Should You Make Space For Controversy?
What happens when museums create space for others to talk about controversial issues?
Membership Options: Strangers Included?
Every once in a while, I find myself in a round of “Fantasy Museum. “The rules are simple: What would I try if money and practicality were no object? A lot of my ideas are predictably extreme, but more than once those impossible ideas have filtered down into something plausible and even reasonable. The other day I…
Is That All There Is?
The main art museum in my city - the Augustinermuseum - is under construction. The museum is expanding, and will eventually have new galleries for graphic and historical objects. For the past year, the fences around the construction site have been decorated with panels highlighting the city’s museums and what visitors can see there. And, for…
Telling Stories with Invisible Objects
When I began as the Curator of Interpretation with the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery in 2008, my first project was Soapstone Prairie Natural Area. 28 square miles in northern Colorado, Soapstone was purchased by the city of Fort Collins to be a park and conservation area. Along with its attraction as a natural space,…
Cracking Character - The Fun of Being Historical-ish
What happens when living history interpreters allow the lines between the past and present to blur a little? When they don’t break character, but they definitely crack it? I’m always a bit skeptical of living history and (re)enactment experiences. I don’t dislike them by default, but growing up between the Revolutionary War reenactment-happy towns of Lexington…
Un-Prompted Visitor-Contributed Content: An Example
While working on a new evaluation project with the Freiburg Museum Natur und Mensch, I’ve come across an interesting example of how un-prompted visitor-contributed content can work. In the temporary exhibit “Letzte Ölung Nigerdelta,” one room invites visitors to sit and watch a projected series of photographs exploring the social, economical, and environmental affects of the oil industry…
Adventures in Wayfinding - Add More Arrows
Because no matter how big you make the first one, you’ll probably need four more. For a more gorgeous use of arrows, see how Double Portrait at the Philadelphia Museum of Art did it right. Now that’s how you add more arrows.
Stumbling Blocks: What Happens When Memorial Is Underfoot?
When I first moved to Germany, I was enchanted by the cobblestone streets in my city (I know, it doesn’t take much). Every day I traipsed - and tripped - along them, feeling ridiculously European. In fact, I was so charmed that it took me a while to notice that some of the cobblestones weren’t…
Tips for Developing Multi-Language Labels - Part 3
Be sure to read Part 1 and Part 2. Note: While I’ve divided these steps into sections, when you’re developing new language resources chances are that many of the tasks from Part 2 will happen concurrently with the ones in Part 3. Part 3: When It’s Time For Layout and Design (1) Use a Standard Order When labels will…
Inspiration - Icelandair (again)
Last year I wrote about how impressed I was with the interpretive moments sprinkled throughout Icelandair’s planes. When I traveled with them this month my admiration kept growing. These guys are good. Their little language and cultural stories are consistently interesting, quirky, and beautifully phrased, while still being short and snazzy. The world needs more interpretive signage…
Museums Askew 