MUSM3120: Museum Controversies by Heidi Lung, Ph. D. https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy Post your paper or VoiceThread presentation here to share with the class. en-us 2017-11-27 18:23:20 UTC 2025-11-02 01:43:26 UTC hello@padlet.com Museum Controversy Project - Benin Bronzes olivia_vongries https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/212349046 Hi, guys! Here's a link to the VoiceThread I created about the Benin Bronzes in The British Museum: https://voicethread.com/share/9967513/. I hope you appreciate the artwork and learn something new both about The British Museum as well as African art! - Olivia von Gries]]> 2017-12-01 16:55:02 UTC https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/212349046 Museum Controversy -- Byrn Paul https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/212443244 Overview: In my paper, I covered the recent Art and China after 1989: Theater of the World exhibit which was to be presented at the Guggenheim. The exhibit featured many controversial pieces, some of which incorporated the endangerment of live animals. One of the most disturbing pieces included was a video called “Dogs Which Cannot Touch Each Other,” a piece which involved a group of dogs tied to treadmills as they attempted to chase and attack one another. The disturbing nature of this video lead to several protests and petitions demanding the piece’s removal (along with other pieces from the exhibit). 

Here is a link which discusses the situation in greater detail (some may find the contents alarming): 
www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/questions-animal-cruelty-artistic-freedom-swirl-over-guggenheim-exhibit-180965045/. 

Solutions and Moving Forward: In my paper I go on to discuss the solutions which the Guggenheim took, first starting with a public statement attempting to explain the artist’s intent and plans to hold the exhibit in spite of its controversy, and then the later solution which involved removing the exhibit at the overwhelming request of the public. I also compare this with a similar controversy of a live exhibit featured at the Museum of Old and New Art, and the results of its display. Finally, I briefly address my own thoughts on how the museum should move forward, which involves listening to the concerns of the public (especially when their concerns are particularly overwhelming), and realizing that the harmful exploitation of animals for artistic purposes is an edge that should not be pushed.

As a disclaimer: Some of the articles in the works cited list of this paper features very disturbing imagery. I would not suggest looking through them if you are sensitive to violence. 


]]> 2017-12-01 20:39:48 UTC https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/212443244 Amanda Miano's Museum Controversy Project -- The Berkshire Museum https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/212445217 I've included a link here for my Museum Controversy Project regarding the Berkshire Museum and the sale of some of its most precious pieces of art work. I hope you enjoy. Museum On!]]> 2017-12-01 20:48:09 UTC https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/212445217 Eric Mas - Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Controversy ui_ericmas https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/212522370 https://news.artnet.com/exhibitions/guggenheim-pulls-controversial-animal-artworks-threats-violence-1095467]]> 2017-12-02 16:33:00 UTC https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/212522370 Dionne Pamon - Racial Stereotypes dpamon https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/212533928 2017-12-02 18:35:43 UTC https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/212533928 Makenzie Putz - Museum Controversy Project - Museum of the Bible https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/212539688 2017-12-02 19:49:25 UTC https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/212539688 Marcy Wood mwooduiowa https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/212557588 Museum Controversy VoiceThread Link:  https://voicethread.com/share/10029677/

Thanks for viewing!

]]> 2017-12-03 02:32:21 UTC https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/212557588 Tim Diamond- Scaffold Controversy https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/212657270 2017-12-03 21:27:39 UTC https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/212657270 Josh Waldorf - Guantanamo Bay Art Controversy https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/212707596 2017-12-04 04:55:18 UTC https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/212707596 Michael Benson - The Humboldt Forum https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/212847119 2017-12-04 14:05:48 UTC https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/212847119 Emily Vaughan: The Museum of the Bible https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/213021613 https://voicethread.com/share/10001646/]]> 2017-12-04 18:58:04 UTC https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/213021613 Eileen Gerken: The Museum of the Second World War eileen_gerken https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/213119890 https://voicethread.com/share/10052671/]]> 2017-12-05 00:46:29 UTC https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/213119890 Zachary Luppen: The British Museum and the Elgin Marbles zluppen https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/213125023 2017-12-05 01:22:05 UTC https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/213125023 Michael Ripa https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/213141740
I chose the J. Paul Getty Museum controversy, which has had many acquisition problems in the past few decades.  As it turns out, the museum has had scandals like the modern one, by Marion True, ever since the days of its founder, J. Paul Getty himself.  Marion True introduced to the museum, the values of ensuring provenance and ownership history, but then defied her own beliefs by lying about the origins of some objects in the collection, especially those illegally taken from Italy.  She was fired, but the charges were dropped.  Lesson learned.

It is difficult to think of a solution to this controversy because it concerns the morals and values of people with power within the J. Paul Getty Museum, but the greatest solution is to hire someone who proves themselves to hold the same values as the institution they are working for, and to have greater supervision and transparency when making acquisitions.  Having multiple levels of people check up on provenance before an object is acquisitioned into the collections may be difficult and lengthen the process, but it will ensure that the public is not let down again.  This is the way to move forward and the way to regain the trust of art lovers and museum lovers worldwide.

There are three parts to my Voicethread because it wouldn't let me upload the slides all in one, but I assure you it's not two hours long:

Part 1: https://voicethread.com/share/10058295/
Part 2: https://voicethread.com/share/10058327/
Part 3: https://voicethread.com/share/10058342/
]]> 2017-12-05 03:31:56 UTC https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/213141740 Bailey Adolph https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/213149465 2017-12-05 04:45:55 UTC https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/213149465 Chandler Cox https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/213154573 2017-12-05 05:46:20 UTC https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/213154573 Ben Lievens https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/213416847 I apologize, this must not have uploaded the first time I tried to submit it]]> 2017-12-05 17:43:35 UTC https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/213416847 Aaron Tarchinski https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/213514122 2017-12-05 21:17:37 UTC https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/213514122 Jennifer Hughes https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/213547633 2017-12-06 00:34:50 UTC https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/213547633 Karlyn Lienhard https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/213598864 Hopefully this works!
https://voicethread.com/share/10066519/]]> 2017-12-06 08:01:22 UTC https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/213598864 Kyle Nolan https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/214621720 Sorry for the delay, it took me a while to recover after my computer had crashed. ]]> 2017-12-08 19:14:01 UTC https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/214621720 Museum Controversies Voice Thread link bbriggs3 https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/215879386 Bridget Briggs
https://voicethread.com/share/10068607/]]> 2017-12-13 16:55:07 UTC https://padlet.com/HeidiLung/MUSM3120_Controversy/wish/215879386