Cultural Excursion: Exploring the San Bernardino County Museum

Pictures from the San Bernardino County Museum

The anthropology hall featured artifacts from different time periods and cultures. This poster was featured with the collection of various Native American baskets, weapons, and clothing. i thought that it was a nice read. It was written by a member of the Navajo tribe

 The Native Americans really have a way with words.

 Valerie is pictured here trying to steer the vessel.

 This is a wagon that many of the migrants from various parts of the country came to San Bernardino in!

 Colton’s first firetruck......wagon.

 The hall featured many old automobiles, the 56 Bel Air was pretty nice.

 There was an exhibit on the wall that featured work done by local children. I thought that the messages were positive and cleaver.

 Funny.

 The social movement exhibit was very interesting. There was certainly a fair amount of protests in this area during the vietnam era.

 This students were reacting to the killing of the Kent State students.

 Another piece dedicated to the tragedy at Kent State.

 The room had pictures that represented various groups and ideas. This was a poster of the leaders of the Black Panthers.

 It is a cool picture and appropriate for the exhibit.

 This description really summarized what the exhibit was all about.

 Everybody wants to be in Cali....

Valerie and Shawn. Proof that we really were at the museum.

Valerie and I visited the museum on Wednesday, July 13th. We arrived around 11:30a.m. and checked out all of the exhibits that were open. There was a range of content featured at the museum. Upstairs had water and land birds that are native to the area. The best part of the upstairs was the room that contained still frames by a Chicano artist named Garza. These photos encapsulated what it was like growing up in San Jose California when there were agriculture and labor disputes. One of the most interesting photos was of Cesar Chavez speaking at a rally. 

The downstairs featured a hall that contained Native American artifacts and other things that are unique to the San Bernardino area. The social movement exhibit was really cool because it touched on all different types of issues and civil rights movements from the 1960's and 1970's. 

Overall, it was a great experience and especially because I was able to not only learn a few things myself, but also share some of the information with Valerie. 

Personal Critical Incidents

On the way to the San Bernardino County museum, Valerie and I shared with each other our critical incident stories. I found Valerie's story interesting, especially because I was present when it happen. We were in EESL 514 and somebody began talking about a "Cheat-Sheet" and the majority of the international students did not understand this concept, Valerie included. This can happen in class sometimes when we as the native speakers use jargon that is very unfamiliar to those that have probably never heard that word before. The end result was an explanation on the meaning of "Cheat-Sheet" followed by a collective laugh.

I also shared my story with Valerie and she found my story rather humorous. We were able to come to the same conclusion, basically the reason why the taxi driver was very nice to me was because I had so heavily overpaid the fare.

As a result of sharing our critical incidents, I feel like we were able to see where the other person was coming from and it was easily understood as to why it was a important moment.

Log: Record of discussions

The possible cultural excursion tours are listed at the bottom of the blog, but here is the record of discussion that took place between Valerie and myself.


(1)-Hi Shawn, this is Valerie (Yu-Han Chiu) from 536 class.  According to Dr. Lynne this pair work project requires the American student to take the foreign student somewhere and experience some type of cultural activity.  Do you have any plan  for where to take me to?  I'm excited to experienced the american culture.

Take care,

Valerie

(2)-Hi Valerie,

I was just going to email you. Yes, for the project we are suppose to visit a museum, gallery, or something like that. As of now, I do not have anything in mind. I wanted to find out where you live, if you have a car, and when you are free before I really started to plan anything. I live in Upland which is about 25min from Campus, so its not very far.

Also, if you have anything in mind, or something that you want to do/see that might work for this project, please feel free to share. This week is kind of busy for me but next week we can plan on showing you a little bit of American culture!!!

Thanks,

Shawn

(3)-Hi Valerie,

if you visit my blog, you can see the possible museums that we can visit for the project. I linked the websites too.

Thanks,

Shawn

(4)-Hi Shawn,

I saw the blog. The California Science Center has air and space exhibits which interested me. Is it too far if we go there? Thank you.

Valerie


(5)-Valerie,

I just checked the Cal. Science Center site and it actually looks like the Air and SPace exhibit is closed. They said that they are moving it. I can call and confirm though. It is not too far as long as you can get a ride to and from my house, that way I dont have to drive to San Bernardino.

Just in case that exhibit is closed, what would be your second choice?

Shawn


(6)-Hi Shawn,

San Bernardino County Museum is also good. If there's no air and space exhibits, we can go to county museum. Thank you.

Valerie


(7)-Hey Valerie,

Ok, well sense the exhibit seems to be closed, maybe it is easier if we just go to the local county museum. Also, that way we can work on our blogs after and try to get the project finished.

I was wondering if maybe you would be willing to visit the museum on Monday instead of Tuesday. We have the glossary test on Wednesday and I thought that maybe it would be easier if we went to the museum, worked on the project at school, and then went to class.

Let me know what you think,

Thanks,

Shawn


(8)-Hi Shawn,

Monday is ok for me, the plan sounds great. So when do we meet, I have to go to your place first then you take me to the museum?

Valerie


(9)-Hi Shawn,

Well, Wed. is okay for me, so we have to go to the museum very early and come back  school before 4 pm, because we still need to attand the conversation group and I need some time to review the glossary test.

Valerie

Sharing stories in Conversation

The experience of being paired with Valerie for the cultural excursion was valuable. Valerie is funny and has a lot of energy. Upon reflection, I think that the opportunity to spend time with a classmate, but also someone who is a non-California native was beneficial. Many of our conversations consisted of commonalities such as school, gym, food, and amusement parks. It was interesting to hear Valerie's perspective on all things California, because I do not usually find myself in conversation with international students.

Interview with Yu-Han Chiu (Valerie)

Brief description- Valerie is studying at CSUSB from Taiwan. Her focus is TESOL and her goal is to earn her degree and teach here in California. Valerie has been living in California for 9 months. Her favorite aspect of California is the weather. When Valerie is not in class, she enjoys doing many fun activities. Her favorite things to do include, riding roller-coasters at Six Flags, going to the movies, and eating bacon western cheeseburgers from Carls jr.

#1-Q.  Where are you from?

      A. I’m from Taiwan, a beautiful island in Asia.

#2- Q.List two adjectives to describe yourself

       A. “Optimistic” and “patient”. I always think positive, has a positive attitude towards life. I’m a patient person so my friends like to talk to me because I have patient to listen their story even though it’s trivial. 

#3-Q. What do you find unique about your culture?

       A. Well, my people think we are an independent country, we consider ourselves as Taiwanese not Chinese. Even though Taiwan has vague and ambiguous historical and cultural legacy with China.

#4-Q. What is the one thing that you miss most about your home country?

1. Of course the food. The Chinese restaurant like panda express here is a catastrophe! I rather spent my money to eat hamburgers and pizza. If you have chance to try the Taiwanese food, you will know my feeling. It’s not authentic Chinese food, I just cannot bear the fake food like it.

#5-Q. If you could teach one thing about your culture to someone else, what would it be?

1. I’ll introduce the traditional art of Taiwan, like Taiwanese Opera, calligraphy and glove puppetry.

#6-Q. When you are not busy with school, what do you enjoy doing?

1. I like to go to the gym. There’re a lot of free courses you can attend. “Women self-defense” is my favorite class. I always go to that class once a week whether I’m busy or not.

#7-Q. Are you enjoying your experience in California?

1. I enjoy California very much. I love the weather, the sunshine, the beaches here.

#8-Q. What is the biggest difference between the U.S. Culture and the Taiwanese culture?

      A. I think the U.S. Culture has more open-minded toward the plural races issue than the Taiwanese culture. Because there’re few foreign dwellers in my country.

#9-Q.If I were to visit your country, what is one thing that I would absolutely have to see or do?

      A. You have to try the food in Taiwan. Taiwan’s xiao-chi is a feast for the eyes. Pictured from left to right are o-a-tsian (oyster omelet), rou-yuan (meatball dumplings), uann-kue (“bowl-pasties”) and o-a-mi-suann (slender noodles with oysters). 

#10-Q. If you were given a free plane ticket, which country would you visit and why?

     A. I will go to France. My major of undergraduate is French. So I want go to Paris to visit La Tour Eiffel, Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile and Notre Dame de Paris. If I can also encounter a French hunk, that will be perfect!

Possible Cultural Excursion Museums

#1-Norton Simon 

Modern and Contemporary Art

The Museum houses an extensive collection of Modern and Contemporary Art, with seminal works by Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Henri Matisse and Diego Rivera on permanent view. The Galka Scheyer collection of works by the Blue Four artists boasts paintings and works on paper by Paul Klee, Lyonel Feininger, Alexei Jawlensky and Vasily Kandinsky, a selection of which are on view. The Museum’s selection of Post-War Contemporary Art, while not always on display, is noteworthy for its strength in collage, assemblage and sculpture, including works by Joseph Cornell, Robert Rauschenberg, Louise Nevelson, George Herms and Ed Kienholz. Pop Art and Minimal Art are represented by Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Donald Judd and Robert Irwin. Californian art from the 1950s through the 1970s is a particular strength, with artwork by Sam Francis, Richard Diebenkorn, Larry Bell, Edward Ruscha and Ed Moses. Major sculptors of the early 20th century, including Aristide Maillol, Constantin Brancusi, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and Isamu Noguchi, are represented by works in bronze, lead and marble throughout the galleries and garden.

Asian Art

The Museum houses a world-renowned collection of art from South and Southeast Asia, with superb examples of this region’s sculptural and painting traditions. On permanent display are holdings from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Tibet, Cambodia and Thailand, as well as selected works from Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. The collection is particularly rich in art from the Indian subcontinent, including monumental stone sculpture from the Kushana and Gupta periods, and a remarkable group of Chola bronzes from southern India. A selection of the Museum’s Rajput paintings from India is always on view, as are several thankas, or religious paintings, from Tibet and Nepal. The Museum’s impressive Japanese woodblock prints, the majority of which were formerly in the collection of Frank Lloyd Wright, are featured in exhibitions.

Current Exhibitions

Where Art Meets Science: Ancient Sculpture from the Hindu-Buddhist World

April 22, 2011 - August 01, 2011

Before ancient objects enter a museum collection, they often travel vast distances and endure various periods of use, disuse, loss, and rediscovery. Their original meaning and function can become lost or obscured. For this reason, museums conduct extensive research on all objects entering their collections. Curators and conservators faithfully survey objects for any hints about their origins and provenance to ensure their overall general health, factual documentation and preservation. Where Art Meets Science: Ancient Sculpture from the Hindu-Buddhist World, a focused exhibition of primarily Cambodian sculpture from the Norton Simon foundations’ permanent collections, examines the connoisseurship and conservation involved in identifying and preserving these ancient objects.

A collaboration between the museum’s assistant curator of Asian art, Melody N. Rod-ari, and its conservator, John Griswold, this small installation explores how the place of origin and date of an object can be determined by the rendering of drapery pleats, hairstyles and ornaments of iconic statuary from South and Southeast Asia dating from the 3rd through 13th centuries. Furthermore, analytical methods to help identify traces of pigments, binders, and applied organic materials will be introduced, as will a discussion about distinguishing ancient tool marks from later ones.

http://www.nortonsimon.org

#2-California Science Center

The California Science Center offers fun and informative permanent exhibits presented in interactive worlds. Through hands-on experiences in our galleries, you'll learn about human inventions and innovations, the life processes of living things and more. The Science Center also features fantastic special exhibits that change all the time, so visit often to find out what's new!

Special Exhibits
Experience innovative traveling exhibits developed by museums around the country.

Ecosystems
Immerse yourself in Earth’s ecosystems, from the simplest to the most complicated, to discover how life on our planet is shaped by its unique geophysical and biological processes.

Creative World
Explore the inventions and environments humans create to meet their needs for communication, transportation and structures.

World of Life
Examine how people, plants, animals and the tiniest living cells all perform the same life processes to survive.

Air and Space Exhibits
Let your imagination soar as you explore real aerospace artifacts and discover how scientific principles affect aircraft and spacecraft design.

Science Court
Take a ride on the high wire bicycle. Visit often to explore changing exhibits in our Art and Science Studio, and check out exciting science demonstrations too!

Science Plaza
Start on your voyage of discovery even before you enter the Science Center by exploring the sculptures, pavers and water paths outside.

http://www.californiasciencecenter.org/Exhibits/Exhibits.php

#3- San Bernardino County Museum

The San Bernardino County Museum, in Redlands, California, is a regional museum with exhibits and collections in cultural and natural history. Special exhibits, the Exploration Station live animal discovery center, extensive research collections, and public programs for adults, families, students, and children are all part of the museum experience. 

The San Bernardino County Museum maintains and develops unique cultural and natural science collections related to our region and the greater Southwest. Through responsible collection, preservation, exhibition, and education, we inspire the public to a deeper understanding of our cultural and natural history.

Overview

• The San Bernardino County Museum was founded in 1952 by the San Bernardino County Museum Association. It opened to the public in 1957, and was donated to the County of San Bernardino in 1961. The facility moved from Bloomington, California to its present home in Redlands in 1974.
• Our main museum in Redlands contains three floors of exhibits, the Exploration Station, a Education Center, native plant and cactus gardens, citrus groves, curatorial offices, and research and reference collections.
• http://www.sbcounty.gov/museum/

These are our possible selections for our cultural excursion, please visit the websites and let me know which one you are interested in!