The May-July 2019 issue of INSITE on the theme ‘Voice’ has seven articles about our Voice theme and additional articles from and about museums and galleries in the sector. Below is a list of the issue’s contents and associated links for each article. For information about how to get a copy you can contact our office or via our website. https://amagavic.org.au/resources/publications

Our cover image is by Michael Cook, a Brisbane-based photomedia artist of Bidjara heritage, from the series Majority Rule that was included in the Seeing Voices exhibition (article on page 2). The Majority Rule series asks the viewer to speculate about an Australia where Indigenous people were 96 percent of the population and non-Indigenous people were defined as the four percent. Michael Cook’s work is currently exhibited in a solo show at Ten Cubed until 3 August, 2019. The show includes works from Majority Rule, Mother and his latest series, Invasion.
Caption: Michael Cook, Majority Rule (Court), 2014, inkjet print on paper, 140 x 200cm. Michael Cook is represented by THIS IS NO FANTASY. © Image courtesy the artist and THIS IS NO FANTASY

Seeing Voices (page 2)
In this article Francis E. Parker, Curator Exhibitions, Monash University Museum of Art, gives an account of the ephemeral aspect of the Seeing Voices touring exhibition, expressed through live performances at each venue. www.monash.edu/muma/exhibitions/touring/2017/seeing-voices
https://netsvictoria.org.au/exhibition/seeing-voices

Status Quo: an open letter to white women in the arts (page 3)
Inclusion, collaboration, diversity, representation, equality, are all just words unless they are supported and enacted through scrutiny, policy and change. In this article Sophia Cai, curator, arts writer and public programmer, invites you to reappraise your commitment to changing the status quo so that all women can genuinely have equal access to opportunities and representation in the exhibitions, collections and stories that are told in our museums and galleries. You can read this article at: https://www.sophiacai.info/status-quo

Telling Women’s Stories in Museums (pages 4-5)
In 1993, the Museums Association of Australia published an issue of their Journal devoted to the subject of women in museums and their representation in Australian collections. INSITE asked Margaret Anderson, Director, Old Treasury Building, to revisit her article and reflect on what has changed.
www.oldtreasurybuilding.org.au

Multicultural Voices and Legacies (page 6)
Multicultural Museums Victoria is a unique partnership of five ethnic museums presenting joint programs that offer a showcase for Australian cultures. In this article John Petersen, Executive Officer, Multicultural Museums Victoria, explains their role in exploring our cultural diversity.
https://mmv.org.au

Clear Expectations (page 7)
Artists Spence Messih and Archie Barry have written a set of Guidelines for institutions, galleries and curators working with trans, non-binary and gender diverse artists, supported by Countess and the National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA). Download a copy of Clear Expectations: Guidelines for institutions, galleries and curators working with trans, non-binary and gender diverse artists in Australia at: https://visualarts.net.au/clear-expectations
Find out more about Countess at: https://countess.report and NAVA at: https://visualarts.net.au

Voice For Change (page 8)
The Voice for Change program and exhibition gave a group of young musicians the opportunity to work with mentors while providing audiences with the opportunity to hear about their experiences. In this article, Eleni Kaponis, Public Programs and Education, Immigration Museum, explains how the program evolved. Find out more about the Voice For Change program at:
https://voiceforchange.net.au and the exhibition at: https://museumsvictoria.com.au/immigrationmuseum/whats-on/voice-for-change

Voice and Visibility: Her Place Women’s Museum Australia (page 9)
Her Place Women’s Museum Australia has moved into its home in East Melbourne. In this article Dr Natalie KonYu and Penelope Lee, Her Place Women’s Museum Australia, share the opportunities they have been working on for collecting and telling women’s stories for future generations. To support and find out more about Her Place Women’s Museum Australia visit: www.herplacemuseum.com

RE-ORG: structured pragmatism for storage (page 11)
RE-ORG is a methodology that assists cultural organisations to improve management of their collection storage. Dan Schwartz and Marcelle Scott, Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation, explain how the Grimwade Centre is implementing RE-ORG principles while working with collections.
www.aiccm.org.au/national-news/re-org-bathurst
www.iccrom.org/section/preventive-conservation/re-org

A Story of Warrnambool (page 12)
Archival Survival and Mal Padgett Design generously gift prizes annually for the Victorian Museum Awards. Janet Macdonald, Warrnambool & District Historical Society, shares how the Warrnambool and District Historical Society used their 2017 prize from Mal Padgett Design. https://warrnamboolhistory.org.au

The Victorian Museums and Galleries Forum (page 13)
This year’s Forum on ‘The Healthy Museum’ will be held at Deakin Downtown on Tuesday 15 October. Bridget Forbes, Events Coordinator, AMaGA Victoria, tells us about the theme and shares some exclusive keynote speaker information. For bookings and information visit: https://amagavic.org.au/forum