Today we got to explore the Hilstrom Museum, which is located in the campus center here at Gustavus. The museum director and curator was Don Myers. Dr. Myers went over proper museum etiquette with our class because while in Europe we will get to visit at least six different museums!
Top 5 tips for proper museum etiquette:
1. Don’t touch ANYTHING
2. Be careful
3. Leave bags behind or check them at the door
4. Use an inside voice when speaking in the museum
5. Turn the flash off on your camera
Dr. Myers also gave us some great advice on what to look for when visiting museums such as skipping special exhibits and instead view the permanent exhibits. He also explained that you shouldn’t judge a piece of art based on the amount it costs because it often doesn’t truly represent the arts value. This is because the art market seems to be skewed.
On display at Hilstrom Museum is art created in remembrance of The Dakota Mass Execution of 1862. On December 26th, 1862, thirty-eight Dakota were hanged in Mankato, MN. This horrific event was brought on due to the U.S. government failure to honor its treaties with the Indian Nations. Prior to our museum tour we had a speaker, Eric Carlson, come in and talk to us about Germany and the Holocaust. During his presentation, he touched on how the Dakota Execution influenced the creation of concentration camps used during the Holocaust. It was cool to know that connection while exploring the exhibit and to put that into perspective while you viewed all the art pieces.
Mariel Aamot, Christina Henderson, Mark Nissen
