Contemporary Native arts are rarely included in global arts settings that highlight any number of other disenfranchised artists seeking to gain recognition and a voice in the form of critical exhibition practice or scholarship. This article argues that Native artists can benefit from an increased participation in these broader arts networks, given…

Research pertaining to science museum exhibit design tends to be articulated at a level of generality that makes it difficult to apply in practice. To address this issue, the present study used a design-based research approach to understand the educational potential of a biology exhibit. The exhibit was considered an educational environment which…

Millions visited the World's Columbian Exhibition in Chicago between May and October, 1893. World's fairs and exhibitions had grown and developed grander purposes since the first one in London in 1851: "Beginning as large international industrial displays and showcases for the new inventions and discoveries of science and technology, they…

At the Smithsonian, big questions are the common denominators that unite their museums, research centers, and programs. And curiosity is contagious. Today's small child who looks in awe at the big dinosaurs that once roamed the earth and wonders, "What happened?" might just be tomorrow's paleontologist. Among this year's stories is a…

In this article, the author profiles Robert Motherwell (1915-1991) who is universally regarded as one of the most important painters and printmakers of the mid-20th century, and was a prominent figure in the movement known as Abstract Expressionism. The author also discusses the exhibition, "Lost in Form, Found in Line: An Exhibition of Works by…

This is the author's third time writing a column on Internet-focused sessions and exhibit resources at the NCSS annual meeting, which, this past November, met in Houston. One of the features that most impresses teachers who participate at the NCSS annual meeting is the exhibit hall, with hundreds of booths representing textbook and trade book…

Clay is one of the oldest materials known to humanity and has been used for utilitarian purposes and creative expression since prehistoric times. As civilizations evolved, ceramic materials, techniques, purposes and design all became more sophisticated and expressive. With the addition of different minerals and firing methods, clay was used to…

The purpose of this study was to explore the motivation of a group of township learners who participated in a science fair known as Expo, by using phenomenography to explore their conceptions and experiences of Expo. The data comprised paragraphs written by the learners before the regional Expo and focus group interviews conducted afterwards. The…

Numerous scholars have stressed the importance of personal and social responsibility in physical activity settings; however, there is a lack of instrumentation to study the implementation of responsibility-based teaching strategies. The development, content validity, and initial inter-rater reliability testing of the Tool for Assessing…

It is well known that the spatial environment has an impact on people's learning. The author takes her language classes to an art museum to use the exhibits as stimulants for target language communication. This article provides a theoretical exploration of some of the underlying concepts that are affected by spatial shifts. It is argued that space…

In this article, the author argues that if the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) wishes to make a communicable assertion of cultural sovereignty that avoids speaking something not intended to its audiences, then the very act of communication--the rhetorical frame itself--must be examined. This is not to argue for pandering to…

Modern zoos serve as tourist attractions and recreational facilities, while providing educational outreach programs in ecology, conservation, and animal needs. However, in the 21st century, there has been a negative backlash of people associating zoos with animals being shut away in cages or pits. This case study included an examination of the…

More than 200,000 people worked in the museum industry in May 2008, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). A museum hires workers in a variety of occupations to help share its treasures with the public. BLS data also show that workers in the museum industry had a median annual wage of $27,456 in May 2008, less than the annual…

In the San Fernando Valley of Southern California, the entire community participates in Youth Art Month through the Annual Valley Wide Student Art Show. The mission of the show is to provide students with an opportunity to exhibit their work publicly and to promote school arts programs during Youth Art Month. Apart from promoting arts education…

The purpose of this study was to examine the exhibition developer role in the context of United States (U.S.) science centers, and more specifically, to investigate the way science center exhibition developers build their professional expertise. This research investigated how successfully practicing exhibition developers described their current…