RPG NSW 2011 conference an unqualified success

Over two days, commencing Monday 31 October,  55 regional and public gallery affiliated professionals, M&G NSW staff and M&G NSW Board members met in Port Macquarie at the 2011 Regional & Public Galleries NSW conference, titled, Currency: resilience, relevance, resourcefulness.

The conference program was structured around the theme of sustainability, with a range of presentations intended to provoke thought and generate ideas about tackling issues beyond (but also including) environmental concerns. Biripai Elder, Uncle Bill O’Brien gave a moving Welcome to Country and an inspired set of speakers was led by Lucy Neal, who ‘skyped’ in from the Outer Hebrides to deliver a key note based on her landmark Sustainable Ability report and Happy Museum project (see www.sustainableablility.com & www.happymuseumproject.org for more info).

Welcome drinks at Glasshouse Regional Gallery

Jason Smith, Director of Melbourne’s Heide Museum of Modern Art (www.heide.com.au) spoke about the greening of Heide and his holistic approach to the development of sustainable practices as they relate to his vision and re-imagining of the gallery, its collection, gardens and grounds. Alison Clouston gave an artist's perspective and described a number of projects she has initiated with partner Boyd, including one in response to the destruction (by lightning and fire) of their much treasured studio situated in the Burragorang Valley, between Sydney and Goulburn. Clouston is known for her sculptural installations based on environmental themes, and carbon audits and offsets are an integral part of her practice.

The conference was used as a platform to launch a report commissioned by Museum & Gallery Services Queensland (in partnership with RPG NSW) titled: Lighting and Energy Effectiveness. This report was produced by the engineering firm Steensen Varming and is soon to be published on the MGSQ website www.magsq.com.au. Following its presentation, a lively discussion considered a range of questions towards identifying strategies to achieve sustainability in a gallery/museum context.

Day two centred more on ideas and models for improved audience engagement with delegates being somewhat enthralled by Elizabeth Mead’s presentation on the approach Hobart’s MONA has taken to achieving outstanding (and distinctive) success in such a short time, since opening earlier this year. Krista Huebner, most recently employed at Sydney’s MCA, spoke about the use of social media and artist Jenny Fraser, co-founder of CyberTribe talked about web based and digital applications she has used to promote work by Aboriginal artists.

Belinda Hanrahan, Director of Hazelhurst (and M&G NSW Board member), Tristan Sharp, Assistant Director of Newcastle Art Gallery and Grainne Brunsdon, representing Arts NSW, spoke about funding in the context of generating partnerships and sponsorships, Federal Government programs and NSW State Government grant initiatives through their Arts Funding Program. Tristan also outlined plans for the $21m re-development of Newcastle Art Gallery. Work is expected to commence in early 2012.

  

In the final session, M&G NSW’s own Steve Miller spoke about outcomes of the recent Building Cultural Futures in NSW summit. He noted that over a long period (since the European invasion) NSW Aboriginal people had certainly reflected a resilient and resourceful approach to maintaining their languages, heritage and culture, and that the summit had firmly placed their desire for cultural relevance and profile on the agenda (and you can check out the summit’s wiki at www.nswaboriginalsector.wetpaint.com). New England Regional Art Museum Director, Caroline Downer, gave a fascinating overview of their Art Alive initiative, an online education resource based on connecting school audiences with the extensive NERAM collection, check it out at www.neram.com.au, and Sharni Lloyd finished proceedings with an overview of A Viet Life project, a residency and exhibition by Vietnamese artist Dinh Luc.

It was agreed by all that the conference was an unqualified success, breathing new life into the collegiate sharing of ideas and experiences across the sector. 

You can view a number of the presentations at our website's resources section here: www.mgnsw.org.au/resources/conference_papers/

Michael Rolfe

The Cootamundra Arts & Cultural Centre

After travelling to Melbourne for the 5th World Summit on Arts & Culture, I took the opportunity to visit Wagga’s Regional Gallery & Museum of the Riverina. For a number of years Wagga has maintained a strong profile in the provision of cultural facilities and services. While this was not my first visit, the opportunity to hear first hand from Council GM Phil Pinyon and key staff reinforced the importance and effectiveness of the programs and plans that are in place.

After meeting council, museum and gallery staff at Wagga, I attended the opening of Cootamundra’s Tin Shed Theatre, the latest component of their inspiring Creative Arts & Cultural Centre.

I think it was in 2004 that Isabel and Leigh Scott and a band of volunteers began a concerted and planned campaign to develop a former farm machinery outlet into a thriving arts centre. To date, over 10000 hours of volunteer labour has been contributed by the Cootamundra community to the Arts Centre project. It truly has become a venue run by the community for the community. Before the theatre’s grand opening the centre already boasted a community gallery, artist studios, a workshop space, ceramics/ kiln room and a meeting space.

The Arts Centre has ongoing support from The Cootamundra Shire Council and has received a number of state and federal arts grants to complete various sections of the project. These grants have been made on a dollar for dollar fundraising basis. Patrons large and small have helped the Arts Centre on its way, from local tradespeople discounting their work, to local businesses selling tickets for events. This project demonstrates the creative and resourceful nature of the Cootamundra community and indeed regional communities generally.

The official opening was performed in front of over 120 local people by Mary Darwell, Executive Director of Arts NSW. It was a pleasure to meet Mayor Doug Phillips and to hear of his pride and enthusiasm for what has been achieved. I encourage you all to head to Cootamundra Shire – activities and programs can be found on the arts centre’s website www.ccacc.org.au. 

You can watch an interview with Isabel Scott, Program Manager of the Cootamundra Creative Arts & Cultural Centre on the development of the Centre below.


Michael Rolfe

Museums embracing climate change

I recently spoke at the MGNSW event Bricks and Mortar: Foundations for the future addressing issues of sustainability for regional museums and galleries.

The focus of my talk was about regional museums and galleries acting as advocates for sustainability by promoting their sustainable actions as an organisation and also by addressing issues such as the projected effect climate change could have on their local area via exhibitions or programs.

In addition to this, museums and galleries can create a more essential meaning of sustainability for the communities they serve when you consider one definition for the verb ‘to sustain’ which is “to support the spirits, vitality, or resolution of; encourage”[i]. This idea of where science and culture intersect is being addressed by the research group Hot Science: Global Citizens, a collaborative project between the University of Western Sydney and various museums in Australia. You can find out more about what they do at www.hotscienceglobalcitizens.net.

Giving the concept of sustainability meaning and value in our lives is a role museums can embrace. Rather than it being just about bricks and mortar, which is undeniably important, museums can embrace the spirit and vitality of ‘sustainability’ and encourage communities to value and own the concept.

For other interesting approaches to the culture of sustainability happening around the place you can check out these websites: www.brokenhillartexchange.com, www.postcardsfromthefuture.co.uk. And for more practical advice on green museums, have a look at the research paper by Rachel Byers from the University of Oregon called Green Museums + Green Exhibits – communicating sustainability through content and design (type “green museums” in the search box at www.scholarsbank.uoregon.edu).

Sharne Fielder
The Creative Consultant
Exhibition Designer
Sustainability Consultant
sharnefielder@hotmail.com


[i] The Free Dictionary by Farlex, http://www.thefreedictionary.com/sustainment (viewed 7 September 2011)

The Ice Bear

By Julian Bickersteth, Managing Director, International Conservation Services

As a conservator working across various disciplines I have a penchant for sculpture as an art form. I think it is the three dimensionality about sculptures that I enjoy so much along with their tactile nature.

So when we were lucky enough to undertake conservation work with internationally renowned animal sculptor Mark Coreth on a number of his bronzes here in Australia, I was immediately working in one of my favourite areas.  Mark’s latest project involves carving a life size polar bear out of a 9 tonne block of ice and allowing it to melt to reveal a sculptured bronze of the bear’s skeleton frozen inside it. As a metaphor for global warming using art with a strong environmental message it appealed hugely to me, as I know how hard it is to bring home the truths about the effect of climate change.  Mark created the ice bear at the Climate Summit in Copenhagen in December 2009 and since then in London, Manchester, Toronto and Montreal. 

This sculpture struck me as having both a fourth dimension, in that it is almost kinetic as it melts, constantly shrinking and changing in colour , and a fifth in that it carries with it this incredibly powerful message of raising awareness of global warming.

I have been working over the last eighteen months to get ice bear to Sydney and finally last week end we made it happen in Customs House Square. 

It has struck an amazing chord with people and we have been inundated with visitors and media attention, the latter extending from the Times of India to Xinhua Chinese newsagency (http://www.cncworld.tv/news/v_show/15504_Ice_Bear_display_.shtml

Logistically it has had its challenges especially getting a big enough crane to place the frozen bear in the middle of Customs House square, but the response has made it all worth it. Check out this 360 degree view of it at night last Saturday http://www.mediavr.com/vividbear1.htm

Now fully melted, it will remain as a stark bronze skeleton in position until Saturday morning.

Me with the sculptor Mark Coreth ( on the left) and master ice carver Duncan Hamilton ( on the right). 

Julian Bickersteth

Managing Director

internationalconservationservices

Summerlee, Museum of Scottish Industrial Life

Last week I met with Clare Weir and Lu McNair from Summerlee, Museum of Scottish Industrial Life. Summerlee is an industrial museum focusing on coal mining and ironworks based in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire between Edinburgh and Glasgow. The Museum is another recognised collection and highlights the success of the recognition scheme in supporting the further development of collections across Scotland.

Summerlee opened as an ironworks and associated mine in 1836. Whilst the furnaces of the ironworks ceased operation in the 1920s, the site continued as an industrial operation until the 1980s at which time it was operating as the Hydrocon Crane company. The initial museum opened on the site in 1987 as a Trust or volunteer managed operation. The museum is located on a 22 acre site with a heritage tram delivering people around the site.

Today the site is operated by North Lanarkshire council and has been recently redeveloped following an investment of GBP 10 from a range of sources including the Heritage Lottery Fund, Museums Galleries Scotland, the European Regional Development Fund, North Lanarkshire Council, charitable Trusts and individuals. The site provides wonderful opportunities for engagement through interactives such as the mock up blast furnace that leads to a pig iron casting.

There has been a conscious effort to incorporate social history onto the site alongside the large technological pieces. This was reinforced by the local community who were closely involved in the redevelopment. Older people within the community wanted to be able to take grandchildren and show them something of the way they lived, hence the addition of areas focusing on dances, banners from marches and the local movie theatre.

The museum also contains a series of row houses set up to reflect changing lifestyles of the area. The first three houses depict the nineteenth and early twentieth century, where families rented one roomed attached homes in rows. The 1940s and 1960s homes showed a continued accumulation of belongings and the extension of the homes into the backyard and roof. The museum has also developed backyards for some of the cottages, showing the changing use of gardens from a source of food to a place of leisure, over time.

With the changing economic climate, the museum is looking at how they will operate in the future. They may have less funds to develop new exhibitions but are hoping that this will provide more time for continued involvement of the community in the development of their exhibitions. They are exploring ways of expanding opportunities for volunteers, including guiding through the museum. There has been a program of involving long term unemployed people in placements at the museum which may also expand over time, perhaps leading to traineeships or apprenticeships.

Chat with Jane Robinson, Head of Museum Development

During my time at MGS I have been privileged to have one on one discussions with many of the staff members. Today I had a great chat with Jane Robinson, Head of Museum Development who outlined many of the projects and some of the future plans that MGS have for Museum Development.

Many of the MGS staff have been focused for the last week on the planning of an upcoming project Skills for the Future. This is an internship program that will see people with tertiary level education from a range of backgrounds undertaking internships with museums and galleries across Scotland. The program includes both workplace training and a series of one day workshops and it is hoped will be the beginning of a new generation of museum workers.

Like Australia, Scotland has recently developed a new curriculum. Interestingly, where Australia is working towards a national curriculum, Scotland is working on a curriculum somewhat different to that delivered in other areas of the UK. The curriculum is developed through Learning and Teaching Scotland and apparently puts the learner at the centre of the curriculum and has four key outcomes- confident individuals, responsible citizens, successful learners and effective contributors. MGS are using these concepts as a focus for museums where learning is seen as lifelong. LTS Scotland has developed an intranet for teachers and other educators called GLOW and museums are being encouraged to collaborate on material for this website.

MGS is working through a digital content strategy which focuses on four key areas- sharing, creating, delivering and preserving. This year they have focused on effective collection management systems for large industrial museums and website based issues for museums and galleries operating within local government. As is often the case in Australia, Scottish museums and galleries based within local government are confronted with a range of issues when developing websites or engaging with social networking. To work through some of these issues, MGS will be hosting a meeting with key local government museum and gallery representatives and local government IT staff. It will be interesting to hear of the outcomes of this meeting.

Earlier this year, Adrian Babbidge was the guest speaker at MGS's AGM. Adrian is a museum consultant who has done a lot of work with the Association of Independent Museums including a research study on Volunteering in Independent Museums. Adrian's study and the speech he gave at the AGM, Changing Times, Changing People outlined the changing face of volunteering, encouraging museums not to keep looking for volunteers like themselves but thinking outside the square. His research found that there are approximately 4 "groups" or generations over an 80 year period and provided an outline of the attitudes, character and values of these different generations and how they might approach volunteering. There is much food for thought with Adrian's work.

Choices for Change

I'm including some general view from around Edinburgh in this post as it's not a particularly image strong topic.

As you will have no doubt heard, the Arts Community, including museums and galleries, are dealing with a greatly changed environment across the UK. Whilst the Scottish government has yet to announce its budget for the coming year, there is great concern about the impact of budget cuts on museums across Scotland. Museums Galleries Scotland have been approached by a number of museums, galleries and local governments over the past 6 months who have been exploring alternative mechanisms for managing the museums and galleries under their care.

Museums and Galleries Scotland have responded to this by preparing a toolkit called Choices for Change, which provides a means for museums, galleries and local government with a self assessment process to analyse what services museums and galleries are delivering to their local community and their local government. While it aims to provide an opportunity to look at alternative operational models, it is equally useful for museums and galleries who want to outline to their local government the sort of services they are providing to their community. In this manner there may be information that could be drawn from this process to inform council's cultural/social planning or overall planning processes. Equally it could be useful for museums and galleries who need to outline their services/operation in situations where council is looking to change their operational structures.

Certainly this model has been developed for a Scottish environment which is somewhat different to the Australian environment, but there may be information that could be adapted for Australian situations.

Museums Galleries Scotland

Well I've now had two full days in the offices of Museums Galleries Scotland and what a whirlwind it's been. I was asked to provide a brief talk to the staff about M&G NSW and the museums and galleries of NSW for the second morning so I had a very busy night pulling together something that gave an impression of us and the NSW museum and gallery scene- in 15 minutes! I'm not sure I fully did us justice but people were telling me all afternoon how interesting it was so I guess there was something there.

In putting together the talk I realised how much larger NSW is than Scotland. This is particularly striking when you consider that M&G NSW has about half the staff of Museums Galleries Scotland. MGS offer many of the same services that M&G NSW do, with the major difference being that MGS don't tour exhibitions.

MGS have a really strong interest in research which became focused a few years ago through the development of a research strategy. Following the development of the strategy MGS commissioned a study on the impact of museums on communities as a broad sweep study of this area. This study then led to two further studies undertaken in 2009- Volunteering in Museums and Cornerstones of Communities. What has been great about this research is the manner in which MGS has been able to use it to back up further work such as a wonderful glossy document written to promote the work of museums with Stakeholders also called Cornerstones of Communities and the document that promotes to government he role museums play within communities called How Museums Can Help You

The latest Saatchi exhibition- Newspeak, British Art Now opened in London last night and British Art- Show 7 is on in Nottingham. There's a bit of discussion going on about which is more representative of contemporary art in the UK today. Newspeak doesn't include any audiovisual works, presumably because these are not within the collecting interests of Saatchi which has led people to ask- is it better to have an exhibition of one man's collection or an exhibition curated by outside curators (as is the case with Show 7)? It would seem that this is also an opportunity to debate the strength of the arts in the north and south of the country.


Today I'm attending one of Museums Galleries Scotland's one day workshops, this one is focused on oral history and is being run for the second time this year as it filled up (18 people) when it was held at the beginning of the year. I'll be particularly interested to see what sort of equipment and storage methods are being used over here, as well as how people are using oral history in their museums.

MA conference- walking the earth lightly

This was a session I attended on Wednesday focussing on a range of sustainability issues that impact museums and galleries, speakers included:

Carole Hammond, Museum Victoria

Looking at the sustainable development of exhibitions, Carole suggested using a 4 step process to move to more sustainable exhibition practices including:

1. Recognise your design sustainability weaknesses

2. Design a strategy of change

3. Locate the tools that can be used to guide sustainability (such as Cost of Life Indicators)

4. Create and activate green, grey and black lists (for materials and techniques)

Carole mentioned a great website Green Exhibitions http://www.gex.org.au

Paul Broadhurst & Laila Christies

Cunningham Martyn Design

Paul discussed the reality of sustainability where plans to recyle showcases don't always come to fruition and a wonderfully pragmatic approach to developing environmental control in a dedicated pod within a large industrial heritage space. He also highlighted the use of simple procedures and practices such as the total power down of energy hungry AV extravaganzas and the replacement of PVC display panels with designs printed on wallpaper pasted on walls

Julian Bickersteth, International Conservation Services and AICCM Environmental Guidelines Taskforce discussed measures being taken to develop new environmental guidelines for collecting institutions in line with international moves. Julian informed us that the European National Museum Directors Conference (NMDC) are looking to address the following:

1. Intelligent Standards

2. Air conditioning- not assumed

3. Natural/sustainable environmental controls

4. Primary objective- reduce carbon footprint

Barbara Reeve, Australian War Memorial

Barbara spoke of her 5 month sabbatical at Wolfson College Cambridge looking at European cultural heritage initiatives for sustainability. Barbara highlighted the need to address cradle to cradle design (take, make, regenerate, make more) and the triple top line of economy, equity and ecology.