement for disadvantaged young people who are not in education and employment, and those who are at educational risk. The presentation showcases formal evaluation outcomes of two programs: for young people at risk of dropping out of school, and young women in custody. -
Adriane Boag
Education Officer, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
Making Connections: Art and Alzheimer's
Biography
Adriane Boag is an art educator at the National Gallery of Australia with responsibility for developing and coordinating access programs for youth and community groups. Adriane has a visual arts degree from Sydney College of the Arts and teaching experience in tertiary education, most recently in Visual Arts Education for pre-service teachers at the University of Canberra. A focus of her Gallery work with youth is the National Gallery of Australia and Sony Foundation Australia Summer Art Scholarship, an annual week long art immersion program for year 11 students selected from each state and territory of Australia. Adriane arranges regular tours for a wide variety of specialised audiences including people with dementia and is the coordinator of the ‘Art and Alzheimer’s’ 2007 pilot program at the National Gallery of Australia.
Synopsis
A recent six week pilot program at the National Gallery of Australia introduced visitors with varying degrees and types of dementia to works of art in the Australian collection. The pilot was a collaborative project between Arts and Health professionals and wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Alzheimer’s ACT.
The tours were discussion based and developed educators’ awareness of the particular needs of this audience. Six weeks of training was followed by six weeks of tours during which educators developed a close relationship with participants. The aim was for educators to assist the participants to engage with the chosen works of art so that memories could be triggered and discussion initiated. It was anticipated that the weekly tours would enhance participants’ sense of identity and well-being. Outcomes for all parties were broader than expected. The pilot was also recorded on video for evaluation.
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Artist's Perspective
Brook Andrew in conversation with Judith Ryan, Senior Curator, Indigenous Art, NGV
Biography
Brook Andrew is an interdisciplinary artist working in photography, neon, screen print, mixed media, public art and installation.
Synopsis
Artist and curator will discuss history, image and meaning in the context of learning and experience.
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