Browsing by Subject "community engagement"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4

Community Engagement in 21st Century Museums: A Case Study of the Wing Luke Museum, the Japanese American National Museum, and the Museum of Chinese in America
(2023) Duong, Anna Catherine
Twenty-first century museums are moving away from the concept of neutrality and self- consciously heading towards more socially informed practices. However, racially sensitive and community-oriented frameworks have existed in ethnic museums for decades. The Wing Luke Museum in Seattle, Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, and Museum of Chinese in America in New York were founded in the post- Civil Rights Era by Asian American museum professionals to address and combat anti- Asian racism and to preserve the histories of Asian American communities. These museums responded to a modern moment of diasporic change and elevated the voices, stories, and everyday objects of Asian Americans. However, in the fifty years from when their doors opened until now, the neighborhoods and communities in which each museum was founded have transformed. This thesis will look at the politics of change and issues of representation at the above-mentioned Asian American museums that arose contemporaneously. The overarching question I explore is: how has each museum evolved through the twenty-first century? This thesis is situated in a larger body of scholarly work focused on revolutions in museum practices. Yet, my methodology also includes original research in the form of interviews and in-person observations. The culmination of this thesis shines a spotlight on three Asian American institutions that pioneered the kind of engagement work many other museums are attempting to replicate in 2023. This thesis offers a direct response to contemporary social, cultural, and geopolitical issues that are changing the landscape of community engagement pedagogy at three institutions that have always been at the forefront of the field. This work highlights the revolutionary histories of three radical Asian American institutions while simultaneously offering important critiques and considerations for how museums are and will continue to evolve in today’s cultural context.
Designing Waller Creek
(Office of Sustainability, University of Texas at Austin, 2013) Shearer, Allan
Popping into Focus: Community Engagement for Environmental Impact and Awareness
(2020-08) Niyogi, Dev; Pinfold, Wilfred; Copfer, Wende; Felkner, Juliana; Roseway, Asta; Ponce, Jaime; Janzen, Shawn; Fitzmaurice, Helen; Daepp, Madeleine I. G.
In this white paper, we develop a dedicated space (physical and virtual) for the early and ongoing incorporation of community engagement through a series of scalable pop-ups and an open data platform to complement local sensor deployments. One cannot solve wicked problems in white papers. Instead, we are proposing a prototype that will grow and change over time. By incorporating on-the-ground practice and experimentation in collaboration with local partners and governments, we hope that our solution will promote the rights of residents to shape how and where new technologies are deployed within their cities, and how the data from those technologies are used.
Universities, Urban Design, and Unease: The Invisible Presence of The University of Texas at Austin in Shaping the City’s Landscape
(2020-05) Prines, Emily; Peterson, Marina
While there is a burgeoning discussion of the forces of urban renewal, gentrification, and investment in Austin, less attention has been given to UT’s contribution to this change. In addition, how the university moves and establishes a presence throughout the city is unquestioned. The university’s flow of operations is constant and without conflict, which allows the university to expand and develop in a silent and invisible manner. However, in moments of conflict the university’s invisible operations are revealed. I examine the Blackland Neighborhood as a crucial case study of a vocal community that responded to UT’s expansion into East Austin and revealed the university’s silent and powerful land procurement operations. I investigate East Riverside as a case study that exemplifies the university’s role in off-campus student housing and development across Austin. The university’s historic involvement in the development of E. Riverside in relation to the current rezoning crisis is a point of contradiction that reveals the true nature of the university’s operations and missions. We must consider UT’s roles as 1) a crucial property owner, 2) a developer, and 3) an agent for student housing across Austin. Bringing attention to the university’s roles and statuses within the city allows us to view universities as more than places of education, but as institutions that have the capacity to shape a city.