In a deeply divided nation, museums can play an essential role in creating safe and welcoming spaces for the most marginalized and at-risk communities. A component of this work is in guiding current museum-goers towards more inclusive attitudes and behaviors that benefit society as a whole. Published by Wilkening Consulting and the American Alliance of Museums, Audiences and Inclusion: A Primer for Cultivating More Inclusive Attitudes Among the Public uses new research to examine how museums can effectively employ one of our superpowers—the ability to spark curiosity—to cultivate more inclusive attitudes. Its 10-step primer offers a roadmap for museums to use radical curiosity and courageous empathy to crack open museum-goers’ worldviews and effect critical societal change while maintaining and broadening our audiences.

Thank you to the Primer reviewers:

Melanie Adams, Director, Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum
Dina Bailey, CEO, Mountain Top Vision
Betsy Bradley, Director, Mississippi Museum of Art
Norman Burns, Chief Executive Officer, Conner Prairie
Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko, Director, Illinois State Museum
Christy S. Coleman, Executive Director, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
Trevor Jones, Director & CEO, History Nebraska
Anthony Pennay, Chief Learning Officer, The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute

From Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko, Director, Illinois State Museum:
“Far too often, museum leaders and practitioners ask: how do we get started? Where to we begin to make inclusively-minded change? There are multiple pathways we can all take and it begins with our personal learning and commitment. The Primer offers us evidence for why change is needed and helps us gather momentum for sustained action. Museums of all sizes and localities will find this a useful and motivational resource.”

From Trevor Jones, Director & CEO, History Nebraska: 
“A longtime tenet of museum practice is to meet our audiences where they are, and this Inclusion Primer is a reminder of that core principle. The action items have been really helpful in moving our audiences to take up more inclusive attitudes for the betterment of our communities. The Primer will be of great use to thousands of museums who understand the value of being more inclusive, but don’t know how to go about doing so.”

 

To download your free copy of the Primer, complete the form below.