The Persistence of Memory: A Meditation on the Absence of Curators in a Museum Exhibition Project

Abstract

Abstract Michigan—Land of Riches: Re‐Examining the Old Grand Rapids Public Museum was a month‐long temporary installation that took over the disused halls of a defunct regional natural history museum facility and proved that even the museum’s trash can be recycled for the benefit of community. A project to repurpose the old artifacts and dioramas as art involved student artists and art faculty from seven Michigan colleges, universities, and art institutions. Although the museum staff assisted with all object handling and the curatorial staff ensured that the stewardship of the collections was not compromised, the museum’s curators were absent in issues of content and interpretation. By the standards of most visitors, the participating artists, and the museum’s staff, the event was a wild success.