![Sample our Museum and Heritage Studies journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5945/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Museum-Heritage-Studies.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
This article focusses on how the Smithsonian Institution’s staff and programmes are adapting in response to an evolving world and increasing requests for assistance. The Smithsonian is the world’s largest museum, education and research complex, with long-standing programmes focussed on capacity building in times of need. Central to this work is communication—listening, building trust among collaborators and prioritising cultural heritage communities in decision-making. This article highlights four activities currently helping to strengthen cultural resources and support colleagues in times of crisis: building on early experiences to inform and improve on-the-ground cultural rescue efforts domestically and abroad; learning to build local and government relationships impacting conservation efforts abroad; creating new heritage anti-trafficking courses for law enforcement that reflect current events and include the voices of in-country experts; and building networks of expertise to develop and implement a new institution-wide Shared Stewardship and Ethical Returns Policy. The common thread throughout these four programmes, each with different goals, is the importance of communication and collaboration.
Résumé
« Innovation et adaptation à la Smithsonian Institution en réponse aux évolutions de notre époque et à l’accroissement des besoins »
Cet article se concentre sur la manière dont le personnel et les programmes de la Smithsonian Institution s'adaptent en réponse à un monde en évolution et à des demandes d'assistance croissantes. Le Smithsonian est le plus grand complexe muséal, éducatif et de recherche au monde, avec des programmes de longue durée axés sur le développement des capacités nécessaires. Au cœur de ce travail se trouve la communication—écouter, établir la confiance entre les collaborateurs et donner la priorité aux collectivités en charge du patrimoine culturel dans la prise de décision. Cet article met en lumière quatre activités qui contribuent actuellement à renforcer les ressources culturelles et à soutenir les collègues en temps de crise: s'appuyer sur les premières expériences pour informer et améliorer les efforts de sauvetage culturel sur le terrain national et à l'étranger; apprendre à établir des relations locales et gouvernementales ayant un impact sur les efforts de conservation à l'étranger; créer de nouveaux cours pour lutter contre le trafic du patrimoine dans le respect des lois, reflétant les événements actuels et incluant les voix d'experts nationaux; et la création de réseaux d'expertise pour élaborer et mettre en œuvre une nouvelle politique de gestion partagée et de retours éthiques à l'échelle de l'établissement. L’importance de la communication et de la collaboration est le fil conducteur de ces quatre programmes.
Zusammenfassung
„Innovation und Anpassung in der Smithsonian Institution als Reaktion auf Veränderungen und erhöhten Bedarf“
Dieser Artikel befasst sich mit der Frage, wie sich die Mitarbeitenden und Programme der Smithsonian Institution an eine sich verändernde Welt und zunehmende Hilfsanfragen anpassen. Die Smithsonian Institution ist der weltweit größte Museums-, Bildungs- und Forschungskomplex mit langjährigen Programmen, die sich auf den Aufbau von Kapazitäten in Krisenzeiten konzentrieren. Im Mittelpunkt dieser Arbeit steht die Kommunikation—das Zuhören, der Aufbau von Vertrauen zwischen den Mitarbeitenden und die Berücksichtigung des kulturellen Erbes bei der Entscheidungsfindung. In diesem Artikel werden vier Aktivitäten hervorgehoben, die derzeit dazu beitragen, die kulturellen Ressourcen zu stärken und die Kolleg*innen in Krisenzeiten zu unterstützen. Erstens: die Optimierung der vor Ort stattfindenden Rettungsbemühungen für Kulturgut im In-und Ausland aufbauend auf früheren Erfahrungen zu evaluieren und zu fördern. Zweitens: die Fähigkeit zu erweitern lokale Netzwerke und Netzwerke mit Regierungsbeteiligung, die die Restaurierungsbemühungen im Ausland unterstützen, auszubauen. Drittens: neue Kurse zur Bekämpfung des illegalen Handels mit Kulturgut für die Strafverfolgungsbehörden in Zusammenarbeit mit Experten vor Ort und unter Berücksichtigung der aktuellen Ereignisse aufzustellen; sowie viertens: Expertennetzwerke zur Entwicklung und Umsetzung neuer institutionsweiter Richtlinien für gemeinsame Verantwortung und ethische Restitution aufzubauen. Der gemeinsame Nenner dieser vier Programme, die jeweils unterschiedliche Ziele verfolgen, ist die hohe Wichtigkeit von Kommunikation und Zusammenarbeit.
Resumen
“Innovación y adaptación en respuesta a épocas de cambio y a un aumento de necesidades en la Institución Smithsoniana”
Este artículo se centra en cómo el personal y los programas de la Institución Smithsoniana se están adaptando y respondiendo a un mundo en evolución y al aumento de peticiones de asistencia. La Institución Smithsoniana es el mayor complejo museístico, educativo y de investigación del mundo con programas centrados en capacitación en tiempos de necesidad desde hace mucho tiempo. Para esto es fundamental la comunicación: escuchar, generar confianza entre los colaboradores y dar prioridad al patrimonio cultural de las comunidades en la toma de decisiones. En este artículo se destacan cuatro actividades que actualmente contribuyen a reforzar los recursos culturales y apoyar a los colegas en tiempos de crisis: el aprovechamiento de las experiencias iniciales para evaluar y mejorar las labores de rescate cultural sobre terreno en el país y en el extranjero; el aprender a establecer relaciones locales y gubernamentales que repercutan en las labores de conservación en el extranjero; la creación de nuevos cursos sobre la lucha contra el tráfico de patrimonio para las fuerzas del orden que reflejen la actualidad e incluyan las opiniones de expertos del país; y la creación de redes de expertos para elaborar y aplicar una nueva Política de Retorno Ético y Custodia Compartida en toda la institución. El eje común de estos cuatro programas, cada uno con objetivos diferentes, es la importancia de la comunicación y la colaboración.
摘要
“顺应时代需求——史密森学会的创新和调整”
本文重点介绍了史密森学会为应对不断变化的世界和日益增加的支援请求，对其员工和项目进行的调整工作。史密森学会是世界上最大的博物馆、教育和研究综合机构，其长期项目的重点为构建应时代所需的能力，而工作的核心是沟通与倾听，在合作者间建立信任，并在决策中优先考虑文化遗产社群。本文重点介绍了目前有助于强化文化资源和于危机时刻支援同事的四项活动：以早期经验为基础，为国内外的实地文化抢救工作提供信息并加以改进；学习如何建立影响海外保护工作的地方和政府关系；就近期事件反馈，并吸纳国内专家意见，为执法部门开设全新遗产反走私课程；以及建立专业知识网络，以制定和实施新的全学会共享管理和道德返还政策。虽然这四个项目的目标各不相同，但其共同点是沟通与合作的重要性。
Acronyms
| ALIPH: | = | International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas |
| AMOT: | = | Army Monuments Officer Training |
| CATF: | = | Cultural Antiquities Task Force, US Department of State |
| CER: | = | Cultural Emergency Response |
| CHCC: | = | Cultural Heritage Coordinating Committee, US Department of State |
| CHML: | = | Cultural Heritage Monitoring Lab, Virginia Museum of Natural History |
| CIDCM: | = | Center for International Development and Conflict Management, University of Maryland |
| CPAA: | = | Cultural Property, Art and Antiquities Program, US Department of Homeland Security |
| FBI: | = | Federal Bureau of Investigation, US Department of Justice |
| HERI: | = | Heritage Emergency Response Initiative, Ukraine |
| ICCROM: | = | International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property |
| ICHP: | = | Iraq Cultural Heritage Project, US Department of State |
| KRG: | = | Kurdistan Regional Government |
| LMS: | = | Learning Management System |
| MCI: | = | Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution |
| MFAA: | = | Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Teams; US Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command |
| NCMM: | = | National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria |
| NGO: | = | Non-Governmental Organisation |
| OIR: | = | Office of International Relations, Smithsonian Institution |
| SBAH: | = | State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, Iraq |
| SCRI: | = | Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative |
| SME: | = | subject matter expert |
| UNESCO: | = | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization |
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to extend their appreciation to the colleagues at home and around the world working to preserve our shared cultural history. A special thanks to the communities who collaborate with us and entrust us with their tangible and intangible treasures, to the Smithsonian leadership and teammates who provide unwavering assistance, and the many public and private funding agencies who provide support. Thanks also to Elizabeth Tunick and Kelly McHugh for their insights and edits on the paper.
Notes
1 See https://www.si.edu (accessed 15 May 2023).
2 See https://haiti.si.edu/ (accessed 15 May 2023).
3 As its founding director, SCRI hired Cori Wegener, a former US Army Reserve Officer and ‘Monuments Woman’ who helped salvage and stabilise the Iraq Museum from the looting that followed the 2003 invasion and founded the US Committee of the Blue Shield, advocating for the US ratification of the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.
4 See https://culturalrescue.si.edu/hentf/about-hentf/ (accessed 15 May 2023).
5 See https://eca.state.gov/cultural-heritage-center/cultural-heritage-coordinating-committee (accessed 15 May 2023).
6 See details and updates at: https://www.vmnh.net/research-collections/chml (accessed 7 August 2023).
7 See https://culturalrescue.si.edu/what-we-do/resilience/leadership-for-cultural-heritage-stewards/ (accessed 15 May 2023).
8 For press reports see, for example, https://www.usar.army.mil/News/Article/1995754/usacapoc-smithsonian-to-train-the-next-generation-of-monuments-men/ and https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/11/arts/design/war-monument-protection.html (both accessed 7 August 2023).
9 For examples see https://hub.conflictobservatory.org/portal/apps/sites/#/home (accessed 7 August 2023).
10 See https://www.facebook.com/HERI.Ukraine (accessed 15 May 2023).
11 See https://iwgsc.nal.usda.gov/about-iwgsc (accessed 15 May 2023).
12 See https://maidanmuseum.net/en/node/2379 (accessed 15 May 2023).
13 See https://global.si.edu/projects/smithsonian-and-iraqi-institute-conservation-antiquities-and-heritage (accessed 15 May 2023).
14 Christina Luke and Morag M. Kersel, U.S. Cultural Diplomacy and Archaeology: Soft Power, Hard Heritage (London and New York: Routledge, 2013), 87–90 give a more in-depth description of the ICHP within some of the broader political context.
15 Roger Matthews et al., ʻHeritage and Cultural Healing: Iraq in a Post-Daesh Era', International Journal of Heritage Studies 26, no. 2 (2020): 120–41 describe some of this loss and discuss possibilities for rebuilding the cultural heritage sector within a human rights framework and the need for education at all levels.
16 Capacity building can be defined as an improvement in an individual’s or institution’s ability to fulfil their desired goals. UNESCO’s World Heritage Capacity Building Strategy provides extensive detail on the need for capacity building, and provides a well-crafted definition (albeit keyed to the conservation and management of World Heritage). For more information see: https://whc.unesco.org/en/capacity-building/ and https://whc.unesco.org/archive/2011/whc11-35com-9Be.pdf (both accessed 8 August 2023). For the Smithsonian, capacity building takes the form of both training courses and a variety of more informal interactions related to carrying out projects at a variety of sites around Iraq.
17 Authors Jessica S. Johnson and Brian Michael Lione have been involved with the Iraqi Institute since 2009 and continue their hands-on involvement there. See Jessica S. Johnson et al., ‘Collaboration, Sustainability and Reconciliation: Teaching Cultural Heritage Preservation and Management in Iraq’, in Preprints of the ICOM-CC 17th Triennial Meeting, Melbourne, Australia, September 2014, ed. Janet Bridgeland (Paris: International Council of Museums, 2014), 8.
18 See, for example, Jessica S. Johnson, Abdullah Khorsheed, and Brian M. Lione, ‘The Iraqi Institute: Education for Archaeological Research and Conservation’, in The Archaeology of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and Adjacent Regions, ed. Konstantin Kopanias and John MacGinnis (Oxford: Archaeopress, 2016), 135–8; Jessica S. Johnson, Kim Cullen Cobb, and Brian M. Lione, ‘The Role of Conservation Education in Reconciliation: The Example of the Iraqi Institute for the Conservation of Antiquities and Heritage’, in Heritage Conservation and Social Engagement, ed. Renata F. Peters et al. (London: UCL Press, 2020), 46–65; Jessica S. Johnson and Brian M. Lione, ‘Conservation After Conflict: Rebuilding a Heritage Community in Iraq’, in The Oxford Handbook of Museum Archaeology, ed. Alice Stevenson (London: Oxford University Press, 2022), 157-C8.P106, https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198847526.013.22 (accessed 15 May 2023); Taylor Pearlstein and Jessica S. Johnson, ‘Recording and Archiving Conservation Education Approaches in Iraq, 2008–2017’, Journal of the American Institute for Conservation 59, no. 1 (2020): 53–64.
19 The YouTube videos can be found in three playlists on the Iraqi Institute YouTube page: (all accessed 7 August 2023):
20 Cf. Sultan Barakat, ʻPostwar Reconstruction and the Recovery of Cultural Heritage: Critical Lessons from the Last Fifteen Years’, in Cultural Heritage in Postwar Recovery, ed. Nicholas Stanley-Price (Rome: International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property, 2007), 26–39.
21 Cf. Barakat, ʻPostwar Reconstruction’, 26–39.
22 See https://mci.si.edu/ (accessed 15 May 2023).
23 See https://mci.si.edu/conservation-cultural-heritage-protection (accessed 15 May 2023).
24 See, for example, this case: https://mci.si.edu/smithsonian-assists-fbi-ruby-slippers-case (accessed 7 August 2023).
25 See https://global.si.edu/who-we-are/office-international-relations (accessed 15 May 2023).
26 For information on the workshop programme see https://eca.state.gov/highlight/seasoned-law-enforcement-receive-advanced-training-protect-cultural-heritage; for CATF see https://eca.state.gov/cultural-heritage-center/cultural-antiquities-task-force; for details about the CHC see https://eca.state.gov/cultural-heritage-center (all accessed 15 May 2023).
27 See https://www.ice.gov/features/cpaa (accessed 15 May 2023).
28 National Museum of the American Indian: https://americanindian.si.edu/; National Museum of Asian Art: https://asia.si.edu/; National Museum of Natural History: https://naturalhistory.si.edu/ (all accessed 15 May 2023).
29 See https://mci.si.edu/preventing-illicit-trafficking-ancient-cuneiform-tablets-through-mci-conference-connecting (accessed 15 May 2023).
30 See https://mci.si.edu/cultural-property-anti-trafficking-workshops-move-online (accessed 15 May 2023).
31 See https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/violent-crime/art-crime (accessed 15 May 2023).
32 For more details about the workshops, see, on coins: https://eca.state.gov/highlight/virtual-workshop-trains-us-law-enforcement-combat-trafficking-ancient-coins; on manuscripts: https://eca.state.gov/highlight/virtual-workshop-trains-us-law-enforcement-combat-trafficking-manuscripts; on fakes: https://eca.state.gov/highlight/virtual-workshop-trains-us-law-enforcement-detect-trafficking-fakes-and-forgeries (all accessed 15 May 2023).
33 For more details, see, on Central Asia: https://eca.state.gov/highlight/virtual-workshop-trains-law-enforcement-disrupt-trafficking-central-asian-cultural; on Latin America: https://eca.state.gov/highlight/virtual-workshop-law-enforcement-latin-america (both accessed 15 May 2023).
34 National Museum of American History, https://americanhistory.si.edu/ (accessed 15 May 2023).
35 Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, https://library.si.edu/departments/special-collections (accessed 15 May 2023).
36 For details of the Smithsonian’s current ethical returns policy, see: https://ncp.si.edu/sites/default/files/files/Ethical%20Return%20Docs/smithsonian-ethical-returns-working-group.pdf (accessed 16 May 2023).
37 See the National Museum of the American Indian Act of 1989, 20 U.S.C. 80q, amended in 1996: https://americanindian.si.edu/sites/1/files/pdf/about/NMAI1996Amendment.pdf (accessed 21 July 2023).
38 For the Smithsonian’s current Values and Principles Statement adopted on 29 April 2022, see: https://ncp.si.edu/sites/default/files/files/Ethical%20Return%20Docs/shared-stewardship-and-ethical-returns-values-and-principles_4.29.2022.pdf (accessed 8 August 2023).
39 For the current Smithsonian Directive (SD) 600, Collections Management policy document see https://www.si.edu/content/pdf/about/sd/SD600.pdf (accessed 16 May 2023).
40 Cf. Lonnie G. Bunche III, ‘Why the Smithsonian Adopted a New Policy on Ethical Collecting’, Smithsonian Magazine, June 2022, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/smithsonian-adopted-new-policy-ethical-collecting-180980047/ (accessed 8 August 2023).
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Dawn Rogala
Dawn V. Rogala is a paintings conservator and programme manager at the Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute. She studies and conserves paintings and painted objects at the Smithsonian and affiliate institutions, with a specialisation in modern art and materials, and creates and oversees a range of MCI programmes in cultural heritage protection, provenance research and anti-trafficking, including programmes developed with other Smithsonian offices and in collaboration with other federal agencies. She serves as a subject matter expert on individual cases and assists with the coordination of Smithsonian experts for the assessment and technical analysis of seized objects.
Katelynn Averyt
Katelynn Averyt is the Disaster Response Coordinator at the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative where she manages emergency response field work and deployments for domestic and international cultural heritage disaster missions. She routinely works with partners in the Smithsonian, US Government, international NGOs and colleagues around the world to improve cultural heritage disaster capabilities in the field and facilitate faster responses. Katelynn joined the Smithsonian in 2013 and previously worked in the Office of the Director at the National Museum of Asian Art.
Jessica Johnson
Jessica S. Johnson is the Acting Director and Head of Conservation at the Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute. She previously worked for the University of Delaware’s Institute for Global Studies, as Academic Director for the Iraqi Institute for the Conservation of Antiquities and Heritage in Erbil, Iraq. She helped to establish the Iraqi Institute beginning in 2009, first serving as the Program Director for Collections Care and Conservation. Before working in Iraq, she was the Senior Objects Conservator for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian and also worked for the US National Park Service Museum Management Program.
Brian Lione
Brian Michael Lione is the International Cultural Heritage Protection Program Manager at the Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute. He leads capacity-building courses at the Iraqi Institute for the Conservation of Antiquities and Heritage in Erbil, and on-site, post-ISIS recovery efforts at the Mosul Cultural Museum and at the ancient archaeological city of Nimrud. Brian additionally serves on the Smithsonian’s Rural Initiative Working Group, supports anti-trafficking training for US law enforcement, and response and recovery training for domestic and international heritage specialists, and is a graduate of the sixth cohort of the Smithsonian’s Palmer Leadership Development Program.
Joanne Flores
Joanne Sofía Flores joined the Smithsonian Institution in 2000 and is currently the Senior Program Officer for Art, Office of the Under Secretary for Museums and Culture; she is a member of the senior management team with focus on art and design and implementation of special initiatives. Her previous roles at the Smithsonian include Head of Special Projects, Office of the Under Secretary for History, Art, and Culture; Director of Core Programs, Smithsonian Latino Center; and National Outreach Manager, Smithsonian Affiliations. Prior to the Smithsonian, she held positions at the National Endowment for the Arts, and Very Special Arts.
William Tompkins
William G. Tompkins is the founding director of the Smithsonian’s National Collections Program, serving as a principal advisor to Smithsonian senior management and staff on matters relating to collections management and providing central leadership, policy oversight, strategic planning and support of institution-wide collections initiatives. Previously, he served as assistant director of the Smithsonian’s Office of the Registrar, and as the collections manager of the National Numismatic Collection at the National Museum of American History.