A guest post from Nicolle Nugent, CAGE Senior Chair
When is the last time you stopped to consider the effectiveness of your gallery’s interpretive models? How many times do you find yourself standing in front of audiences and asking the same three or four questions, often having a strong idea as to where the discussion is leading? How fair is this to our visitors, and to our artists? How does this approach contribute to excitement within our institutions?
At the MacKenzie Art Gallery, we have been using the same methodology for ages. We affectionately call it ‘The MacKenzie Method’, although we can’t take credit for any of it. We have pulled our favourite studies on analysis, interpretation, synthesis, and reflection and put it all together to create something that we feel works for our visitors, institution, and programs. The MacKenzie Method is extremely visitor-centered. We ask our students and visitors to share their impressions and contribute their personal knowledge and interests to their gallery experience. This approach can work well; it can open up new interpretations that we did not know existed, and more importantly it can empower our visitors with the ability to draw their own connections in an environment that can seem overwhelming or intimidating.
In reflection, where the MacKenzie Method may fall short is in the experience of viewing artworks in both historical and cultural exhibitions. When viewing historical exhibitions, many visitors seek a plethora of context and information. They may not want to be asked ‘What is the first word that comes to your mind?’ when standing in front of the French Impressionists, instead having expectations of stories, history, and tangible knowledge. The MacKenzie Method may also fall short when experiencing artworks with strong cultural history and themes. In these instances, there is integral information and stories that deserve to be shared. We need to consider how we prioritize that knowledge within the visitor experience. How do we respect the balance between context and our visitors?
I am thrilled to have the opportunity to investigate the effectiveness of the MacKenzie Method within the experience of the work of Indigenous artists and history during the upcoming MacKenzie Art Gallery exhibition Moving Forward, Never Forgetting. Moving Forward, Never Forgetting, co-curated by David Garneau and Michelle LaVallee, creates a space for intercultural dialogue and storytelling. The exhibition and related events encourage sharing, empathy, and deeper understanding of what it means for Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples to co-reside in these territories. Newly commissioned works and performances, as well as significant pieces from the MacKenzie’s permanent collection, are accompanied by living speakers—Story Keepers—a new initiative at the Gallery. This project also features residencies with artists Cheryl L’Hirondelle, Adrian Stimson, and Peter Morin.
I am even more thrilled to invite Gallery Educators from across the country to join me in this investigation, to share their own interpretive methodologies and learn from colleagues in the spirit of rejuvenation and reflective action. Register now for our Canadian Art Gallery Educators Annual Conference, Re-Examining Interpretive Models, hosted by the MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina, SK from March 26-29, 2015.