This grant report was submitted to Humanities Texas.
Narrative Report on Art Comes to Life!
El Paso Museum of Art
September 27, 2014
With the support of a matching mini-grant from Humanities Texas (#2014-4611) for $1500 toward a total project cost of $3990, the El Paso Museum of Art was able to provide Art Comes to Life! to the El Paso Community with the following results:
- Presenters
Dennis Thompson, Kelly Watson, and Riley Watson, members of Historic Interpretations Inc. out of Raleigh, N.C., made ongoing presentations throughout the day from 11:00 to 4:00. Unfortunately Jeremy Clos was unable to participate due to illness. As there was insufficient time to develop a new interpretive character, his place was taken by Jaclyn Bell, who has media expertise and video-taped the performances. They saw a total of 254 visitors over the course of the event, with the potential for a much larger virtual audience through use of the videos taken both by Historic Interpretations and by one of our partners in a Kress Foundation animated video project.
- Major Accomplishments
Art Comes to Life! successfully engaged visitors with European “old master” paintings by contextualizing them. The historic interpreters were able to help people connect the static images with the individuals depicted and with life during the period in which the artwork was made. They also gave insight into the artists and their work. Children in particular were full of questions and fascinated by the costumes and being able to talk with a “painting.” In the long term, capturing the interpreters and the interaction on video will allow them to be utilized in augmented reality, and potentially in the animated video project.
- Quality of Presentation
All the presenters were masterful in engaging visitors and imparting information. Riley Watson stood out with her ability to work with the younger audience. Her youth made her especially approachable. She never broke character, and, as a credentialed actress (member of SAG) she drew people into the world she was interpreting. She also used the dice game to attract visitors to her station.
- Dialogue
The overall success of the event was driven by the use of dialogue between the interpreters and visitors. At several times throughout the day you could observe groups clustered around the interpreters, having lively conversations with them. Afterwards the interpreters remarked on the quality of their interaction with children and were impressed with how interested and intelligent they were. Visitors generally left smiling, and one visitor in particular asked if we were going to do this again and declared it to be a fantastic experience. Photographs of the event illustrate the level of interaction and the make-up of the audience.
- Recommendations
I would certainly recommend Historic Interpretations Inc., particularly if an institution wants to interpret a number of different time periods. They are fully capable of bringing to life the sixteenth through the early nineteenth centuries.
- Print Materials
Humanities Texas was credited in all printed materials and publicity distributed regarding this event including the following: Official Press Release, Fall 2014 Members’ Update, October 2014 Events Calendar
- Suggestions
I have no suggestions for improvement in the mini-grant program and am grateful to Humanities Texas for providing funding to help make this event possible. Please find attached documentation of the event for your files.
The Museum Doctor 