As a result of European colonialism, many objects were taken from the people of Africa. Using two case studies, I have explored the cultural significance of returning objects that were stolen or otherwise taken under questionable circumstances from West Africa during the rise of colonialism. One, an ivory mask of Queen Mother Idia, was taken from the Kingdom of Benin during the British Punitive expedition of 1897. The other one, a sculpture of a man- shark dedicated to King Gbehanizn of Dahomey, was taken by the French under suspicious circumstances. Exploring the cultural and monetary value of these items to the people that made them, as well as to the people that stole them and the value to the people that currently possess the items is something that will be discussed in this paper. I will also include any diplomatic relations that have occurred in reference to the works, citing sources from both sides of the current state of the field on the matter. After evaluating the value of these object to the people involved as well as in their removal from their original African contexts and current diplomatic proceedings, I argue that the return of these items is very important to the cultural heritage, identity and history of Africa and its people and thus should be taken seriously by all parties involved. 

Since the Renaissance, patrons have always held influence on the running of museums and exhibition choices. Increasingly, donors define museums standards, practices, and polices. In many cases, they even define their architectural designs. In this research, I examine all aspects of philanthropic activities, bringing in current debates and controversies associated with Museum finance. In particular, I look at trustees and board members who use their art world cachet to further their business investments and bolster their charismatic personas. In this examination, I consider the funding structure of museums and look at national scandals, such as former vice-chairman Warren B. Kanders at the Whitney in New York. Recently, the vice-chairman was asked to step down after it was reported to the public that Kander’s Company manufactured the tear gas that was used against migrants at the Mexican border. Though protest escalated to the extent of posting personal information on social media, only after artists withdrew their work did Kanders finally step down. I compare this with my own personal experience at the Museum of Northwest Art in La Conner. Obviously, solutions needed to amend this systemic problem, such as better vetting of donors, will requires a major cultural shift that potentially threatens future contributions coming forward. Nonetheless, in this research I highlight how the current system increasingly undermines the public's faith in our cultural institutions. Without any safeguards the current system will most likely lead to further corruption and abuse. Can we afford to have donors associated with public museums and, if not, can art museums continue to exist?

This essay is a research project dedicated to the performative viewer in the museum experience. While every public space has an expectation of behavior, spaces set aside to showcase art provide a unique platform and opportunity for the art to attract attention. In viewing these artworks that are presented in a space designed to highlight them, the viewer or audience then performs the ritual that is unique to places of reverence and internal contemplation. Using psychoanalytical and anthropological methodologies along with direct observational data, this essay defines both what a ritual is and how the ritual applies to the participant viewer experience in art museums or art galleries. Pulling from the writings of Carol Duncan, Victor Turner, Helen Rees Leahy, and others; this is an attempt to relate the environment of dedicated art spaces to the environment and settings of the religious temple, and how the actions of the visiting participants mirror each other. In observing Knowledge Bennett’s mixed media triptych, “Comes in Three”, on view in the Western Gallery, and the audience it attracts, the resulting behavior of the participant viewer is recorded and used as empirical data for research. Results of my observations showed that my initial expectation for the amount of participant viewers was higher than what I witnessed, proving that further research and observation is required.
 

Marine heatwaves are the phenomena of abnormally warm ocean surface temperatures that last for an extended period of time. The most severe marine heatwave of recent times occurred from 2013 to 2016 in the Northeastern Pacific. This event, nicknamed ‘The Blob’, was scientifically fascinating because the ocean-atmosphere system maintained itself for so long in an anomalous state. In mid-2019, a marine heatwave with a likeness to ‘The Blob’ began forming. This research project focuses on analyzing the anomalous patterns in sea surface temperature, clouds, radiative fluxes, and turbulent fluxes that arise during the formation and duration of this event. We set out to understand if the more recent 2019 marine heatwave evolves in a similar way to that of ‘The Blob,’ and how it differs. This project uses NOAA Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) data, which assimilates measurements using complex models to create the best estimates of atmospheric and oceanic variables with complete global spatial coverage. With this project, we aim to understand the atmospheric response to marine heatwaves using geospatial plots of mean temperature, fluxes, and cloud cover. We expect to see differences in the atmosphere response with regards to the net flux that caused the quick dissipation of the recent marine heatwave.