Irina Costache with CSUCI students at the Oblate Library in Florence, Italy. Courtesy photos.
CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) was in its first year – 2002 – when Professor of Art History Irina D. Costache, Ph.D., created an interdisciplinary class called “The Museum: Culture, Business & Education” in collaboration with CSUCI’s Business and Education faculty and taught in partnership with area museums.
The class was designed for students of any major to learn about the behind-the-scenes business and art of running a museum by actually working with partners such as The Getty and the Carnegie Art Museum in Oxnard. Costache, in cooperation with faculty from CSUCI’s Martin V. Smith School of Business & Economics, began teaching the class in 2003.
This year, Costache co-edited an anthology of successful collaborations between museums and institutions of higher learning called “Academics, Artists and Museums,” published by Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group in their acclaimed series “Research in Museum Studies.”
She created the anthology with the founding director of Art Muse in Los Angeles, Clare Kunny, who worked with Costache for “The Museum” when Kunny was Head of Education at The Getty.
In the book Kunny and Costache detail the formation of a partnership between museums and academia, with a focus on art museums and exhibits. Three of the essays in the book concern CSUCI students and area art institutions. One of those essays is specifically about “The Museum” course and was written with CSUCI Professor of Business Andrew Morris and Suzanne Bellah, director of the Carnegie Art Museum in Oxnard.
“I am very proud of this essay and overall, the rich and inclusive content as well as the diverse and global views of this anthology,” Costache said. “It reflects the values and mission of our University of being interdisciplinary, providing an international perspective, student engagement, diversity and multiculturalism.”
The book advocates the use of museums as “laboratories” for students, which allows museums to engage a new generation of museum-goers and allows the students to become interested and invested in the process of creating a compelling museum experience.
One example of a collaborative relationship between CSUCI and The Getty is the year-end gala called “College Night at the Getty,” which is organized by students in “The Museum” class.
The semester-end result is a night of music, food, dance, hands-on workshops, demonstrations and of course museum tours. The event is open to college students across Southern California and generally attracts about 2,500 students.
“What is valuable, about this class, among many other things, is the collaboration process,” Costache said. “It helps students understand how a project like this comes together. They see the museum not from the outside, but by understanding the dynamics of the inner workings of a museum. It also offers them an opportunity to present their ideas at a world-class institution.”
The book includes both diversity and an international perspective, thanks to her partnership with the Palazzo Strozzi in Florence, one of the most prestigious art museums in Italy.
One of the international essays details how instructors used an art collection at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, South Korea to teach students English.
The Tohono O’odham Nation Cultural Center, a native American cultural center south of Tucson, Arizona, designed a program that used art museum exhibits to help train health professionals at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida.
Costache was the first art historian to take the role of Resident Director of CSU’s Italy program from 2012-2013. She was there once again for the 2017-2018 academic year developing academic projects that benefited over 80 students from all 23 campuses. The program is affiliated with the Accademia di Belli Arti and the Università degli Studi di Firenze.
For more about the book visit: https://www.routledge.com/Academics-Artists-and-Museums-21st-Century-Partnerships/Costache-Kunny/p/book/9781138300781.
About California State University Channel Islands: CSU Channels Islands is reimagining higher education for a new generation and era. We are an innovative higher education institution that enables students to succeed and thrive, serves as an engine for social and economic vitality and provides the intellectual resources necessary for a thriving democracy. With more than 7,000 students, 1,200 employees and 16,000 alumni, CSUCI is designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Our strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Connect with and learn more by visiting CSUCI’s Social Media.