Category: Course Highlight

By Seth Margolis, Museology Affiliate Instructor Over the last 20 or so years, I’ve had the opportunity to wear many hats as part of the Museology Graduate Program. I have been a student, an instructor, a thesis advisor, a session panelist, a guest speaker, and (now) even a blogger. One role I have not had has been a perplexed observer. Let me explain what I mean. I lead the Museum Education course, which is run like a museum program. It…

What appeared to be a small class of about a dozen Anthropology and Museology students has far exceeded what I expected of any organizational development course. In what class might you study The Ghost of the Tsunami and Fake News in one sitting? And how do either of these things apply to our lives? In Who Owns Humanity we are given these material as tools for understanding how changing norms and practices in society raise new and complex distinctions between…

How do you keep outdoor metal statues from corroding in Seattle, known for its rain? What if the flooring in your exhibit or storage spaces is off-gassing and damaging your collections? Nicholas Dorman and Geneva Griswold, conservators from the Seattle Art Museum, teach Preservation of Collections II, a hands-on opportunity to build preventive care skill and to better understand the conservation profession. Each day is a combination of lecture and lab—for example, delving into ethics of collection care, designing a…

It’s the hottest of hot-button topics in the museum field. Some professionals have long been involved in its evolution, while others are only just trying to comprehend how technology can be integrated into their museums and museum practice. This Fall Quarter, Museology offered a new course that introduced students to this growing field – MUS.588 Museums & Technology: What’s Now, What’s Next. The goal was to provide students with broad insights on topics such as technology’s influences on audience experience, learning…

During the orientation day my first year of graduate school, I listened eagerly as each Museology instructor explained the exciting courses and opportunities our program had to offer. What stood out most was when Wilson O’Donnell explained the Emerging Curator Initiative (ECI), where Museology students develop exhibit concepts, and one student is selected to curate a show at the Kirkland Arts Center. As I read the description for ECI, I thought about how great it would be to have an…

On March 2, Museology students facilitated hands-on activities at the Museum of Flight as part of the final project for the Seminar in Museum Education course. In the class, students explored learning theory, program development and implementation, and educational programming for various audiences such as families, teens, and early learners. Throughout the quarter, students researched, planned, and evaluated a variety of informal learning programs, with plenty of practical experience to lay the foundation for working as a museum educator. The…

AUTHOR: Kris Morrissey, Museology Faculty. ‘Cacophony.’ An onomatopoeia for these times. Trying to pronounce it does sounds like what it defines- “a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds”, sort of like an attempt to dislodge something caught in my throat. Maybe that’s why the word keeps popping into my mind when I read newspaper headlines such as “up is down” or “calamity” or see the vitriolic signs amongst the peaceful ones in the marches. What does all that noise mean? Amidst…