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Shaping Exhibition Development Around Community Perspectives
- 1. Shaping Exhibitio n Develop ment Zachary Paul Levine, Curatorat Yeshiva University Museum Artists, Curators, and Educators Engaging Communities Around Commu nity Perspec tives Reaching Deeper –
- 2. Why the Eruv? (orWhat the heck is an Eruv and who cares?) • An eruv is a ritual enclosure for the Sabbath • Integrate religious and technical creativity •Eruv history closely tied to Jewish history • Gaining academic interest • Artists working around the concept of eruv
- 3. Get Your A-Team Assembledan Advisory Board of Scholars • Confounds the most knowledgeable • Controversial, especially in New York • Hundreds of thousands of Jews rely on community eruvs The Panel’s Conclusions: • Growing interest popularly
- 4. At the Center Theseissues are especially important to Orthodox Jews in particular • Nobody else uses an eruv (no kidding!) • NOT A LOOPHOLE! Illiteracy around Eruv in Jewish legal tradition • Recent data on composition of Orthodox Jewish community • Gender dynamics • Field of Analysis: NYC
- 5. On a (Kashered)Silver Platter • Defined the focus: Eruv and Jewish Community in New York In other Words … here’s your audience: • Defined the Audience: Several Hundred Thousand Orthodox Jews
- 6. Primary Targeted Communities: •Eruv Enthusiasts (and builders) • Jewish Schools • Synagogue Communities Target: Big Apple Orthodox Jews
- 7. Primary Targeted Communities: •Eruv Enthusiasts (and builders) • Jewish Schools • Synagogue Communities • Cultivate awareness about the exhibition • Enhance the museum’s profile • Acquire a working database of community contacts Early Outreach Goals Target: Big Apple Orthodox Jews
- 8. Museum Educators • Knowwho to call in the schools • Align exhibition with school needs • Generate buzz about the exhibition among educators Putting Out the Call
- 9. Education’s Role Contact InfluentialEducators and Rabbis • Consultations • Program Design and Planning • Networking
- 10. Contact Influential Educatorsand Rabbis • Consultations • Program Design and Planning • Networking Interpret Communal Needs • Identify objects • Highlight objects • Identify Essential Lessons Education’s Role
- 11. Putting Out theCall • Knows people who make eruvs • Understand the historical and practical dimensions • Make Connections Eruv Scholars (Rabbis, Enthusiasts, Others)
- 12. • What dopeople know and not know? • Life before eruvs • Impact on women, children, and the infirm Gathering Information Getting Communal Voices - Survey • Stories
- 13. • Interviews witheruv creators • Stories about controversies • Maintaining eruvs Leaders – Films • Finding objects • What do people know and not know? • Life before eruvs • Impact on women, children, and the infirm Gathering Information Getting Communal Voices - Survey • Stories
- 14. • Discovered storiesabout eruv history in NYC • Uncovered objects (eruv gates on telephone poles) • Made connections with leaders and their communities Gathering Information Effects
- 15. • On theeruv in general (using lasers!) • Eruv history in NYC (Thousands of strings) • Eruv present in NYC The Artists Art Pieces on the Eruv
- 16. Meeting Expectations? • Greaterrelevance for schools • Better alignment with programs (youth and adult) • Education brought into interpretative planning Education Department’s Role – Success • Initially, attracted students • Art pieces enhanced didactic quality
- 17. Meeting Expectations? • Addedcommunity voices into the exhibition • Tightened the narrative’s argument from the beginning • Placed the narrative in the NYC area (artifacts and interactive content) Community Awareness – Success
- 18. Meeting Expectations? • Communitybuzz – Did not appear to last • Community ambassadors (synagogues, experts) – Did not advocate • Limited press attention Unfulfilled Expectations – Limited Press and Few Visitors • External factors
- 19. Meeting Expectations? • HurricaneSandy • Bus Strike • Maybe too Jewish? Caveat – External Factors
- 20. And Beyond… • Benefitsof cooperation between curatorial and education departments • Value of applying community input to interpretative planning Lessons Learned • Challenging to expect participants to act as ambassadors
Editor's Notes
- #2 Introduction: We decided to do an exhibition about the topic of the eruv….
- #3 Introduction: We decided to do an exhibition about the topic of the eruv….
- #4 We assembled a panel of scholars and eruv experts to discuss how to approach the topic.The discussion yielded several conclusions / directions
- #5 The conclusions brought the idea of the community to the center of how we thought about this topic.
- #6 The conclusions brought the idea of the community to the center of how we thought about this topic.
- #7 Schools: fit the the interpretative framework, narrative, and programs to schools’ interests Synagogue communities: Spread word about the exhibition and the museum; learn about people involved in eruvs in the areaEruv Builders: Understand the technical and administrative issues around eruvs, and acquire artifacts
- #8 Schools: fit the the interpretative framework, narrative, and programs to schools’ interests Synagogue communities: Spread word about the exhibition and the museum; learn about people involved in eruvs in the areaEruv Builders: Understand the technical and administrative issues around eruvs, and acquire artifacts