Museum 2.0

MARCH 28, 2008

Being a trusted source of information can be a barrier that keeps us from sharing content with visitors that might be more contemporary, more ambiguous, more contentious--information that may not be trusted. It makes us uncomfortable with opening museum content up to comment, tagging, and alterations by visitors. Be personal.

Participatory 20

Participatory Museum Teen Voice 20

Museum 2.0

JULY 31, 2013

It feels like a real gift to myself (and hopefully, to you) to schedule all this content now and not have to worry about it when my baby is born. You''re in for a treat, with upcoming posts on creativity, collections management, elitism, science play, permanent participatory galleries, partnering with underserved teens, magic vests, and more.

Museum 35

Museum Participatory Reflection Conference 35

Museum 2.0

JUNE 12, 2012

It is multi-disciplinary, incorporates diverse voices from our community, and provides interactive and participatory opportunities for visitor involvement. This post focuses on one aspect of the exhibition: its participatory and interactive elements. So many museum exhibitions relegate the participatory bits in at the end.

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Participatory Museum Blackboard Game 51

Museum 2.0

DECEMBER 14, 2009

I used the example of two very different exhibitions that solicited visitor-contributed content: Playing with Science at the London Science Museum, and MN150 at the Minnesota History Center. I worked on one project in which the client institution thought they wanted unfettered teen expression.

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Project Museum Teen North Carolina 22

Museum 2.0

MARCH 27, 2009

This week, the Denver Art Museum (DAM) opened a new temporary exhibition called The Psychedelic Experience , featuring rock posters from San Francisco in the heyday of Bill Graham and electric kool-aid. The space is full of funky, period-ish furniture, everything touchable, everything open to sprawl on or hang out.

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Denver Museum Arts Remix 21

Museum 2.0

MARCH 18, 2015

The people were of all ages--moms with babies strapped to their fronts, six year-olds using skillsaws, pre-teens building robots, teenagers doing homework. At that point, we opened three new locations: Sanger , Greenfield , and a new San Francisco workshop in the Excelsior neighborhood because the Mission has changed so dramatically.

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Green Interview Share Community 20

Museum 2.0

MAY 5, 2009

Visitor Co-Created Museum Experiences This session was a dream for me, one that brought together instigators of three participatory exhibit projects: MN150 (Kate Roberts), Click! learning to enter open, personal relationships with participants. So far, most participatory museum design projects are heavily guided by the institution.

Slides 20

Slides Participatory Museum Children 20

Museum 2.0

AUGUST 25, 2009

I'm not talking about guiding content; I'm talking about guiding form. If your goal is to encourage visitors to perceive themselves as partners in the content co-creation experience, make room for their thoughts sooner rather than later. If someone asks you a question on Twitter, you can only respond with 140 characters.

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Design Goal Difference Platform 31

Museum 2.0

SEPTEMBER 21, 2016

It opens up new conversations about the work of art in our communities. Every other year, they convene TUPAC, a group of 35 outside advisors, including teens, college students, Temple University professors, artists, philanthropists, and community leaders. Give people the exhibition but not the debates about content development.

Process 20

Process Share Philadelphia Arts 20

Museum 2.0

NOVEMBER 7, 2010

At the big one, I worked on a small project with teens to design science exhibits for community centers in their own neighborhoods. Eventually, they had an opening for "Exhibits and Programs Associate"--a low-level jack of all trades position supporting the department. The Spy Museum was a dream place for me.

Museum 52

Museum Boston Participatory Job 52

Museum 2.0

AUGUST 3, 2009

While there is much talk about supporting participation and making museum content relevant, the word "community" hangs like a poorly-defined carrot on a shtick. We're always happy for more bodies in the door, but if supporting teens means alienating seniors, there's a problem. Be open at times that your "community" is likely to come.

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Community Museum San Diego San Francisco 22

Museum 2.0

AUGUST 7, 2008

For many museums, visitor research--how people use the museum, navigate exhibits, and understand content--may be an equally important arena in which to adopt groundswell listening techniques. If we open our ears, our museums and businesses can join these communities. But what if you asked questions instead?

Museum 20

Museum Teen Second Life Discussion 20

Museum 2.0

MAY 16, 2007

The recent flurry of restrictions that has sent teens fleeing? I want to see more multi-person exhibits, more prompts for discussion about content, more tools to facilitate connecting wtih other visitors whose interests are similar or in some way useful to your own. Maybe not, but it does make people more open to doing so.

Museum 20

Museum Myspace Facilitation Social Network 20

Museum 2.0

NOVEMBER 18, 2008

In many museums, comment cards are currently the most "participatory" part of the visitor experience. It's the one place where visitors can offer direct, open-ended feedback on the institution's content and services. It may be useful if you want to ask "What kind of teen programs should our museum offer?"

Comment 20

Comment Tools Museum Conversation 20

Museum 2.0

FEBRUARY 24, 2011

The sensibility is the content and the style with which the engagement happens. I've written before about the difference between participatory processes and products , but this question of frameworks and sensibility is more broadly applicable to community engagement strategies. Adam is a master of sensibility.

Voice 42

Voice Los Angeles Denver Museum 42