Tag Archive

public engagement

Reflections on "Roots of Liberty: The Haitian Revolution and the American Civil War"

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dancers and actors on stageHundreds of Boston-area Haitian Americans and African Americans attended the historical pageant, “Roots of Liberty – The Haitian Revolution and the American Civil War,” at Boston’s Tremont Temple on May 4, 2013.

Organized by Boston National Historical Park, Boston African American National Historical Site, Central Square Theater, Harvard University, and the Museum of African American History, the performance focused on the significant impact of the Haitian Revolution on black and white abolitionists and black Union troops. Read More

The bubble and the tent: Keeping culture accessible at the Smithsonian Institution

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hirshhorn-bubbleWith the resignations of the Hirshhorn Museum’s director and the chairman of its board of trustees this summer, the Bubble, or Seasonal Inflatable Structure, project (at left) has collapsed in a very public way. As the Bubble deflated under the weight of its projected costs, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, a different kind of venue for arts and culture, continued its long run of phenomenal success. Read More

Making history cool: The Pop-up Museum of Queer History

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museum bannerI founded the Pop-Up Museum of Queer History by accident. Originally, the idea was for a one-night party in my apartment in January of 2011, designed to create a for-us, by-us space where queer people could join together to celebrate ourselves as a valid public, worthy of speaking to; a valid subject, worthy of speaking about; and a valid authority, worthy of speaking on our own terms. Read More

Art, history, and interpretation

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I recently started a new position at the Philadelphia Museum of Art as a Curatorial and Interpretation Fellow, for which my Public History degree from American University has been (and will continue to be) invaluable. Understanding art through history and vice versa is one of the joys of curatorial work in an art museum, but interpreting cultural, historical, religious and aesthetic context to a wider audience can be a real challenge. Read More

Post Conference Review #3: Horaceville: Pinhey’s Point Historic Site

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Editor’s note: This post continues the series of conference city reviews published byThe Public Historian in the Public History Commons

Horaceville: Pinhey’s Point Historic Site, April 20, 2013. NCPH Annual Meeting, Ottawa, Ontario. The Pinhey’s Point Foundation. Tour leader: Bruce Elliott. Read More