Museum 2.0

JUNE 25, 2014

Two years ago, we mounted one of our most successful participatory exhibits ever at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History: Memory Jars. Two years later, this project is still one of the most fondly remembered participatory experiences at the museum--by visitors and staff. He creates a visual representation of his story.

Participatory 52

Participatory Evaluation Project Museum 52

Museum 2.0

OCTOBER 23, 2018

This project wove together many different participatory threads. The lessons I learned from Lost Childhoods are at the heart of the OF/BY/FOR ALL project we're building now. Through Lost Childhoods , we saw youth step into their power. Short story: we learned a lot. We wrote a toolkit about our process. What did we learn?

Issue 45

Issue Childhood Community Create 45

Museum 2.0

JULY 11, 2012

And to cut to the end of the story first, yes, we are creating a project together, yes, you can participate, and yes to whatever other questions this brings up in your head. Ze Frank is a participatory artist who creates digital projects that are explicitly about creating and enhancing authentic interpersonal connections.

Museum 45

Museum Participatory Artist History 45

Museum 2.0

JANUARY 18, 2012

When talking about active audience engagement with friends in the museum field, I often hear one frustrated question: how can we get adults to participate? The common museum knowledge on this issue is that adults are timid, that we have lost some of the wonder, impulsiveness, and active creativity of childhood days.

Interaction 47

Interaction Design Museum Participatory 47

Museum 2.0

FEBRUARY 5, 2008

They were ahead of the museum curve, using language like "participatory learning environment" (Brooklyn Children's Museum, 1977) that is still thick in the mouths of contemporary museum directors in other fields. Bob argues that giving kids laptops enables more participatory, engaged learning. I don't want a plastic tree.

Classroom 22

Classroom Children Museum Model 22

Museum 2.0

DECEMBER 20, 2010

The design is nothing special: a question printed on construction paper with a bunch of post-its and pens for visitors to respond. The questions are specific, personal, and written to elicit responses that will be useful to other parents and caregivers. The questions fuel the high-quality visitor response. is good for all.

Museum 41

Museum Children Discussion Childhood 41

Museum 2.0

JULY 18, 2017

This month, we opened a new exhibition at the MAH, Lost Childhoods: Voices of Santa Cruz County Foster Youth and Foster Youth Museum (brief video clip from opening night here ). But at the very next C3 meeting with our partners, we ran into two big questions of content and design: The issues facing foster youth are huge and complex.

Action 44

Action Childhood Artist Info 44