Lara: Wednesday, June 7th

Today the workshop and brainstorming session offered another fruitful day of ideas and insights into the trajectory of the project. The metanarrative exercise was very productive preparation for the crash course in the museum's mission and history  as an institution that we received in the intern morning workshop. Alex Pizzati was as entertaining as ever, giving an overview of the museum's narrative that not only highlighted the historical progression of the museum and its collections, but an understanding of the many personalities that influenced the character of the space.

While I have visited the archives before, I always feel that I am able to pickup on something I never fully appreciated previously, For instance, the archaeological illustrations that were out on the table really stood out to me, not just for their quality,but for the level of artistry that captured both the image and essence of the artifacts copied.

The brainstorming session regarding the initial survey questions/instrument was also very exciting, and compelled me to think about the nuance and subtlety that comes with trying to extract people's authentic opinions and inner thought processes. The development of questions and strategy to conduct the survey has made me more reflective of the ways I answer questions or communicate my perspective to people I don't know or unfamiliar with. How much of what I say is to please the questioner or address the question, and how can I use my own personal experience to fit into the shoes of respondents?

Lastly, the individualized tour that Alex provided us was eye-opening, especially regarding the museum's legacy of exhibitions throughout time and the changes and continuities that are present in the collection and its display. It's crazy to think about the fount of knowledge that one individual can have regarding a complex, longstanding institution like the museum. It also made me recognize how much is missing from the narrative, and how many stories have been lost forever. I think Alex hit the nail right on the head when he said today that "Everyone has a story," but also makes me ask: how can you decide which to tell?      
 

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