Six Words for an AAM Experience

Amy Wike and Margaret Collerd discuss Phillips After 5 with visitors at the Marketplace of Ideas.<br />Photo: Suzanne Wright

Amy Wike and Margaret Collerd discuss Phillips After 5 with visitors at the Marketplace of Ideas.
Photo: Suzanne Wright

On May 19–22, several staff members from the Phillips ventured to Baltimore to attend the American Alliance of Museums’ annual conference. Appropriately, the conference coincided with Baltimore Museum Week, during which members of the community were encouraged to visit local museums and to share their stories by describing their “most unforgettable museum experience” in just six words as part of the Six Words Project. Now that we’re back at the Phillips, excited about all we learned during the conference, we decided to challenge ourselves to sum up our experiences, again in just six words. Here’s what we came up with!

Inspired! Now, I’m excited to implement.

Margaret Collerd, Public Programs and In-Gallery Interpretation Coordinator

Utterly galvanized by inspired collective wisdom.

Michele De Shazo, Museum Supervisor

All my people in one room.

Meagan Estep, Teacher Programs Coordinator

Overwhelmed and exhilarated, opposites inspire action.

Natalie Mann, School, Outreach, and Family Programs Coordinator

Some things aren’t measured in dollars.

Lydia O’Connor, Finance Assistant

Cyber café conversations with creative colleagues.

Paul Ruther, Manager of Teacher Programs

Shrinky dinks, kindred spirits, infinite inspiration.

Amy Wike, Publicity and Marketing Coordinator

Inspired by colleagues, sparked by staff.

Suzanne Wright, Director of Education

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Left: Amy Wike and Margaret Collerd show off the crowns they made at the Visionary Art Museum.
Right: A photo booth at the Visionary Art Museum, showing the conference theme, “The Power of Story.”
Photos: Meagan Estep

Natalie Mann and Meagan Estep excitedly palm a reproduction of Degas' Before the Race, on display on a street in Baltimore, via The Walters Art Museum. Photo: Margaret Collerd

Natalie Mann and Meagan Estep excitedly palm a reproduction of Degas’ Before the Race, on display on a street in Baltimore, via the Walters Art Museum. Photo: Margaret Collerd

Cinto in Seattle

Phillips staff have been known to encounter reminders of home while traveling, and it seems I’m no exception. Last week I ventured to  Seattle for the Museum Computer Network annual conference where I presented with colleagues from the Indianapolis Museum of Art and the Van Gogh Museum about home movie and photo contests we created for Snapshot: Painters and Photography, Bonnard to Vuillard at our three venues. On the morning I was to return, I couldn’t resist getting up early for a pre-flight pilgrimage to the Olympic Sculpture Park, hoping to experience works that have long fascinated me from afar like Mark Dion’s living, breathing ecosystem, Neukom Vivarium (2004-06).

How could I forget, even after posting about it in this space just six months ago, that our own Intersections artist Sandra Cinto had recently created an installation at the park? The pavilion, which houses Cinto’s work, wouldn’t open for a few hours (nor would Dion’s Vivarium, sadly) but its walls are made of glass. Peering in, I was delighted to recognize the kindred spirit to Cinto’s One Day, After the Rain, currently on view in the Phillips cafe.

Sandra Cinto's Encontro das Águas (Encounter of Waters) at Seattle's Olympic Sculpture Park, overlooking Elliott Bay. Photos: Cecilia Wichmann

Sandra Cinto’s Encontro das Águas (Encounter of Waters) at Seattle’s Olympic Sculpture Park, overlooking Elliott Bay. Photos: Cecilia Wichmann

A few steps further, I discovered a surprise component–Cinto’s swirling waves extended beyond the pavilion’s walls on a monumental canvas hanging over the terrace that looks out over Elliott Bay.

Photo of Sandra Cinto's Encontro das Águas (Encounter of Waters) at Seattle's Olympic Sculpture Park

Photo of Seattle's Elliott Bay

Cecilia Wichmann, Publicity and Marketing Manager

The Blog Goes to the Big Apple

Photo from cab of traffic in Times Square by Amanda Jiron-Murphy

Times Square in rush hour traffic on a rainy evening. Photo: Amanda Jiron-Murphy.

Participant in Phillips Collection blogging presentation at NAEA sketches responses at the end of the session. Photo by Amanda Jiron-Murphy.

Session participant sketches takeaways during Q&A. Photo: Amanda Jiron Murphy

The week of February 29-March 4, Phillips staff presented at the National Art Education Association’s conference in New York City.

We presented on several topics, including this beloved blog, which has become important to the museum’s virtual persona. The presentation highlighted the blog’s collaborative nature as well as the readers’ involvement.

The session concluded with audience members drawing or writing what they gleaned about The Experiment Station in Elizabeth Graeber’s illustrated picture frames:

Participants wear brightly colored scarves at Phillips Collection blogging presentation at NAEA and share their responses at the end of the session. Photo by Amanda Jiron-Murphy.

Colorfully accessorized colleagues share what they wrote. Photo: Amanda Jiron-Murphy.

A participant in Phillips Collection blogging presentation at NAEA shares her response at the end of the session. Photo by Amanda Jiron-Murphy.

Photos: Amanda Jiron-Murphy

Amanda Jiron-Murphy, In-Gallery Interpretation and Public Programs Coordinator