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. Do you think there is also a cultural/ethnic aspect to the kind of access and design you use? I know that most of your design focus is on kids. For example, kids and tools.

Green 20

Green Interview Share Community 20

Museum 2.0

DECEMBER 14, 2009

Third, you need to align your idea with institutional culture. This may sound obvious and natural, but it’s easy to underestimate the power of institutional culture. Sometimes staff are unaware of their own cultural biases and requirements even as they manage new projects. There are some ideas that will never fly where you work.

Project 22

Project Museum Teen North Carolina 22

Museum 2.0

JUNE 12, 2012

It made me think in ways that I haven't before about the relation of art--as expressive culture--to democracy. It is multi-disciplinary, incorporates diverse voices from our community, and provides interactive and participatory opportunities for visitor involvement. Note: you can view these photos of the exhibition on Flickr here.)

Participatory 51

Participatory Museum Blackboard Game 51

Museum 2.0

APRIL 6, 2011

Let's say you spend a year working with a group of teens to co-create an exhibition, or you invite members and local artists to help redesign the lobby. In many cases, once the final project is launched, it's hard to detect the participatory touch. Not every participatory process has to scream "look at me!"

Participatory 48

Participatory Process Museum Children 48

Museum 2.0

SEPTEMBER 21, 2016

Looking closer, I saw that each seat had its own handwritten label, telling the story of the Philadelphia cultural institution from which it originated. Every other year, they convene TUPAC, a group of 35 outside advisors, including teens, college students, Temple University professors, artists, philanthropists, and community leaders.

Process 20

Process Share Philadelphia Arts 20

Museum 2.0

AUGUST 3, 2009

The article suggests that museums have previously served one community--"traditional" museum patrons who are white and elderly--and must now be relevant to several other communities that are diverse in cultural, educational, and socio-economic backgrounds. Tags: participatory museum inclusion comfort. See the link to the left.

Community 22

Community Museum San Diego San Francisco 22

Museum 2.0

MAY 16, 2007

The recent flurry of restrictions that has sent teens fleeing? By the standard set by a culture that judges MySpace as dangerous, perhaps these in-person interactions are even MORE dangerous. Tags: participatory museum visitors. When you think of MySpace, what is the first thing that comes to mind? The irritating design?

Museum 20

Museum Myspace Facilitation Social Network 20

Museum 2.0

MAY 8, 2013

Single-speaker lectures languish while lightning talks featuring teen photographers, phD anthropologists, and professional dancers are packed. "Family Art Workshops" suffer from anemic participation whereas multi-generational festivals are overrun with families.

Museum 55

Museum Social Arts History 55

Museum 2.0

JULY 23, 2013

School programs fall within this landscape, and our goal is not to see them as completely separate from the other work we do with youth—Kid Happy Hour, family festivals, teen program—but on a continuum. We are an interdisciplinary institution that focuses on igniting “unexpected connections.”

Program 39

Program Museum Work History 39

Museum 2.0

FEBRUARY 7, 2011

Museums and other venues are offering special programs for teens, for hipsters, for people who want a more active or spiritual or participatory experience. People are not bombarded by marketing messages and societal pressure to engage with cultural venues. There aren't ads on TV talking about how great it is to get lost in art.

Arts 50

Arts Museum Music Calendar 50

Museum 2.0

MARCH 30, 2016

We invite diverse locals to share their creative and cultural talents with our greater community at the museum. Teens advocating for all-gender bathrooms. Does community participation work for big cultural destinations too? The same is true for cultural participation. Printmakers leading workshops. You get the idea.

Community 20

Community Museum Local Participatory 20

Museum 2.0

FEBRUARY 24, 2011

I was talking this week with Mark Allen, the founder of Machine Project (an alternative arts space in LA), about different models for community engagement in cultural institutions. In fact, I find that participatory products are often more likely to reflect a formal sensibility than their traditional counterparts.

Voice 42

Voice Los Angeles Denver Museum 42