A Brand New Label

Objective enhance collection Label!

Label (Green Indicates changes/additions)
A wheat weaving,called a "Mordiford".The term mordiford refers to ultimate shape of the woven wheat. The stalks of the plant are soaked in water until they are pliable. After soaking the stalks they are plaited into a heart shape with the seed ends fraying out at the end.# In this particular example the,  wheat hangs at the bottom, above wheat stems are woven together into a heart. Green plaid bow and dried flowers are attached in the center. Wheat weaving originated as a celebration of the Harvest. In the sixteenth century, the English wove the crop to represent the spirit of Harvest Time. The use of straw  as a material was wonderful for baskets, hats and other forms of storage or decorative pieces. From the seventeenth century forward, it became a homemade industry that provided families with income and employed thousands outside of the home.  By the nineteenth century the crop token had become commonalty throughout Europe. The skill of weaving straw and wheat was a skill that European families brought with them too America. However with the advent of modern industry and machinery the use and knowledge of this craft became virtually non-existent. Arts and crafts revivals throughout the mid twentieth century however brought this talented skill back to life.#  Today to protect the wheat weaving craft is the National Association of Wheat Weavers or the NAWW. Founded in 1987 the objective of this organization is to “educate, develop, all forms of straw artistry, and to Preserve and perpetuate the history and traditions associated with the folk art of corn dollies, wheat plaiting (also known as wheat weaving) and other forms of straw art.”#. This particular piece was made by artists and donors, Ingrid Jonsson a graduate of Michigan State University, class of 1967# and May-Britt Eklov. It measures 10" x 7". Made in Michigan. Swedish.

• Diane, Sister. "Made Me a Mordiford!" CraftyPod. Wordpress, 27 June 2008. Web. 01 Dec. 2012. <http://www.craftypod.com/2008/06/27/made-me-a-mordiford/>.
• About Straw Art." The National Association of Wheat Weavers. NAWW, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2012. <http://nawwstraw.org/index.php/about-straw-art>.
• "About the National Association of Wheat Weavers." National Association of Wheat Weavers. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2012. <http://nawwstraw.org/index.php/about-naww>.
• "Ingrid Jonsson." Classmates. N.p., n.d. Web. <Classmates.com>.

Michigan Woven Wheat

I found this woven piece of art within the Michigan State University Museum’s Collection. I decided to choose this beautiful agricultural work because it made me stop in my tracks while I was scrolling through the hundreds of catalogued items. The assignment was to choose a piece that resonated or related to myself. To me, this piece made me think about the connections I have to my home state, university, and the sorority that shaped me in my time at the aforementioned school.
This woven artwork is made in Michigan from a crop that is also grown frequently throughout the state. Being born in southeastern Michigan, there were not many wheat fields to be found within walking distance. However every summer from the time that I was eight years old was spent out near the thumb among the farm fields of the grains that were to be harvested in the following fall.
Continuing into my college years I chose a University long known for its prestige in Agricultural Studies. Although I did not choose to follow that path in my educational path, I still have the deepest respect for those who do. The woven wheat heart, made me stop to think about the people I have met here at Michigan State and how the university itself has shaped me since I began my education here. Without the history of the Agricultural program here at MSU, there would be no school and I would not be the same person that I am today. Everything happens for a reason.
Lastly the sorority that I joined in the first weeks that I found myself at MSU holds dear the symbol of the sheaf of wheat. The many strands of wheat coming together to make a one big bundle. Here the wheat is intertwined together into a heart-shape. As corny as it may seem this heart made me think of the love I have for the house that helped me to become the leader that I am today.
Museum Collections and exhibitions can inspire us and help us remember the great things in our lives. They are not merely just a home for musty items that have no meaning. Find out more about your self, history and the world around you at a Museum near you.

Technology: The Modern Museum

The use of technology in museums today is imperative to the success and relativity of the organization. To bring a museum into the 21st century, it needs interactive entertainment as well as include great online resources for patrons and visitors.
   
Data Bases are a great resource for researchers and students. Museums who include an easily accessible online archive open themselves up to exposure from Internet researchers all over the world. When I was in London this past summer I attended an exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery. When I returned to the States the Museum's online archive  helped me complete the final project for the class I took while in the city. The data base allowed me to access the portraits and information  I needed from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. Without that archive I would have had to recall almost 50 portraits from memory.

Interactive exhibits are so much more entertaining to audiences and museum goers. By including social media outlets such as, Twitter, Facebook, Texting and even FourSquare, throughout exhibits allows for the promotion of not only the exhibit but for the museum itself.  Interactive technologies engage the museum visitor in a completely different way than just staring at an object, reading its information and moving on. Instead the patron can take time to use up to all five senses to really understand the information they are being given through the object or exhibit.

However it is up the museum to decided how to incorporate that technology into either permanent collections or in changing exhibits. Technology in museums may also be a turn off for some museum patrons. Many go to museums to be transported to a place of history, art and culture. The museum must find the balance between technology advancements and retaining the peacefulness often associated with  it.


Works Cited

Rosenberg, Karen. "ART REVIEW; Art That Interacts If You Interface." The New York Times. The  New York Times, 29 July 2011. Web. 23 Oct. 2012.  <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/29/arts/design/momas-talk-to-me-focuses-on-interface-review.html?_r=0>.