Museum Exhibitions change lives, maybe more than any other media. Sculpture, painting, film, dance, theater and music, all combined with the visitor into one experience.  I believe that museum exhibitions have the opportunity to change lives.

Friday, I visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum .   The building is non nondescript, I was struck by the brutality of the steel and concrete, the architecture is very abrupt and bunker like.  Visitors enter through metal detectors.   At the entrance is a picture of Stephen Tyrone Johns, I noticed the picture, but didn’t think much about it until I was leaving the museum (Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns, was killed at the Museum by an antisemite).

I started my visit on the lower level at “State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda”.  I was struck by the similarities between exhibition design and propaganda, both using, simple messages, theatrical tools, strong visuals, communicating the same message in different methods, repetition of messages and using crowds to build energy.  I am not suggesting the exhibitions are propaganda, but exhibition design does incorporate some of the tools of propaganda.

Next I visited “Daniel’s Story”, to me the exhibition looked dated.

Then I went upstairs to the second floor and visited “From Memory to Action: Meeting the Challenge of Genocide” a nice enough exhibition, although I was the most impressed by the call to action and the use of the Pen Scribe to record their pledges.

I was feeling as if I was missing part of the museum.  I had heard about the museum for years and I knew there was more to the museum.  I went to the information desk and “asked where is the main gallery?”  The docent gave me a map and directed me to the elevator to the left of the entrance.  The wall of the entrance to the elevator is clad is cor ten steel and very imposing. A floor staff memeber gave us an over view of what were we going to see on the three upper floors. The permananet exhibition “The Holocaust” is divided into three floors; “Nazi Assault,” “Final Solution,” and “Last Chapter.”

Starting on the forth floor,  the experience starts with, the “Nazi Assault”, then the third floor with “Final Solution,” then on the second floor with the “Last Chapter”. On the forth floor I was thinking, “okay this is a typical theatrical exhibition”. Then I smelled the odor of the interior of the rail car similar to those used to transport thousands of victims , smelled the leather of thousands of shoes of victims and I felt as if I was being manipulated, by the “Last Chapter”, I was changed.

Yes, I had been manipulated by the exhibition, but I learned to trust the authority of the museum and allowed myself to be changed.  I am a strong believer in the democratization of content, working in a transparent “open source” method and involving the visitor. But, there is no way this story can be told by anyone other than those that lived it. I do not want to hear the thoughts of others, I want exactly what the Museum provided, a clear, concise, well edited, factual, theatrical and life changing experience.  The museum and the Holocaust survivors are the authirity on the content, and we as visitors need to repect the history and the survivors.

I have never thought of walking as an interactive activity, but the museum uses the visitors journey through the museum  from the forth floor, third floor then to the second floor, as a tool to emotionally attach the visitor to the content.  When I was working at Liberty Science Center, we had a simple table top activity, visitors could move a tape head across recorded magnetic tape and hear the recorded sound.  By changing the perspective from moving the tape head, instead of  moving the tape, visitors understood the tape head “reads” information of the magnetic tape.  The Holocaust Museum uses a similar approach, instead of presenting us a theatrical show, we walk across the theater stage and become actors in the show. I loved the white spaces in between each floor, that allowed me to take a breath and go on to the next act in the “show”.  I enjoyed the use of art, included in the museum at each “pause” between the galleries.

“Gravity” by Richard Serra
“Consequence”  by Sol LeWitt
“Memorial” by Ellsworth Kelly

In “The Holocaust” galleries, there were children some as young as seven or eight.  Then I understood the need for “Daniel’s Story”, this content is not appropriate for children, but it is important to tell the Holocaust history and “Daniel’s Story” presents the content in a way kids can digest.

When leaving the museum, the brutal bunker architecture made sense , this is a Museum built to survive attacks.

When I reached the second floor of  ”The Holocasut” I was changed, I had become emotionally attached to the content.  To be honest I was overwhelmed and wanted to leave the museum. Before I left, I paused at the theater and listened to a Holocaust survivor describing seeing soldiers and taking off his wooden shoe to hit the soldier in the head, the soldier an American said , “I am here to save you, not kill you”.  I stood at the back of the theater and cried.

At the exit to “The Holocaust” gallery:

“First they came for the communists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew.

Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn’t speak out because I was Protestant.

Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.”

"Trends Map" from Now and Next

Weekly news about museum trends, museum planning, the future of museums and interactive kinetic sculpture for the week ending January 9, 2012.

Museum Planner Related:

Posted “2010 Top Art Museums”, part of research into “bricks and mortar” vs. online museum experience, Link
Posted “Getting Started in Museums”,Link
Museum Planner in 2012 Link
Just posted about my experience as a juror for the “2011 Solar Decathlon”, Link
Uploaded photos of Toyota Mobile Experience” consulted on interactive exhibits, Link
Just updated Museum Flight Simulator at museum – exhibits.com Link
Who is your favorite interactive kinetic sculptor?: Link

Working on Science Center Attendance:
Visitor Attractions Visits 2010 – Association of Leading Visitor Attractions Link

Trends, this week MIT free online education, smart phone apps, future of gaming, new media and the joy of quiet: 
Amazing !, M.I.T.x, Free Online Education For All, This is going to change everything, Link
Tate Modern Puts 121 Years Of Art History In The Palm Of Your Hand, Link
Reviews: four apps that look at objects, Link
Interesting overview, “Future of Gaming” Link
Self-generating Movie for Covent Garden Piazza, Link
The Disappearing Barriers Between Business And Nonprofits Are Driving Innovation, Link
Interesting article about digital collections, Link
Metropolitan Museum of Art and Google Goggles collaboration,Link,  Google Goggles Link
The Joy of Quiet, “how to stay ahead of the curve”, Link

Museum Reports:
Amazing report, “The Travel & Tourism Compeitiveness Report 2011″, Link
“Economic Impact Methodologies For the museums, libraries and archives sector”, Link
Interesting study, “The Impact of Science & Discovery Centres” A review of worldwide studies, Link
Just found a report created by the Whiteoak Institute for the American Association of Museums Link

Exhibition Openings:
Wonderful article in the New York Times review of ““ElectriCity: Powering New York’s Rails.”, Link
Exhibition: “The Art of Video Games” to open at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Link

Interactive Kinetic Art:
Nice work by Greg Pond, sound installation, Link
Wonderful list of Interactive Kinetic Sculptors, Link
Ars Electronica 2012, August 4th, Link

museumplanner.org had a wonderful 2011 – Thank you all !

Accomplishments in 2011:

• Museum Planner has become the world’s most followed resource for Museum Planning and Exhibition Design (Alexa ranking)
• 2012 Museum Exhibition Cost Survey
• Continue to define the best practices of museum planning and exhibition design
• “Museums are Hospitality” most followed post to date on AAM Linkedin
• Hub Museum concept better defined
• “Connecting with the Muses”
• Phases of museums, “Future of Interactivity”
• Continue to answer the “Fequently asked questions”
• Launch of museum-exhibits.com
• Launched Museum News Links, weekly museum news updates, link for weekly email
• Launched Museum Planner on Facebook
• Launched Museum Planner on Twitter
• Linkedin Group Sculpture Science & Museums
• Alcatraz: Life on the Rock opened at Ellis Island
• Trans Studio opened
• Solar Decathlon 2011 juror
• 2011 Best Exhibitions

Plans for 2012

• 2012 Museum Exhibition Cost Survey
• Top Museums 2011 Report
• 2012 Best Exhibitions
• Weekly “Museum Trends”, oriented to museum planning, the future of museum exhibitions, interactive sculpture, trends in museums,
• One post per week on, museum planning, exhibition design and the future of museums
• Mark Walhimer Exhibition Design, LLC to become Museum Planner, LLC
• More content on kinetic sculpture
• More content on “Museum 4.0″
• museum-exhibits.com at ASTC
• museum-exhibits.com to become the internets most respected website for “off the shelf exhibits and interactive sculpture”
• Interactive sculpture installed at a museum
• First draft of a book on museum planning
• “Museum U“ - set up online museum class content
• Apply for Hub Museum as a NFS Grant
• Science Center project
• Set up on line resource for “Museum Satisfaction”
• Continued success of “Alcatraz: Life on the Rock”
• More great clients in 2012 !

Thank you for the great year!  Looking forward to completing more research on the topic of Museum Planning & Exhibition Design at museumplanner.org and working with more great clients in 2012.

~Mark Walhimer
Museum Planner

*  Getty listed as Getty Center Only (Getty Center: 1,205,685 visitors; Getty Villa: 405,710 visitors)

I am becoming more interested in comparing “bricks and mortar” museum attendance as compared to the on line museum experience.  As a first step, researched top Art Museum attendance and Art Museum exhibition attendance. As next steps I will create similar attendance information for Science Centers, Children’s Museums, Natural History Museums and Corporate Museums and compare their attendance to their online visitation.

Notes:

Data used was supplied by the museums.  Many museums have one ticket for the entire museum and cannot provide individual attendance for temporary exhibitions. Institutions offering a number of exhibitions for a single ticket, are shown as one entry. Institutions with more than one building included separate museum attendance figures for each venue.

Data Source:
The Art Newspaper, April 2011, “Exhibition & Museum Attendance Figures 2010″

Yes, working in museums is a career.  Below is a comprehensive listing of schools for museum design, exhibition design and museum studies.

One of the most frequently asked questions about the museum field is “how do I get started”?   Many people in the museum field either studied, Museum Studies, Art History, Fine Art or Design.  Those who progress to working as senior staff often go back to school for a Master of Business Administration.

Areas of study for museum positions:
Curator – Museum Studies / Art History / Fine Art
Exhibition Designer / Director of Exhibitions – Industrial Design / Set Design / Fine Art
Educator / Director of Education – Psychology / Early Childhood Education / Museum Studies
Director – Art History / Business / Museum Studies
Registrar – Museum Studies / Art History / Fine Art
Volunteer Manager / Docent Manager – Art History / Marketing / Education
Historian – Advanced degree in their area of expertise
Marketing / Director of Marketing – Marketing / Graphic Design
Botanist, Scientist, Physicist, Paleontologist – Advanced degree in their area of expertise
Development Director- Philanthropy / Museum Studies / Marketing / Public Relations
Marketing Director – Marketing / Communications
Operations Manager – Technical School / Contractors License
Book Keeper / Chief Financial Officer – Business / Accounting

There are people woking at museums who did not study in the areas outlined above. To work at a museum you don’t “have to” follow the career path above, but it helps.

I often find my self in meetings with people from outside the museum field who make comments such as; “museums are no different than any other business” or “museums need to be more like a businesses”.  Then I find myself in the uncomfortable position of saying “yes, museums are  “in business” and yes, museums could learn from typical business practices.  But, museums are not a “business” and museums are different than a business”.  The objective of a business is to be profitable, the objective of a museum is to communicate (link to museum definition).  Museums need to stay “in business” but profit is not their objective.  I would recommend anyone interested in working in museums to seek out a good program in the their area of interest.  I find It very helpful to be immersed in the culture of museums prior to working at a museum. The best museum programs, have professors who work for or at a museum and can introduce students to the museum culture.

I have put together a list of the Museum Studies, Museum Education and Museum Exhibition Design programs.  Thank you all to those that help with completing the list!  Please contact me if I have omitted any programs.

Museum Studies/Museology

Arizona State University
B.A. in Museum Studies
http://art.asu.edu/museumstudies/

Baylor University
Degree: B.A., B.S., and M.A. in Museum Studies
http://www.baylor.edu/Museum_Studies/

Brown University
Degree: M.A. in Public Humanities
http://www.brown.edu/Research/JNBC/maprogram.php

Chadron State College
Degree: B.A. in Applied History with a Museum Studies Major
http://www.csc.edu/socialsci/museum/degrees.csc

Cooperstown Graduate Program
Degree: M. A in History Museum Studies
http://www.oneonta.edu/academics/cgp/curriculum/curriculum.html

Florida International University
Degree: Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies
http://thefrost.fiu.edu/edu_studies.htm

George Washington University
Degree: M.A. in Museum Studies
http://programs.columbian.gwu.edu/museumstudies/

Harvard University Extension School
Degree: M.L.A. in Museum Studies
http://www.extension.harvard.edu/degrees-certificates/museum-studies

Indiana University – Purdue
Degree: M.A. degree in Museum Studies
http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/mstd/

Institute of American Indian Arts
Degree: Associate of Fine Arts, B.A. in Museum Studies
http://www.iaia.edu/academics/degree-programs/museum-studies/

Johns Hopkins University
Degree: MA in Museum Studies
http://advanced.jhu.edu/academic/museum/

John F. Kennedy University
Degree: M.A. in Museum Studies
http://www.jfku.edu/Programs-and-Courses/College-of-Graduate-Professional-Studies/Museum-Studies.html

New York University
Degree: M.A. in Museum Studies
http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/fineart/academics/curatorial.htm

San Francisco State University
Degree: M.A. in Museum Studies
http://www.sfsu.edu/~museumst/

Seton Hall University
Degree: M.A. in Museum Professions
http://www.shu.edu/academics/artsci/ma-museum-professions/

Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
Degree: Undergraduate Special Bachelor Degree
http://www.museum.siu.edu/studies.html

Southern University at New Orleans
Degree: M.A. in Museum Studies and Cultural Preservation
http://www.suno.edu/Colleges/Museum/

Syracuse University
Degree: M.A. in Museum Studies
http://vpa.syr.edu/art-design/design/graduate/museum-studies

Texas Tech University
Degree: M.A. in Museum Science
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/museumttu/program.html

Tusculum College
Degree: B.A. in Museum Studies
http://www2.tusculum.edu/museumstudiesprogram/

University of Central Oklahoma
Degree: B.A. / M.A. in History and Museum Studies
http://www.libarts.uco.edu/history/Undergraduates.htm#History_-_Museum_Studies

University of Colorado, Boulder
Degree: M.S. in Museology
http://www.colorado.edu/catalog/catalog10-11/courses/museumandfieldstudies.html

University of Denver
Degree: M.A. in Art History with Museum Studies Concentration
http://www.du.edu/art/programs/MAahMuseum.html

University of Florida
Degree: M.A. in Museum Studies
http://www.arts.ufl.edu/programs/museumstudies.aspx

University of Illinois at Chicago
Degree: Professional Certification Museum Studies (graduate and undergraduate)
http://www.uic.edu/depts/arch/ah/museumstudies.shtml

University of Kansas
Degree: M.A. in Museum Studies
http://www2.ku.edu/~distinction/cgi-bin/overview146

University of Leicester (UK)
MA/MSc and PhD programs in Museum Studies
http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/museumstudies

University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Degree: B.A. in Art History and Museum Studies
http://www.uncg.edu/art/undergraduate/history

University of Oklahoma
Degree: M.A. in Liberal Studies, Museum Studies Option (100% Online)
http://www.ou.edu/content/cls/aud/prospective_students/graduate_programs/museum.html

University of Oregon
Degree: A Master of Arts Management
http://aad.uoregon.edu/programs/degrees

University of South Florida
Degree: Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies
http://www.gradcerts.usf.edu/certificates/xms.html

University of Washington
Degree: M.A. in Museology
http://depts.washington.edu/uwmuse/

Virginia Commonwealth University
Degree: M.A. in Museum Studies
http://www.pubapps.vcu.edu/bulletins/prog_search/?did=20153

Walsh University, North Canton, Ohio
Degree: BA Museum Studies
http://www.walsh.edu/museumstudies.htm

Museum Anthropology
Arizona State University
Degree: M.A. in Museum Anthropology
http://shesc.asu.edu/node/316

Columbia University
Degree: M.A. in Museum Anthropology
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/anthropology/graduate/main/index/museum_anthro.html

Museum Communication
University of the Arts
Degree: M.A. in Museum Communication
http://www.uarts.edu/academics/visual-arts/ma-museum-communication

Philanthropy
Indiana University at Purdue
Degree: Master of Arts in Philanthropic Studies
http://www.philanthropy.iupui.edu/education/grad.aspx

Museum Education
Bank Street College
Degree: M.S. in Leadership in Museum Education
http://www.bnkst.edu/graduate-school/academics/programs/museum-education-overview/

George Washington University
Degree: M.A. Teaching in Museum Education
http://gsehd.gwu.edu/programs/mep/masters

Tufts University
Degree: M.A. in Museum Education
http://ase.tufts.edu/museumstudies/masters.asp

University of the Arts
Degree: M.A. in Museum Education
http://www.uarts.edu/academics/visual-arts/ma-museum-education

Museum Exhibition and Design
Art Center
Degree: Master Industrial Design
http://www.artcenter.edu/accd/programs/graduate/industrial_design.jsp

CCA
Degree: Bachelor of Fine Art
http://www.cca.edu/academics/industrial-design

Cooper Union
Degree: Bachelor of Architecture
http://cooper.edu/architecture

The Corcoran College
Degree: MA Exhibit Design
http://www.corcoran.edu/degree-programs/graduate/ma-exhibition-design

Fashion Institute of Technology (S.U.N.Y.)
Degree: M.A. in Exhibition Design
http://www.fitnyc.edu/2868.asp

MIT
Degree: Master of Media Arts and Sciences
http://www.media.mit.edu/about

Pratt Institute
Degree: Master of Industrial Design
http://www.pratt.edu/academics/art_design/art_grad/industrial_design_grad/

Royal College of Art
Degree: Master of Arts, Design Interaction
http://www.rca.ac.uk/Default.aspx?ContentID=161712

NYU
Degree: Master of Professional Studies (M.P.S.) degree
http://itp.tisch.nyu.edu/object/itp_overview.html

San Francisco Art Institute
Degree: M.A. in Museum Exhibition and Museum Studies
http://www.sfsu.edu/~museumst/

Sci-Arch
Degree: Bachelor of Architecture
http://www.sciarc.edu/portal/programs/undergraduate/index.html

University of the Arts
Degree: M.A. in Museum Exhibition, Planning and Design
http://www.uarts.edu/academics/design

University of California, Davis
Exhibition Design, BA
http://design.ucdavis.edu/

Collections Management
Eastern Illinois University
Degree: M.A. in Historical Administration
http://catalog.eiu.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=11&poid=1275

Curatorial Studies/Curatorial Practice
Bard College
Degree: M.A. in Curatorial Studies
http://www.bard.edu/graduate/

California College of the Arts
Degree: M.A. in Curatorial Practice
http://www.cca.edu/academics/graduate/curatorial-practice

Curatorial Studies/Curatorial Practice
Brigham Young University
Degree: B.A. in Art History and Curatorial Studies
http://visualarts.byu.edu/programs/ma_art_history.php

California College of the Arts
Degree: M.A. in Curatorial Practice
http://www.cca.edu/academics/graduate/visual-critical-studies/curatorial-practice

Certificates
California State University at San Bernardino
Degree: Undergraduate Certificate in Museum Studies
http://www.csusb.edu/majorsdegrees/undergraduate/baAnthropology/CertificatePrograms.aspx

Indiana University at Purdue
Degree: Undergraduate Certificate in Museum Studies
http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/mstd/index.php/undergraduate

Northern Illinois University
Degree: Certificate in Museum Studies
http://www.niu.edu/mstudies/

Northwestern University
Degree: Certificate in Museum Studies
http://www.niu.edu/mstudies/

Smith College
Degree: Certificate in Museum Studies
http://www.smith.edu/siams/

University of Iowa
Degree: Certificate in Museum Studies
http://www.uiowa.edu/~mstudies/MuseumStudiesCertificate.htm

University of Oregon
Degree: Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies
http://aad.uoregon.edu/programs/certificates/museum-studies-certificate

University of South Carolina
Degree: Certificate in Museum Management
http://www.cas.sc.edu/mcks/museummgmt/

University of Tulsa
Degree: Certificate in Museum Studies
http://www.utulsa.edu/academics/colleges/Henry-Kendall-College-of-Arts-and-Sciences/Certificates/Museum%20Studies.aspx

Utah State University
Degree: Certificate in Museum Studies
http://www.usu.edu/degrees/index.cfm?id=209

Canadian Programs
Association of Manitoba Museums, Winnipeg
Degree: Professional Certificate in Museum Practice
http://www.museumsmanitoba.com/courses/index.html

Alberta Museums Association, Edmonton
Degree:Certificate in Museum Practice
http://www.museums.ab.ca/what-we-do/professional-development/certificate-in-museums-studies.aspx

Museums Association of Saskatchewan, Regina
Degree: Professional Certificate in Museum Studies
http://www.saskmuseums.org/professional_development

Ryerson University
Program: This is a joint program in Photographic Preservation & Collections Management
Degree: M.A. in Photographic Preservation; Collections Management
http://www.imagearts.ryerson.ca/photopreservation/program.html

Sir Sandford Fleming College, Peterborough
Degree: Certificate in Museum Studies
http://www.flemingc.ca/programs/museum-management-and-curatorship

University of Calgary
Degree: Minor in Museum and Heritage Studies
http://arts.ucalgary.ca/departments-programs/museum-and-heritage-studies

Université de Montréal
Degree: M.A. in Museology
http://www.etudes.umontreal.ca/index_fiche_prog/213110_desc.html

University of Toronto
Degree: Degree of Master of Museum Studies (MMSt)
http://www.ischool.utoronto.ca/degrees/mmst

University of Victoria
Degree: Graduate Professional Certificate (GPC)
http://www.uvcs.uvic.ca/cultural/graduate/

Resources:
Smithsonian listing of museum study programs:
http://museumstudies.si.edu/training.html

LinkedIn thread regarding the best schools for museum studies

*I studied Fine Art at Skidmore College (Bachelor Science, Fine Art) and Industrial Design at Pratt Institute (Master Industrial Design)

Photo: Robert Motherwell, “Elegy to the Spanish Republic, 108″ 1965-1967, Collection of MOMA, Photo by Mark Walhimer 2011

What is the future of museum interactivity?

Reaching consensus on the stages of development of museums is difficult, but for the purpose of this conversation, I will use:

Museum 1.0
First Generation Museum, “Cabinet of Curiosity”
Collection cases, static displays, dioramas, object centric
•    Mutter Museum

Museum 2.0
Second Generation Museum / Science Center
Collection cases with push buttons and cranks
•    Museum of Science, Boston

Museum 3.0
Third Generation Museum / Science Center
Open ended, multi-layered and visitor centric and encourages conversations
•    Exploratorium

Museum 4.0
Fourth Generation Museum / Science Center
The Museum / Science Center is without walls, the museum experience starts prior to the visit to the “bricks and mortar” location and continues after the visit to the museum.  Museums of the fourth generation can / will use the techniques of museums 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0, plus the museum experience is customized to the visitor (similar to Web 3.0).  The visitor experience “meets” the visitor at their level of engagement, interest and knowledge.  The museum experience is customized to the visitor prior to the museum visit.   I do not know of any museum that I would refer to as Museum 4.0

Nomenclature becomes difficult, because web 1.0, web 2.0 and web 3.0 are often used in combination with Museum 1.0, Museum 2.0, Museum 3.0, Museum 4.0.  For more information about the development of the web Web 3.0 Explained

Many of the phases of the development of museums is based on the work of Piaget and Constructivist Learning Theory.  Piaget “suggested that through processes of accommodation and assimilation, individuals construct new knowledge from their experiences. When individuals assimilate, they incorporate the new experience into an already existing framework without changing that framework”.  In other words; when we don’t know why the sky is blue, we each come up with our own theory of why the sky is blue until other knowledge challenges our theory.  To change our “knowledge” of why the sky is blue, first we need to deconstruct our current theory, then replace the previous knowledge with new knowledge.

The Exploratorium is the forefather of today’s Science Center.  Many of the practices of the Exploratorium have now migrated to Art Museums, History Museums, Aquariums and Children’s Museums.  Science Museums prior to the Exploratorium (I will make a distinction between Science Museum and a Science Center, as Science Center incorporates the Constructivist Learning Theory), showed visitors information, the Exploratorium, encouraged visitors to deconstruct their previous knowledge.  Earlier Science Museums assumed that all visitors learned in the same way, assuming that by exhibiting a geode and a label, all visitors could assimilate the causes that created a geode.  It was the Museum of Science (Boston), that took content beyond the previous museum model of “Cabinet of Curiosities” by adding push buttons to diorama graphic panels, the museum created the first interactive exhibits and made the “knowledge that of the visitor”.

It was the Exploratorium that took museums to the next phase of their development, by having vistors perform science experiments instead of having “science shown”, as such the Exploratorium incorporated the theories of Piaget.  As an adjunct to Art Museums; Children’s Museums, grew from Art museums and the “teaching collection” of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences (now the Brooklyn Museum).  Since Children’s Museums grew from the teaching collection of an Art Museums, Children’s Museums have always had a hands on approach.  During the same time as the opening of the Exploratorium, Kinetic Art was developing and the Exploratorium incorporated artists into the development of exhibits.

Previously, I believed that “theming” was the start of the next phase in the development of museums, but I no longer believe that to be the case.  Theming or ”the use of an overarching theme…to create a holistic and integrated spatial organization of a…venue” provides a context for the content of an exhibition.  Although we require a context for knowledge, I don’t believe the incorporation of theming to be a milestone in the development of museums.  I now see “theming” as a continuation of dioramas, as “walkthrough dioramas”.

Web 3.0 or the “Semantic Web”, is thought to be the next phase of the development of the world wide web.  Similarly, I believe the next phase in the development of museums, Museum 4.0 will closely follow the Web 3.0 or  a web of content “that can be processed directly and indirectly”.  One of the most difficult concepts to communicate is that of interconnections, the goal of Museums 4.0 will be that of interconnections.  As a continuation of my concept of the Hub Museum, the “museum” will no longer be a location but a web of locations and interconnections, starting before the “museum” visit and continuing after the visit to a physical location.

In the next blog post “Future of Interactivity, Part II”, I will explore types of interactivity, philosophies of interactivity and the future technologies of interactivity.

References:

History of Museums “Cabinet of Curiosities”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_of_Curiosities

World’s Oldest Museum? http://uk.io9.com/5805358/the-story-behind-the-worlds-oldest-museum-built-by-a-babylonian-princess-2500-years-ago?skyline=true&s=i

Jean Piaget, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Piaget

Constructivism (learning theory),  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructivism_(learning_theory)

First Interactive Museum, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_museum

Museum of Science (Boston), http://www.mos.org/exhibits_shows/current_exhibits&d=1223

Exploratorium History,  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploratorium

Learning Styles, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_styles

Museum of Science (Boston), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_of_Science_(Boston)

History of Children’s Museums, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children’s_museum

Theming, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theming

Kinetic Art, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_art

Web 3.0, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_Web

Note:

There are limited online resources for the history of museums and science centers, I will continue to update the above resources, mw

While in Baltimore for the Association of Science Technology Centers conference I visited the American Visionary Art Museum, a wonderful museum!  At least once a week I visit a museum, in my head I have a system for how I rate museums.  When I am walking through the museum I am looking for “constancy”, are all of the “parts” of the museum adding up to a consistant “whole” that builds a brand?  There is not a right or wrong approach, as long as the parts add up to a consistent message.  I don’t even have to like the museum, museums attract their own audience and if the brand of the museum is consistant and earnest, it will attract an audience.  Whether the audiance the museum attracts can support the museum is a different question.  Many of the criteria for reviewing a museum are related to “hospitality”, those related to hospitality have an * .  Below is my “system” for reviewing museums.

Pre-Visit

1. * Website – Can you quickly find the address, hours and admission price?
2. * Price – Is the museum fairly priced?
3. * Travel to Museum – How easy is it to find museum?  How is the signage directing you to the museum? Is the museum visible from a major street of highway?
4. * Parking Lot – Is there pay parking? How are you greeted in the parking lot?
5. * Exterior Architecture – How does the exterior “feel” Is the exterior welcoming? Academic? Fun? Is it easy to find the entrance?  Does the exterior “foreshadow” the interior experience?

Visit

1. Threshold – Is there a “threshold”?  Do you understand or have a sense that you are entering a new experience?
2. * Welcome – How are you welcomed at the entrance?  Does someone orient you to the experience?  Tell you where the bathroom is?  Today’s programs? Given a map? Is there a cell phone or smart phone tour?  Are their docents?  Does the entrance set your expectations for the museum?  Is your sense of the museum raised? Do you understand how to act within the museum?  Hands On?  Library Voice?
3. * Staff – How are the staff dressed?  Is their attire consistant with the message of the museum?  How do the staff speak with me? as a friend? as a student?  Are they caring and considerate?
4. * Bathroom – Is it easy to find? Is the bathroom clean? Is the bathroom appropriate for the museum?  Kid height sinks? Fun facts?
5. * Top Floor – (museum close from the top floor down, so I always start at the top floor, often I am showing up with little time). If the museum is only on one floor, go the furthest corner from the entrance and start your visit there.  Unless the experience is linear, I always start at the end and work my way to the beginning.  I am more interested in how content is delivered than the actual content, so like proof reading it is easier to “read backwards” and catch “typos”.  As you walk forward, let the museum “wash over you”, how do you feel?  I am very sensitive to museums that make me feel stupid.  Is there a unified message of the gallery?  Is there a clear and “museum voice”.
6. * Hierarchy - Is there a hierarchy of information? What am I going to see?  What am I seeing? and what have I seen?, Is there Gallery Title? An Area Title? an Exhibit Title?  Is there a way to gain additional information on the topic? A library? A website? A docent?  Are the layers of content defined? Color-coded?  Organized?
7. * Look and Feel - Who are you in the exhibition?  Does the exhibition communicate how to act in the gallery and the desired outcomes of your visit?  Are you an adventurer? A scholar? A kid?  Who you are in the exhibition is communicated in text, color palate, does each gallery have its own “look and feel” or does the museum have a consistent “look and feel”.
8. * Accessibility – Is the museum ADA compliant?  Is the museum friendly to senior citizens? Is the museum kid friendly?  Is the museum accessible to visitors of different learning styles?
9. Collection? Is the collection consistent with the expectations set by the experience? Is the collection the best of the discipline? Is the collection displayed well?   Is the collection placed in a context?
10. Collection Care? I am a museum geek, I always look to see what brand lighting the museum is using, is the museum using UV filters on the lights, Is the framed work framed in non glare and or UV plexus / glass?  Is there condition monitoring in the gallery?  Is there security hardware on the framed pieces?
11. 2’, 10’, 40’ – How does the gallery look from 40?’, from 10’?, from 2’? Can you understand the overall from 40’, but have a sense that there are surprises for you at 2’?  It is important to build surprises into museum experiences.
12. *Area-to-Area – I try to think big to small, by the first gallery you will have a good sense of the overall museum.  Now walk gallery to gallery and see how the galleries flow, are there maps to find your way?  Does the flow of content from gallery to gallery make “sense”?
13. Personal – Are the stories of the galleries personal?  Is the museum experience personalized to me?
14. 2’, 4’, 6’ – How is the content laid out on the wall, is there content at kids height 2’? at 4’ elementary school, at adult height 6’
15. * Reflection – Are there benches in the galleries?  Places for people to sit and think?
16. * Discussion – Are exhibits arranged to encourage discussion between strangers?  Between family members
17. Innovation – How innovative is the museum?
18. Design – Is the museum of high design?
19. *Restaurant – Is the restaurant consistent with the entire museum experience?
20. *Museum Store – Is the museum store consistent with the entire museum experience?

Post Visit

1. *Parking Lot Talk – What is on your mind walking back to your car or public transportation?  Are you energized?  Excited about the content of the museum?
2. * Context – Is the museum placed in a context?  Johnson space center is down the street from Johnson space center.  Does the museum give a behind the senses view of a local attraction?
3. * Follow Up – Is there a way to gain additional information about the content of the museum?  Website?

Looking at my list I realized that many of the items on rating system of museum is related to hospitality.  I am becoming more interested in how museums rate themselves compared to how visitors rate them.  I have set up a survey of a hierarchy of the importance of how museums are viewed by visitors.  Email me if your museum is interested in sharing the survey with your museum membership.

Link to Museum Planner Survey:

Museum Satisfaction Survey

As a follow up to “Museums are Hospitality” I have created an eight (8) question survey regarding museum satisfaction.  I am interested in finding out what drives museum satisfaction in both museum professionals and non professionals.  I am asking participants to remember a positive museum experience while traveling and give feedback to the drivers of the positive experience.  My thought is to request an experience while traveling to remove the “professional” association of local museums.

The results will be posted here on Museum Planner.

Thank you for taking the time to complete the survey !

-Mark

Kadoya Art House

As a follow up to the post “Museums are Hospitality”  I created a thread on the American Association of Museum’s Linkedin thread “What is the Business of Museums?“.   I suggested that “Museums are in the “hospitality” business, not the education business”.  The response has been great.  Although, Many people felt that I didn’t understand the business of museums or that it was “sacrilege” to say that museums are in the “Hospitality” business.  The longer the discussion continued, the more convinced I became that museums are in the “Hospitality” business, but now for different reasons.  The responses got me thinking about a “core” business of museums that is an intangible, that I will call “connecting with the muses“.

Museums grew out of Cabinets of Curiosities, a way for the wealthy to collect and organize the objects of their travels and education, you could think of Cabinets of Curiosities as a way for the rich to show off to guests.  There are many different types of hosts; humble hosts, conceited hosts, fun hosts, etc..  As museum professionals we are acting as the host of our museum and we dictate the type of experience for the visitor.

Last week I was in Union Square in San Francisco and walked into the St. Francis Hotel to use the bathroom. As soon as I walked in, I buttoned my jacket, looked in the mirror to check my hair, stood straighter. I wanted to become worthy of the “attitude” of the St. Francis, even if only to use the bathroom. My reasons, were because of the style, elegance and expense of the hotel.  Museums “ask” visitors to be better people, to reach their full potential. The reasons for me straightening my hair at the St. Francis are different then the reasons that I straighten my hair at the Museum of Modern Art, but the impact on me is the same, I want to be a better person. Creating an atmosphere of potential is a part of hospitality, “what can be”, “who can we become”, to nurture the spirit in each of us to be a better person. “Hospitality” is not pandering, it is elevating an experience.  Museums are “serving” their communities by asking them to be better people, not giving them what they “want”. We all want to be better people, but sometimes we need to be reminded to reach and that is the role of a museum, to remind us of our potential, what is possible and what has been accomplished.

I don’t believe any amount of market research or marketing would support, building the Cy Twombly Gallery.  But there it sits, one of the best museum experiences ever. The de Menil family had faith that building such a place would enrichen the lives of visitors. I felt as if, I was welcomed into the home of the de Menil’s and they shared with me their passion for the work of Cy Twombly. The de Menils are wonderful hosts.

This is a very personal list, some of my favorite places to “connect with the muses”

1. Cy Twonbly Gallery
2. Benesse Art Museums
3. Storm King
4. Museum of Jurasic Technology
5. City Museum
6. The Modern Museum of Art
7. Yale Art Gallery
8. Noguchi
9. Mass MOCA
10. DIA Beacon
11. The Earth Room

Last winter I taught skiing at Heavenly Ski Area in Tahoe.   Over and over I thought “museums need to learn they are in the hospitality business, not the education business”.  I think I learned more about museum customer service as a ski instructor than I ever learned as a staff member at a museum. My priorities in order of importance:

1. Safety - Make sure no one gets hurt, and the kids are safely returned to their care giver

2. Fun – That the kids have a good experience and want to come back and ski again

3. Learning – Learn skills related to skiing

You could use the exact same priorities for any museum, Safety, Fun and Learning in that order.  Most museums feel they are in the “education business”, some museums feel they are in the business of protecting the objects of their collection (“everything would be great if it wasn’t for those pesty visitors”).   I believe museums are in the hospitality business.  Visitors first and for most need to have a good time. As an employee of a ski area, it was drilled into me that the customer comes first, we are helping the visitor “have an experience of a life time”.  This is not a typical museum staff attitude, more often staff of museums are focused inwards (thinking about the collection, the museum politics and the visitor last).  It is often lost on museum staff that the visitor, made plans to visit the museum, got dressed for the occasion, drove to the museum, paid admission all before coming through the front door.  Welcome them, thank them, it is the staff’s job to make their day special.

1. The power of the uniform – As a member of the museum staff you are in a privileged position of responsibility, people look up to you and value your opinion .  That is a big responsibility, take it seriously.  If you don’t know the answer to a question, go find out and get back to the visitor.  Museums don’t like paying for uniforms.  Museum staff don’t like wearing uniforms.  You are there as an expert, look the part and be easily identified as an expert.

2. Training – As a first year ski instructor I went through three days of customer service training in a classroom (paid minimum wage), a week of “on the snow” training and a three days of testing.  I was often shadowed by more experienced instructors and given feedback and advice.  If I wanted to advance, there are opportunities for additional training at my own expense but tied to tiers of pay increases.  I received more training as a part time ski instructor than I ever received as a staff member at a museum.

3. Be selective of staff – Heavenly Ski area is one of the best ski areas in the world.  I was lucky to work there and that is the attitude of the management, they only want the very best.  Often the best ski instructors are not great skiers but great teachers.  Only hire the very best.

4. Tiers of certification – From my first day of training I knew how much I would be making (I also knew how much everybody else was making).  If I wanted to make more money, I could gain additional training with pay raises tied to the training (the training is at my own expense).

5. National organizational participation – As a first year instructor I was encouraged to join the national organization and participate at my own expense.   Most museum staff only participate in American Association of Museums if the museum pays.  I find it inexcusable that indivuals can not join the Association of Science Technology Centers.  How do you expect to advance the field if you can’t join the national organization?

6. Standardization and testing - All ski instructors are judged by the same criteria and tested on their abilities to present the information.

7. Value diversity – I taught kids from all over the world.  I needed to meet the kids where they were, some are athletic, some are overweight, some English is not their first language.  As an instructor I needed to lead the group, to help each other and learn from those who are different.

8. Systems, Boots and reservations – Christmas week we taught hundreds of kids a day.  There were well established systems for equipment and reservations.  Most museums are good with school group lunchs and getting kids on and off buses.  Museums are less good at programs and floor staff interaction with visitors.

9. Build on individuality – I often taught shy skiers.  Most first priority would be to learn about them, what are their interets?  Once trust was established, we could start to ski, without trust you can’t teach.

10. Clear expectations – I knew what was expected of me; kids to understand their equipment, be comfortable with their equipment, learn basic skills and practice their skills.  My first day working at a Science Center I was sent out on the exhibit floor with no expectations.  I was there to answer questions.  I was not equipped to answer questions about a “cloud chamber“, but there I was trying to explain a cloud chamber, that is unfair to the vistor.

11. Share the passion – I am passionate about museums and skiing, I enjoy sharing those passions with others.  Only hire staff who are passionate, Art, Science, History, Zoology, find people who are passionate and have them share their passion with the visitor.

12. Full circle - Train, evaluate and feedback.  I knew I was to be given training, would be evaluated on my ability to present the information and would be given feedback.

13. Independent Contractor Attitude - I was encouraged to create my own systems and plans for teaching.  I was given guidelines, but then given the freedom to create my own lesson plans, my own teaching props and my own way of interacting with students.

14. On the hook, invited back? – Keep your staff “on the hook”.  At the end of the season, I am not sure if I will be hired back, next season.  Do the same with your museum staff, you only want staff at their best.  Continue to test them and let them know if they are not performing at their best they will not be brought back.

15. Check your Equipment Daily – As a ski instructor we were required to have annual physicals, annual equipment checks and we were expected to check our own equipment at the start of every day.  Years ago I had a disagreement with an architect of a new museum.  The architect wanted a separate entrance for the museum staff, I wanted the museum staff to walk through the front door every day.  Make sure you can do everything you are asking your staff, some museums require that all staff work on the floor at least once a month, a great idea.  If you are not on the exhibition floor you can’t “check your equipment”.  Get in the habit of picking up trash in the museum.