2009 - Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun - Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Nov - Dec

2008 - Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun - Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Nov - Dec

2007 - Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun - Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Nov - Dec

21 July

• The New Acropolis Museum, Athens Greece
  The long awaited New Acropolis Museum in Athens opened its gates to the public on June 20th2009. Placed right across Acropolis hill in the heart of Athens is a modern, rather provocative in some aspects building, designed by architects Bernard Chumi and D. Fotiades, to host the findings and pieces of art connected to Acropolis and its history, therefore history of Athens and Ancient Greece. The Parthenon Gallery at the top floor offers a unique presentation of the complete sculpture on the monument, torn between Athens and London, as plaster copies of the ‘Elgin Marbles’ (detached sculpture and reliefs of the pediments and the frieze of Parthenon and other temples of Acropolis removed by Tomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin in 1812, during Ottoman period) in British Museum are placed next to originals. The Archaic gallery is rich too, while interesting educational programmes for children of Primary and Secondary Education are implemented in the museum and the surrounding area.
  More information: http://www.newacropolismuseum.gr

15 July

• (in Italian) Il Museo Nicolis dell’auto, della tecnica, della meccanica
  Intervista a Silvia Nicolis - direttrice del Museo Nicolis
  Quando è nato il Museo Nicolis e quali sono state le tappe salienti della sua storia?
  Il “Museo Nicolis dell’auto della tecnica della meccanica”, alle porte di Verona, è una delle più originali realtà museali in Italia e in Europa. Fondato da Luciano Nicolis e inaugurato nel settembre del 2000, questo modernissimo edificio in vetro e acciaio di 6.000 mq è un esempio innovativo di Museo-Impresa privato ma da sempre aperto al pubblico. Unico nel suo genere, il Nicolis ospita straordinarie Collezioni: centinaia di auto d’epoca, moto, biciclette, strumenti musicali, macchine per scrivere e fotografiche, piccoli velivoli e molte altre opere dell’ingegno umano. A partire dal 2002, con cadenza biennale il Museo organizza il “Premio Museo Nicolis”, un prestigioso riconoscimento all’eccellenza imprenditoriale veneta che premia l’imprenditore che con la propria attività abbia contribuito in modo significativo alla valorizzazione del territorio e al prestigio del Veneto nel mondo. Nel 2008 il Premio Museo Nicolis è stato assegnato a Sandro Veronesi (AD – Calzedonia), mentre Andrea Dusi (AD – Elation), ha ricevuto il “Premio Sfide d’Impresa”, che il Museo dedica alle giovani imprese emergenti. Al Premio danno la propria adesione e il proprio sostegno le principali realtà imprenditoriali e le Istituzioni.

• Canada's Symbolic Animals
  Canada’s symbolic animals is a website of the Natural sciences Museum in collaboration with the University de Alberta Museum, the Museum of New-Brunswick and the virtual Museum of Canada. The place proposes online activities for young people with the purpose of presenting them the animals that live in their country. The site consists in three main parts:
  • Ours fans (suggesting entertaining research works to find places, schools with the name of an animal.)
  • The animals (Presented with humour, animal cards that contain their characteristics and some anecdotes on that matter.)
  • The activities (mystery words, drawings to colour, labyrinths, questionnaires, association games.)

  Canada’s symbolic animals are full of entertaining pedagogical activities. Fun is everywhere and undoubtedly will please young internet users. In addition, it is easy to use. The information is clear, well defined and classified. An essential visit.

• THE LOST CODE
  The Lost Code website presents a large number of collection items and archive documents in their respective historical context through virtual visits and a mystery game. Though designed for the general public, the site is also intended for school use. Tools have been created to help teachers use the site as a complementary teaching resource. The site includes virtual visits to three historic sites in Québec: Manoir Mauvide-Genest in Saint-Jean, Île d'Orléans; Seigneurie des Aulnaies in Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies; and Musée L'Aventure Leclerc in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures. Each of these sites reflects different aspects of Québec history from 1734 to the present day. The project was produced by the Musée de la civilisation in Québec City, in partnership with the three historic sites, iXmédia, and Télé-Québec. A number of people were involved in the project. Consult the Credits section to learn more. This project was made possible in part thanks to Canadian Heritage's Canadian Culture Online program.

• Summer holiday at the Rijksmuseum: a whole summer of workshops for children!
  The Rijksmuseum recently set up the Garden House (Tuinhuis) as a special place for children who want to discover the museum. The main feature will be the Bugs Everywhere workshop, which will be organised in the Garden House every day during the summer.

• Rijksmuseum forthcoming exhibition: "Masterpieces on Paper : The light and the dark" (The Netherlands)
  Four times a year, the Rijksmuseum will present treasures from its Print Room as part of the Masterpieces on Paper presentations. The theme of the presentations is "Light and dark". The interplay of light and dark is a key aspect of 17th-century Dutch printing. While Rembrandt, of course, was the consummate master of contrast between light and dark, contemporaries such as Jan Both and Jan Lievens also archived spectacular effects using black ink on white paper. The works will be on display until 31 August.

• Exhibition at Rijksmuseum: Accessorize!
  The Rijksmuseum invites you to visit its web exhibition Accessorize!, comprising 250 masterpieces from the museum's fashion accessory collection. The webspecial will display accessories such as bags, shoes and skirt lifters.

• Starting signal for renovation of Rijksmuseum main building
  Minister Plasterk of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) and Rijksmuseum Director in Chief Wim Pijbes officially ‘laid the first stone’ for the rebuilding, renovation and restoration of the Rijksmuseum. This symbolic act marked the definitive start of the renovation of the main building of the Rijksmuseum. Once the work has been completed, the Rijksmuseum will open its doors to the public again in the first half of 2013. publiek.

• Chairperson of the Executive Board of UNESCO inaugurates Museum of the Slave Route in Cuba and the Exhibition “the Third Root”
  The National Museum of the Slave Route was officially inaugurated on June 16 2009 in the Castle of San Severino, Spanish fortress built by slaves in the 17th century in the province of Matanzas, in West Cuba. The event, presided over by Mr. Abel Prieto Jiménez, Minister of Culture of Cuba, counted on the presence of the delegation of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) composed by Ambassador Olabiyi Babalola Joseph Yäi, Chairperson of its Executive Board, and Mr. Edmond Moukala, Personal Assistant. Also participated in the event Mrs Paula Marcela Moreno Zapata, Minister of Culture of Colombia; Mrs Margarita Ruiz, President of the National Council of Cultural heritage of Cuba and Ambassador María de los Ángeles Flórez Prida, President of the Cuban National Commission of UNESCO.

3 July

• New TarraWarra Museum of Art (TWMA) Victoria (Australia)
  The TarraWarra Museum of Art Limited was established as a company limited by guarantee in October 2000. It is the first privately funded, significant public visual arts museum to be set up under the Australian Government's philanthropic measures announced in March 1999. TWMA operates as a not-for-profit institution, with a charter to display Australian art from the second half of the twentieth century to the present day. The museum was launched by the former Prime Minister, The Honourable John Howard in April 2002.

• New social network of Museodata
  Museodata presents its new social network where each person or institution related to Museología, Cultural heritage and Conservation and restoration can publish information directly. The website address is http://museodata.ning.com, where you can publish pictures, videos and links or promote events and blogs. In addition, you can suggest discussion forums or create specialized groups, all this around institutional topics. Considering that this new Museodata service follows the free access line, after sending a message, it is required to wait for the approval of moderators with the purpose of avoiding inconvenient 'Spam' messages, which may include contents of advertising campaigns, sex, policy, astrology, etc., and those away from the central topics of the portal. This is only another way of Museodata to generate interaction spaces and healthy discussion for the development the activity of museums and Heritage, Culture, Conservation and restoration institutions and, regardless of geographic distances and allowing society the free election to inform and find information.

• A new option module for the Museum Studies in the University of Leicester (United Kingdom)
  This option will deliver a high level understanding of the theoretical discussions which inform key contemporary cultural policy debates and an understanding of the development and delivery of strategic museum policy. Thus, this option will have both a theoretical and practical orientation. It will involve analysis and discussion of cultural and museum theory and analysis and discussion of gray literature (policy, strategy, reports). The UK's Culture Secretary, Mr.Andy Burnham, praising the real value of the creative sector in Britain; he says it is a great example of continuing growth in real economic terms. The option will involve detailed consideration of key issues in relation to museum politics and policy such as: what is the public value of the museum; should museums be used for instrumental ends or is this a betrayal of their real function; who is the museum visitor and who is the non-visitor, does not going to museums matter? How can museums respond to the needs of their funders while maintaining and developing their own programming aims?

• New website: MUSEODATA - LIVING THE MUSEUM
  Free dissemination of activities at museums, cultural and heritage institutions, aimed at the general public. Directory and promotion of museums and their commercial areas: auditoriums, libraries, stores, cafes, etc. Referential catalogue of specialized electronic document. Information on calls, scholarships and academic programs. Virtual voluntary service.

• The Museum of Modern Art of Medellin (MAMM) opens an international public call for temporary intervention in its new headquarters (Colombia)
  As an open invitation to plastic and visual arts, graphic and industrial design, architecture, music, and dance professionals, among others, the Museum of Modern Art of Medellin presents an international public Call INTER-VENGA, created with the purpose of developing high level artistic experiences during October, as part of the inaugural programming of its new headquarters in Ciudad del Río. This call attempts that creators worldwide design and implement an aesthetic experience that involves visitors to the new Museum headquarters as participant agents and make the particularitities and possible uses of this space more dynamic. In this sense, the works should be ephemeral accomplishments or constructions, inexpensive, easy to set up and disassemble, free of waste, which provide visitors with a binding experience with space and art.

• Exhibition: "Gold in the Americas"
  From 8 April 2009 to 11 January 2010. Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle de Paris (France)
  Gold mining has radically affected the destiny of these peoples. It has provoked frenzies of greed, disrupted the lives of the indigenous people, seduced explores, and spurred on an influx of pioneers and immigrants. The quest for gold has led to the colonization of new territories, the creation of boom towns, and the degradation of ecosystems. It has meant the accumulation of colossal fortunes for some, and utter ruin for many others. At one a stable raw material, a sacred symbol and a source of wealth, gold gives us a new perspective on the peoples of the Americas and the events that shaped their history.

• The Museum of Natural History of Paris proposes a website entirely devoted to minerals
  From the collection of the gallery of mineralogy and geology, visitors are invited to discover the different categories and types of minerals. The knowledge contributions are structured in the following way:
  • What is a mineral? Introduction to the basic knowledge of minerals:
    • Structure;
    • Properties: crystal system, optical properties, physical properties, chemical composition, other properties;
    • Training;
    • Experiments. Two easy experiments: formation of sugar crystals and salt crystals.
  • Minerals: at the moment 13 mineral descriptions, with downloadable cards.
  • Species: several tens of mineral species under study.

  All this illustrated with animations and wonderful photographs that present the exceptional pieces from the collections of the museum. The Web also includes a “news” section that presents future and ongoing exhibitions, and news related to the life of the gallery. A very useful resource for the professors of Life and Earth Sciences as well as students, and a rare aesthetic pleasure for all the mineral lovers.

2 July

• Exhibition on the UNESCO project “Revitalization of bark cloth making in Uganda”
  23 July 2009 09:00 - 18:00. Kampala, Uganda
  The National Museum of Uganda in Kampala opens an exhibition in order to inform the Ugandan public and foreign visitors about the results of this project which was launched in December 2007 and funded through UNESCO/Japanese Funds in Trust. This project aimed at revitalizing the knowledge and skills involved in bark cloth making, promoting their transmission to young people, and stimulating the renewed use of bark cloth. The project further contributed to establishing a sustainable system at the national level for the recognition of this heritage.

• ENCATC - Museum and Audience Policies
  Museum professionals, specialists on audience policies, researchers and policy makers from 9 countries, around 50 participants in total, met on 24 June in Brussels to explore new paths to include people with low schooling level in museum audiences. The event, hosted by ENCATC, was part of a series of encounters organized in the framework of the EU project MusLi (“Museum Literacy”)...

The latest issue of MUSEUM International "Return of Cultural Objects: The Athens Conference", is now available for purchase through Blackwell Publishing and UNESCO Publishing.