CHANGING TASTES:  LOCAL GASTRONOMY AND REGIONAL MUSEUMS

The International Committee for Regional Museums (ICR) invites you to participate in its annual conference to be held from 22-28 August 2011 in Kristiansand and Vest-Agdar County, Norway.  The organizers seek papers on the conference theme, CHANGING TASTES:  LOCAL GASTRONOMY AND REGIONAL MUSEUMS.

Every region has developed distinctive patterns of eating and drinking in response to the natural resources available in its physical environment.  Almost every museum holds some food-related material in their collections: still-life paintings, farm tractors, kitchen utensils, plant and animal specimens, traditional table textiles, cookbooks, historic photographs recording wedding feasts, fish nets used by indigenous cultures and pottery from archaeological contexts.

Regional museums document, collect, interpret and present all aspects of life in their regions, including the vital activities around foodways.  How can museums best share their rich resources of tangible and intangible gastronomic heritage with their many visitors and researchers?

Papers can explore any aspects of museum involvement in presenting and preserving food and drink traditions, including (but not limited to) museums’ contributions to recording the cultivation and harvesting of local crops, and the storage, preservation and preparation of food stuffs; researching and reviving local dishes and heritage plants; indigenous knowledge relating to traditional collecting of food resources; documenting changes in food tastes and modes of consumption influenced by immigration or local and national movements; the politics of food; the material culture of food and drink; conservation challenges in collecting food products; interpreting food production in domestic and industrial settings, etc.

Proposals are welcomed addressing questions such as the role of museums in supporting the revival and promotion of regional gastronomy; the challenges of presenting local food history while complying with health,safety and hygiene regulations; effective partnering with culinary tourism initiatives and dealing with controversial topics such as obesity, famine, food shortages and/or alcoholism.

ICR is looking for papers dealing with these and other questions that can help us be creative in the ways our museums address the history and culture of food production and consumption.  We are looking for examples of good practice, successful exhibitions, events and educational activities using museum collections and local talent.

For additional information, please visit www.icr-icom.org or contact ICR Treasurer, Rune Holbek at ruh@vaf.no

Susan Hanna

Secretary, International Committee for Regional Museums (ICR)
sushanna1@aol.com