AAMG 2015 final

1. April25,2015AAMG2015-ATLANTA 1 Supported Interpretation (SI): VisitorEngagementintheHeartofSanAntonio Alicia Viera, Director of Cultural Programs, Texas A&M University - San Antonio Pat Villeneuve, Professor and Director of Arts Administration, Florida State University, Tallahassee

2. What is Supported Interpretation (SI)? SI is a model for visitor-centered exhibitions. Model development was informed by: VanMenschs (1990) reconceptualization of museum functions, conflating exhibit and educate into a communication function Knowles (1984) conception of guided interaction, an ideal learning environment for adult learning (andragogy). Perceived shortcomings in the constructivist museum (Hein, 1998; Hooper-Greenhill, 1994). April25,2015AAMG2015-ATLANTA 2

3. How it Started Demonstration Project at the Hispanic Research Center, Arizona State University, 2010 April25,2015AAMG2015-ATLANTA 3

4. Mixing It Up: Building a Mexican-American Identity in Art This exhibition explores how seven Mexican American artists have expressed ideas about who they are using symbols and images from both the Mexican and U.S. cultures that impact their lives. Use the smaller images as clues to see what is important to these artists. What are they telling us about themselves? April25,2015AAMG2015-ATLANTA 4

5. SI Guidelines Produced by exhibition team, including curatorial, education, community members, and others Design process anticipates visitors needs to know Exhibition presented as an interface rich in educational resources Interface resources are mostly non-textual and non-authoritarian and encourage individualized and active learning Decisions about content assume diverse audiences but presume no specialized knowledge Interface includes explicit directions to cue visitor participation Visitor contributions or feedback are shared in the interface, making visitors an integral part of the exhibition Docents, if used, must be retrained as facilitators of personal meaning making Evaluation is necessary and informs current and future practices (Villeneuve & Viera, 2014) April25,2015AAMG2015-ATLANTA 5

6. 6 April25,2015AAMG2015-ATLANTA Contemporary Latino Art: El Corazn de San Antonio

7. 7 The Educational & Cultural Arts Center (ECAC) at Texas A&M University-San Antonio aims to facilitate an understanding and appreciation of Latino arts and cultures and their influences on the United States through exhibitions and programming targeting a variety of audiences. April25,2015AAMG2015-ATLANTA TAMU-SAs ECAC

30. April25,2015AAMG2015-ATLANTA 30 This is their Museum!

33. 33 April25,2015AAMG2015-ATLANTA This is their Museum!

37. Hein, G. E. (1998). Learning in the museum. New York: Routledge. Hooper-Greenhill, E. (1994). Museum learners as active postmodernists: Contextualizing constructivism. In E. Hooper- Greenhill (Ed.), The educational role of the art museum (pp. 67-72). New York: Routledge. Knowles, M. S. (1984). Andragogy in action. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. VanMensch, P. (1990). Methodological museology, or towards a theory of museum practice. In S. Pearce (Ed.), Objects of knowledge (pp. 141-157). London: Athlone. Villeneuve, P., & Viera, A. (2014). Supported interpretation: Exhibiting for audience engagement. Exhibitionist 33(1). April25,2015AAMG2015-ATLANTA 37 References

38. Pat Villeneuve [email protected] Alicia Viera [email protected] April25,2015AAMG2015-ATLANTA 38 Contact Us

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AAMG 2015 final