An Apprenticeship In Seeing
This article originally appeared in the March/April 2012 edition of the Museum magazine. An excerpt from The Quality Instinct “Please don’t get your hopes up. He’s a very difficult man.” My heart sank. Instead of …
Navigating Conservation Futures
I’m often bemused when I compare the answers to two questions I frequently ask museums: One of the key functions identified in your mission is preserving collections. What’s your goal? How long do you want them to be around? What timeframe …
In a Generous Spirit: Museums as Donees Standards, Best Practices, and Ethical and Legal Responsibilities
This article originally appeared in the July/August 2011 edition of the Museum magazine. An excerpt from To Give and To Receive: A Handbook on Gifts and Donations for Museums and Donors, available from The AAM Press. Edited by Sharon …
Preview of Houston: Exploring the Future of Natural History Museums
At the AAM meeting in Houston this May, artist Tracy Hicks will create an installation on the future of natural history museums and the influence of natural history museums on the future of the earth. One of the things I love about Tracy’s …
Dropping Off: The Blessings and Curses of Doorstep Donations
This article originally appeared in the May/June 2011 edition of Museum magazine. At the Idaho State Historical Museum in Boise, a man walked up to the information desk one afternoon clutching a cardboard box and looking agitated. He …
Museums & Wikipedia: The Future of Collaboration and Accessibility
Lori Byrd Phillips is a museum studies graduate student at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and the current Wikipedian-in-Residence at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. She recently received a full scholarship …
Museums and Spontaneous Eruptions of Art: Yarnbombing
Over the past two weeks, we’ve had Maria Mortati share with us the foundation of the San Francisco Mobile Museum and Barbara Stauffer discussing the challenges of orchestrating a participatory design experience in an institution. To …
Using Your Audience as Exhibit Designers
Last week, Barbara Stauffer shared with us the challenges of orchestrating a participatory design experience in an institution with well-established organizational procedures and hierarchies. For her, inviting the input of over 800 …
Museums & the Spectrum of Control: Part I
This week’s guest post is by Barbara Stauffer, chief of temporary exhibitions at the National Museum of Natural History. This is the first in a series of posts exploring how museums are adapting to people’s desire to contribute, share, …
An Idea for New Income and New Engagement: give your collections to as many people as possible
Got your attention with that headline, didn’t I? Calm down, I’m not talking about deaccessioning. I’m talking replication and teleportation of collections objects. Everyone has their own fav future tech. Phil’s is jetpacks: Mine is …
