Museum 2.0

JULY 31, 2013

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. I have always approached blogging as an open invitation to "wander along with me" in a learning space driven by curiosity.

Museum 35

Museum Participatory Reflection Conference 35

Museum 2.0

FEBRUARY 9, 2010

Recently, I was giving a presentation about participatory techniques at an art museum, when a staff member raised her hand and asked, "Did you have to look really hard to find examples from art museums? Aren't art museums less open to participation than other kinds of museums?" I was surprised by her question.

Museum 29

Museum Difference Participatory History 29

Museum 2.0

MARCH 28, 2008

It makes us uncomfortable with opening museum content up to comment, tagging, and alterations by visitors. Museums aren't the only venues facing this question: news outlets, corporate brands, and educators are also grappling with the question of trust in the participatory age. Many of the teens write, "learn with us.

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Participatory Museum Teen Voice 20

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

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

AUGUST 25, 2009

Many institutions do this unintentionally--by providing post-its or comment books, pens or crayons. I encourage you to share your own rules and thoughts on this in the comments. Rabinowitz commented that "as a 40-year veteran of history museum interpretation, I can say that I never learned so much from and about visitors."

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Design Goal Difference Platform 31

Museum 2.0

DECEMBER 14, 2009

The London Science Museum team designed an entire exhibition and then left a few open vitrines at the end for visitors to contribute their own toys during the run of the exhibition. 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

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. This was particularly true for Click!, This has both positive and negative outcomes.

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Slides Participatory Museum Children 20

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. You can't open yourself fully to the possibilities.

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Process Share Philadelphia Arts 20

Museum 2.0

SEPTEMBER 16, 2007

Last week, I wrote about the ways that dogs can be useful social objects --and you had lots of good comments and input. Sure, it's social, but people stick to their own "pods"--families, teens, adults--and don't diverge or merge. But since the spaces are largely open, it feels threatening to approach strangers.

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Museum Participatory Teen Game 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. It was going to be developed by contractors and overseen by Anna.

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Museum Boston Participatory Job 52

Museum 2.0

AUGUST 7, 2008

When I watch the videos teens created at the Exploratorium and post on YouTube, I see the aspects of the exhibits they thought were most important to share with their classmates. Here are three examples of changes you could make: Change the language and presentation of comment cards. What do you want?”

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Museum Teen Second Life Discussion 20

Museum 2.0

AUGUST 3, 2009

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. And none of the museums in the park was open. Open your doors really wide. We are a work in progress and open to hearing opinions so speak up.

Community 22

Community Museum San Diego San Francisco 22

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. There are few, if any, ways to write back and continue the conversation with the visitor who commented.

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Comment Tools Museum Conversation 20

Museum 2.0

FEBRUARY 24, 2011

At one point, he commented that there's a difference between the "framework" and the "sensibility" for engagement. 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.

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Voice Los Angeles Denver Museum 42