About the Author 
Mim Bonn is a Lowell resident, a freelance writer, and a lifelong dabbler in the arts.
|
By Mim, on January 6, 2010, at 4:52 pm
On a visit to the Revolving Museum, I saw some poetry scrolls that had just be completed and were ready to be put on display. A poetry scroll is a sealed glass-fronted box containing a paper scroll in which poetry is written. The viewer can turn a handle on the outside of the box to see the poetry in a continuous loop.
These poetry scrolls are public art, placed in Lucy Larcom Park along the canal that bisects the Lowell High School campus, running from Merrimack Street up to Father Morrisette Boulevard. Since I hadn’t had a chance to inspect any of the scroll boxes closely, I was eager to see them on display. I’m sorry to report, I was disappointed in the curation of this project.
Rather than being installed along the length of the park, the scroll boxes are huddled at the Merrimack Street end. This arrangement does not relate well to the space, or to the nature of poetry. While placing the scrolls in proximity to one another does lead the viewer from one scroll to the next, it offers up too much of a good thing. Poetry is a dense, intense form of written expression, often demanding reflection and therefore consumed in small quantities. Had the scrolls been distributed along the length of the canal stretching up to the end at Father Morrisette Boulevard, visitors at any spot in the park might be attracted to engage with the scrolls. This arrangement would be more pleasing visually, and would also acknowledge the contemplative nature of poetry within the context of a unique urban green space.
The final “miss” that really left me perplexed: there were no scrolls in the area of the park that is actually adjacent to the High School. Here was a missed opportunity for young artists to have their work displayed in a public space that is shared by their peers and by the larger community. Here, too, was a missed opportunity for a young audience to encounter poetry outside the classroom, poetry created by their contemporaries and speaking to their own sensibilities.
Nevertheless, the Revolving Museum is to be commended for embracing poetry as a public art form and presenting an array of poetry events, workshops, and exhibits.
By Mim, on January 3, 2010, at 11:56 am
Still thinking about what it will mean to be a museum without walls, I stopped by the Revolving Museum to chat with Elaina Bates, the Gallery Manager. How will her role evolve during this transition, and beyond?
Side Trip
Before I could make my way to Elaina’s office, I was stopped in my tracks by an intense energy field created by the teens in the ArtBotics program. On my left, high-school students were seated at work-stations in the newly-set-up computer lab, engrossed in their work. The room was quiet except for the soft clicking of keyboards, but you could almost see waves of energy vibrating in the air. On my right, several teens clustered around a whiteboard, listening intently as Adam Norton, former participant and now teacher, explained how to program certain functions for their ArtBotics projects.
I just stood there for a moment, looking around and taking it in. I felt privileged to be there, in that moment, to witness this incredibly positive process unfolding in a renovated mill in the heart of Lowell. I promise you, readers, that I will re-visit this project and bring you further reports.
A chat with Elaina
The Revolving Museum is still very much in the process of settling into new digs, and Elaina Bates’ office reflects that. Elaina seems energized by the new space at Western Avenue Studios, and the challenges and opportunities it provides. Along with the rest of the staff, she is focusing on how to best utilize the space in order to help the mission of the Revolving Museum flourish.
First of all, in Elaina’s view relinquishing the permanent gallery space has opened up new opportunities to focus efforts on outreach to the community, and on finding public spaces for exhibiting art. She’s looking forward to nurturing relationships with organizations such as the 119 Gallery, the Boys and Girls Club, and more. The Revolving Museum will continue to explore, with even greater focus, ways to bring art to the community – as opposed to bringing the community to the art, and avenues to showcase youth work.
At Western Avenue, the Revolving Museum will utilize hallways adjacent to their space as well as common areas for temporary exhibits. The new offices on the second floor provide plenty of space for the staff and the computer lab, but what has Elaina really excited are the possibilities to expand youth programs and becoming an integral part of the Western Avenue community of artists. In addition to the office space, the Revolving Museum has three studio spaces on the fourth floor. These spaces are already taking shape with work surfaces, supplies and equipment for their intended purposes: a “wet” studio, for painting; a “dry” studio, for carpentry and power tools; and a fashion lab for fabric arts and fashion. Even when empty, the studios have an air of anticipation and activity.
I, for one, can’t wait to follow this work-in-progress that is the Revolving Museum, as it unfolds. It doesn’t look like gallery walls are going to be missed any time soon.
By Mim, on November 15, 2009, at 10:32 am
Welcome to the new Revolving Museum Blog, an evolving on-line space where I’ll be exploring the Revolving Museum, its activities, and the ideas that revolve around it. I launch this blog in the hopes that it will be not only a window into the Revolving Museum, but also an open door with an invitation to participate with your own comments.
So here I am, creating a window and a door into a museum that has… no walls!
The Revolving Museum (TRM) has recently moved to its new home in Western Avenue Studios, becoming a museum without walls. I’m not referring to a sculpture garden, which might cutely call itself a museum without walls. Nor is it a “virtual” museum, which as understood today would be a museum that exists only or primarily on-line. TRM is now a museum that has no permanent exhibit space of its own.
What will it mean to TRM to be a museum without walls? I pulled out my trusty old American Heritage dictionary for some definitional assistance.
“Museum: a place devoted to the acquisition, study and exhibition of objects of scientific, historical or artistic value.”
Hmm. That definition brings up several issues. Not only does TRM have no walls, it also doesn’t acquire. And while it does promote a lot of learning activities, the focus is on learning through engagement and creation, rather than through the study of objects. Exhibition, yes, but not at a permanent place! The Revolving Museum (TRM) challenges the very definition of a museum.
According to its mission statement, The Revolving Museum is “an evolving laboratory of creative expression for people of all backgrounds, ages, and abilities who seek to experience the transformative power of art.” Even more than in the past, TRM must now, from its new location in the heart of Lowell’s creative community, find new venues and avenues for public art, community participation and artistic exploration. I’m excited to be a part of it, and am looking forward to participating, pondering and reporting on this unfolding chapter in the life of TRM.
What do you think it will mean to TRM to be a museum without walls? Will necessity stimulate new ideas for engaging the community in artistic exploration? Does removing the walls change how we think about art and about museums? Please share your thoughts!
|
Mim’s Musings Welcome to this new Blog, an evolving on-line space where I’ll be exploring the Revolving Museum, its activities, and the ideas that revolve around it. I launch this blog in the hopes that it will be not only a window into the Revolving Museum, but also an open door with an invitation to participate with your own comments.
|
Recent Comments