MUSEUM PAPER (MP)

In this essay you will be discussing an original artwork that you have seen in person. Use
the same artwork for the MUSEUM FIELD NOTES (MFN). Follow the instructions below
to see what you need to include in your Museum Paper.

1. Describe the Artwork:

Describe the artwork briefly. In your paper, your description should never be
longer than one page. Write down your observations on a note pad. Identify
the artwork and give the medium (painting, oil on canvas, sculpture, etc.) and
dimensions. Try to conquer space with your words. If you give information
about objects or people depicted in your picture, try and locate them in the
picture space.
2. Analyze the Artwork:
Analyze the artwork as you are standing in front of it. These ideas might help:

Are there elements to this artwork that seem unusual, odd, or otherwise noteworthy? If
so, this is the path to research. Why are these questions coming up? Where will you find
answers? It is not enough just to ask the questions. You have to do research to try to
find answers.
Some questions might be similar to these: If there are people represented, what are their
expressions, relations to each other? What is the story? What colors does the artist use?
How does the artist use light in this work? Is there three-dimensional perspective shown
in the work? For sculpture: How much space does the work occupy? What does the
frame or display case look like? Does the way this work is displayed have an effect on its
appearance? Where is the best place to stand to see your artwork? Are you at eye-level,
higher or lower?
What is depicted in your artwork? Is there a story or an event? The title may help you
here, but you may need to do further research to get all the details of the subject. How is
the work represented? Is it realistic or abstract? What kind of texture does the work of
art have? Does it look rough, smooth, etc. (Do NOT actually touch the artwork!) Can you
see brushstrokes? These and other questions might come up.

1. Do Research at the Library:

Take these questions home and to the library and start your research. Try and
find answers to these questions. Consult academic sources to find answers to
your questions. You might find e-books and articles via the college library
website but in general a visit to the college library is the way to go.
2. Find Three Admissible Sources:
What are admissible sources for this assignment, and how do you quote them
in your paper?
    ATTENTION: Please, include only THREE to FIVE (maximum) footnotes in your paper!
I would like students to use CHICAGO-TURABIAN-STYLE FOOTNOTES. This is what
they will look like.
Admissible Sources for this assignment:
Your sources HAVE to be ACADEMIC, PEER-REVIEWED sources. Examples are:
Book
Author [or editor], Title [underlined] (City of publication [include state or country if not
commonly known]: publisher, date of publication), page numbers.
example:

1. Michael Hays, ed., Architecture Theory since 1968 (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT

Press, 1998), 83-86.

Journal Article
Author, "Title of article [in quotation marks]," Journal Title [underlined] volume #, issue #
(month of publication, year of publication), page numbers. example:
Jennifer Hock, "Jane Jacobs and the West Village: The Neighborhood against Urban
Renewal," JSAH 66, no. 1 (Mar. 2007), 16-19.
Essay in a Collection
Author, "Title of article [in quotation marks]," in Title of Collection [underlined], Name of
editor (City: publisher, date), page numbers. example:
Frank Lloyd Wright, "The Art and Craft of the Machine," in America Builds, ed. Leland
Roth (New York: Harper & Row, 1983), 364-76.
Electronic Sources
You can only use peer-reviewed sources (books, journal articles) that are available online.
Provide all of the relevant information mentioned above for the media type (books,
articles, etc.). Also provide the complete URL and date accessed. example:
Alison McQueen, "Empress Eugénie's Quest for a Napoleonic Mausoleum," Nineteenth-
Century Art Worldwide 2, no. 1 (Feb.
2003), http://www.19thc-artworldwide.org/winter_03/articles/mcqu.shtml  (Links to an
external site.) (accessed 5 Apr. 2007).
Short Form
Short forms of citation may be used for repeated sources. For short form, include
author's last name, title, and page number.
Sources that are NOT ALLOWED for this assignment:
Newspaper articles, articles from non-art-related periodicals (Time Magazine,
Newsweek, San Diego Reader), generic online sources such as museum websites,
Wikipedia, encyclopedias (online or print), dictionaries, youtube, Khan Academy (or any
other video), etc. You will lose substantial points if you use inadmissible sources.

1. Write your Paper:

After you have done some research you will start to write your paper.

Formal Appearance:
Length: 1100 words of text, double spaced, font 12 pt, Times New Roman or Courier.
[2] Your paper will include THREE to FIVE footnotes referencing the literature you
consulted. Papers with more than 5 language errors will be severely graded down.

1. Follow this Outline:

8.1. INTRODUCTION:
Your first paragraph will be entitled INTRODUCTION. It will be about one paragraph.
Identify the museum, exhibit title, and content and scope of the exhibit. Describe the
gallery(ies). What color are the walls? How is the lighting? Is the physical space intimate
or airy? How are the artworks displayed (frames, pedestals, single wall, partitions?)
8.2. DESCRIPTION:
Your second paragraph will be entitled: DESCRIPTION. You will give a
brief description of the artwork, NEVER longer than a page, ideally shorter.
8.3. PRESENTATION OF RESEARCH:
Your third paragraph will be entitled presentation of research. You might need more
paragraphs to present your research. Use a separate paragraph for the individual ideas
you are presenting (example: biography, color, composition, materials, etc.). Try to find
literature (books, peer-reviewed articles, etc., NOT a generic website such as Wikipedia!)
that mention your artist/artwork. Access GALE or EBSCO Host for peer-reviewed
articles through the College Library site. Your research must be based on the work of art
used in your Museum Paper. The research discusses a number of aspects of the work of
art, such as the time period, style or related ideas. Give the authors’ opinions and quote
them correctly as follows. ATTENTION: You will lose a substantial amount of points if
you quote inadmissible sources. Sources that are admissible and those that are NOT
allowed are listed on pages 1 and 2 of this handout. Only 3-5 footnotes in your paper!
        Quote your sources using Chicago-Turabian-style footnotes. If you don’t know
what Turabian-style footnotes look like consult The Chicago Manual of Style. Basic
formats, however, are shown under ad 6) on page 1 and 2 of this handout.
        This website might help you format your
footnotes: http://www.citationmachine.net/turabian/cite-a-book (Links to an external
site.)
8.5. SUMMARY:
Your last paragraph will be entitled: SUMMARY. Now you may express and opinion
weighing all the written sources you consulted previously. You CANNOT have a qualified
opinion if you only do a google search or use inadmissible material!
8.6. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
As a separate page, your paper will include a bibliography. It will bear the headline
BIBLIOGRAPHY. The bibliography must have at least three sources. It is important for
you to visit a library and learn how to use it correctly. List your sources in alphabetical
order according to the author’s last name. You will display this information like you did in
your footnotes. Be advised that you cannot put sources in your bibliography when you
don’t quote them in your text.
Be sure to use peer-reviewed, academic sources! General information from websites
(even museum websites!) or the public domain are NOT APPROPRIATE for an academic
research paper. You will lose a substantial amount of points if you use inadequate
literature for this assignment! Peer-reviewed publications provide a stringent editorial
process that has a quality control function. The internet does not provide this. There is a
lot of wrong or irrelevant information out there. We want to consult experts in their field
and find out what they have to say about a subject matter.

1. Submit your Paper:

Your paper has to be submitted electronically via Canvas by the deadline.
Paper copies are not accepted. Access Canvas, go to “Assignments”, and
follow the directions for submitting your paper. Please, upload your
photograph, your selfie, and submit everything together AS ONE DOCUMENT
at the same time. Late submissions or submissions of parts of your paper via
email or other channels are not accepted.
2. Common Mistakes:
You are writing this assignment so you learn how to think. Logical thought is
best learned through writing. This is not just an assignment to keep you busy.
Writing forces you to organize your thought process.

Avoid first- or second person speech in academic writing. This paper is about an artwork,
not about you. The most important person in this project is YOUR READER. The
objective is to help your reader understand an artwork. Use fact-based, detached, and
objective language.