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UBC Theses and Dissertations
UBC Theses and Dissertations
Mediating and negotiating culture in an art museum Dent, Sandra
Abstract
Cross cultural education in art museums is an interesting and complex issue. While cultural exhibitions have received attention in research, studies have usually focused on the nature of the exhibitions and have not explored the audience's understanding about culture in relationship to the exhibition. This qualitative study explores how and what First Nations cultures have been mediated by a civic art museum and negotiated by the museum audience, and the relationship between the two. Observations of the exhibition and audience and interviews with 99 adults in the museum were collected and analyzed to identify patterns and relationships. Analysis of the exhibition found the mediation of culture was distinguished by a partnership of the museum and First Nations cultures which reflected both their languages and voices. Audience responses illustrated a range of affective, factual and conceptual responses. Positive affective responses reflected the stimulation and satisfaction with learning which occurred. Visitors indicated enlightenment, exposure and revision of previously held ideas and assumptions, similarities and differences among cultures, and insight into perspectives of others. Partnership between the museum and the exhibition of masks from Northwest First Nations cultures is seen as a complex undertaking requiring reflection and examination of these two cultures. Visitor responses to the exhibition indicates learning, thinking and innumerable ways individuals construct meanings and understanding from art museum experiences.
Item Metadata
Title |
Mediating and negotiating culture in an art museum
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Creator | |
Publisher |
University of British Columbia
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Date Issued |
2001
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Description |
Cross cultural education in art museums is an interesting and complex issue.
While cultural exhibitions have received attention in research, studies have usually
focused on the nature of the exhibitions and have not explored the audience's
understanding about culture in relationship to the exhibition.
This qualitative study explores how and what First Nations cultures have been
mediated by a civic art museum and negotiated by the museum audience, and the
relationship between the two. Observations of the exhibition and audience and
interviews with 99 adults in the museum were collected and analyzed to identify patterns
and relationships. Analysis of the exhibition found the mediation of culture was
distinguished by a partnership of the museum and First Nations cultures which reflected
both their languages and voices. Audience responses illustrated a range of affective,
factual and conceptual responses. Positive affective responses reflected the stimulation
and satisfaction with learning which occurred. Visitors indicated enlightenment, exposure
and revision of previously held ideas and assumptions, similarities and differences among
cultures, and insight into perspectives of others.
Partnership between the museum and the exhibition of masks from Northwest
First Nations cultures is seen as a complex undertaking requiring reflection and
examination of these two cultures. Visitor responses to the exhibition indicates learning,
thinking and innumerable ways individuals construct meanings and understanding from
art museum experiences.
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Extent |
8624996 bytes
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Genre | |
Type | |
File Format |
application/pdf
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Language |
eng
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Date Available |
2009-07-27
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Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
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Rights |
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
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DOI |
10.14288/1.0054853
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URI | |
Degree | |
Program | |
Affiliation | |
Degree Grantor |
University of British Columbia
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Graduation Date |
2001-05
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Campus | |
Scholarly Level |
Graduate
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Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
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Item Media
Item Citations and Data
Rights
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.