Museum Essay

8 Pages 2052 Words

Museum Exhibit Comparison and Critique

Culture, as defined by Webster’s Dictionary, is a form of civilization, beliefs, arts, and customs. While this definition may be broad enough to cover most cultures it would be an insufficient definition if it would be used to describe the Cajun community. As my various trips to the three museums have taught me the Cajun way of life is rich in heritage from all over, it is filled with intriguing tales, and most importantly it is still preserved proudly in Eunice. Preserved and displayed so well that I became so interested that I nearly forgot that I was visiting these museums as an assignment. The stories behind the exhibits were fascinating and the perfectly preserved exhibits were astonishing. It was nearly as if I was stepping back in time. It was truly an understanding and learning experience whenever I got a chance to bring my grandmother and grandfather along. It allowed me to see beyond the exhibits, and into a part of their past that I had never been so thorough!
ly exposed to.
The first museum I visited was the Cajun Music Hall of Fame. This museum is small and not the least bit flashy. To the naked eye it is a low budget museum, consisting of one room and lots of Cajun music memorabilia. While to the optimistic one eye it is year’s worth of valuable Cajun culture, priceless memories, and a genuine “Saturday morning” Cajun atmosphere. The original instruments, the 8x10 pictures of the hall of fame members, and the enchanting tales only add to the charm of the museum. Upon my first visit there (one of three) I was greeted by the companionable and helpful Ms. Pitre, her kind voice and eager desire to spread to spread the Cajun heritage was very inviting to me. She relieved all the worries that I previously had about not finding the museum interesting. The first exhibit she showed me was her deceased husband’s, Austin Pitre. A famous Cajun musician who was inducte...