If you have a particular focus on literary figures in your collection you may want to run a learning programme around a particular figure or group of figures.

 

It is worth finding out whether any one has written recent biographies of any famous figures that you have. A biographer talking on the portrait of their subject can make a good event for a public programme. If you have a collection of local portraits, local historians and writers can bring them to life.

 

Another idea is to start a creative writing group or a book club that meets regularly and discusses books linked to the collection in some way. This also creates a means of socialisation within your institution, which is a good way of attracting new audiences.

 

A good example: Books clubs

Book clubs appear to be more frequent in museums in the USA, to the extent that a commercial site is dedicated to providing books to download, discussion guides and arranging copyright for photocopying for class. However, books relating to the period of the portraits in your collection or to a theme, artist or sitter in them could make for a fun and social activity.

 

The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts runs a Book Club once a month, for example:

Losing yourself in a good book is a past-time known well to many, and now you can lose yourself twice over – in the book and then again in the galleries of the museum. Join Museum Staff for lively afternoons of books and paintings. They’ll introduce you to the themes of the books, guide a lively discussion, and then take you into the galleries to look at related artworks. The group gathers in the lobby of the Historic Landmark Building and then proceed into the galleries to look at some art. Curiosity, opinions and good humor very much encouraged.
•    February 6th: Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God
•    March 6th: Kate Chopin, The Awakening
•    April 3rd: James Fennimore Cooper, “The Eclipse” (short story)
•    May 1st: Lawrence Wechsler, Mr. Wilson’s Cabinet of Wonder

Link to the PAFA Book club pages >>

 

 

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