New Museum Theory and Practice - by Janet Marstine (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

New Museum Theory and Practice is an original collection of essays with a unique focus: the contested politics and ideologies of museum exhibition.

• Contains 12 original essays that contribute to the field while creating a collective whole for course use.
• Discusses theory through vivid examples and historical overviews.
• Offers guidance on how to put theory into practice.
• Covers a range of museums around the world: from art to history, anthropology to music, as well as historic houses, cultural centres, virtual sites, and commercial displays that use the conventions of the museum.
• Authors come from the UK, Canada, the US, and Australia, and from a variety of fields that inform cultural studies.

From the Back Cover

New Museum Theory and Practice is an original collection of essays with a unique focus: the contested politics and ideologies of museum practice. This lively introduction, comprised of essays authored by curators, archivists, scholars, teachers, and conservators from around the world - including the Tate, the Smithsonian, and the Experience Music Project - and from all levels of museum studies, examines the incendiary issues currently raging in the field. Complete with editorial introductions, questions for students, and a comprehensive bibliography, the volume surveys the concerns of the museum in language accessible to undergraduate and graduate students of art history, studio art, and museum studies.

Review Quotes

"This book offers a fresh approach to teaching museum studies - combining a synoptic view of prevailing museum theories with pragmatic end of chapter review questions." -- Flora Edouwaye S. Kaplan, New York University

"An excellent book for students of museums. In developing a creative and effective analytical toolkit for critical museum visitors, this original volume will also prove essential for aspiring museum professionals." -- Eilean Hooper-Greenhill, University of Leicester

About the Author

Janet Marstine is an art historian who has taught at Bowdoin College and Central Washington University. She has curated several exhibitions and is now working on new approaches to student and faculty exhibitions.