‘What is to be done?’: new book published by Art Gallery and Museum Studies alumna

MA Art Gallery and Museums Studies alumna Dr Anna Powell has recently had a book on public engagement in art and design education published by Cambridge Scholars Publishers.

Dr Anna Powell, who also achieved her PhD from the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies, is currently Research Assistant in Contemporary Art in the School of Art, Design and Architecture at the University of Huddersfield where her research explores the relationships between artwork, curatorial practice and audience.

Her book, ‘What is to be Done?’: Cultural Leadership and Public Engagement in Art and Design Education (co-edited with Dr Steve Swindells, Professor of Creative Practice at the University of Huddersfield) addresses a policy which appears high up on the agendas of university funders, Vice Chancellors, policy makers, and in the wider cultural and public sphere: that of public engagement

‘What is to be Done?’ introduces the reader to the different meanings and motivations that underpin this current trend, drawing upon initiatives and challenges set by successive Arts Council policies, the Research Excellence Framework (REF) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

The book looks at the landscape of public engagement in the context of broader social, cultural and political challenges, as well as to the challenges faced when seeking to measure and articulate the impact of public engagement for different audiences.

Anna said of ‘What is to be done?’:

‘This book was one of the outcomes of a symposium organised by the School of Art, Design and Architecture at the University of Huddersfield, held in summer 2013 at the ICA, London. It addressed a series of complex questions around cultural value, impact and public engagement, as well as methods for measuring and communicating affect in relation to art and design practice.

‘We were delighted to have a wide range of contributors to the symposium and subsequent publication, such as people working across the cultural sector, Higher Education Institutions and cultural organisations, and art and design practitioners. Our own research at Huddersfield on notions of the ‘civic university’ and place are also included in the book.

‘My interest in exploring the ways in which people are able to encounter and interpret contemporary art and design practice, and the impact of these encounters upon individuals and communities, stems from my MA and PhD research at Leeds.

‘This focused on the often complex relationships between artworks and their audiences, and looked at the ways in which different audiences might engage with contemporary art. It particularly considered how current art practices approach notions of ‘exhibition’, for example through the use of subversive or reflexive exhibition techniques including hiding/concealment.

‘The MA in Art Gallery and Museum Studies was a fantastic basis for this research and encouraged me to develop a critical understanding of some of the issues surrounding curatorship, interpretation and the many ways in which culture can be represented through exhibitions. I enjoyed developing these ideas further through my PhD with my supervisors Abigail Harrison Moore and Chris Taylor.’

Dr Abigail Harrison Moore, Head of the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies said:

’We are excited to see Anna publish her first book. Anna was an excellent MA and PhD student in the School. Her MA dissertation looked at the Vitrine project in Leeds, and then her PhD considered art that artists deliberately hide. Since graduating, she taught here in the School before moving on to the University of Huddersfield but she still stays in touch. I am sure all the students who benefitted from Anna’s teaching and support in the School will also join with me in celebrating this major achievement.’

Further information about the book can be found here.

Image courtesy of the University of Huddersfield