What are you doing here?

Hello!
For my second-ever entry here on this blog, I thought I'd write about something I get asked frequently by a variety of people, when they learn both my field of study and what my graduate assistantship is.

First, I am in the school psychology program here at William and Mary. School psychology isn't school counseling, but that's kind of close. It is a student service, but more instructional/academic/I won't be using a couch and Freudian techniques (not that school counselors do that, of course). Real quick, school psychologists pretty much tackle everything in schools, primarily educational and cognitive testing, behavior plans, classroom placement, academic interventions, special education interventions etc. The profession itself can vary from county to county, school to school.

So, the question I get asked a lot is "What is a (future) school psychologist doing working in an art museum?"
The quick answer: pretty much anything and everything.

While art, art history and museum were brand new to me when I came to graduate school, I was ready for a challenge, for something new. Here at the museum, I lend my knowledge of education to exhibition openings, school outreach, developmentally appropriate materials, student art classes etc. I get to work with students of all ages and abilities, while stretching my own creative legs. I get to jump on research topics and projects, and will hopefully be learning grant writing. For a graduate assistantship, that's not half-bad. (Sure beats PDFing whole books and data entry all day!)

Within the past year, and I can imagine within this coming year, I have been given the opportunity to jump on so many projects and experiences... I'm going to have one interesting and packed curriculum vitae when I interview for internship positions next Spring!
So, it seems the real question should be "Why aren't there more future school psychologists working in art museums?"

~Kathryn

Education, Ice Cream, and Frisbees

Unfortunately readers, None of us DEN-dwellers has been able to post a blog in quite some time. But rest assured, the DEN is functioning smoothly.
We've been gearing up for the return of students and Faculty, and encouraging them to utilize the Muscarelle for all their education needs. Ideally, we want the Muscarelle to serve as sortof a lab for art and art history students in particular, and actually all students. Art can be correlated to all sorts of topics and fields of study, so hopefully we will have each and every major stopping by.

And, speaking of stopping by, don't forget that August 28th we're going to have free Ice Cream (so generously provided by Baskin Robbins) and Frisbees, featuring our fabulous new logo from 5:00 to 7:00 pm right outside the Muscarelle.

Mixin' it up

The beginning of classes here at The College is fast approaching, but even before that is Freshmen Orientation. Here at W&M, we don't just do a quick weekend introduction. Instead orientation is an intense (but fun and exciting) week-long affair. As someone who has experienced orientation first hand, I can say that mixers with other freshmen halls was a fun break from all the scary, official parts filled with paperwork.

Here in the DEN we want to introduce freshmen to the Muscarelle early, and educate them all about the museum. That's why we've designed several mixers for OA's (thats Orientation Aides) to choose from. Hopefully, starting the 22nd, we'll have freshmen in here doing arts and crafts and completing scavenger hunts, all the while socializing and mixing with their fellow students. Maybe they will love the museum so much after the mixers that we'll have dozens new interns! That's a stretch, but maybe we can get them to come to future Muscarelle events and exhibitions?

Here's hoping
Caitlin

Back From DC

Well,   

We are all back from our trip to Washington, DC. Well, we actually got back last Saturday but it has been so hectic around here I have just now been able to post. We had quite the fun filled weekend in our nation's capitol. We visited the National Portrait Gallery (and talked to their Director of Education), the International Spy Museum, the Newseum, as well as other cultural institutions. Those museum visits we did as a group and then we broke off and explored on our own. Personally, I went to the Holocaust Museum, the Hirshhorn, and spent much time enjoying the weather. 

Native American Museum

The Capitol

Section of the Berlin Wall at the Newseum

Amy, Ansley, Megan, and myself also took a trip to Peake DeLancey Printers in Dayton, MD to watch them print our new letterhead and business cards. We met up with Jeff Walters from CDG Interactive (our design agency for the re-branding) and Steve Johnson from Peake DeLancey. We were able to tour their HUGE facility and watch as our new materials came off the presses. Below are some interesting photos.

Here is the plate for our new letterhead being prepped for press

Our Business cards fresh off the press

Steve (middle) and Jeff (right) looking at the business cards

So here's an interesting article I read the other day about a Van Gogh piece: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25934213/?GT1=43001

and if you go ahead and read that, you'll discover that researchers utilized some uber fancy technolgy to help out some art historian discover what exactly did Van Gogh hide underneath one of his paintings. Turns out underneath some grass lurked a portrait of a mystery woman!

What I find the most intriguing is how science helped art: according to the article, "The reconstruction enables art historians to understand the evolution of Van Gogh’s work better, the researchers said in a statement. And the new technique is expected to pave the way for research into many other concealed paintings"

But less publicized is how art helps science, which serves as one of the main themes of Beyond the Edge of the Sea. Scientists can better understand what exists in the depths of the ocean by looking at Karen Jacobsen's fantastic watercolor illustrations, and how cool is that?

I'm constantly on the lookout for more information on how the arts and sciences collaborate. One good example: the amazing bottle-cap magnets we made with some of our art camp kids. OK, so the science wasn' t that comclicated, and neither was the creative process. But with a small magnet, a bottle cap, magazine cut outs, and a lot of glue, I now have a beautiful and functional way to hold up both documents and watercolors on my refridgerator.

-Caitlin

From the Desk of Dr. Gorman

Of course I need no introductions, but just for those not yet in the know, this is Amy, Curator of Education and New Media at the Muscarelle, and current warden of the DENmates. This summer has been a whirlwind of projects on exhibitions, education, research, marketing and development, all gearing up for our Extreme Exploration exhibitions including Beyond the Edge of the Sea: Diversity of Life, Celestial Images, and Underwater Photography by Dennis Libberson.
As we come to a close of the summer, I have to say thank you for the incredible work everyone has contributed to the DEN this season; Kathryn, Rusty, Paula, Megan, Sara G, Sarah W, Caitlin, Ansley, Jen, Christina, and Dave.

Amy

A Brief introduction...

Hello world.
Master of the Blog has commanded I introduce myself, so as a newbie to this whole blogging 'thing', I will give it a shot.....
My name is Kathryn and I am the School Programs and Artreach coordinator here at the Museum.... aka, the graduate assistant. I am a grad student here at William and Mary, studying school psychology. Having received my masters in May, I am now working on my Education Specialist degree.... oh yes, I'll be a master and a specialist. Now, how did a school psychology student end up in a museum?? I think its a grand ol' thing called fate. I have enjoyed tackling this new challenge and field, and learning about art, art history, and the ins-and-outs of a museum, which a year ago seemed like a whole other world to me.
As the school programs coordinator, I help to connect schools to the museum and exhibitions housed here via lesson plans and such. Artreach is a new program we are piloting and testing out, which involves bringing museum resources to the classrooms and schools, eliminating the red-tape and logistics nightmares, on the part of the teachers, of getting field trips here.
This summer, I have been working with the other fabulous ladies, Miss Caitlin and Miss Ansley, during a two-week gifted and talented art camp, as a part of William and Mary's Summer Enrichment Program for gifted students, grades K-10. With a week of The Artistic Word and a week of Looking to Listen, we connected art to the written word and to music with a cross-disciplinary approach to expression. Then, following the two weeks of GT classes, we have been hosting our own youth arts camp for kids with Miss Jen and have just been having fun.
I will admit now that I am neither sly nor witty, but will attempt to be somewhat entertaining, if not informative.
So stop on by, come see what we have here. Trust me, you will learn something new.

A Note on Bananas....

"I love bananas so much that I work at one!"





I was mocked mercilessly (but lovingly) by my fellow interns for this statement. I feel we have a pretty good comraderie here in the DEN, which hopefully shows in the work we do. There is no "I" in "DEN" of course. Kathryn and I have been double-teaming on a Beyond the Edge of the Sea education packet, and I might even have to ask someone's thoughts and opinions on this blog before I post it. We look out for each other, and thats just one of the many benefits of working at the Muscarelle.

p.s. I really do actually work at a Banana... Republic that is.
-Caitlin

Greetings DEN!

Greetings, fellow Den-dwellers!
I am Sarah and have only recently started working in the
Muscarelle
(this summer!)
But of course I will continue throughout the coming year!
I am a Junior--art major
which is why I work mainly on creative projects here at the museum:
illustrations!!!! (fun!) for various things like
Beyond the Edge and coloring books and pamphlets and of course anythingelsethatneedstobedone...
I am excited about this Blog, though, and Hope it will
be a great place to exchange ideas
and keep in touch
and up to date on everything going on at the museum!

On The Road (both literally and metaphorically)

Today is the last day of summer internships for many of us here at the Muscarelle. Three interns and Amy (the Curator of Education and New Media) are getting ready to head to Washington, DC for the weekend. We hope to be culturally enlightened and socially stimulated while taking in the nation's capitol. So far we will be exploring the back-stage functions of The American Portrait Gallery, the Newseum, and CDG Interactive (you will meet them soon). Oh, and we will be stopping by Urban Outfitters to get some new stuff for the DEN.

Now, on to CDG! CDG is a design firm based in Washington D.C. that was commissioned to rebrand the Muscarelle around the time of its 25th anniversary. They are an extremely talented group of designers with tons of experience both in and beyond the cultural field that we occupy. So far we have an amazing new logo, beautiful business cards, letterhead, and envelopes, and many other toys to make sure that all is well for our new identity. We will be officially launching the new brand at the opening of the Dulwich show in November. There are many amazing plans being worked on to make sure everyone is aware of the new logo and I am sure you will see forms, flyers, and products roll out of the museum before November that have the new identity applied to them. In the mean time here is a sneak peak at the logo on our new shirts.

 

Art speaks. Join the conversation.

Hello There!

Hello,

My name is Rusty and I am the "assistant to Development, Education, and New Media." I am a sophomore here at WM and have been in the museum for a year now. As far as what I do here, it changes just about everyday. Somedays it's laying out invitations, postcards, and newsletters, and others I'm just helping those in need of assistance. 

Currently, as Caitlin noted, we are all gearing up for Beyond the Edge of the Sea in the fall which is sure to be a smash hit. Briefly, the show is a wonderful collection of underwater illustrations of species found miles under the surface of the ocean. The watercolors were painted by Karen Jacobsen while on deep-ocean adventures with the legendary scientist Dr. Cindy Van Dover in the Alvin submersible. We have produced all kinds of amazing products such as a natural history guide, full exhibition catalog, and COLORING BOOK (my personal favorite). As a preview here is a sample coloring book. Who doesn't like connect the dots?

Hello!

I was told by the venerable Blog-Master Rusty, to write a blog to introduce myself. I'm Caitlin, and I'm an intern at the Muscarelle, working in the DEN as the Assistant Public Relations Coordinator. Though mostly I help out with everything, not just PR, but nice fancy titles never hurt anyone, right?
The Blogs that I've read are fun, witty, and a little bit sarcastic. However I can merely hope that our humble little blog will achieve those ideals. In real life I think us DEN-dwellers encompass all those things and more. And just as an aside, DEN stands for Development, Education, and New Media. The title serves as a cute little pun, since our office space is small, cozy, and just a little bit cluttered.
For the past few weeks, we've been hosting youth arts camps, and preparing the marketing for our upcoming exhbition Beyond the Edge of the Sea (Opens Sept. 5th- Come see it!) So the DEN itself is currently a jumble of press releases and crayons, layout notes and elmer's glue. We've also incorporated our new sunny, symmetric, and stupendous logo into everything we do. 
At this point I must get back to work, look for more posts to come!

-Caitlin

We're Blogg'n

Welcome to the brand new Muscarelle Museum of Art blog from the officies of Develpment, Education, and New Media (The DEN). We will be updating this regularly with amzing info!