PARTICIPATE
A Look Ahead
Vital Matters continues to grow through collaborations with UCLA faculty, staff, and students. . By bridging art, the humanities, social sciences, and sciences, the initiative fosters interdisciplinary learning and engagement.
Moving forward, we aim to build partnerships across UCLA, nationally and internationally, organizing collaborations around specific themes to connect diverse disciplines:
Ecological Knowledge, Devotional Practices, and the Visual Arts
Borders, Human Rights, and the Arts
Provenance, Cultural Heritage, and Return
The goal is to create new content that becomes an integral part of the museum’s catalog and archive, rather than treating educational activities as separate interventions.
Expanding Media
To enhance engagement, Vital Matters seeks to broaden its media resources beyond the original video interviews. Our focus is on identifying additional materials that would best support faculty and enrich the learning experience. Examples include:
Texts (fiction, nonfiction, and poetry)
Archival resources
Documentaries
Other objects
Performances
Currently, the project primarily features videos centered on individual objects. While this format has clear advantages, we see opportunities to expand by connecting these works to larger contexts and incorporating diverse media, such as dance, news articles, or architectural references. By doing so, we aim to provide a richer, more comprehensive exploration of belief systems and material culture.
This project marks the beginning of an exciting journey for the Fowler Museum’s digital learning initiatives. With continued community feedback and collaboration, Vital Matters aims to deepen its impact and foster ongoing partnerships.