The Museum Life

This week I talk with Orna Cohen, an exhibit designer, about the factors that have contributed to the success of her groundbreaking exhibition “Dialogue in the Dark.”

Monica Montgomery and I will talk about her current projects and her consulting practice that helps museums address their diversity issues.

Dean and I will be talking about the Small Museum Association in anticipation of their upcoming annual conference and get a preview of Dean's session about interpreting slavery.

Richard Conniff will be my guest this week to discuss his recent book “House of Lost Worlds.” Along with telling the fascinating history of the Peabody Museum of Natural History, Richard shed light on the role natural history museums have played in science education and environmental awareness.

There is no argument that many museums were founded by privileged elites who were driven by a variety of motives. Does this mean that museums are bound by their origins? Join the conversation this week as Paula Santos and I wrestle with this question.

Join me this week for a fun and fact-filled discussion with Matthew Tarr, Director of Digital Architecture at the American Museum of Natural History. Matthew will share his thoughts about digital trends and the strategies he is using to the keep the American Museum nimble in an ever-changing digital landscape.

I am pleased to be talking with Devon Akmon, director of the Arab American National Museum about the importance of building community and the challenges of addressing the needs of both a national and local audience.

As the Senior Director of Integrated Content at the American Alliance of Museums and former president of MCN, Liz Neely has a lot to say about how digital technologies are changing the way museums create and maintain their communities. Listen to this great discussion.

Are museums embarking on a never-ending technology arms race? Must museums implement cutting-edge technologies to remain relevant to our audiences? How can museums sustain a digital presence with ever-dwindling resources? Are these even the right questions to be asking? Join the conversation as Nik Honeysett puts these and other digital issues into the context of innovation, risk and leadership.

As part of our technical series, this week I will be talking with Steve Haas acoustical designer and president of SH Acoustics. Steve will explain why acoustical design is vital to a quality museum experience and share a few examples from his current work. While not every museum professional can be an acoustical expert, Steve will provide helpful vocabulary so that we can all talk with one!

Sometimes I worry that mobile apps are just the next “shiny thing” in the museum tech landscape: Here today and gone tomorrow. But Paul Burke, CEO and co-founder of Guru, has convinced me that a good business model can keep the focus on content, not technology, and still improve a museum's digital delivery.

Nik Honeysett returns to this show this week to give us an update on the Balboa Park Online Collaborative and his perspectives on technology-inspired transformations that are occurring across the museum sector.

Are we there yet? Join me this week for a fabulous conversation with Carolyn Royston, Director of Digital at the Isabella Steward Gardner Museum, Boston. Carolyn will describe her approach to building a forward- thinking digital strategy and, as the President of the Museum Computer Network (MCN) will share the ways that MCN is supporting the museum of the future.

Carol will share her observations from the Museum Computer Network and MuseumNext conferences.

Imagining America is an organization of publicly engaged artists, designers, scholars and community activists dedicated to the democratic transformation of higher education and civic life. They address issues of social justice, inclusion and community engagement in higher education, issues similar to those faced by the museum community. In fact, Imagining America partners with museums and cultural leadership to create stronger communities. Join me this week as I talk with the faculty co-directors Timothy Eatman and Scott Peters about this inspiring and insightful organization.

Lighting is often the first item to be cut from an exhibition budget, if it was even considered in the first place. But lighting is an essential part of the exhibition experience. Steven Rosen, President and Creative Director of Available Light, will share his expertise on this topic and provide tips on how museums of any size can improve their lighting design.

What can the business community teach the cultural sector about diversity? Stephanie Cunningham, Curator of Education at the African American Museum in Philadelphia will share her thoughts on this topic and discuss her upcoming projects.

Much has been written lately about how museums can become more involved in social justice issues. In fact, the 2015 annual meeting of the American Alliance of Museums will focus on museums as places to present and discuss social and political problems. But how do we engage our audiences in tough subject matter? How do we create experiences that seek to transform, not preach? Join the conversation this week with Ben Garcia as he provides insights into these questions.

From the founding of the Happy Museum Project to the redevelopment of the Silk Mill as Derby's Museum of Making, Tony Butler will fill us in on his past and present projects.

What do cemeteries and museums have in common? Join the discussion this week as Robin Simonton Executive Director of the Oakwood Cemetery explains the history of cemeteries, their role in community building and the variety of innovative programming that they offer. Robin is just one of the authors featured in Cemetery Tours and Programs by Rachel Wolgemeth available through Routledge Publishers.

Historic sites provide a sense of place, especially for students. But how can we make their experience truly immersive. Andrea Jones, recent recipient of AAM's Innovation in Museum Education award will share her knowledge and thoughts.

In her book “Mounting Frustration: The Art Museum in the Age of Black Power,” Susan Cahan brings to light the stories behind some of the “ground breaking” exhibitions of African American artists in the 1960s and ‘70s. We will talk about the role these exhibitions played in reinforcing prejudice, how they spawned a movement toward culturally specific museums and how museums continue to act in ways that support privilege.

Ronna Tulgan Ostheimer, education director at the Clark, will share her philosophy about art education and how a seemingly simple shift in emphasis has inspired the development of timely programs that engage audiences in meaningful dialogue about difficult subjects.

What makes a good leader? For all our talk about leadership in the museum field, its definition remains elusive. This week we'll build our leadership vocabulary by talking with Geri Thomas, President of Thomas and Associates, Inc., about leadership, staff development and career strategies.

In her book “Mounting Frustration: The Art Museum in the Age of Black Power,” Susan Cahan brings to light the stories behind some of the “ground breaking” exhibitions of African American artists in the 1960s and ‘70s. We will talk about the role these exhibitions played in reinforcing prejudice, how they spawned a movement toward culturally specific museums and how museums continue to act in ways that support privilege.

Every object tells a story. In 'Keeping Their Marbles' Tiffany Jenkins has written a fabulous account of how western museums came to own some of the world's most iconic objects. Ms. Jenkins and I will discuss several examples as well as her thoughts on who owns culture.

The works that an artist creates is only part of their story. Their diaries, letters and even their emails provide insights into how the artist works, overcomes challenges and maintains creativity. Join me this week as I talk with Josh Franco the Latino Collections Specialist at the Archives of American Art who is responsible for developing the collection related to Latino artists.

We talk a lot about how museums can support social agendas, but seem to be short on examples. This week Peter Armstrong shares powerful examples from his own projects at the Royal Armories in England and how he is applying this experience to illuminate stories about immigration and liberty at the Jamestown and Yorktown Museum.

Why is it so difficult to measure success in museums? This week I talk with John Jacobsen about his new book that presents a new approach to measuring and evaluating museum value and impact.

Museums have a long and sometimes sordid history of collecting and exhibiting human remains. This week I am talking with David Hurst Thomas, curator at the American Museum of Natural History and author of “Skull Wars” about the evolving relationship between museums and Native American communities. We will also discuss whether museums are living up to the public's trust.

With so much troubling news coming from Baton Rouge, Dallas, and Baltimore, I wanted to take some time to reflect upon the role that museums can be playing to strengthen and serve their communities. Join me this week as I talk with Omar Eaton-Martínez and Brenda Tindal who will share their thoughts and discuss resources available through Museums and Race.

Food is a universal language and my guest, Michelle Moon, believes museum goers are ready to be engaged through refined interpretation of food. In her new book, “Interpreting Food at Museums and Historic Sites,” she explores food as a serious topic for museum exhibits.

Children's museums have come a long way over the years, and the Bay Area Discovery Museum is a leader in this regard. The museum's CEO, Karyn Flynn, talks with me about the unique approaches to childhood learning and creativity the museum takes, as well as the research initiatives behind their hands-on exhibits and programs. We'll also track Karyn's fascinating career from business to non-profits and hear her ideas for revitalizing the museum.

It seems as if there is an app for everything. Mobile devices have changed the way we live and their ubiquity is influencing how we think about museum experiences. Join Peter Vega from izi.TRAVEL, David Markowitz from ListenUp Audio, and Sandy Goldberg who formed sgscripts, as we talk about exciting new approaches to marrying age-old storytelling with new-age technology.

Silvia Singer is one of the most influential professionals on the international museum scene today. As founding director of the award-winning Interactive Museum of Economics (MIDE) in Mexico City, Silvia inspired a new level of audience engagement. She has served on the boards of both the American Alliance of Museums and Association of Science and Technology Centers and president of ICOM Mexico. Join the conversation this week as Silvia shares her passion and perspective about the museum community.

How do you take an idea and make it reality? This week I'll talk with the designer and fabricator of Museiko, Bulgaria's first children's and science museum. Lee Skolnick of Lee H. Skolnick Architecture + Design Partnership and George Mayer of Maltbie will provide a behind-the-scenes look at the development of this project and discuss the role that independent partners play in the museum world.

Recently, a group of thirty multi-racial and multi-generational museum professionals met in Chicago for a three-day conversation about museums and race, specifically to intensify the focus on entrenched racism in American museums, examine practices, and launch an action group to initiate change in racist values and policies across the museum field. The convening was sponsored by The Museum Group, a consortium of independent museum consultants that believe in the power of deep listening and dialogue to spur change. Several participants will share their thoughts.

Greg Stevens, assistant director for professional development at the American Alliance of Museums, and Sheri Levinsky-Raskin, assistant vice president for education and evaluation for the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, will talk about AAM's multi-year initiative to shine a spotlight on accessibility and universal design, and share their experiences developing and moderating a three-part webinar series titled “Stories of Inclusion: Inclusive Practices at Cultural Institutions.”

Gary Vikan, former director of the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, will share stories and perspectives from his upcoming memoir, Sacred and Stolen: Confessions of a Museum Director, as well as his thoughts about the cultural community's responsibility for antiquities now in the smuggling trade from Iraq and Syria.

Why do museums continue to struggle with implementing universal design? The Americans with Disability Act is twenty-five years old, yet we still find exhibitions that are inaccessible for one reason (or many reasons). Join Janice Majewski, Director of Inclusive Cultural and Educational Projects at the Institute for Human Centered Design and Clare Brown, Professor of Exhibition Design at George Washington University for a discussion about the importance of incorporating universal design in all exhibitions intended for people and how we are training a new generation of designers to understand that addressing ADA issues is a central part of their design process.

Bill Hosley is a passionate champion of small museums, especially those that preserve local history and public memory that would otherwise be lost to us. Bill has embarked on a campaign to document the role that historic houses, community collections and historical societies play in helping their communities by fostering a sense of place, civic pride and community. This week Bill will share some of his examples as well as provide context for what has led to the diversity of presentation that we witness today.

Mar Dixon describes herself as passionate about culture, a defender of libraries, a digital technology enthusiast and a trouble maker and/or advocate. She also runs #AskACurator on Twitter among many other initiatives that help us move beyond our assumptions and models. Join me this week for a rollicking discussion.

Starting a museum from scratch is not for the faint of heart, and Nene Spivy has what it takes to get the job done. As the Executive Director for the Children's Science Center in Fairfax, Virginia, Nene is using her knowledge, experience and passion to chart a path that will ultimately lead to a permanent home that will serve Northern Virginia, one of the fastest growing areas in the country. This week Nene will share how she has navigated this path that has led from a museum without walls to the opening of their first permanent site this past July in a local shopping mall.

Imagining America is an organization of publicly engaged artists, designers, scholars and community activists dedicated to the democratic transformation of higher education and civic life. They address issues of social justice, inclusion and community engagement in higher education, issues similar to those faced by the museum community. In fact, Imagining America partners with museums and cultural leadership to create stronger communities. Join me this week as I talk with the faculty co-directors Timothy Eatman and Scott Peters about this inspiring and insightful organization.

Massive multimillion dollar projects garner attention and press, but does more money mean better exhibitions? This week I will be talking with Cory Rodeheaver and Pete Salmon from Taylor Studios about storytelling on a budget and how small organizations can make big impacts in their communities.

We all believe that museums are valuable and play a positive role in society. But how do we measure that value? Attendance, revenues, and collection size are quantifiable, but do they measure value? Carol Scott has been speaking and writing about this topic for several years and will share her insights on this week's show.

It is so exciting to have a conversation with Laura Lott, the new president and chief executive officer of the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). While previously serving as chief operating officer for AAM, Lott was behind a large scale rebuilding effort that boosted membership dramatically. Now as president, she'll tell us about her ideas for the future of AAM.

Deborah L. Mack who is the associate director for community and constituent services at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture will share her thoughts on what this phrase means in the 21st century. We will also talk about the challenges of connecting public history and museum practice as well as how the newest museum on the Mall may change our national narrative.

Aleia Brown describes herself as a museum maven and scholar-activist. She has written extensively about museums, race and gender issues and is co-founder of two Twitter chats: #BlkTwitterstorians and #MuseumsRespondtoFerguson. This week, Aleia and I will talk about museums and race.

Rebecca Shulman Herz is the Director of the Peoria Playhouse Children's Museum and a prolific blogger at Museum Questions. Join us as we discuss a variety of issues from storytelling in museums to the practical and philosophical issues surrounding gifts.

Many museums seem to have put their membership programs on autopilot, using a transactional model that focuses on affluent families with children. This week's guest will share her approach to fundraising models that move beyond traditional models. Angela Venuti is the Membership Officer at the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park and recent MuseumNext speaker.