Items

• 
  2020-09-29

  Is This the End of Contemporary Art As We Know It?

  Artist Liam Gillick and a writer for ArtReview, J.J. Charlesworth talk about the changes brought by the pandemic and the many ways that everything will most likely remain the same. Interestingly, they examine the beginning and end of “contemporary art” and the complex web of economic, social, political and cultural factors that are shifting and breaking down in different ways from our current crises. 

In the end, the feeling that art will survive but the idea that this particular period of art and the art world has reached its end is contemplated.
• 
  2020-05-13

  Moving hands-on online

  Online Question and Answers session done with the School and Family Programs Manager at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. The piece reflects on the Virtual Quilt Project, as well as the experiences of being an arts and cultural heritage professional during the CoVid-19 pandemic. This object highlights how museums have been forced to change their practices in response to the pandemic, and the unexpected benefits from some of those changes at the Institute of Contemporary Art.
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  2020-05-27

  Looking at Art

  Video created by the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston as part of the activities for their Play Date events, which are tailored to families and young children. The video is aimed at younger viewers and models for them how to look at a piece of art, and includes some questions for the audience to ask themselves. As museums have transitioned more to digital spaces, they have had to create programming that can appeal to all parts of their audience. This video highlights how museums are continuing to engage with children during the pandemic, and how they are using their collections in an educational environment even at a distance.
• 
  2020-05-29

  Self Guided Activities

  Self-guided activities that are part of the Play Date event series for children and families hosted by the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. As museums had to transition to virtual engagement and shut down their physical sites, they had to find new ways to interact with their audience. This was especially true for events tailored for younger audiences, who might not find the same enjoyment from a virtual museum as opposed to the physical space.
• 
  2020-06-02

  Unlocking Museums: Moving Forward in a Crisis

  Panel hosted by the Boston Globe on how museums may change and grow in response to the CoVid-19 pandemic. The panel includes the directors of the Institute of Contemporary Art, the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum, the Museum of Fine Art, and the MIT List Visual Arts Center. This video panel offers an reflection on how museums in Boston began to think about their reopening, and what policies they had in place over a month before some officially reopened their doors.
• 
  2020-07-10

  Friday Art Notes: Riffs on Real Time

  Essay written by the Barbara Lee Chief Curator of the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, reflecting on a piece of art in the museum's collection. This specific essay highlights the photographic series Rifts on Real Time, created by Leslie Hewitt. The essay itself reflects on the concept of time during of time during the pandemic, and the large amounts of time people have spent inside. In relating the thesis of the art to a common experience for some during the pandemic, the essay highlights how museums are relating their collections to the experiences of living in 2020.
• 
  2020-07-01

  Welcome Back! Free Admission for All

  Facebook event created by the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston to highlight their reopening schedule, and the free admission they're offering. The page also highlights timed tickets to control crowds, and what parts of the museum will be available when the museum reopens. This object highlights the conflict museums face in bringing back visitors and draw attention to their offerings, even as they need to continue limiting crowds.
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  2020-07-08

  Massachusetts Art Museums Are Reopening

  News article published by WBUR in Boston that discusses the reopening plans of several art museums in the Greater Boston-area and the rest of Massachusetts. The article goes into detail about the opening plans of the Institute of Contemporary Art, the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum, and the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. As museums move away from closures, institutions are trying to spread knowledge of their openings as well as the safety procedures they're employing. As the pandemic continues, safe museums offer an escape from time spent indoors if one has the privilege of doing so.
• 
  2020

  Virtual Harbor Market

  Webpage from the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston that functions as an online version of the museum's summer harbor market. The page links to stores of BIPOC artisans and artists in the Boston area. Museums are more than just sites of learning, their spaces are often multi-functional and host many events throughout the year. Given the pandemic, museums have had to employ digital methods in order to take important programs/events and recreate them on their websites.