Teen Programs in Twenty-First Century Art Museums
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
TEEN PROGRAMS IN TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY ART MUSEUMS: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF NINE AMERICAN PROGRAMS by Rebecca Becker Daniels APPROVED BY SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE: ___________________________________________ Dr. Richard Brettell, Chair ___________________________________________ Dr. Frank Dufour ___________________________________________ Ms. Bonnie Pitman ___________________________________________ Dr. Nils Roemer Copyright 2016 Rebecca Becker Daniels All Rights Reserved For Tom Jungerberg Your presence made this world a better place. TEEN PROGRAMS IN TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY ART MUSEUMS: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF NINE AMERICAN PROGRAMS by REBECCA BECKER DANIELS, BS, MED DISSERTATION Presented to the Faculty of The University of Texas at Dallas in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN HUMANITIES – AESTHETIC STUDIES THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS December 2016 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I want to first thank the members of my committee for their patience and advice. My chair, Dr. Richard Brettell, has been my mentor and guide from my first days at The University of Texas at Dallas. I am forever grateful for all the times he dusted me off and put me back on the path. Ms. Bonnie Pitman shared her rich insight in the field of museum education over endless cups of tea, attending to practical and aesthetic details with astute reflection. Dr. Nils Roemer opened the door to the field of urban studies and guided me through the minutia of shaping a dissertation. Dr. Frank Dufour introduced me to the potential of technology in an art museum while supporting me through the IRB process. At a critical moment, a grant from Edith O’Donnell sponsored my work and a fellowship from the Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History allowed me the opportunity to bring this dissertation to fruition. Finally, this would not have been possible without the nine museums that opened their doors and the 43 educators, directors, and program alumnae who graciously opened their hearts. This author is deeply grateful to those who provided direction and inspiration at critical moments in this journey: to Nicole Stutzman-Forbes, who taught me the value of active listening; to Thomas Feulmer, who encouraged my delight in the fusion of teens and art; to Anna Smith and Colleen Borsch, for pulling back the curtain; to Stefanie Mabadi, who showed me how to organize vast amounts of data; to Dr. Timothy Wilson, who believed I could; to my friends and family, who would not let me quit; to the administration, faculty, students, and alumni of Greenhill School, who stood with me; to Brett Merriam, the best writer I know – I’m sorry I thought you didn’t write that essay, but you were just eleven years old; and last, but not v least, to Dr. Moody. When the kids went off to college, we decided we would, too. What’s next? September 2016 vi TEEN PROGRAMS IN TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY ART MUSEUMS: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF NINE AMERICAN PROGRAMS Publication No. ___________________ Rebecca Becker Daniels, PhD The University of Texas at Dallas, 2016 ABSTRACT Supervising Professor: Dr. Richard Brettell American art museums have conceived of themselves as educational institutions for their largely urban publics and have invested space, time, effort, and money to fulfill their educational missions. Twenty-first century museums seek to engage the public, yet attendance is trending down and museum audiences reflect only a small portion of the increasingly diverse American public. In response, some museums offer programs specifically for teenagers, many who live in previously underserved neighborhoods. This dissertation is a qualitative, phenomenological study of nine such programs in five American cities, which ascertains the characteristics of these programs, analyzes the transformative influence of technology, and evaluates how engagement with art can benefit teens, the museum, and the surrounding urban community. I rely on the historical context of museum education, the developmental milestones that occur during the teen years, and educational theories about digital technology to connect the capabilities and limitations of teens to their experiences in art museums. In addition, I situate each museum within the urban conditions of its city and investigate the role of the museum as a physical and social place in a digital age. I propose three characteristics that demonstrate quality teen vii programming and support each characteristic with anecdotes gleaned from observations and interviews. First, the program mutually benefits both the museum and the teenagers. Second, the program actively keys into networks both inside and extending beyond their own museum. Third, the program embraces technology and reimagines new ways to interact with art. Results of this study demonstrate that the best gauge of teen programs’ performance is the balance of three intersecting components: the art and architecture that create place, the digital technology that pervades teens’ lives, and the interpersonal relationships that these programs generate. A richer understanding of teen programming will aid in the development of twenty-first century museums that are a vital part of public life, benefiting their own institutions, their participants, and the surrounding urban community. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements ..........................................................................................................................v Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... vi List of Abbreviations .......................................................................................................................x Introduction ......................................................................................................................................1 Part I: Background Considerations ...............................................................................................23 Chapter 1: Museums and Education: Historical Context ..................................................24 Democratic Origins of American Art Museums ...................................................26 Progressive Education in the Twenties and Thirties .............................................37 World War II .........................................................................................................44 From War to Cold War .........................................................................................47 Closing out the Twentieth Century .......................................................................51 Museum Education in the Twenty-First Century ..................................................58 Chapter 2: The Engagement of Adolescents in the Art Museum .....................................69 Historical Development of the Concept of Adolescence .....................................70 Adolescent Development ......................................................................................72 The Origins of Teen Programming .......................................................................75 Engaging Teens in the Museum: The Inchoate Nature of Teens ..........................81 Teens, Technology, and Art Museums .................................................................85 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................96 Part II: Cities and Programs of Study ............................................................................................97 Chapter 3: Washington, D.C. .............................................................................................98 Hirschhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden ........................................................100 Chapter 4: Boston, Massachusetts ...................................................................................106 Institute of Contemporary Art .............................................................................107 Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum ......................................................................112 Chapter 5: San Francisco, California ..............................................................................116 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco: the de Young Museum ..........................119 Asian Art Museum ..............................................................................................121 Contemporary Jewish Museum ...........................................................................123 Chapter 6: Santa Cruz, California ...................................................................................127 Museum of Art and History ................................................................................128 Chapter 7: Dallas, Texas .................................................................................................131 Dallas Museum of Art .........................................................................................132 Nasher Sculpture Center ......................................................................................135 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................137 ix Part III: Comparative Analysis of Research with Supporting Anecdotes...................................140 Chapter 8: Mutual Benefit for the Museums and Teens ..................................................141 Threefold Benefit