Why Museums Matter
Why Museums Matter Irish museums are repositories that contain objects considered unique, precious and significant that tell the story of this island and of its people. This is important because people care about heritage as never before. Museums owe their name to the ancient Greek temple of the Muses (mouseion) where a person’s mind could reach a higher plane from everyday affairs. Museums today display objects both for aesthetic pleasure and enlightenment (to educate people visually, socially and historically) and function as accessible places to welcome people of all ages.1 Why do museums matter? For their extraordinary artifacts and fine buildings, their research, exhibiting and interpreting endeavors, and for their ability – when managed creatively – to engage the public, celebrate their achievements and transform people’s lives. How could anyone not be affected after experiencing the impact of confl ict at the Soldiers and Chiefs exhibition at the National Museum? Is not learning and enjoyment the memory retained after a visit to W5, Belfast’s Science Centre? What about the welcome extended to different communities in the multicultural galleries at the Chester Beatty Library? Doesn’t everybody celebrate the wonders of human achievement gazing at paintings by Paul Henry in the Ulster Museum, Lucian Freud at the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Vermeer at the National Gallery of Ireland or James Barry at the Crawford Gallery Cork? It is our job to try and ensure that everyone can experience the benefits of our museums. These museums matter to our quality of life because they have links to their local community within which they play an economic, educational and social role. The proof of this is the amount of state and local authority investment in museums, demonstrating the importance of arts and culture to the status of Ireland as a nation, and to the economic and social progress of the country. There are critical issues that are impacting on museums, such as the pace of modern society as fresh audiences emerge, the outcome of an improved economy, immigrant populations, free education and an increasingly mobile public seeking new experiences. This includes people with extra leisure time, the expanding ‘families’ end of the market and the desire, not only of the working population, but of people in later life to make more worthwhile use of their free time. Schools and colleges are part of this equation because they want cultural programmes for their students and are turning to museums as central education providers to the whole country. Museums are ideally placed to excel in providing a quality experience with their diverse collections, exhibitions, websites and proactive events. The public’s positive reaction to exciting new venues has been seen at the Hunt Museum Limerick; Waterford Museum of Treasures; Cork’s Lewis Glucksman Gallery; Model Arts and Niland Gallery Sligo; Galway City Museum; OPW’s Farmleigh Gallery and the National Museum of Country Life in Castlebar. The numbers of people currently visiting our museums convinces even the most sceptical person of the significance of culture to people’s lives. It is evident, therefore, that museums matter to Irish society, at a time when multiculturalism, gender equity and reconciliation are revealing museums to be inclusive institutions, part of a country seeking to accommodate shared futures together. The circumstances of today’s living - technology, leisure, tourism, cultural awareness, educational provision and personal resources – are the best to date for museums to provide ‘pleasure through enlightenment’ and attract the public to the collections of our great Irish heritage institutions. Dr. Marie Bourke Chairperson, Irish Museums Association 1 A Museum is a non-profit making permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits, for the purposes of study, education and enjoyment, the tangible and intangible evidence of people and their environment. International Council of Museums, 2006, Paris. 1 Making Museums Accessible to Everyone I welcome the Irish Museums Association’s decision to mount a touring exhibition on the theme of Museums Matter: Accessing Ireland’s Heritage. The exhibition provides an ideal opportunity for the public to view and appreciate high quality images of the wonderful objects and works of art, from the early bronze age to contemporary life, that are housed in our cultural institutions. Our museums provide entertaining and enlightening days out by showcasing priceless objects and making learning fun and enjoyable. In this way they contribute to the community as accessible places in which to welcome people of all ages. For many people their first experience of a museum is with their family or on a school visit. Museums work to ensure that these visits are fun, interesting and enjoyable so that they form an affectionate and lasting memory of family life and school days. I hope that this exhibition will encourage all citizens, and in particular young people, families, older members of society and our new nationalities, to explore their local museums and become even more fascinated with the history and heritage in their area. A major feature of this innovative project is the touring programme which will demonstrate to the public that museums and galleries are relevant to people of all ages and that they promote greater access to the arts and heritage. The support materials and programme will encourage further interaction with the displays. This in turn should form a catalyst in directing people to visit and use their local museums. The Irish Museums Association has worked within its NorthSouth remit to ensure that images from the museums and galleries in all four Provinces are widely represented. It is to be welcomed that the Association is benefiting from all- 2 Creativity for all ages in the museum. island support from both the Department of Arts Sports and Tourism together with the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure. I salute and commend the work of the Irish Museums Association in this area and I look forward to the exhibition gathering many new enthusiasts and leaving many lasting legacies for people at the venues on its tour. Martin Cullen TD, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism The Value of Museums to Society As Minister for Culture for Northern Ireland, I am pleased to give my support to the Irish Museums Association’s touring exhibition, Museums Matter: Accessing Ireland’s Heritage. It is an excellent opportunity to bring the treasures of our local and national cultural institutions to many communities across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. In the dim and distant past, museums were often well kept secrets and visited only by a minority of people. Often they were austere and unwelcoming, and seen as the preserve of a few. However, over the years museums have changed. They have realised that they cannot reach new audiences unless they widen their appeal. By replacing old methods of presenting exhibits, introducing new techniques and modes of communication, they are fulfi lling their role of educating and informing people far beyond their normal catchment area. This touring exhibition lifts exhibits and information out of our museums and takes them on the road, using local libraries and galleries in which to exhibit. Museums should be social organisations and like libraries and galleries they should be involved in education, the economy, the community and family life. This project reaches out into society and encourages citizens of all ages, particularly young people, to explore the links between their heritage and the new identities that are forming our community. Participating museums can add their own artefacts, including objects originating from within their community and in this way ensure that the exhibition is meaningful to the lives of local people. As the social makeup changes in our communities, museums have an important role to play in reducing barriers between people from culturally diverse Harvest knots, exchanged by lovers, Armagh Museum. Photo courtesy the Trustees of National Museums Northern Ireland. backgrounds. In this way museums can help people to make sense of their world. As my Department work to ensure that as many people as possible experience and appreciate the excellence of our cultural assets, it is hoped that the exhibition will serve as an illustration of the significant contribution that the arts and heritage can make to a rounded cultural experience. Museums working together — locally, nationally and internationally — are an important part of our cultural landscape. Partnerships between the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure through agencies such as the Irish Museums Association will help to promote and support the museum landscape of the future. Edwin Poots MLA Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure 3 What do Museums do? ‘Museums are the repositories of our cultural heritage. Without them we would be adrift in time – no past, no future’. Kevin Roche, Architect There are more than 400 public, private, institutional and voluntary museums in Ireland whose role it is to display varieties of collections and exhibitions, host engaging programmes of activities and events, publish catalogues, websites, worksheets with facilities like cafes, shops and parking. They attract millions of visitors every year and it’s easy to see why. Museum collections and exhibitions tell us about big issues like birth, violence, death, religion and politics, and they explore interesting things like fashion, pop music, technology and games. Irish museums address the natural world from the smallest microbe, to the most distant constellations, and in so doing, help us to explore where we fit in the world of today and yesterday. Museums matter, because they deal with everything. Museum subjects Natural history Archaeology Science and Technology Social history Folklife While many collections have been built up by individuals, public spaces where collections are housed, such as museums, houses, libraries and art galleries also have a very long history. In Ireland, our biggest museums and galleries date from the mid nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Museums collect photographs, fine art, manuscripts, audio-visual archives, and most importantly, objects. Some collections are huge. For example, the Natural History Museum in Dublin has a collection of more than 2 million animals while the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in County Down has more than half a million photographs. Costume Transport Marine life Decorative Arts Visual Arts Museum staff build up collections, based on research, and fieldwork. Objects collected for museums have to be documented and conserved. All this work is made public through permanent collections, exhibitions and temporary displays, websites and publications, conferences, lectures and proactive events. In this booklet, we will look at the diversity of collections in Irish museums and at what it is that museums actually do. 4 People have collected things for many hundreds of years – artworks, treasures, exotic objects, and curiosities. A collection can be a financial investment, a treasure trove, a hobby or even an obsession! It can be a record that we use to make sense of the world of today and yesterday. The Derrynaflan Hoard, County Tipperary. This was discovered in 1980. The treasures date from the eighth and ninth centuries. Photo courtesy of the National Museum of Ireland. ‘By visiting museums, we can explore the themes evoked in the images leading to a greater understanding of other cultures, thus promoting inclusion’. Marie Hartnett, Primary School Teacher Children enjoying an exhibition of prints of the Bayeux tapestry. Photo courtesy of the National Print Museum, Dublin. Why Collect Things? Ceremonial barrow, presented to Charles Stewart Parnell in 1885. Car display. Photo courtesy of Beaulieu Car Museum. Photo courtesy of Clare Museum. Museums that deal with the recent past and the present, depend a lot on sound, written and visual material, but almost all museums are concerned with collecting objects. Objects have the power to connect us directly with the past, and the people who used them. They are one of the ways we can make sense of our world. Gold and Ruby Salamander from the Girona, an Armada ship that sank off the coast of Antrim in 1588. Photo courtesy the Trustees of National Museums Northern Ireland. To an imaginative person, an inherited object ... is not just an object, an antique, an item on an inventory; rather it becomes a point of entry into a common emotional ground of memory and belonging. It can transmit the climate of a lost world and keep alive in us a domestic intimacy with realities that otherwise might have vanished. The more we are surrounded by such objects and are attentive to them, the more richly and contentedly we dwell in our own lives. Seamus Heaney The Sense of the Past (History Ireland 1, 4 (Winter 1993), pp.33-37) 6 ‘In a culture so fixed on the present moment, museums help to reconnect us with our buried selves, with all that we once were. In doing that much, they also remind us of our own strangeness. By helping us to embrace the stranger within, they also encourage us to befriend the stranger without’ Professor Declan Kiberd Caravaggio The taking of Christ,1602 (detail). Courtesy of the National Gallery of Ireland and the Jesuit Community, Leeson St, Dublin who acknowledge the generosity of the late Dr. Marie-Lea Wilson. Photo © National Gallery of Ireland. Museums – What do you Think? Samuel McCloy Paddy the Piper. Photo courtesy of Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum. Sir Cahir O’Doherty’s sword, c1600. Photo courtesy of Derry City Council’s Heritage and Museum Service. ‘My 4 year old grandson loves to visit museums with me – we try everything - animals, worksheets, pictures, computers, antiquities, the shop and always finish with lunch in the café’ Breda Dunne, grandparent ‘Museums are a mark of civilization. Ignorance of your country’s past is like not knowing who your parents are’ Frank MacNally, Irish Times Columnist ‘Museums are immensely enjoyable’ M. Darby, visitor ‘Museums and Galleries are interesting, peaceful and relaxing places. It’s nice to broaden your horizons, as there is so much to see and learn, and kids love the children’s activities’ Anne Costello, Visitor ‘Museums matter because they hold the national patrimony in trust for the people. I frequent them for both information and inspiration’ Robert Ballagh, Artist 8 ‘Visiting museums and Galleries is sometimes fun, scary (parts of Natural History), and never boring’ Enjoying art workshops at the National Gallery of Ireland. Amy, age 8 Photo courtesy of the National Gallery of Ireland. 9 Museums and Everyday Life We cannot tell what future generations will want to know about us, but we can be pretty sure that certain objects will seem typical of our times: throwaway fashion and designer accessories; mobile phones and MP4 players; hybrid cars and recyclable coffee cups, doc marten boots and bodypiercing studs, convenience foods and computer games. Will these object feature in future museum displays? All of us are surrounded by our past – photos, souvenirs, old furniture and kitchen ware. These objects remind us of events in our life, the things that give it shape and meaning. Museums extend this work, giving us more ways to make sense of our experiences. Cooking on an open fire, Killarney. Photo courtesy of Muckross Traditional Farms, Co. Kerry (Toddy Doyle). Many local and regional museums collect objects that people have used in their everyday lives, and these reflect different ways of life, between town and country, for example, or rich and poor. When we visit local museums, we often find familiar things that show what is distinctive about our own area. Leafy-with-love banks and the green waters of the canal Pouring redemption for me, that I do The will of God, wallow in the habitual, the banal, Grow with nature again as before I grew. The bright stick trapped, the breeze adding a third Party to the couple kissing on an old seat, And a bird gathering materials for the nest for the Word. Patrick Kavanagh Canal bank walk. Collected Poems (Martin, Brian & O’Keefe, 1972), p.150 Creating art from everyday objects. Photo courtesy of the Lewis Glucksman Gallery, University College Cork. 10 ‘In the midst of this turbulent world museums still give us a chance to marvel and remind us of the achievements of the civilizations of humankind’ Emiko Hongo, visitor Below: Maeve one of the four biggest steam engines in Ireland, built at Inchicore in 1938. Photo courtesy the Trustees of National Museums Northern Ireland. Below: Shipbuilding, Harland & Wolff, Belfast, 1913. Photo courtesy the Trustees of National Museums Northern Ireland. Above: A model of the Titanic, which was built in Belfast in 1912. Photo courtesy the Trustees of National Museums Northern Ireland. Museums and the Past Drawing room, 29 Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin. Photo courtesy of Electricity Supply Board and the National Museum of Ireland ‘Have you seen Hugh The Connacht King, in the field?’ ‘All that we saw Was his shadow under his shield’ Frank O’Connor Kings, Lords and Commons (Gill and MacMillan: Dublin, 1959 (1970)), p.44. When we move from the recent past to investigating more ancient times, sources of information such as photographs and fi lm are obviously no longer available, and even documents are much more scarce. When we try to discover how people lived in the distant past, museum objects are often the only source of evidence available. Archaeologists and historians divide the past into major periods such as Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze 12 Malone Hoard of polished axe heads, dating from the Neolithic period. Photo courtesy the Trustees of National Museums Northern Ireland Age, Iron Age, early Christian, Medieval, Post-Medieval and the Modern era. A tiny number of Irish people may have understood written texts in the late Iron Age, but it was not until Christianity came to Ireland in the early 4th century AD, that written texts become a significant source of historical evidence. The objects that we depend on for so much of our knowledge of these different periods are some of the most spectacular pieces of art and craft that have ever been produced in Ireland. For nearly two hundred years, museum curators have been piecing together the evidence that can be derived from these objects and placing them in their proper historical and cultural contexts. Curators are also drawing upon the fine art collections in many of our galleries, arts centres and historic houses to aid in this process. Bell from Bangor Abbey, ninth century. Photo courtesy of North Down Museum. ‘We are in danger of living too much in the ‘today’, of becoming detached from process, of losing the perspective that history allows us. A visit to a museum or a gallery discourages the hubris of the present. I enjoy museums not just for their visual and intellectual stimulation but as venues of peace and reflection’ Myles Dungan, presenter, historian and writer Young people having fun in the museum. Museums and Cultural Diversity The Ballinderry sword. This was made in the ninth century. It is inscribed with the maker’s name, Ulfberth. Strawboys. Men in disguises visited houses at Christmas and weddings to play music and pranks. Photo courtesy of the National Museum of Ireland Photo courtesy the Trustees of National Museums Northern Ireland. The heritage of Ireland is built up from contributions by many different cultures; Gaels, Vikings, Anglo-Normans, and Scots. Smaller groups of people, such as Jews, French Huguenots and German Palatines have also played important parts in building the shape of Ireland’s heritage. On the other hand, throughout history, Irish people have travelled to Europe and further afield, and had major cultural influences wherever they settled. This became more obvious after the Great Famine of the 1840s. Since then, more than five million Irish people have emigrated to other lands, and in countries like America, Australia and England they have had a huge impact on political, economic, social and cultural life. During the last few decades, Ireland has experienced an influx of peoples from places as far apart as Central and Eastern Europe and Eastern Asia. These communities have had a significant influence, for example on our food and music. All of this contributes to the richness of the heritage of Ireland, and should be researched, collected and displayed in our museums. 14 Tapa cloth figure from Easter Island. Photo courtesy the Trustees of National Museums Northern Ireland. The Vikings came to Ireland in the early ninth century. This silver hoard shows their influence on Irish design. Photo courtesy of the National Museum of Ireland. ‘In centuries to come when historians and archeologists browse over the bones of a past society, it will be the surviving cultural artifacts that will inform them about the nature of that society.’ Robert Ballagh, Artist Museums and the Natural World Dinosaur exhibition. Photo courtesy the Trustees of National Museums Northern Ireland An Irish red deer. Photo courtesy of Mike Brown Irish people have celebrated the wonders of nature for as long as we have written records. In the Early Christian period, for example, monks sometimes wrote little poems in the margins of manuscripts. These express a delight with nature that connects us directly with the poets who wrote them. Some of our largest museum collections and displays also celebrate the variety and richness of our geology, natural vegetation, and wildlife. In institutions such as the Natural History Museum and the Ulster Museum, collections show how Ireland fits into the global environment. The Blackbird by Belfast Lough (9th century) Int én bec The little bird ro léic feit has whistled do rind guip from point of beak glanbuide; bright yellow; fo-ceird faíd sends a cry os Loch Laíg over Loch Laíg lon do chraíb blackbird from branch chrannmuige in wooded plain Protecting Ireland’s natural heritage has become a major concern in recent decades. Ireland escaped the worst environmental damage of the global industrial revolution of the past three hundred years, while our position on the west of Europe ensures that we receive most of our weather from the Atlantic. However, recent prosperity has led to major road building, industrial and housing developments. We have become acutely aware of how small and vulnerable our beautiful wild places are, and how easily they can be reduced to bland anonymity, or even worse, ugliness. Museum researchers have taken a lead in researching and raising awareness of environmental issues. Opposite: Peter the Polar Bear. Photo courtesy the Trustees of National Museums Northern Ireland 16 ‘I like to visit museums not to live in the past but to learn from the experiments, mistakes and achievements of past generations.’ Frances Brooks, parent ‘Going to museums and galleries, I can switch off, relax, reflect and live in the moment - in this environment I can learn without difficulty’ Maura Higgins, retired teacher The Flight of the Bumblebee, laser etched in glass blocks by Beau Lotto at Science Gallery, Trinity College Dublin. 18 ‘Museums are great especially when they are interactive. For instance, W5 in Belfast is amazing for all ages, while my 4 and 6 year-olds love the Family Packs at the National Gallery of Ireland’ Nicole O’Kelly Gulmann, visitor Viewing Peter Gallagher’s 3D sun at Science Gallery, Trinity College Dublin. 19 Housing our Museums Enjoying contemporary art exhibitions. Photo courtesy Irish Museum of Modern Art. Museums find their homes in a great variety of places. Some are heritage buildings and others are housed in ‘state-of-the-art’ architect designed spaces. 19th century museums were often based on classical designs, however, more recent museum architecture has been inspired by the visitor’s experience. The museum environment has to be carefully monitored and controlled in order to protect the objects on display. This includes issues such as heat, lighting and air conditioning while at the same time ensuring the galleries are pleasant places in which to be. The pattern of new museum development incorporates flexible galleries for displaying permanent collections and temporary exhibitions, together with providing facilities such as cafes, shops, IT interactive areas, workshop-studio spaces, and services for people with disabilities. Smaller museums may not have all these facilities but can provide an intimate community-based experience. The Tower Museum, Derry. Photo courtesy of Derry City Council Heritage and Museum Service. 20 The next time you go to a museum, think about the role the building plays in your visit. Is it an uplifting space, does the museum welcome people of all ages, and is it an enjoyable experience. ‘Museums matter because I think they provide places to house priceless collections and to educate people about these precious collections’ Dr. Roger Stewart Galway City Museum. Photo courtesy of Galway City Museum. 21 Would you Like to Work in a Museum? ‘I have come to appreciate the work of artists and objects of various eras and nationalities. It is a pleasure to visit museums in other countries for example, Canada, Australia, England and France and compare them to our collections’. producing temporary, permanent or touring exhibitions. This is what’s known as a project management role. In larger museums and galleries, exhibition officers may be specialists working alongside a team of curatorial, educational and marketing professionals. In smaller venues, the role can involve taking part in lots of different jobs, including curatorial work. Mary Saunders, Museum Attendant A curator’s job is to build up museum collections, often in specialist areas. Curators document collections and develop ways in which objects, archives and artworks can be interpreted, through exhibitions, publications, events and audio-visual presentations. All these tasks require curators to work with other colleagues, in conservation, education, design and marketing departments, for example. The museum sector is a large and vibrant element of the cultural and tourism economy that provides hundreds of jobs throughout Ireland. The museums community are the people – full-time, parttime, temporary and voluntary - who work in museums and aid this social, economic, leisure and learning process. Museums and galleries today are lively places in which to work with interesting and engaging displays, busy schedules of events and front-of-house staff to meet and greet visitors. However, in any museum, some jobs require specialised training, while others need a basic education and common sense. Jobs in areas such as exhibitions, education and public events involve working in teams with internal and external staff, and departments including: curators, IT, finance and HR, educators, registrars, contractors, marketing and press people, conservators, librarians, archivists and publications. Other areas include visitor services, information desks, Friends’ organisations, and the museum shop and cafe. The small museum is a multi-task environment in which everyone plays a role. A museum/gallery exhibitions officer, for example, is responsible for planning, organising, administering and 22 Museum educators are involved in finding ways to use the collections to inspire people. They explain, interpret and convey information on the collections by means of events such as tours, lectures, seminars, workshops, publications like activity sheets, and handling collections, that can offer intense, lasting experiences. As well as providing advice, they engage in education outreach to bring the collections to wider audiences countrywide. The role of the conservators is to care for collections by applying scientific methods to conserve and restore artefacts. They use their knowledge of the physical and chemical properties of objects and storage materials to control the environment in which artefacts are stored, displayed and transported. They conserve artefacts that are deteriorating. Some conservators work with a wide range of objects. Others specialise in archaeology; ceramics and glass; furniture and wood; gilding and decorative surfaces; historic interiors; metals; paintings; paper and books; photographic materials; stained glass; stone and wall Museum staff on Fieldwork in County Sligo. Photo courtesy of National Museum of Irealnd – Natual History. ‘I think Museums show artifacts that may have been lost for centuries, or even millennia. Actually, they acknowledge the importance of our past, and inspire the imagination’ Alistair and Angela Williams, school students paintings; textiles. Conservators also manage laboratories and do research projects. Senior conservation work needs specialist qualifications with a major science element. Museum attendants are responsible for the security of the collections as well as the safety of the public. Increasingly, attendants and mediators engage with the public in answering questions, providing directions, and in certain cases, undertaking roles such as wearing period costumes and giving demonstrations of craft skills. Work Placements: some schools and colleges make arrangements with museums, galleries and other venues, for students to go on placements and gain work experience. This is an invaluable way to find out the type of work that takes place in museums and whether you might like a job in this area. Qualified school leavers can find basic work in museums, but for any type of specialist work, it is necessary to have a degree, a museum/heritage diploma, or post-graduate qualifications. Universities and higher education colleges offer numerous courses and some provide distancelearning. Graduate Internships: some museums and galleries in Ireland and overseas offer Graduate Internship Programmes of between 3 months and a year. Most of these training programmes are voluntary. You need to make an application in writing to the museum following which you will be interviewed. i ma 24 For information on training, career opportunities and volunteering in museums see the Irish Museums Association website www.irishmuseums.org A conservator at work in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin. Photo courtesy The Chester Beatty Library ‘Going to museums and galleries, I can switch off, relax, reflect and live in the moment - in this environment I can learn without difficulty’ Maura Higgins, retired teacher Saddler working at Killarney. Photo courtesy of Muckross Traditional Farms, Co. Kerry (Toddy Doyle). What can you do for your Museum – Volunteering in Museums All ages enjoy drawing in the museum The National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks. Photo courtesy of the National Gallery of Ireland. Photo courtesy of the National Museum of Ireland. Museums, galleries, arts and heritage venues welcome volunteers of widely different interests, ages and backgrounds. The value of volunteering includes helping the organisation to reach out and provide services that may not be possible without volunteers. Volunteers also offer a range of skills that augments and complements those of existing staff. Volunteers can undertake a wide range of duties, from providing information to assisting at the sales desk, helping with the preparation of displays to sorting out backlogs of material, introducing people to exhibitions, helping to care for collections and assisting with events and demonstrations. Some volunteers might be mid-way through secondary school, others are studying at university, while most people volunteer when they have some time free or have retired. Most volunteers want to do something worthwhile that helps the museum. 26 Individuals can take part in volunteer programmes by writing to the Education, Visitor Services and the Human Resources Departments of museums. They can also join a ‘Friends of the Museum’ organisation. ‘After years spent volunteering in the education department of a museum, I can honestly say that it’s been some of the most worthwhile and fulfilling time I have ever spent’ Mary Pat O’Malley, Volunteer Enjoying art workshops in the National Gallery of Ireland. Working for Museums in Ireland The Irish Museums Association is a 32 county voluntary, not for profit association, founded in 1977. It is dedicated to promoting the interests of museums and the Irish museums community (those who work in and are interested in museums) throughout Ireland, north and south. The IMA aims • to promote professional practice in museum management, collections care and visitor services • to provide a platform for anyone interested in Irish museums to provoke debate on museum ideas • in co-operation with other professional bodies and central and local government, to achieve a sustainable level of museum provision and operation in Ireland. The IMA journal, Museum Ireland, contains information, review articles and critical discussion pieces, while a Newsletter, printed yearly, details current developments and events in the Irish museum world. The IMA also organises core training under its ‘Museum Basics’ Programme, designed in association with the Heritage Council Museum Standards Programme for Ireland, in addition to other training events. Since 8 June 2004, the IMA has been a limited company, with Directors serving in a voluntary capacity. For information contact: Phone: +353 1 6633579; web: www.irishmuseums.org Teachers, students and children can look at the IMA website to download Museum activity sheets that can be altered to suit any museum, historic house or gallery. The IMA organises a calendar of events comprising an Annual Conference in Spring, at which critical themes relevant to the museum sector are debated. Held at centres throughout Ireland, the Conference provides an opportunity for members of the Irish museums community to meet, network and get to know each other. The IMA Field Trip visits museums and historic houses countrywide as a sociable and informative event each spring, while the Museum Practitioner’s Forum: Blow Your Own Trumpet, enables those interested in presenting new concepts and projects to have a platform to discuss their ideas. A key figure from the international museums community is invited to speak at the Annual Lecture in autumn. Special events and ‘Museum Visits’ are organised in partnership with other museumrelated bodies. 28 Gold model boat from Broighter, beside Lough Foyle, dating from the 1st century BC. Photo courtesy of the National Museum of Ireland. ‘Why do museums matter? They are the showcases and battleground for the subjective thinking, which is tied to our evolution’ Sean Scully, Artist Sean Scully Wall of Light Orange Yellow, (detail) (2000) Oil on linen, 274.3 x 335.3 cm. Presented by the artist, 2006. Collection: Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane © The Artist. Acknowledgements The Board of the Irish Museums Association is grateful to the following Credits Support Picture copyright © 2008 as listed per image The Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted without the prior permission of the Irish Museums Association. The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure The Irish Museums Association Copyright © 2008 The Irish Museums Association The Northern Ireland Museums Council A record for this publication is available from the British Library. ISBN 978 0 9522995 2 3 Launch Venues Editor: J. Bell & M. Bourke The Director and Staff of The National Library of Ireland Exhibition Consultants: Maureen Mackin and Jonathan Bell. The Librarian and Staff of The Linen Hall Library, Belfast Graphic Design: Vermillion General Printed in Ireland by Brunswick Press. To the institutions that provided images and assisted with the Exhibition Touring Programme. IMA members and Local Curators’ Groups, who responded to the exhibition survey. Helen Monaghan, Brina Casey and Siobhan Feeney. The Board of the IMA M Bourke, K. Burns, C. Carr, B. Crowley, P. Doyle, M. Edwards, N. Hickey, C. Kerrigan, K. Langan, J. McGreevy, N. Monaghan and E. Verling. 30 i ma Irish Museums Association C U M A N N M H Ú S A E I M N A H É I R E A N N www.vermilliondesign.com The IMA Administrators, M. Dowling and N. NicGhabhánn ‘Museums are a part of our national identity. Although they are spaces for looking and learning, its great that they also provide places where people can meet for lunch, follow a tour and buy souvenirs’ Hazel Brown, college student Union leader Jim Larkin addressing striking dockers in Belfast, in 1907. Photo courtesy of Belfast Central Library. 31 ‘I love them! Museums!’ Sean Singleton, visitor Ploughing with horses, County Down. Photo courtesy the Trustees of National Museums Northern Ireland. 32
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