New objects on display from Solomon Islands

Posted by: Julia Swan

The Recent Acquisitions case in the Pacific Voices gallery was updated last week with objects from the Solomon Islands that were donated to the Burke in 2007 by the grandsons of collector Walter J. Eyerdam, a Seattle-born naturalist and biologist.

Located in the South Pacific (near Papua New Guinea), the 1,000 small islands known as the Solomon Islands are home to about 570,000 people. The objects on display were made for use, not sale, and were all collected between 1928-30.

I really like the “prestige items”-- pieces made from certain materials that were used on the Islands as symbols of wealth and had value as a medium of exchange (i.e. money!). Clamshell, bat teeth, and fish vertebrae (pictured left) are among the materials worthy of this prestige. The bat teeth are my favorite!

The Solomon Islands objects will be on display in Pacific Voices through February. Come check them out.

Chillin' with the Chamber

Posted by: Julia Swan

I just got back from the annual University District Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Burke. It was fun and full of tasty sandwiches, but my favorite part was seeing all of the business and community leaders from the University District hanging out at the museum, touring The Last Polar Bear, and socializing with each other.

The director of the Chamber prepped us all for AveVenture, a back-to -school street fair on the Ave at which the Burke will host a table (think prize wheel!) Even though it’s over a month away, people are starting to think about school starting up again at the UW…what a fast summer it has been so far!

Meeting with the Chamber of Commerce reminded me of a cool project they organize: “Up in the Air Art Project.” Different community business and organizations sponsor sculptures that sit atop the low-level light posts along the Ave. The Burke is actually a brand new sponsor of this project, with a sculpture called “Dino,” created by a UW art student named Will Fenton. “Dino” can be found in front of Rite-Aid on the west side of University Way, between 45th and 47th streets. Check it out!

Blogging: So Hot Right Now

Posted by: Julia Swan

Admit it: everyone you know has a blog. Like many technology-driven trends, blogging has exploded in the last few years. Even the word “blog” has morphed from its association with geeks and teenagers to a commonly understood, widely used means of communication for journalists, politicos, humorists, philosophizers, professional writers, amateurs, and everyone in between.

Museums across the nation have jumped on the blogging bandwagon, including the Burke Museum, as a new way to connect to their audiences. At the American Association of Museums annual meeting this year, everyone was talking about blogging, podcasting, and other ways of embracing the new age of “Web 2.0.” While there, I heard from other museum bloggers about what has worked or not worked for their museums. I’m proud to say that Burke staff has been able to maintain this blog for nearly two years, but I’m always looking to our peers for ideas about how to make the Burke Blog more readable, interesting, and accessible.

Here are a few museum or museum-related blogs that have impressed me so far:

Our sister museum on the UW campus, the Henry Art Gallery does a great job with the Hankblog.

Also of local interest, the Woodland Park Zoo offers interesting behind-the-scenes stories about all the animals of the zoo.

The Walker Art Museum in Minneapolis maintains an impressive collection of blogs with numerous contributors.

The Brooklyn Museum always has innovative ideas—many of which are showcased in their blog.

Finally, Museum 2.0 simply blogs about museum blogs (much like I’m doing now…). Very meta.

My Favorite Things

Posted by: Nicole Robert

Hello! I am the newest member of the Communications team here at the Burke Museum and a student in the Museology Graduate Program at the UW. I thought I would tell you about my favorite object on display at the Burke right now. Like me, this object is a new addition. In June, the Burke sponsored a showing of the 1914 vintage film In the Land of the Head Hunters—a restored and re-evaluated version of Edward Curtis’s landmark melodramatic silent film. Head Hunters documents a unique moment of cultural encounter between Curtis and the Kwakwaka’wakw actors, depicting Kwakwaka'wakw artwork, technology, and earlier cultural practices that had been long abandoned.

Several of the objects created for use in this film are Duntsik or “power boards” and are my favorite things on display at the Burke right now. They are constructed so they can appear to grow taller, swaying as they grow, and then to disappear slowly, apparently into the ground. They are said to represent the 3-headed serpent, sisiotl, and were used in the ceremonial performance called hyikhatsayoo (“means of harm”). In 1914, the creation and use of many Kwakwaka’wakw ceremonial objects had been banned, so participating in the making of a movie presented a sanctioned way for Kwakwaka’wakw people of the time to create and use these traditional objects.

The Burke was fortunate to receive these Duntsik, along with several other objects used in the film. These are all on display now, a new addition to the Pacific Voices exhibit. I love that these objects tell a story within a story, and symbolize both a sacred tradition and the unique way that Kwakwaka’wakw people found to preserve a symbol of that tradition, even when it was banned.

- Nicole

Photos: (Left) Duntsik or “power boards.” (Right) Display of objects used in In the Land of the Headhunters, now on view at the Burke Museum.

Community partners: gotta recognize!

Posted by: Julia Swan

As we prepare to open Arctic Wings: Miracle of Migration (more on that exhibit later) and continue to show The Last Polar Bear: Facing the Truth of a Warming World, I find myself very grateful for the organizations that have become community partners with the Burke for these two wildlife photography exhibits.

Community partners do a lot for the museum and are always very gracious about spreading the word to their own audiences about Burke exhibits and programs. I know I speak for my colleagues when I say that working with community partners is always a pleasure. To that end, I find it appropriate to recognize our community partners for both Arctic Wings and The Last Polar Bear:

Alaska Coalition of Washington
UW Botanic Gardens
Alaska Wilderness League
EarthCorps
Eastside Audubon
Federation of Western Outdoor Clubs
King County Library System
Museum of History and Industry
Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust
National Parks Conservation Association- NW Region
North Cascades Conservation Council
National Wildlife Foundation (Western Region)
North Cascades Institute
Seattle Climate Action Now
Seattle Audubon Society
Sierra Club
Tahoma Audubon Society
Tacoma Photographic Society
Washington Alpine Club
Washington Environmental Council
Washington Wilderness Coalition

If you visit the museum you will be able to pick up more information about most of these fabulous organizations. Thanks again partners!