Today’s guest blogger is Dr. Beth Grindell, director of Arizona State Museum. She has worked at ASM for more than 17 years and served as director for 1.5 years.

“What if I throw a party and no one comes?”  It’s every hostess’s worst nightmare.  Then her very next thought is “Have I got enough food?”

Every museum curator’s worst nightmare is “Suppose I put on a program and people just yawn?”   On opening day, we start to worry that it might prove controversial.  Will people be mad?

ASM faced both these contradictions on December 3^rd, when we opened the photo exhibit, Mexico, the Revolution and Beyond: The Casasola Archives, 1900–1940.

Three hundred people showed up, making this perhaps the largest exhibit opening ASM has ever held.  So let me apologize up front to those who did not get any of the really delicious munchies donated by El Charro Café and Le Cave’s Bakery.   Several attendees have suggested that, at 6:30 pm, we feed people first and then hold discussions, or, as we did on December 3, a panel discussion.   Of course, we don’t want a famished audience who can’t focus on the speakers’ ideas so we’ll experiment by re-arranging the schedule at future openings.

Dr. Roberto Cintli Rodriguez, University of Arizona Department of Mexican American Studies

With respect to the 2^nd contradiction, above, we got a few comments on Professor Rodriquez’s talk during which he spoke about being an activist journalist, covering riots in LA, and compared his court experiences with those experienced by illegal Mexican immigrants in Tucson today, as well as sharing ideas about why NAFTA may cause the next Mexican revolution.  He started by saying his talk was about the “beyond” part of the program title. People were not shy.  Some considered his remarks appropriate and interesting; others felt he was off-topic and just pushing a personal agenda.  Some worried that we had a communist in our midst, others used the ‘socialist’ word.   I do regret that another engagement caused him to leave before the q & a period.  That doesn’t allow for a discussion of what some felt were radical or inappropriate ideas. That is unfair to both the speaker and the audience.

Dr. Beth Grindell, Director of Arizona State Museum

A museum of anthropology is a place to explore other cultures and other world-views, and a university museum is a place to explore and debate ideas.  If something strikes a nerve on occasion I hope we will think to ask why we find it so bothersome.   And once we figure out why it bothers us, we should ask why a worldview so at odds with our own might work for others.  ASM will try to ensure that our programs allow ample time for discussion and that all the speakers are available to participate with the audience in a discussion of diverse ideas.  Many thanks to all who have contacted us.  In the meantime, feel free to comment here and continue the discussion.

To listen to the speakers’ presentations, please check ASM’s podcast page in early January where you can listen to or read transcripts of the panel discussion.