ERIC Number: EJ1279135
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1059-8650
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Available Date: N/A
LGBTIQ+-Themed Education at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna -- Guided Tours with a Drag Queen
Rowles, Benjamin
Journal of Museum Education, v45 n4 p364-374 2020
The Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria, holds countless European Old Master paintings, some of which can be interpreted to reference queer themes. But working there as an educator, I noticed there was a lack of LGBTIQ+ outreach. Since I held the academic skills to develop queer-themed guided tours and because I also performed as a drag queen in my free time, I decided to combine both activities and offered guided tours in drag. The tours became an immense success with visitors, as evidenced by personal feedback, participant numbers, and social media engagement. In addition, the project attracted far more positive media coverage than expected. Serious, in-depth analysis of the artworks and their implications about social history remained the project's core mission throughout. Despite its tremendous success, I retired the program after three years because it required significant personal investment. Still, both the project's successes and its challenges offer valuable insights about museum outreach strategies in general.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Museums, LGBTQ People, Exhibits, Facilitators (Individuals), Arts Centers, Sexuality, Outreach Programs
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Austria (Vienna)
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