Museum Magazine

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Reading the Room: Designing effective exhibitions with emotional impact in mind

By Jacque Micieli-Voutsinas, Angela Person, Silvina Fernandez-Duque, and Christopher Black

When museums design exhibitions with the nervous system in mind, they create more effective spaces. How can museums create emotionally powerful exhibitions that support sustained visitor engagement? How do we design spaces that …
What Teens Want: Tips from a high school senior and museum intern

By Geva Avnet

Research shows that teens want to engage with museums—if they provide the right programming. In today’s social media era of shortened attention spans and fast-paced trends, teens can see museums as out of touch and antiquated. But …
Going Straight to the Source: Using interactive interviews to create engaging programming

By Devin Dotson and Lilly Andersen

The US Botanic Garden conducted interactive interviews with children to create new and engaging programming for families. When families wander the vibrant gardens of the United States Botanic Garden (USBG) in Washington, DC, they …
When Dinosaurs Meet Deep Oceans: Exhibition planning at the California Academy of Sciences

By Christina Klingenberger-Valdez

In a bid to increase attendance, the California Academy of Sciences shook up its exhibition schedule and marketing. Tourism is the lifeblood of many museums and cultural attractions. Earlier this year, as the California Academy of …
Reopening with Purpose: A new visitor experience at The Frick Collection

By Alexis Light, Dana Mitroff Silvers, and Carolyn Royston

As part of an extensive renovation, The Frick Collection reimagined the visitor experience. When The Frick Collection reopened its historic Fifth Avenue mansion in spring 2025 after a comprehensive, five-year renovation, the moment …
Reflecting Our Communities: Programming for engagement with the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block

By Marianna Pegno

Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block has taken a community-based approach to programming that is increasing audience engagement and visitation. To build sustainable and relevant institutions in the 21st century and beyond, museums …
From the President: If We Build It

By Marilyn Jackson

Educate. Inspire. Engage. Enrich. Stimulate. Nearly every museum, park, garden, zoo, science center, historic house, or aquarium includes at least one of these words to the right in its mission statement. At their core, museums exist to …
Achieving Active Collections: The Vermont Historical Society helping volunteer organizations

By Eileen P. Corcoran and Hannah Kirkpatrick

We had 175 chairs, 230 spoons, and 800 dresses. Do these items truly tell the story of Vermont? Established in 1838, the Vermont Historical Society (VHS) has been collecting objects and archival materials for over 175 years. By the 2010s, …
Market and Meaning: Indigenous art at the crossroads of commerce and repatriation

By Maeve R. Donnelly

Maeve R. Donnelly is a collections assistant at the Syracuse University Art Museum in New York. The research presented in this article was conducted independently as part of her graduate studies in Museum Studies and does not reflect …
The Case for Change: Environmental controls in collecting institutions

By Danielle Sakowski

A new study examines the relationship between energy, carbon, and T/RH parameters in collecting institutions. As part of their mission-driven work, museums are committed to protecting and preserving the objects in their care. Yet …