Public Programming

Thriving as a Virtual Museum: The National Museum of American Jewish History’s Playbook

By Dr. Misha Galperin

Like many museums, the National Museum of American Jewish History (NMAJH)’s doors have remained closed to the public since March 2020. Our physical doors, that is. Our museum is very much open through virtual offerings—and we’re happy to …
How the Frazier History Museum Is “Bridging the Divide” in Its City

By Rachel Platt

The Frazier History Museum is located on Main Street in Downtown Louisville, Kentucky, at the corner of Ninth Street. What makes our address significant, historically significant, is that Ninth Street has long been known as the “Ninth …
Running with Scissors (and a Mask!): COVID-19 Responses at Old Salem Museums & Gardens

By Franklin D. Vagnone

Just as flexible buildings can withstand hurricane-force winds and earthquakes, flexible institutions can withstand monumental challenges like a global pandemic. Because of our four years of re-envisioning at Old Salem Museum & Gardens …
Attracting Charitable Giving through Education Programs

By Lori Kartchner and Mickey Maley

In this series of posts, EdCom’s Trends Committee is taking a deeper look at emerging phenomena identified in the 2020 edition of TrendsWatch from the Center for the Future of Museums. In this post, they turn their attention to the …
How Will Museums Haunt Us This Halloween?

By Joseph O'Neill

If you’re up for an extra dose of eeriness in this already odd year, you’re in luck! Halloween is imminent, and even in a pandemic museums have plans to mark the occasion. Whether via virtual or in-person festivities, …
The Keys to Sustainable Online Programming? Partnerships and Professional Development

By Megan Ennes

Recently, I’ve been analyzing the efficacy of museum-developed digital programs over their thirty-year history, and I’ve noticed a common theme: Every study extols the benefits of such programs, including increased outreach and engagement …
Don’t Be Surprised, Be an Ally: Better Security Planning for Virtual Programs

By Kenneth Cohen

It was my ninth virtual program of the COVID era that prompted this essay. The first eight had gone relatively well. After some low numbers and awkward silences early on, later events exceeded attendance and engagement expectations. The …
Earning Income from Education Programs during COVID-19

By Daryl Jorgenson and Kate Jackson

In this series of posts, EdCom’s Trends Committee is taking a deeper look at emerging phenomena identified in the 2020 edition of TrendsWatch from the Center for the Future of Museums. In this post, they turn their attention to the …
Pandemic-Friendly Ideas for Welcoming Immigrants and Refugees to Your Community

By Joseph O'Neill

Welcoming Week is an annual event from Welcoming America that seeks to unite recent immigrants and refugees with longer residents in communities. Along with other organizations of all stripes, museums have been involved for years, hosting …
Black History in Our Own Backyard: Building Community in a COVID World

By Rowena Houghton Dasch

Lately, at the Neill-Cochran House Museum we’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what community means, and the best way we can define it for our institution. This question has become even more critical since the COVID-19 pandemic …