Project Overview

     In conjunction with this semester's Museums and Materials class, my husband and I traveled to Houston, Santa Fe and Phoenix. Along the way we visited a number of museums and art venues. This project is a compilation of reports on five of these stops.

     To set the stage for the project first read the Temple to Forum introduction. The button is next to the home tab.

    Then take a look at the individual commentaries - the list is to the right on this page Clicking on the name there (or below) will bring up the details for that exhibit.

     Each study follows the same structure. First is a description of the exhibit with overall observations. This is followed by a tie-in to the literature. Then there is a tour with images, maps where applicable maps, and perhaps some video when relevant. At the end of each section there is a bibliography.  

The exhibits are: 

"Between Two Worlds" at the International Folk Art Museum in Santa Fe, NM

"The Long Walk" at the New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe, NM

"Project Row Houses" - Public Art in Houston, TX

"Language of the Soul" at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, AZ

"Exhibiting Cultures" at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, AZ


Varying wildly in type of exhibit (history, folk art, public art, edutainment and fine art) and budget, all have the overarching theme of multiculturalism. They are certainly forums as opposed to temples.

Notes about the itinerary:

Planning a trip through the southwest, my first stop was the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience website and their member list. Two of the members, the New Mexico History Museum and the International Folk Art Museum were conveniently on our route. Not only that, but the Folk Art museum has a current exhibit related to the North American Region’s “Immigration and Civil Rights” project. The exhibit Between Two Worlds: Folk Artists Reflect on the Immigrant Experience became a must see.   
       The enthusiasm of our Phoenix hosts for the Museum of Musical Instruments was well placed. Not only was it an opportunity to appreciate the diversity of world music, it was also a very new facility that exemplified ‘edutainment”.  
       The visit to the Project Row Houses in Houston (on a separate trip) was unplanned and serendipitous. We spent a day with a “Houston City Greeter”, a volunteer that welcomes visitors to the city. Just by happenstance she is also a volunteer at Project Row Houses, not a place we would have been fortunate enough to find on our own. At Project Row Houses public art is used for neighborhood revitalization. One of the originators, Rick Lowe, has a connection to Fred Wilson of Mining the Museum fame. As one who revels in connections, this was too intriguing to leave out of this project.

None of these studies will be a total view of the institution. That is not possible by a novice investigator in a single visit. It will be though, a considered report of a veteran museum visitor. Up to now my studies have centered on history and cultural museums. This class has broadened my horizons not only to fine art museums, but also the new (to me) folk art museums.