When Do You Feel Seen?
When do you feel seen?
What a difference it makes when we feel seen for who we are, when we feel like someone is looking out for us and our needs, or when something we encounter resonates in a deeply personal way. This month, we invite you to take a moment to think about the ways that museums do or do not “see” you.
November Coffee Break Picks
AMANDA’S PICK
"Yes...Damn! Effect"
"Following up on Stephanie’s pick of Do Less last month, I found this other Hidden Brain podcast, Taking Control of Your Time, equally helpful. My favorite moment is around minute 26. Shankar Vedantam and Cassie Mogilner Holmes describe how everyone thinks they will have more time one month from now (in the future) than they do today (that’s me!). But, that perception causes people to say ‘yes’ to new things because they think they will have more time in the future. It is called the ‘Yes…Damn! Effect,' coined by researchers Gal Zauberman and John Lynch. You have now said yes to too many things and so you don’t have more time in the future."
CLAIRE’S PICK
Stories of Queer History
"This past week, I was able to take some time to visit my family in North Carolina. While there, I brought the historical fiction novel Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg. I was enveloped by their writing about Jess, a visibly queer butch person and their experiences in New York during the 1950s-1970s. Weaving in much of their own lived experiences, Leslie draws the reader in, creating a world in which one can fully feel the ups and downs of Jess’ life. That week, we also watched the new show, A League of Their Own, which is a spinoff of the original 1992 film about the first all-women baseball teams in America. The show took note of the true historical experiences of many of the players who were queer and unable to be openly out. Watching this show while reading Stone Butch Blues felt like a historical treat and really brought joy to my week."
LINA’S PICK
Reviving Art Forms Lost through History
"Miniature painting is an artform that has always fascinated me—I’ve spent hours pouring over online archives of museums and institutions that house South Asian miniatures. The craft, like many other traditionally-passed down art forms, has been fading. The emphasis of Western traditions after colonization in South Asia led to this diminishing of the miniature. This article highlights artist Shazia Sikander and her wondrous creations, drawing from traditional miniature painting methods. I particularly love the painting 'Separate Working Things I'."
What’s New At Kera?
Hannah co-wrote an article with museum educators Daniele Fifi and Ashley Mask, that was published in the Museological Review, a journal published by Ph.D. students in the Museum Studies department at the University of Leicester. The article is titled “What’s Going on Here? Considering the Anti-Racist Possibilities of Visual Thinking Strategies.” Read the issue here!
On our Learning Hub this month, Lina writes about how museums can incorporate histories of looted objects while prioritizing repatriation. This comes at a time when the Smithsonian repatriated the Benin bronzes in their collection back to Nigeria.
We are excited to announce that we are working with the United States Botanic Garden! We will be working on a four-season visitor study to help the USBG understand their audiences. More to come soon!
Moment of Wonder
“In the middle of a drive from Washington, DC to Richmond, VA that took twice as long as it should have, my family pulled off at a public rest stop. We were all tired of being in the car, and my four-year-old clearly needed a potty break and an attitude reset. Then, we saw it…a ‘Toddler Toilet!’ We had never seen anything like this before in a public restroom. It made me think of what a difference it makes when people feel like someone is looking out for them and meeting their needs. He was SO excited that someone designed a toilet just for him, it turned the whole trip around. Small toilet, big moment of wonder!”
— Katie
