Parlez-vous Destination, Enrichment on les Cruise Lines?

Article 1 -                             Are you an Interpreter? Not one who interprets one language into another, but one who interprets facts for others’ enjoyment, adding value to their day.

The profession of interpretation has long been a function of museums, art, archaeological or natural resources. Interpretation of history, cultural sites, science, and the arts is now a profession of cruise lines.

You must bring history, art and science alive with information or interpretation that stimulates and satisfies people. This mind set goes way beyond relating facts.

In 1920 Enos Mills wrote the training guide, The Adventures of a Nature Guide. Enos Mills owned a resort in Colorado on the edge of public land that is now Rocky Mountain National Park. He guided his guests on hikes through the country of the Rocky Mountains. He told stories of the animals and plants they saw along the way. His stories or “lectures” around the lodge fireplace connected the people to his home in the mountains. Enos Mills did what we as speakers aboard the cruise ships should strive to do: weave a story that connects us to the resource, cultural site, history or science.

It would behoove all those known as presenters or speakers on cruise ships to take on this cloak of interpretation. The passengers are spending their leisure time on cruises to learn new facts, see new sites and participate on a historical tour in port. Passengers will spend their time and money to do so. They also come to listen to a presenter or speaker. Why? They get benefits. They value that benefit or experience. They come voluntarily! Hopefully the process of gaining knowledge is an enjoyable one. Pleasant experiences make life more enjoyable. Translate that into pleasant experiences make happy cruisers, which make happy cruise lines, which makes awesome opportunities for interpreters of the enrichment programs. You are signed on to enrich the cruise experience. Interpreters seek to enrich experiences. They add value to leisure time and recreational activity (Knudson, Cable, Beck, Interpretation for the 21st Century, 2003)

Freeman Tilden, one the groundbreakers in the area of interpretation stated: Information as such, is not interpretation. Interpretation is revelation based upon information. They are entirely different things. However, all interpretation includes information… Information is the raw material of interpretation. (Interpreting Our Heritage, 1967)

Information is the ethical, professional part of your presentation, but interpretation is the art of adding value to passenger’s leisure time. The art of interpretation will be explored in the next posting.

Titian's La Bella

On November 11, at noon. I will be speaking on Textiles and Costumes of the Italian Renaissance. This is the Art Bites Program, sponsored in part by Nevada Humanities. Paige Mattern and Sara Carpenter will be modeling the difference between European and Italian gowns. For more information and tickets ($5.00) contact  Nevada Museum of Art

BIG Pouffy Chicken Wire Wedding Dress

What happens when you take 1/2 in plywood, chicken wire, bar stool and a used wedding dress? You end up with a product that a client asked you to build. At the end of September Shirley Lockett contacted me. She was interested in trying to build a prop for her Bridal & Beauty Show produced by the Lockett Corporation. When we met at Starbucks she showed me a 4x6 promotion card of the inspiration piece. That started the creative juices flowing. As you can see in the pictures below the process I used to build the set for her.

Shirley wanted the piece in the top right hand corner.

Shirley sent me a photo of the finished set for Bridal & Beauty Show

I used zip ties to secure the chicken wire to the plywood platform



still putting on zip ties

Dress I found at a thrift store





Shirley like the Phantom of the Opera theme -- I already had this mask fr another event

I made a gold forepart and lace overlay. All the pieces and parts were attached with ribbon



Me and the finished product. Wish the ladder was showing. Shirley is to send me a picture of the gal who actually was in this contraption at the show.




Well what do you think? Did I come close to the inspiration design?



Titian's La Bella

Hello Beautiful  how the Nevada Museum of Art is billing Titian's painting of La Bella.

La Bella is in town for only 58 days. She came from Italy to visit three museums in the US,  

Kimbell Museum in Fort Worth, Museum of Art in Reno and Portland Art Museum in Oregon.

 I was asked by the museum to present a program on Nov 11 regarding the costume and textiles behind the painting of La Bella. I am honored to be part of this program that is being produced in part by Arte Italia and the museum. I will be in costume of the Renaissance time period, but I will be bringing in Paige Mattern who will be in a Western European costume of 1535 (La Bella was painted in 1536) she has that wonder Gable Hood headdress of the Tudor time period. Sara, my granddaughter, will be in a Italian 1530's by looking at Paige and Sara side by side you will be able to see the different silhouettes of Western Europe and Italy.   If interested in attending this program click on link.

Nevada Museum of Art -- Art Bites

After restoration the brilliancy the painting is astounding. I would encourage everyone to go see her, where else in the US can you stand 3 feet from a relic of 1536.

Event Tickets for Lady Carolyn on Textiles and Costumes of the Italian Renaissance - Friday Nov 11, 2011 / 12:00 pm-12:30 pm



Carolyn Runnells a.k.a. “Lady Carolyn” designs, makes, and interprets period costumes. Join the Museum for this special opportunity to learn about the extraordinary textiles and costumes of the Italian Renaissance.

Art Bites in 2011 are made possible, in part, by a grant from Nevada Humanities.



Nevada Museum of Art

In August the teacher for the class at the Nevada Museum of Art asked that I provide models again for his Historical Costume Drawing Class.  They are starting another 4/6 week class in Nov. Below is the link to the museum if interested in taking the class.

Class for Nevada Museum of Art

The models for this class was Liza, her daughter Anna and Rick.