Week 5: Curatorial Crises of the Late 20th Century

A Curator has the duties to secure or keep cultural heritage institutions such as galleries or museums. In the 20th century, Curators are facing more and more conflict when attempting to display various exhibitions of American history. For example, the Battle Royal involving the exhibit of the B-29 Bomber Enola Gay at the National Air and Space Museum (NASM). The plan to display the B-29 Bomber on the 50th anniversary of the bombing on Hiroshima, Japan caused an uproar that would be remembered by different people and for different reasons. Despite Hewitt, director of NASM, meeting with many various groups (historians, veterans, etc) the view of what Japanese people would feel may have not been considered. Due to the conflict of the display, other exhibits may be down played or even removed from future plans. For example, the proposed NASM exhibit on airpower during the Vietnam War “was shelved because of the struggle surrounding the Enola Gay” (Dubin, 1999, p. 225). We all know and understand, when you tell the story of history, you are telling a specific side of the story for whatever reason or action that is being portrayed, such as the displaying a portion of the Bomber and images from the time showing the defeat of another nation. As chapter 7 discusses, “museums have become places where conflicts over some of the most vital issues regarding national character and group identity-the struggle between universalism and particularism-regularly break out” (Dubin, 1999, p.245). I agree with Dubin saying it’s a display of power; everyone is attempting to lift the most weight in order to win the competition. In reality, can a win-win situation exist for the Curator and the public…will there always be a group that is offended by the story and/or the storyteller? If storytellers “fully” examine the story, the intention behind the project, and those involved (both sides) we could reduce a lot of the conflict.