Sarah Smithers
I have an MA in Art History and a PG/Dip in Museum Studies. I'm currently suffering from Basophobia and having mental health treatment. I'd love to work in art therapy when I am better.
Location Horsham
Activity
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Sarah Smithers replied to Mary R
I studied for my BA and MA in History of Art between 2000-2004, and I know that both courses barely touched on female artists.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
This all sounds fantastic! I did an MA in History of Art at Sussex University, and now I'm looking to do some more learning by enrolling in this course.
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Sarah Smithers replied to Tracy W
Massive Open Online Course :) I googled it!
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Sarah Smithers replied to Geoffrey Allan
I've been waiting for a PIP (new name for disability benefit) decision for 10 months now! Disgraceful, especially as I was only given 1 month to complete the form, gather my evidence, and post it back.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
I am of the belief that nurture plays a greater role in mental health conditions. My main reason for saying this, is through my own personal experiences. My Basophobia was brought on by life traumas, as prior to certain major things happening in my life, I never had any trouble with my mental health and I was working and doing a daily commute into London; now...
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Everything at the moment sounds fascinating and I'm looking forward to learning lots on this course!
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Hi everyone,
I'm from West Sussex in the UK and I am currently receiving mental health therapy to help me overcome Basophobia, which is an extremely rare and debilitating fear of falling when I walk. When I am well and am ready to volunteer and then return to work, I would like to work with people with mental health issues, especially in art therapy. This... -
Lovely to read your thoughts, Christopher and fantastic that you are still learning in your 80s. Brilliant!
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
I've joined this course as I am currently having psychotherapy for Basophobia (an extremely debilitating fear of falling when walking), so whilst I'm in therapy and unable to work, I wanted to do this course. I hope to volunteer in an area of mental health once I am able to travel safely and not need to be accompanied. The course sounds fantastic and I know...
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Hi! I'm doing this course as I love to help others, and I'm hoping to volunteer in a mental health environment in the future.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Hello, I'm from an arts background, but currently receiving CBT therapy for Basophobia (fear of falling when walking). My own mental health treatment and the current pandemic, have encouraged me to pursue a career in mental health once I am able to return to work. I am 39 and live in Sussex.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
I know that art has always played a very big part in my life, whether it's through being creative with words, or with colouring pencils. As I'm currently in therapy, that creativity is now helping with my recovery, as I use colour to express myself on the weekly 'body' worksheets.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
I'm currently living with a rare phobia called Basophobia, which means I fear falling when walking. It took a long time to get family and friends to understand what was going on and to fully appreciate just how scary and debilitating this condition is. My first appointment with a psychologist made a massive difference to me, as did seeing a psychiatrist, as...
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
I'm fascinated by the whole field of art therapy and the role of the arts in science, and I wish that this whole area had been known to me when I was at school - it might have changed my subject choices at A Level. Dr Hendricks is doing wonderful work in an extremely difficult area.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
I'm really enjoying this course and have learnt lots already. Studying for this course whilst having therapy with a psychologist, has made me even more determined to try and work in an art therapy role or mental health art gallery, when I am well again.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
The first thing I thought about for arts in medicine, was the penguins sculpture at Worthing hospital in West Sussex. Already mentioned by at least two other people, which is great. I was at the hospital last week, as my dad was having a bone marrow test, so seeing the penguins made a tough day just a little bit better.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
I love the idea of body mapping, and would like to have a go at this form of art therapy myself. Definitely an area that I'm keen to learn more about. A big part of my own therapy, with CBT, involves using worksheets (including 'body' worksheets) to write down my thoughts and feelings and I often add colour to them; so I can well understand the importance of...
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Sarah Smithers replied to Sarah Smithers
@NatalieHart I did Museum Studies too! I did the Distance Learning PG/Dip with University of Leicester.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
What keeps me alive is my family and friends. I also live with Trigeminal Neuralgia (nerve pain) and Basophobia, so my determination to live my life, even when I have pain or can't leave the house because Basophobia stops me, keeps me going. I live in the present moment but also hope to one day work in a mental health gallery. Basophobia and the therapy that I...
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Very moving and as others have said, quite beautiful too. When I studied Art History at college, Joseph Wright of Derby's painting of the dove in the experiment, was a work that I always found very emotive. One knows that the bird will die, so it's fascinating but also very uncomfortable to see.
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Sarah Smithers replied to Sarah Smithers
Thanks, Jessica! Manchester art gallery sounds great. I will definitely take a look :)
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Hi! I come from a Humanities background, as I have an MA in History of Art and a BA in History of Art and Film Studies. One of the museums that I've previously worked in was Bethlem Museum of the Mind in South London, which displays art and objects in the grounds of a mental health hospital. I'm currently unable to work as I'm receiving CBT treatment for...
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Sarah Smithers replied to Jessica W
Sorry for your loss, Jessica. All the best with your research and for the future.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Hi everyone, I'm joining this course as although I have an MA in Art History and a BA in Film, I love learning! I thought that the course sounded really interesting too. Looking forward to getting started.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Hi everyone, I'm in my 30s and live in West Sussex, UK. I am currently taking some time out of employment for health reasons, so have been doing some Futurelearn courses (museums). I have an MA in History of Art and would love to secure work in the museums and heritage sector.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Green, white and black sneaker shoe
Approximately 6-months old
Made in China and bought in Deichmann
Women’s size 4 sneaker-style shoe with green canvas, white laces and black edging around the toecap. Shows signs of wear and tear (scuffing), but minimal damage overall.
Accession number 520.13.15.2019
Mixture of plastic, canvas, rubber and cotton.
How... -
Sarah Smithers made a comment
My theme has changed several times, but I've now settled on the history of shoes from around the world.
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Sarah Smithers replied to Erin Benedictson
Oh wow! This sounds wonderful. I love Downton Abbey, so I can well imagine that the exhibition was lovely to see.
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Sarah Smithers replied to William Patience
Although I'm not really a regular visitor to Tate Modern, I always enjoy it there as they have a fantastic collection and a varied exhibition programme.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
One of the best exhibitions that I've ever been to, was at the Jewish Museum in London. It was 'Tiger, Mog and Pink Rabbit: A Judith Kerr Retrospective'. It was brilliantly displayed with very interesting and well-written and researched text panels. Lots of things for children to see and do, and plenty for adults to enjoy. The exhibition featured lots of...
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
The introductory text would indeed be more punchy if edited slightly, but length-wise, it still works for me, as I'm someone who does take the time to read the text panels. I think that text shouldn't be made so short and simple that it then doesn't cater for people who want to have more info. So I agree that the first paragraph should contain a lot of the...
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Green and white sneaker shoe with white laces, and approximately 6 months old. Shows signs of daily wear and tear, but minimal damage to the shoe itself, except for some scuffing on the surface.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Really interesting and informative interview from Steph. Totally makes sense that visitors shouldn't be touching everything, as that only damages the items. I see that archivists wear gloves much less often though nowadays (for fear of damaging the item with clumsier hands), so it's not always easy to know what's the right thing to do!
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
If everyone handled and touched all the objects in a collection, they would certainly become damaged. The best way to compromise with this, is to have objects in the art museum/historic collection, which visitors can handle under supervision in addition to replica items which children can handle and play with.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Very interesting to hear how the role of the conservator has changed, from it being someone who hides away in a workshop to someone who interacts with and communicates across all areas of the museum. My first paid role in a museum was in 2008, and the conservator was an older man who liked his own company, and never seemed comfortable with the rest of the...
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
The use of egg tempera in restoration, was something that I probably should have known, but didn't. I also never considered that restoration should always be reversible. Makes total sense though, with the constant changes in restoration techniques and the number of badly restored paintings over the years.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Fascinating video! So much skill and dedication involved in restoring works of art. I never considered that all work done by conservators should be reversible, but now it makes sense.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Really enjoyed the section on contemporary art and also writing museum labels. All really helpful and interesting too!
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
The use of active verbs in a museum label isn't something that I had thought that much about, but having read the examples above, I can see how much of a difference it makes. I also very much agree with Cheryl Hanson about ensuring that spelling and grammar are correct!
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
With contemporary art, I prefer to make up my own mind about the artist's intention, but sometimes this can be quite difficult if the work is very abstract. I think that the label should always display the name of the artist and the medium though. Perhaps just a few questions on the description too, to encourage discussion.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
The first label (marble statue) has lots of good info, but needs shortening. Label 2 (silver ring brooch) is just too short and lacking in info. Label 3 (swimming reindeer) is my favourite as although it does need shortening, it gives a good description of the object. Label 3 is the only one which asks a question, giving the reader something to think about....
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
This has been a brilliant section of the course, which I've made lots of notes for. Having worked in various museums and archives (voluntary and paid), I've often worked on exhibition text and it's a tricky thing to get right.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
I would guess that this object is from the Victorian era. It's beautifully made, but as to it's function, I really have no idea!
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Tracey Emin created the unmade bed, and it's a relection of her own life at that time when she spent several days in bed whilst suffering from depression. Definitely an artwork that needs some good explanation in the text labels!
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
As several others have already said, the exhibition was primarily aimed at adults, but younger people have been catered for with workshops and events, which is a great idea. There was also a short note about Glasgow Museums having display standards about word lengths for labels, but no further info about how to actually go about creating exhibit labels, which...
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
A curator should have a strong knowledge of the subject and excellent writing skills in order to get those ideas across to visitors using text panels. As well as that, the curator should be able to engage with visitors via educational talks and tours.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Definitely a good thing that museums are collaborating with audiences a lot more than in the past. Some people still see museums as stuffy and boring places (so wrong!), but if curators and outreach staff engage with the community, I hope people will be encouraged to visit more often. The same can be said for working in archives: the job of the archivist is...
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
This exhibition sounds very interesting to me. I love Blade Runner and I also studied Film and Art History, so I am interested in the crossover between the two subjects. Reading about the exhibit has definitely encouraged me to do some online research into it. More pictures of the exhibits would've been helpful though.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Although some people have commented that the dark lighting would put them off, I think that this exhibition sounds fantastic! Lots of really interesting and exciting ideas. Would love to have visited this !
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For contemporary art, I love a lot of the graffitti art and mixed media art that's currently being created. Examples: JJ Adams and JR. Although I love a lot of contemporary art, it's not easy to describe in short captions!
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Looking forward to learning about how text panels are created and how to capture the most relevant info; plus how to keep the audience engaged.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
The creation of museum text is the part of the course that I'm most looking forward to, as I'd love to work in this area!
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
I've certainly enjoyed this first week! Reading all the comments and interacting with everyone, is really enhancing the whole learning experience for me. Looking forward to week 2 as writing text for museums is the area that I've always been most interested in.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
When I've visited some exhibitions, I've found it difficult to see some of the artworks/objects, because of people taking selfies or just using their phones as cameras; this is when social media has a negative affect on the whole museum experience!
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
I love the fact that museums have embraced social media, as people can connect with the collections digitally, from anywhere in the world. When I've visited an exhibition, I always post something on social media afterwards, to promote the show on Twitter. It's another fun way to engage with museums!
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
These all sound great ideas (and lots of fun), but would be a shame if people only came to museums for these kinds of events, rather than the actual collections! Basically what Sandeep Narang said too. I enjoy museums because I love seeing exhibitions and collections; I don't need a disco to attract me through the doors!
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
I am in my 30s now, but I remember lots of school trips to museums. I always enjoyed them, but I friends didn't. I am definitely going to pass on my interest to my nephew, who is 2!
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Maybe this has already been suggested before, but I would use 'The Snail' by Matisse. The abstract patterns could be fun for children to recreate.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
I particularly liked Falks' definitions, and could certainly relate to some of those myself; but not necessarily the same 'type' every day or each visit. Really helpful to look at museum visitors in this way. Fascinating research, for sure.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Good to meet you all! I've been volunteering in museums for quite a long time, and it's a fun and exciting sector to be in; just highly competitive and tough to secure full-time employment.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
I try to visit as many museum exhibitions as possible, but sometimes they have been overcrowded and it's difficult to view everything properly. Some of the best exhibitions I've been to lately have been away from London (Eastbourne, Hastings and Bradford), as I love to experience museums all over the UK.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Hi everyone, I have an MA in Art History and voluntary experience in museums. Currently seeking a new position and looking forward to learning a whole lot more during this course!
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Really enjoyed this course, so thanks to all involved. I mainly focussed on the sections on publishing and the visual arts, as those are the areas in which I'd love to work.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Definitely lots of complex ideas discussed, and I've made several pages of notes. Really interesting and certainly looking forward to week 4!
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Really interesting and extremely helpful to have an understanding of a publishing agreement.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
I have learnt a great deal this week, and have made lots of notes about book publishing and the visual arts, which will be extremely helpful for my future job applications.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Very helpful info about the issue of rights and copyright in modern publishing, as it's always a complicated area! Really helpful for people (like myself) who would love a career in the book sector.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Really enjoyed this first week and it has given me lots to think about and several pages of notes!
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
I found this section very informative and the table made things easier to follow. For my sectors of interest (visual arts and publishing), the explanations were especially useful.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
For someone like myself who is new to the study of copyright, the definitions are very helpful and a good place to start; perhaps I'll feel differently though at the end of the course!
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Hi, I'm Sarah and I live in West Sussex. I have an MA in Art History and have previously worked in archives and museums, plus some temping in publishing. I would love to work in a publishing role (especially in the arts), so a good knowledge of copyright will definitely help me. Looking forward to getting started on the course!
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What a fantastic project!
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Sounds like it was a fascinating exhibition that dealt with all health issues in a sensitive way.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
I really like the idea of the cigarette cards being used in an educational way. Brilliant and very creative use of archival collections!
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Museums are always inspiring for me, especially art museums and museums that display film related collections. I want to mention Bethlem Museum of the Mind (in Greater London) too, as that is a museum that has a fascinating collection related to mental health. A must see!
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I had never associated museums with health and wellbeing, but now I can see why museums and galleries can play such an important role in this area. I especially liked the idea of using museum collections to help people with dementia - brilliant!
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
My opinions haven't changed all that much, as I felt that museums could engage with the majority of the issues; but I can now see that museums can be even more active in these issues than I'd first thought. However, I still feel that dealing with crime in society would be the hardest issue to tackle.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
I really enjoyed looking at the photographs in the recent exhibition and reading the accompanying captions and the idea of a migration museum, is a brilliant one. Britain is very multicultural (one of the reasons I love this country), so a museum that represents national migration, would be excellent.
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I am definitely in agreement with Dr Richard Benjamin, as it's refreshing to see a museum that actually isn't neutral and gets actively involved with current issues. Really like the ideas of The International Slavery Museum and I wish more museums could be like this one.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Controversial subjects need to be dealt with in museums, as that is how we all learn, but they just need to always be put into context and exhibitions have to carry warnings when that is appropriate. We cannot deny the fact that horrible and upsetting things happen in the world every single day, but we have to learn from these events and teach future...
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
As racism still continues in the US, the KKK robe is an exhibit that is still very relevant today. Yes, it shocks; but it needs to be understood as it is a part of history that was terrifying and shocking for black Americans. I would have no problem seeing it on display, as I would like to learn from it and be able to understand more about this terrible moment...
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Objects bring the past alive, but the stories that surround them are also very important, as the object has less meaning without its story. I've never seen Nelson's jacket, but my Dad has, and the experience of seeing it has always stayed with him. He visited the Maritime Museum many years ago, and has often told me how much he was moved by seeing the...
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Reading this letter definitely aroused a feeling of sadness in me as it was very powerful and moving to read. I totally agree with Dr David Fleming that emotions should be at the heart of the museum experience, as for me, that's exactly what museums are all about.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
The last exhibition that I visited was the Judith Kerr display at the Jewish Museum in London. Wonderful exhibition which was both moving and also made me feel happy. Lots of different emotions all in one exhibition: brilliant experience! I think it's very hard for a museum not to elicit an emotional response from the audience, and that is fine for me: it's...
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
I had never heard of this exhibition until now, but even just viewing the three stories, showed me what a deeply moving experience this exhibition must have been. Not sure that I would've attended this myself, simply because of the subject matter, but it was clearly handled sensitively and carefully.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
The last museum that I visited was the Jewish Museum in London. It was the first time that I'd been there and I really enjoyed the whole experience. The audience there was very diverse in age group and younger visitors clearly enjoyed seeing the Judith Kerr exhibit with lots of material from 'The Tiger Who Came to Tea'. I am not Jewish myself, but I'd always...
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I really like the ideas being used at the Walker Gallery, and I can understand how popular they have been - it's a great way of encouraging children and their parents to engage with art.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
I love the idea of 'Big Art', and I can totally understand it's appeal. This should be the way forward for all museums. Attracting children and teenagers will encourage them to visit museums and galleries in the future.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Up until now I hadn't heard of this manifesto, but I really enjoyed reading it. Such an excellent idea. It was great to read something that wasn't heavy going text; it was actually fun to read! There obviously has to be some rules in museums (particularly in regards to touching exhibits), but this manifesto should be used by all museums.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
I was disappointed to read that children are not allowed in the Frick Collection in New York, as I don't believe that children should be banned from any museum. Museums are for all! It is the parents that are at fault, as they are responsible for the behaviour of their kids. Banning children from museums will not give them any encouragement to visit them in...
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I remember being taken to the old MOMI (Museum of the Moving Image) Museum in London as a child, and the experiences I had there have always stayed with me. I also remember trips to the Natural History Museum and Science Museum with my primary school - I always loved them. Museums are even more family friendly now, which is great. However, I feel that art...
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
I have never visited the Walker before but the timeline was fascinating to read.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Anyone who still has the belief that museums (and their staff!) are stuffy and boring, is one of the hardest to get into a museum. Using technology such as Twitter is a way that museums should make a lot of use of. Targeting certain exhibitions to teenagers is essential.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
I was not surprised by the low attendance from 16-24 year olds and the higher rates from those living in cities, but the drop in website use did surprise me. More focus on rural groups would be good.
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I totally agree with you! Some people that I know still see museums as stuffy and dull- how very wrong they are.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
I love interactive exhibits, but I also enjoy exhibits that challenge and have informative labels - it is always good to see a balance of the two. A good museum for me, is somewhere that posts engaging content on Twitter, has a great shop and café, lots of exhibitions that appeal to all, plenty of spaces to sit and reflect, and encourages all age groups and...
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I like a mixture of both as I enjoy traditional museums like the National Gallery in London, but also love interactive places too. I wouldn't want museums to dumb down and not be challenging anymore.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
I think it's brilliant how successful the Museum of Liverpool is, but I agree that it is impossible to please everybody! Having quieter spaces where I can reflect on the collections, is just as important as large interactive spaces where noise levels are higher. When I've visited the National Gallery in London, I always feel like I should be quiet there: it...
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
It's refreshing to have such an inspiring museum that is outside of London, which is always where the focus is! Harder for small museums that are run by volunteers, to achieve such greatness though; but lots can certainly be learned from National Museums Liverpool.
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Sarah Smithers made a comment
Brilliant project! Such a fantastic way to encourage community involvement and get many different groups of people interested in museums and their collections.
