ProjectUnit5CurateHistory,DefineAuthenticity

Due:MondayMarch21st

Background:
Thisunithasdemandedmuchandmorefromourclassaswehavetakenonissuesofgreat
complexity.Contactbetweendifferentcultures,nations,andsystemsoftencreatesconfusionand
conflict.Whenstudyingthehistoryoftheseconfluencesandmeeting,wehavehadto
interrogatethenarrativeswesubscribeto.Overthecourseofthisunitwehavedeconstructed
appropriation,colonialism,andsynthesis.Thesearetrendsandissueswithonedefinitionor
easyanswer.Wehavealsofocusedontherolethatartandartifactsplayindeterminingour
conceptionofagivenplace,culture,orpeople.Certainlytheitemsthemselvesinstructour
understanding,butitisthemannerofpresentationandthechoicesofthecuratorsthatcanbe
ofevengreaterimpact.Alloftheproblemsofthisunitarepresentinthechoicesmuseumsand
galleriesmakeinshowingtheircollections.Everyitemhasuniquehistoryandmeaning,oftena
legacyofmarginalizationorconquestisattachedtoartifacts.Thisprojectaskyoutoassumethe
roleofthecuratortodesignagallerythatrevealssomeessentialknowledgeaboutacultureor
peopleofyourchoice.

Parameters:
You,asthecuratorofyourspecialexhibit,arechargedwithcreatingagallerythattellsthestory
ofacultureorcountryduringaperiodofcolonization.Theworldisopentoyouheremany
countriesandpeopleshaveatonetimebeencolonized.Youaretopickone.

Youmustthenselectfourartifactsforyourgallery.Theartifactscanincludeallmediumsofart,
daytodayobjectsofhistoricalsignificance,andvariousrelateditems.Onceselected,youwill
arrangetheobjectsinslideshowthatissetintheorderinwhichavisitorwouldviewthem.Each
slidemustincludeafullsourcenote(who,what,where,when)andcitation(whereistheitem
currentlylocated?).Eachitemshouldhaveanapproximately100150wordnoteaboutits
significanceandpurposewithinthegallery.

Then,asthecurator,youmustwriteagalleryintroductionthatsuccinctlydiscusseswhyyou
constructedthegalleryinthismanner.Whatdoeseachpiecerepresentaboutyourchosenperiod
andculture?Howareissuesofconquest,appropriation,andcombinationaddressed?Howhave
yougrappledwiththehistoriesoftheobjectsthemselves?Yourvisitorswillusetheintroduction
astheirguideforinterpretingthegalleryitems.Youshouldexplicitlystatewhatyouhope
visitorswillgainfromtheirexperienceatyourexhibit.Yourintroductionshouldberoughly400
wordsandshouldincludeatleasttwocitationsrelatingtoexpertsourcesaboutyourchosen
culture.

Youhavecompletecreativefreedomwiththisprojecttakeownership,andmakenuanced,
informedchoices.Goodluck!

ProjectSteps:
1. Artifacts
a. Choosefourartifactsthattellastoryaboutyourchosencultureduringthe
colonialperiod.
b. PlacethefourartifactsinanintentionalorderwithinaGoogleSlidespresentation
c. Eachslidemustincludethefollowing:
i.
Apictureoftheartifact/iteminquestion
ii. Asourcenote
iii.
AnMLAformattedcitation
iv. 100150wordnoteaboutitssignificanceandpurposewithinthegallery
d. Youmustpullartifactsfromestablishedcollections(museumcollections)you
mustbeabletoaccuratelysaywherethephysicalobjectis,andwhatitis.
RandomimagesfromGooglewillnotworkforthisproject.Someplacestostar
(notethatallofthesecollectionsareincountriesthatoncewerecolonialpowers):
i.
https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/search.aspx
ii. http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/thecollectiononline
iii.
http://www.louvre.fr/en/moteurderechercheoeuvres
iv. http://www.penn.museum/collections/
2. GalleryIntroduction
a. Yourgalleryintroductioninstructsallvisitorsaboutthepurposeandconstruction
oftheexhibit
b. Youmustsummarizewhatyouroverallvisionwas,andhowthatvisionis
manifestedinyourchoices
c. Youmustconsultatleasttworeliablesourcesthatgiveyouadditionalinsightinto
yourchosencultureandtimeperiod
d. Atleast400wordsintotal

Rubric

Design

Surpases
Studenthas
Requirements all
(1920)
components
oftheproject
doneontime,
usesinclass
time
effectively,
andprovides
constructive
feedback.

Process

Knowledge

Application

Presentation

Students
projectshows
aclearand
wellreasoned
linkbetween
thedifferent
partsofthe
benchmark
project.
Thereisa
clearstrategy
inevidence.

Scholars
work
grappleswith
andseeksto
provide
answersto
thedifficult
questionsof
thisunit
concerning
appropriation
,conquest,

Thescholars
written
materialhas
beenedited
andis
properly
formatted.
The
questionsof
theproject
andthe
comparative

Students
slidesare
professional,
welllinked,
cited
properly,and
incisively
explained.

authenticity,
etc.

aspectare
addressed,
and
additional
pathsof
inquiryare
offered.

Meet
Studenthas
Requirements all
(1618)
components
oftheproject
doneontime,
doesnot
disruptin
classwork
time,and
provides
constructive
feedback.

Students
projectshows
aclearand
wellreasoned
linkbetween
thedifferent
partsofthe
benchmark
project.
Thereisa
clearstrategy
inevidence.

Scholars
workis
awareofthe
difficult
questionsof
thisunit
concerning
appropriation
,conquest,
authenticity,
etc.

Thescholars
workis
mostlywell
editedand
formatted.
The
questionsof
theproject
andthe
comparative
aspectare
addressed.

Students
slidesare
professional,
welllinked,
cited
properly,and
adequately
explained.

Approaches Studenthas
Requirements most
(1415)
components
doneontime,
anddoesnot
disrupt.

Students
projectparts
areloosely
linkedand
thereissome
connection
betweenthe
different
parts.

Scholars
workis
awareof
someofthe
questionsof
thisunit
concerning
appropriation
,conquest,
authenticity,
etc.

Thescholars
work
addressesthe
guidelinesof
theproject
andan
attemptat
editinghas
beenmade.

Students
slidesare
complete,but
some
elementsare
haphazardor
incomplete.

Doesnot
Meet
Requirements
(013

Theprojectis
disorganized
inthatthe
different
elements
shownoclear
linkage.

Scholars
workdoes
notanswer
thequestions
ofthisunit
concerning
appropriation
,conquest,
authenticity,
etc.

Incomplete
work,shoddy
editing,and
unaddressed
partsofthe
project.

Students
slidesdonot
coverthe
intended
material,or
lack
elements.

Studentdoes
notturnin
workon
time,disrupts
classwork
time.

PaperEditingChecklist

TimesNewRoman

12ptFont

1inchmargins

Doublespaced

Pagesnumbered

Proofreadforcoherence

Proofreadforgrammar/spelling

Citationsareclearlypresentedinfootnotes/bibliographyintheMLAstyle