Collaborative Teaching: Conversations with the Center for Cartoon Studies

In November 2020, Dan Nott, instructor at the Center for Cartoon Studies located in White River Junction, Vermont, invited the Hood Museum of Art to join a virtual class session and discuss the Hokusai Manga works in the collection. Due to the Center for Cartoon Studies’ close proximity to the museum, the freshman class was able to visit the Bernstein Center for Object Study in previous years to view these works in person, which provided them with a unique opportunity to study and learn from original works of art. For example, in the spring and fall of 2019, students were able to view the Hokusai Manga collection and a representative selection of our Native American ledger art in a single visit. However, due to COVID-19 restrictions, this year’s visit pivoted to a virtual format and was divided into two separate sessions.

The first session focused on the Hokusai Manga collection, and was led by Museum Preparator Sue Achenbach, who has been working the collection for over a decade. Sue was aided by Kait Armstrong, visitors service guide and Bernstein Center for Object Study assistant. Sue used the Hood Museum’s document camera to stream images of the work to the group. This allowed the students to view the works from the comfort and safety of their own space, while still being able to interact with the art and ask Sue questions about the work. The questions ranged from why certain subjects were depicted and why the artist chose to make these books, to how the book was made and what the workflow process would have looked like start to finish.

Sue Achenbach:

On Tuesday, November 10, 2020, I was asked to show a class of students from the Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS) the Hood Museum’s collection of Katsushika Hokusai’s Manga books. Our collection has a full set of 15 Manga books published in the Meiji period. Filled with hundreds of images, the books serve as a sort of encyclopedia of life in Edo Japan during Hokusai’s lifetime (October 31, 1760–May 10, 1849). Animals, actors, bridges, courtesans, bath houses, workers of all kinds, families, landscapes, and architecture are all depicted throughout the books along with ghosts, mythical beings and narrative prints. Although very different from Manga of today, Hokusai’s Manga books are considered some of the very first of the genre and provide insight into the history and tradition of Manga.

This year was the second time students from the CCS came to view the Manga. While it was very different from previous year’s in person visit with Steve Bissette, during which all the students surrounded the two people handling the books, this year’s Zoom visit with Dan Nott went smoothly. In some ways, it benefitted the students to view the works virtually. For instance, it allowed the students to see more pages of the small books because the camera showed both the left and right pages clearly. Last year, it was harder to be sure that each student had a clear view of each page because of how small the images are and how popular the class is. Some of the images are only about 1 x 1 inch, while others are approximately 7 x 10 inches. The students asked many insightful questions and were actively engaged, which highlighted the timeless appeal of Hokusai’s work.

The goal of this visit was to have students view historical Manga, and according to Steve Bissette, “to see the wonders in your collections most applicable to the history of sequential narratives in multiple cultures.”

The CCS students returned on Tuesday, November 17, 2020, for a second virtual discussion with Associate Curator of Native American Art Jami Powell. This time, Dr. Powell focused on Native American ledger drawings from the collection. She led the students in a facilitated experience, and as in previous visits, the conversation began with a discussion about the historical context of the works and their creation as acts of resistance. Again, the video equipment allowed for the capability to get an extremely close look. Dr. Powell was also able to direct the attention of the group to specific areas of the pieces, which gave way to an effective and productive conversation. After discussing the historical context, the conversation turned to art history and the lasting effects the works had and continue to have on contemporary artists. Once they were finished viewing the original works of art, Dr. Powell used a PowerPoint to highlight contemporary Native American artists in the Hood Museum’s collection and the connections between their work and ledger art.

Thanks to all our collaborative relationship continues with the Center for Cartoon Studies!

This post was authored by:
Susan Achenbach, Museum Preparator
Randall Kuhlman, Center for Object Study Attendant and Scheduling Assistant

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Susan Achenbach is an art handler and exhibition preparator. Sue handles art for classes in the Bernstein Study-Storage Center and monitors classes where art is present. She also mats and frames works on paper and helps prepare exhibitions for display in the museum. She has twenty years of experience as a professional conservation framer and has taken additional workshops at the Williamstown Art Conservation Center. In addition to her professional training, she has a B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis and a M.Ed. from Boston University.

Randall Kuhlman works with both Academic Programming and K-12 Education. He helps to schedule and coordinate all visits to the museum and assists students and faculty with their use of the museum’s collections. Randall graduated from Elmira College with a degree in history and classical studies in 2010 and completed his Master’s in applied archaeology from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2013, where he completed his thesis; Classical Traditions in Central New York State: Analyzing Classical Influences in 19th Century Syracuse, New York. Before joining the Hood Museum, Randall worked in cultural resource management throughout New England.

Feature image: Katsushika Hokusai, Ehon Teikin Orai, 1828, book of color woodblock prints on paper. Gift of Robert W. Christy; MIS.997.4.5.