In recent years, revisionism in Canadian museums has created a space for the development of different ways of classifying and representing non-Western visual and material culture. Despite these changes, many mainstream or authoritative museums and other cultural institutions still operate largely as separate from the constituent communities to which the non-Western collections in their possession are directly related. This thesis investigates the complex relationship between three different types of collections of African visual and material culture in Canada, the institutions in which they reside, and the relationship to the constituent communities that have a stake in the reception of these collections. These collections include the ethnographic collection of African artifacts at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, the Lang Collection of African Art at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre at Queen’s University in Kingston, and the African cultural collection at the North American Black Historical Museum and Cultural Centre in Amherstburg. As this thesis makes clear, the very nature of incorporating, classifying and displaying African visual and material culture in Western museums, which are a direct product of the colonial era, is fraught with contentions. In light of this, the growth in cultural centres in Canada in recent years has the potential to inform mainstream museums, offering new ways of approaching and engaging with not only non-Western objects, but also their diverse constituent communities. By focusing on the discourse of museum representation in relation to African collections in Canada, this thesis posits that these collections can be understood as crucial sites for the promotion of cross-cultural negotiations between African and non-African Canadian communities. / Thesis (Ph.D, Art History) -- Queen's University, 2012-12-21 14:49:24.852

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / Essa tese à o resultado de pesquisa sobre a presenÃa do pÃblico em exposiÃÃes de artes plÃsticas em centros culturais e museus de arte. Utilizando dados da observaÃÃo etnogrÃfica, descrevemos prÃticas sociais e interaÃÃes efetuadas entre os atores sociais durante o tempo em que estÃo em exposiÃÃes. ApÃs aproximarmos o leitor do universo da pesquisa e discutirmos conceitos da abordagem sociolÃgica de exposiÃÃes de arte, tratamos das prÃticas sociais fundamentais do pÃblico em exposiÃÃes, como estudar, brincar, conversar, observar a obra, dar uma olhada, conviver, fazer carinho e namorar. Tentamos tambÃm mostrar como a exposiÃÃo pode consistir em item de um conjunto de atividades significativas para os atores sociais. A tÃtulo de conclusÃo, apresentamos nossas contribuiÃÃes e discutimos os limites do modelo um indivÃduo / uma obra e da concepÃÃo de exposiÃÃo de arte como arena de recepÃÃo de mensagens. / The result of the following thesis was based on research upon public attendance to art exhibition in Cultural Centres as well as Art Museums. Utilizing observing ethnographic facts, we describe social practices and interactions which take place amongst social actors during the time of the exhibit. On bringing the reader to the researching universe and discussing concepts based on a sociologic approach of art exhibition, we cover the fundamental social practices of the public during exhibits on how to study, play, talk, observe the artistic work, take a glimpse, familiarize, caress and court it. We also try to show how the exhibit may consist an item of a group of activities significant to the social actors. As to conclude, we presented our contributions and discussed the limits of the pattern individual / art work and that of the conception of art exhibition as a receptive message arena.

In 1921, the Canadian government confiscated over 400 pieces of Kwakwaka’wakw potlatch regalia and placed it in three large museums. In 1967 the Kwakwaka'wakw initiated a long process of repatriation resulting in the majority of the collection returning to two Kwakwaka’wakw cultural centres over the last four decades. Through the theoretical framework of object biography and using the museum register as a tool to reconstruct the lives of the potlatch regalia, this thesis explores the multiple paths, diversions and oscillations between objecthood and subjecthood that the collection has undergone. This thesis constructs an exhibition history for the regalia, examines processes of institutional forgetting, and adds multiple layers of meaning to the collection's biography by attending to the post-repatriation life of the objects. By revisiting this pivotal Canadian case, diversions are emphasized as important moments in the creation of subjecthood and objecthood for museum objects.

In 1921, the Canadian government confiscated over 400 pieces of Kwakwaka’wakw potlatch regalia and placed it in three large museums. In 1967 the Kwakwaka'wakw initiated a long process of repatriation resulting in the majority of the collection returning to two Kwakwaka’wakw cultural centres over the last four decades. Through the theoretical framework of object biography and using the museum register as a tool to reconstruct the lives of the potlatch regalia, this thesis explores the multiple paths, diversions and oscillations between objecthood and subjecthood that the collection has undergone. This thesis constructs an exhibition history for the regalia, examines processes of institutional forgetting, and adds multiple layers of meaning to the collection's biography by attending to the post-repatriation life of the objects. By revisiting this pivotal Canadian case, diversions are emphasized as important moments in the creation of subjecthood and objecthood for museum objects.

DABUL, Lígia Maria de Souza. O público em público: práticas e interações sociais em exposições de artes plásticas. 2005. 333f. Tese (Doutorado em Sociologia) – Universidade Federal do CEARÁ, Departamento de Ciências Sociais, Programa de Pós- Graduação em Sociologia, Fortaleza-CE, 2005 / Submitted by Liliane oliveira (morena.liliane@hotmail.com) on 2011-11-29T13:54:01Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2005_TESE_LMSDABUL.pdf: 1849039 bytes, checksum: bec58ce55af60c7c6229b3d92fa040f7 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Maria Josineide Góis(josineide@ufc.br) on 2011-11-29T14:51:32Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2005_TESE_LMSDABUL.pdf: 1849039 bytes, checksum: bec58ce55af60c7c6229b3d92fa040f7 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2011-11-29T14:51:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2005_TESE_LMSDABUL.pdf: 1849039 bytes, checksum: bec58ce55af60c7c6229b3d92fa040f7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005 / The result of the following thesis was based on research upon public attendance to art exhibition in Cultural Centres as well as Art Museums. Utilizing observing ethnographic facts, we describe social practices and interactions which take place amongst social actors during the time of the exhibit. On bringing the reader to the researching universe and discussing concepts based on a sociologic approach of art exhibition, we cover the fundamental social practices of the public during exhibits on how to study, play, talk, observe the artistic work, take a glimpse, familiarize, caress and court it. We also try to show how the exhibit may consist an item of a group of activities significant to the social actors. As to conclude, we presented our contributions and discussed the limits of the pattern individual / art work and that of the conception of art exhibition as a receptive message arena. / Essa tese é o resultado de pesquisa sobre a presença do público em exposições de artes plásticas em centros culturais e museus de arte. Utilizando dados da observação etnográfica, descrevemos práticas sociais e interações efetuadas entre os atores sociais durante o tempo em que estão em exposições. Após aproximarmos o leitor do universo da pesquisa e discutirmos conceitos da abordagem sociológica de exposições de arte, tratamos das práticas sociais fundamentais do público em exposições, como estudar, brincar, conversar, observar a obra, dar uma olhada, conviver, fazer carinho e namorar. Tentamos também mostrar como a exposição pode consistir em item de um conjunto de atividades significativas para os atores sociais. A título de conclusão, apresentamos nossas contribuições e discutimos os limites do modelo um indivíduo / uma obra e da concepção de exposição de arte como arena de recepção de mensagens.