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Graduate Student, Museum Studies

Meet Our Graduate Students: Molly McIntosh

Molly McIntosh is currently in her first semester of the Master of Arts in Art History and Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies. She is enrolled in Methodology and Approaches of Art History and Museum Studies II: Collections, Curation, and Controversy.

Where did you go as an undergraduate and what did you study?

I studied at the University of St. Thomas and majored in History.

What were you doing before you decided to switch gears and get your Master of Arts in Art History and Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies?

I volunteered at a local historical society – the Aitkin County Historical Society and the MilleLacs Indian Museum while continuing to work at the Minnesota State Capitol as a historic interpreter.

What drew you to the University St. Thomas?

I mainly came for the museum studies program. I had been made familiar with it beforehand from some of my professors in the history program. They said it was a good fit for me because I was always talking about museums. I was offered a museum fellowship with the Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) at the History Center. This is a fellowship that they do once or twice a year to help young professionals navigate the museum field. I accepted that, and it was awesome!

Were you designated to one department during the fellowship or did you do a little bit of everything?

The Museum Fellows do a little bit of everything. We get to meet a lot of professionals at the Minnesota Historical Society from different areas. I got to learn a little bit about grant writing, the process of asking for donations, the educational side of it, as well as programming and finance. People from MNHS would come and do a talk in front of the class about what they do and then you did a lot of reading on their area of expertise, which was intensive. We ended with a week-long trip to Chicago to see over a dozen museums. It was a great experience!

What advice would you give someone thinking of applying to the M.A. in Art History and Museum Studies Certificate program?

If it was for the Graduate Museum Studies Certificate I would definitely tell them to do internships, volunteer, or try to secure a position within some historical society or within a museum and feel your way through. There are so many paths that you can take in museums.

What are you currently interested in? 

When it comes to art history, I’ve explored a lot into the history of tattoo art, body art, and some body modification. I think it is a form of art that is really underappreciated, especially considering it has an unconventional canvas. There are some fantastic tattoo artists in the world and here in Minnesota that are underappreciated because their art comes from a different medium. I would like to see more tattoo artists and graffiti artists in particular, being given the chance to display their art in a formal way and given the time of day for what their talents are. I would like to see their work considered in the same way that people appreciate the old masters or contemporary works.

How are your classes this semester? 

My classes are going great. I enjoy the challenge of upper-level courses and the gratification of learning things that pertain to the career field I aspire to work in. I’ve also made great new friends with like-minded people as passionate as I am about art and museums.

What has been your biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge with graduate school is the time and the expense. You’ll see a lot of people in graduate school from all walks of life, some people more settled and those that aren’t more settled. I went to undergraduate here mainly on scholarships and grants. I was very lucky to graduate with very minimal loans. I didn’t come from a particularly well-off family. Graduate school, for me, is working three jobs and working six days a week and devoting myself to what I am really passionate about. It makes it all worth it in the end, but you just need to remember you are going to school for something you are passionate about.

November 20, 2018 by
Graduate Student

Meet Our Graduate Students: Keely Wardyn

Keely Wardyn is currently in her first semester in the M.A. Art History program. She is enrolled in Methodology and Approaches of Art History and Sacred Spaces in Unexpected Places.

Where did you go as an undergraduate and what did you study?

I went to Minnesota State University – Mankato. I studied Art History. Previously, I got an associate degree at South Central College and took a year off afterward and went to Italy, Switzerland, and France.

What drew you to the University St. Thomas?

My advisor, Alisa Eimen highly recommended St. Thomas for me. I wanted to stay in the state, which leaves St. Thomas and the University of Minnesota. I knew I didn’t want to go to the University of Minnesota – I just knew it was going to be a competitive atmosphere instead of a collaborative one and that’s not what I was looking for. She recommended this program, so I applied for it and got in!

What advice would you give someone thinking of applying for the M.A. in Art History at St. Thomas?

Come in very open-minded and be willing to communicate with the faculty. Heather Shirey (Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies), emailed me after a week to check how I was doing with my classes and the commute to campus. Having someone to communicate with has been very important to me.

What are you currently interested in?

I am really interested in Persian art – especially manuscripts pages. The project I did for the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) undergraduate symposium explored a manuscript page they have in their collection. I was actually able to uncover some pretty amazing things about its attribution that the museum was unaware of. For me, that was the point where I knew that I wanted to focus on Persian and Islamic art.

How are your classes this semester?

They have been very good – extremely engaging. During my most recent Methods class, we had some amazing discussions. As for the Sacred in Unexpected Places, this has been amazing – getting to meet Bartholomew Voorsanger – that was inspiring to hear him talk about his work. 

What has been your biggest challenge?

Learning how to structure my weeks now. The last year and a half I haven’t been in school, so being disciplined about my time (and not binge-watching shows on Netflix whenever I feel like it) has been a change. After you’re in school for a while you just back into the routine. Basically, balancing full-time work and two grad-level classes continues to be the greatest challenge.

 

November 6, 2018 by
Graduate Student, Research, Research Travel

Buddhism and Contemporary Art in Mongolia

Erdene Zuu Monastery in Kharkhorin, Övörkhangai Province, Mongolia. Erdene Zuu is likely the oldest extant Monastery in Mongolia.

Sam Wisneski is a graduate student in the Master of Arts in Art History program. Sam was awarded a Department of Art History travel grant to participate in a Buddhist Art field seminar in Mongolia this summer and to conduct research on contemporary art in Ulaanbaatar. 

In July 2018, I had the opportunity to travel to Mongolia to study Buddhist art and architecture and contemporary art. As a recipient of a Department of Art History travel grant, I spent a month traveling in both rural Mongolia and in the capital, Ulaanbaatar. My goal for this trip was to learn more about the historical development of art and Buddhism in Mongolia, in order to better understand modern and contemporary Mongolian art.

This was not my first time visiting Mongolia. I had been there for an extended stay in 2016 where my exposure was limited to mostly rural life, but it proved to be an absolutely invaluable and formative experience. Since returning to my graduate studies in 2017, I felt strongly that I wanted to visit Mongolia again, but to examine it with the eyes of an art historian.

During spring semester 2018, I enrolled in Dr. Elizabeth Kindall’s Buddhist Art class, where it first occurred to me to examine Buddhist imagery in contemporary Mongolian art. It was one of those few serendipitous moments in which my interests in Buddhist art and contemporary art intersected in an exciting way. A few weeks into the semester, I got the chance to seriously entertain the idea of traveling to Mongolia again when I came upon a summer Buddhist art field seminar led by art historian Dr. Uranchimeg “Orna” Tsultem.

Buddhist Art Field Seminar

For ten days, I traveled alongside Professor Uranchimeg with another pupil, a trip organizer, and our expert driver, mostly via the rutted dirt paths (a.k.a roads) in rural Mongolia. For a lot of the time, we were off-roading in a mini-van and occasionally found ourselves in some peculiar situations. At one point, we literally drove through a river.

Övgön Monastery, Khögnö Khan Mountain

We had an ambitious itinerary with travel planned across several provinces. Unfortunately, we did not make it to all of the sites on our itinerary due to an outbreak of hoof-in-mouth disease that had stricken livestock in one of the provinces we planned to visit.

With our altered itinerary, we split our time between two central provinces and the capital, Ulaanbaatar, where we visited many of Mongolia’s most significant temples, monasteries, and museum collections. We, of course, had to visit the famous ancient Mongol capital of Karakorum (Kharkhorin), home to (likely) the oldest monastery in Mongolia, Erdene Zuu. We also visited Övgön Monastery, with its charming clusters of small colorful temples, and the mountain retreat meditation caves and temples of Tövkhön Monastery, my favorite site on the itinerary.

Tövkhön Monastery is situated in the mountains and has spectacular vistas.Visitors must drive to the base of the mountain and hike or travel by horseback to reach the monastery. I am pictured here with Professor Uranchimeg and fellow traveler, Jack. 

In Ulaanbaatar, we visited major Buddhist sites including the Gandantegchinlen Monastery, the Daishchoilin Monastery, the Bogd Khan Winter Palace Museum, and the Choijin Lama Museum. The latter two sites house impressive museum collections and several temples. We also visited the Zanabazar Museum of Fine Arts, which houses important Buddhist works, many of which were executed by the museum’s namesake, Zanabazar. Zanabazar was the sixteenth Jebtsundamba Khutuktu and the first Bogd Gegeen of Mongolia, effectively the spiritual head of Mongolia. He was also a polymath and artistic visionary and is credited with ushering in a golden age of art in Mongolia.

Daishchoilin Monastery has temples built in the shape of a Mongolian ger (yurt).

Having dedicated the entire seminar to Buddhist art and architecture, it is shocking to consider that the sites we visited are only a tiny fraction of the temples and monasteries that once dotted the Mongolian landscape. It is estimated that more than 1,000 monasteries and temples were destroyed during the communist period (1924-1992). Only a handful of monasteries survived, two of which we visited. Since 1990, some monasteries have been rebuilt, and many Mongolians practice Buddhism once again, though its revival has not been without difficulty. Limited financial support and a young monastic community are just two of the challenges Buddhism faces in Mongolia.

Contemporary Art in Mongolia

After ten days of the field seminar, I still had nearly three weeks left to explore Mongolia’s contemporary art scene. I planned to keep a loose schedule for those three weeks, with the hope that I could arrange some studio visits with artists, while fitting in gallery and museum visits as well. With the gracious facilitation and help of Professor Uranchimeg, I got in touch with several artists, many of whom are trained in the style of Mongol zurag (literally, ‘Mongolian pictures’). Mongol zurag is characterized by fine brushwork, vivid colors, narrative composition, and a flat perspective. I have long had an affinity for South Asian miniature painting and Tibetan thangka, so I was immediately drawn to the shared formal qualities of Mongol zurag.

Mongol zurag artist Baatarzorig poses in front of his recent work, MGL. MGL was recently exhibited in “Five Heads (Tavan Tolgoi)—Art, Anthropology and Mongol Futurism” in London.

I was eager to meet any artists willing to speak with me, but I was especially excited to meet two in particular: Nomin Bold and Baatarzorig Batjargal, two Mongol zurag artists who also happen to be married. I had followed both artists on Facebook and elsewhere online, hoping to someday see their work in person. I found their work vibrant, complex and rich with social commentary.

Works by Mongol zurag artist Nomin Bold in the artists’ joint studio.

Truthfully, my eagerness stemmed partly from the fact that the Minneapolis Institute of Art very recently acquired one of Baatarzorig’s paintings, Smoke (2017). The sheer luck of the timing of my research, my travels, and this exciting acquisition was unreal, especially given the fact that there are so few works of contemporary Mongolian art in American museums. With news of the acquisition, I felt obligated to meet Baatarzorig, to better understand Smoke, and to share what I learned with others. (I had the pleasure of doing exactly that at the Midwest Conference on Asian Affairs held October 19-20.)

Works by Mongol zurag artist Uuriintuya, which were recently included in a solo exhibition at Art Space 976 in Ulaanbaatar in September 2018.

I was quietly ecstatic and slightly nervous about the opportunity to meet Baatarzorig and Nomin, along with several of their Mongol Zurag peers, including Uuriintuya and Baasanjav. The hospitality and openness of each artist was humbling, and the experience reaffirmed my interest in contemporary art in Mongolia as each artist described their work and practice to me.

Mongol Zurag artist Baasanjav poses in front of a work in progress. This narrative painting contains scenes of Mongolian history. He has been working on this piece for three years now, on and off. The opportunity to see this work in person was incredible!

Once more, I left Mongolia with a resolve to return and a deep sense of gratitude for all that I experienced. In addition to my advisor Dr. Kindall and the Department of Art History, I owe a special thanks to Professor Uranchimeg and my Mongolia Quest guide Ayush, and to the gracious artists who opened their studios to me.

October 31, 2018 by
Graduate Student, Museum Studies

Meet Our Graduate Students: Taylor Menendez

Taylor Menendez is currently in her first semester in the M.A. Art History. She is enrolled in Methodology and Approaches of Art History, The Sacred in Unexpected Places, and Museum Studies II: Collections, Curation, and Controversy.

Where did you go as an undergrad and what did you study?

I went to Buena Vista University in Iowa. I studied studio art and Spanish. I especially liked installation art. For my capstone I created a large installation project.

What drew you to the University St. Thomas?

I was trying to decide if I wanted to get my MFA or M.A. in Art History. I wanted to go into museum studies, so I chose the Art History route instead of being a starving artist. St. Thomas had an art history program, but also a museum studies certificate as well.

What advice would you give someone thinking of coming to UST Graduate Art History?

Even if you live far away, still go for it. I can tell after the first couple of weeks here that this place has high standards for their students and professors really care about your future.

What are you currently interested in?  

I really like Dadaism and especially Marcel Duchamp – pioneer of the movement. But also, I like 70s performance art such as feminist artist Carolee Schneemann. I can’t forget my love for contemporary art. Being an artist myself, I am always trying to find inspiration. You find a lot of that in artists that are living today.

How are your classes this semester?

Pretty good – it is a lot more reading than I am used to. I’m used to a lot of studio time, but I am keeping up. I don’t have a full-time job, just a part-time job at the Asmat Museum. I feel like I have plenty of time to do my homework for now. 

What has been your biggest challenge?

Moving here was really hard. Just trying to find a place. Trying to rent an apartment and schedule visits was difficult being so far away. I’ve never lived in huge city with more than 10,000 people. First, my husband had to find a job to see if he could move here with me. Then, we had to figure out which area we wanted to live in. It’s the little things – what hospital should I go to? Grocery store? You are relearning everything and trying to trust people.

October 30, 2018 by
Graduate Student, Museum Studies

Meet Our Graduate Students: Brittany Plachecki

Brittany is currently in her first semester in the M.A. Art History/Certificate in Museum Studies. She is enrolled in Methodology and Approaches of Art History and Museum Studies II: Collections, Curation, and Controversy.

Where did you go as an undergrad and what did you study?

As an undergraduate, I went to the Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI). I have my degrees in art history and illustration. In addition, I have a certificate of specialization in Asian art.

What was your career before you decided to switch gears and get your M.A. in Art History and Certificate in Museum Studies?

I am a freelance illustrator, but I work full-time at a screen-printing facility as a graphic designer.

What drew you to the University St. Thomas?

This was the closest school that offered the program. I also went here during the graduate symposium last September. That way I could talk to Heather Shirey (Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies) and get a feel for the department. I even talked to some of my professors from KCAI if they had heard anything about St. Thomas. They had good words about the school. One of the teachers whose opinions I value the most mentioned how she loved this school.

What advice would you give someone thinking of applying for the joint M.A. in Art History and Museum Studies Certificate program at St. Thomas?

I would tell them to make sure they are super dedicated because the workload is intense. I work full time, I freelance, travel and do two classes – it’s a lot. Just make sure you’re invested in it.

What are you currently interested in?

My favorite things to study are social climates in art and how they influence paranormal art. My favorite focus has been Japanese woodblock prints from the Ukiyo-e period, particularly focusing on their yōkai prints because as the political climate changes you see a difference in what kind of art is being produced and what kind of stories people are being told. I am really interested in that.

How are your classes this semester?

I think my classes are going well. My methods class is good – assignments and discussions have been good. 

What has been your biggest challenge?

My biggest challenge has been learning how to balance everything. Also, reading critically. I’ve realized having discussions in class that I tend to take a lot of things at face value. I’ve had to teach myself to criticize the readings because normally I just read and think, yeah that’s the facts. I have had to retrain myself to read. This has been the most difficult for me.

 

 

October 30, 2018 by
Conference Presentations, Graduate Student

Presenting at the 43rd Annual European Studies Conference

Titian Butash is a graduate student in the Master of Arts in Art History program. Titian presented research on Zaha Hadid’s ‘Szervita Square Tower’ at the 43rd Annual European Studies Conference earlier this month. 

After reading the acceptance letter, I excitedly made the arrangements to travel to the University of Nebraska in Omaha to present my research at the 43rd Annual European Studies Conference scheduled for October 4 – 6, 2018.   My topic was the work of the late British-Iraqi architect Dame Zaha Hadid.  Through the efforts of Megan Sclater of the architect’s London-based office, Zaha Hadid Architects had generously provided me with photographic examples and architectural specifications of the biomorphic and parametric designs of the architect and her business partner, Patrik Schumacher, for my research on the 2006 design of Szervita Square Tower  located at Szervita Square in Budapest, Hungary.

The original paper and presentation were first developed in Dr. Victoria Young’s 2015 graduate seminar, Contemporary Architecture. As I processed the invitation and prepared for the trip, I was greatly honored that Dr. Tatyana Novikov selected my paper “Hail, Zaha! Form and Grace: A Stylistic and Historic Legacy of Visionary and Marianist Architecture in Szervita Square Tower in Szervita Square in Budapest, Hungary” for presentation at the 43rd Annual European Studies Conference at the University of Nebraska Omaha.

While my presentation on the neo-Futurist design of Szervita Square Tower focused on the influence of the “modern” designs of the French architect Étienne-Louis Boullée, the utopian and town planning schemes of Claude-Nicolas Ledoux, and the fantastical inked renderings by Giovanni Battista Piranesi of  etchings of Roman fictional antique architecture, my original paper, of course, also explored the ideologies of Abrahamic-based religions – the Trinity of Christianity, Judaism and Islam – expressed as vintage surface design motifs on the biomorphic structure.  When students in the audience at the European Studies Conference asked me to further discuss my presentation in the context of the influence of these religious ideologies, including the Marianist and baroque architectural legacies also mirrored on the glass surface, it was an unexpected highlight for me.  And, thrilled by both their interest in the subject and enthusiastic response to my presentation, I realized that the topic of Szervita Square Tower by Dame Zaha Hadid would still be of continued relevance well into the future.

October 29, 2018 by
Graduate Student, Research, Research Travel

A Beginner’s Experience with 360° Photography in Museums and Art Spaces

Floris Lafontant is a graduate student in the joint M.A. in Art History and Museum Studies Certificate Program. Floris and fellow Art History graduate students Kira Lapinsky and Theresa Nelson were awarded a University of St. Thomas Graduate Team Research Grant to research street art with Dr. Heather Shirey this summer.

From left to right: me, Floris Lafontant graduate students Marilyn Burnett, Kira Lapinsky and Theresa Nelson, and art history professor Dr. Heather Shirey. Taken at “Beyond the Streets” in Los Angeles.]

This past summer, I joined Dr. Heather Shirey and a group of fellow graduate students on a research project studying street art across the United States. We explored street art through several avenues: guided tours, designated arts areas, museum exhibitions, and of course, the streets. In collaboration with STELAR at the University of St. Thomas, we tested three models of 360° cameras to document our research. While I am neither a professional photographer or the most tech-savvy person, I love to play with new technology and explore its potential. With that said, here are my impressions on 360° cameras as a beginner.


I tried the Insta360 One (left) and RICOH THETA SC (right) cameras While comparable, I mainly used the Theta because the hard case that the Insta360 One came with had caused a permanent and noticeable blur on the lens. I also preferred the Theta’s friendly pink color. 

A 360° camera captures a full 360-degree photograph or video. The cameras we tested could take a photo manually by pressing a button or remotely via a smartphone app connected through Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. I preferred the devices that could connect via Bluetooth. I found it provided the most reliable and hassle-free form of connectivity. It also allowed my phone to stay connected to Wi-Fi or data at the same time (important when shooting in museums with poor cellular reception and free Wi-Fi).

This is an example of 360° image exported in a fisheye format. Taken in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood.

The 360° cameras can take both still photographs and videos, however, video drains the camera battery significantly faster than still photography. This is an important consideration when traveling since recharge opportunities are limited. The resulting 360° image can be shared as either an immersive experience or transformed for a two-dimensional screen. While there are digital VR headsets, there are budget-friendly models that simply require a smartphone and a cardboard viewer to experience your photo in 360°. You can also choose to share a 360° photo online as is, allowing the viewer to click and drag to view the different angles. Google Photos and Facebook both allow for easy sharing of 360° images. You might choose to share your image in a two-dimensional format as either an animated video or gif or as a screen capture. This can be accomplished through a smartphone app or desktop application. I used the THETA+ app on my iPhone and tried both the Theta and Insta360 desktop applications with equal success. The editing options in the THETA+ app will feel somewhat familiar to anyone who has used Instagram to edit a photo.

This is an example of 360° image exported in a rectilinear format. Thanks to the remote option and the camera’s small size, I was able to take this photo of a gated doorway. Taken in Downtown Los Angeles.

While virtual reality has become fairly common (who hasn’t been a virtual traveler in Google Street View?), 360° cameras have only become reasonably available for the general public within the past five years. As with any new technology used publicly, it’s important to act as a good ambassador for that technology. This means making a person’s first experience with that technology as positive as possible. If people show curiosity as you set up your 360° camera (cameras that look nothing like a typical camera), take a moment to introduce yourself, the camera, and why you’re using it. Smartphone applications allow for quick downloads so you can show an inquisitive bystander a photo moments after you take it. When shooting in a museum space, be considerate of both museum attendants and photography policy. As a new technology, many museums may not have an established policy the use of 360° cameras in the museum. As such, it is important to be upfront. Ask if it is okay if you can take this kind of photo, if you may use a tripod, and if you may leave the camera unattended to take a photo remotely. The camera can present a trip hazard so try to avoid peak museum hours. If a museum asks that you not use a 360° camera or places a limitation on its use, respect that decision. By being proactive, considerate and respectful, you can use 360° cameras to capture incredibly useful photographs and at the same time expose many to a new and exciting technology.

October 23, 2018 by
Graduate Student, Museum Studies

Meet Our Graduate Students: Marit Anderson

Marit Anderson is currently in her first semester in the M.A. Art History/Certificate in Museum Studies. She is enrolled in Methodology and Approaches of Art History and Museum Studies II: Collections, Curation, and Controversy.

Where did you go as an undergrad and what did you study?

I went to the University of Minnesota and studied Art History.

What drew you to the University St. Thomas?

Jayme Yahr (Assistant Professor and Director, Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies) came to a presentation where the University of Minnesota had graduate schools come in from the area. They talked about their program. This sounded like the best program because it has the Museum Studies component.

What advice would you give someone thinking of applying to the Graduate Art History/Museum Studies Certificate program at St. Thomas?

Be prepared for how much work there is.

What are you currently interested in? Why are you interested in that specifically?

I am really interested in Medieval art – specifically reliquaries. Reliquaries interest me because of their connections to Medieval Funerary/Death Culture and how that culture manifested in the church. Funerary/death culture is always something I’ve been surrounded by and interested in. Growing up, my dad worked in the funeral industry, and I am currently working for him (in the office, not out in the field) while I complete my grad school coursework.

How are your classes this semester? What are you liking so far?

They are going well. I’m really enjoying Museum Studies II: Collections, Curation and Controversy. I want to work with collections, so I’ve really been loving what I’ve been learning in the collections unit. Specifically, I really enjoyed the Collections Management Project, because it allowed us to really look at and critique how a real museum manages their collections. Even though it was a lot of work, I learned a lot from it. 

What has been your biggest challenge?

Just trying not to do everything. At first, I was going to do everything, but I had to take a step back. I was going to try and submit a paper for something, but not related to a class. Then I realized I can’t do that.

October 18, 2018 by
Graduate Student, Research, Research Travel

Asian Immigrant Art: Case Study of St. Paul, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Boston Murals

Kira Lapinsky is a graduate student in the joint M.A. in Art History and Museum Studies Certificate Program. Kira and fellow Art History graduate students Floris Lafontant and Theresa Nelson were awarded a University of St. Thomas Graduate Team Research Grant to research street art with Dr. Heather Shirey this summer.

At a time when our nation is wrestling with the topic of immigration, it is more important than ever that we seek to understand experiences and perspectives outside of our own. How, then, can an examination of mural art produced in immigrant communities broaden and deepen our understanding of American identity, helping us to see beyond the experience of the dominant culture? This was one question my mind kept returning to during three trips funded by a St. Thomas Graduate Team Research Travel Grant. On trips to Philadelphia, Boston, and Chicago, I examined murals in each city’s Chinatown; I chose a mural in each of these cities to compare with Flows of Interconnected Motifs, the Hmong mural installed in 2017 in downtown St. Paul. The Hmong mural, I discovered, is atypical to the murals I encountered in the Chinatowns around the United States, but it still spoke a similar message of history, hardship, and community from the Asian immigrant perspective.

The murals in Philadelphia, Boston, and Chicago were made for their Chinatown communities. Realistic in style, the focus of each of these murals was the history of the Chinese population within that city. Typically, there were small vignettes showing experiences or places that meant a lot to the Chinese community—whether that was related to food, protests that took place, or picturing members of the community—everything traced back to the Chinatown identity. These murals continue to hold significance today because many Chinatowns throughout the U.S. are subject to urban development that is not for the benefit of the immigrant population—Chicago being the exception. The murals can serve as their claim to a small part of the larger community that they have staked out as their own; it’s a way of preserving the past and moving into the future—letting the larger community know that Chinatown still belongs to the Chinese.

The mural in Philadelphia, History of Chinatown, depicts the work and struggles of Chinese immigrants to Philadelphia: Chinese agriculture workers in the upper left corner wave to Chinese laborers who have come to America to build the railroad that emerges on the right side; these two groups frame a giant laundryman, shown wringing out a cloth, who represents the founder of Chinatown; the highway that makes up the bottom half of the mural represents the construction of the expressway that the Chinese community fought to stop (and they won); a family sits around their kitchen table holding out cups of tea, appearing to “cheers” the viewers.

History of Chinatown, Arturo Ho, Giz, N. Phung, and H. Tran. Philadelphia, PA. Photographed July 12, 2018.

In Boston, the mural Tied Together by a Thousand Threads features small scenes of both the history of Chinatown and everyday stories of Chinatown residents. On the left side a near life-size rendering of a grandmother and her grandson blow bubbles that contain various scenes having to do with Chinatown, including the immigration raid of 1903, a dim sum spread, and seamstress (again, a nod to the laundry business that many Chinese immigrants took part in).

Tied Together by a Thousand Threads, Yvonne Ng. Boston, MA. Photographed July 29, 2018.

Similar to Boston’s mural in showing small scenes of their Chinatown’s past and present is Chicago’s mural, The Golden Age/The Beautiful Future. The mural was created on a bridge underpass, so existed on either side of a road while maintaining a continuous narrative. It included small circular elements of photographs (40 total) showing the history of the Chinatown community. The mural utilized a multimedia approach with mosaic tiles winding their way along one side of the underpass and continuing on the other, culminating in a large, 3D, painted dragon head with the mosaic having made up the body of the dragon. It was by far the boldest mural in my case study.

The Golden Age/The Beautiful Future, Andy Bellomo and Bernard Williams

Chicago, IL. Photographed July 15, 2018.

Flows of Interconnected Motifs in St. Paul involved a group of local Hmong artists led by a Hmong artist from Australia. Each artist chose their own symbol that they felt connected to their community and cultural history and painted it in the same colorful, geometric camouflage pattern which represented Hmong story cloths. The symbols, which included frogs, honeybees and poppies, and a healer figure, represent the resilience of the Hmong community through hardship, their agricultural history, and one prominent role of Hmong women within their community, respectively.

Flows of Interconnected Motifs, Vanghoua Anthony Vue, Xee Reiter, Christina Vang, Melissa Vang, Nicollazzi Xiong, and Shoua Yang. St. Paul, MN. Photographed September 20, 2018.

Interestingly, the mural in St. Paul is atypical from the Chinatown murals. This likely stems from many factors, not least of which is that the St. Paul mural was made for the city’s large Hmong population, not a Chinese one. The Chinatown murals had several commonalities: they were didactic, historically-focused, and realistic; they also were located within the immigrant populations’ primary living area rather than in the larger city. The Hmong mural is not overtly historically-focused, not located within the “Frogtown” neighborhood where the majority of the Hmong population in the Twin Cities is located, and it is more abstract in style. The reasons for these differences could be due to any number of factors: its placement outside of an immigrant community, therefore affecting its audience plays a large role; stylistic preferences of the artists certainly could account for some difference; the fact that it is a Hmong mural rather than Chinese surely matters.

In spite of these differences, however, I found that the murals did have similar stories to tell, even if they did so in divergent ways. The Chinatown murals in Philadelphia, Chicago, and Boston and the Hmong mural in St. Paul, were representations of the Asian immigrant story—one that is often forgotten about, ignored, or unheard. Their pasts as laundrymen, railroad builders, and agriculturalists were put on display; the hardships their communities have endured over the years, in the realm of politics or in urban development, were told, as both reminders to their younger community members and warnings to outsiders. The murals also often connect the immigrant community’s story to that of the larger community, both emphasizing the unique history of the immigrant community while also securing its place within the city it calls home.

October 11, 2018 by
Graduate Student, Museum Studies

Meet Our Graduate Students: Jayne Barden-Oddan

Jayne Barden-Oddan is currently in her second semester in the M.A. Art History/Museum Studies Certificate program. She is enrolled in Methodology and Approaches of Art History and Museum Studies II: Collections, Curation, and Controversy this fall.

Where did you go as an undergrad and what did you study?

I graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BA in Art History.

What was your career before deciding to switch gears to your M.A. in Art History and Certificate in Museum Studies?

I am a radiologic technologist (x-ray technologist). I have worked in the field for 37 years and I am currently employed at St. Francis hospital.

What drew you to the University St. Thomas?

The Museum Studies program drew me to St. Thomas. It is a field of study I wanted to pursue; St. Thomas is one of the few colleges that offer a certificate program.

What advice would you give someone thinking of coming to UST Graduate Art History/Museum Studies Certificate program?

I would encourage her/him to take advantage of the professional workshops offered at St. Thomas.

What are you currently interested in?

My current interest is in 19th Century photography.

How are your classes this semester?

I am really excited to be in both classes, Methodology Approaches and Museum Studies II.  They are classes that are laying a foundation as I move forward in the field of art history. 

What has been your biggest challenge?

I would like to attend all the seminars, workshops and conferences, but is sometimes a challenge with my work schedule and classes.

October 11, 2018 by