Posts
Social Impact
The effect that museums have on the social fabric of their communities and the well-being of the individuals and families who live there.
A History of Museum Resilience: Q&A with Author Samuel Redman
When the pandemic arrived and made its far-reaching impact on our people and institutions, many wondered if we would ever recover. Few could recall such an existential crisis during their …
B.U.I.L.D.-ing Empathy: A Framework for Reinvigorating Your Workplace
One of the throughlines of my career in social services has been witnessing the power of empathy. I first discovered this power as an undergraduate criminal justice major, when I completed …
Measuring Museum Social Impact: Lessons and Resources from a National Study
With IMLS funding, the Measurement of Museum Social Impact study has spent months working with museums across the US to validate a social impact instrument. Watch this recorded session from …
How Emotional Intelligence Can Create Happier and Healthier Museums
After twenty years of working in museums, I’ve seen all sides of the field—the good, the bad, and even the ugly. But regardless of the negative experiences, my hopes are still as high as …
How Museums Are Helping Americans Bridge Divides
This year’s TrendsWatch shared a few stories of museums working to bridge the partisan divide, but my research for the report left me wanting more. In today’s guest post, Kate Doak-Keszler, …
Taking a Stand: A Q&A with Micah Parzen, CEO of the Museum of Us
While for some museums the pandemic was a wake-up call to reimagine how they engaged and served their communities, for others it was an opportunity to go deeper. One of those museums, the …
Empathy Interviews: A Tool for Museums to Understand the Feelings and Experiences of Others
Imagine sitting down with local community members and hearing stories about the places they feel they can show up as their most authentic selves, or where and how they have learned …
Mission Made: How Museum Stores Are Embracing Sustainability and Inclusivity
When most people think of museum stores, they likely envision shelves filled with postcards, magnets, and keychains featuring famous artworks or other exhibits. In recent years, however, …
3 Trauma-Informed Practices for Museums to Follow
Earlier this year, I presented at MuseumNext’s Museums, Health, and Wellbeing Summit about what we risk by not integrating trauma-informed practices and values into our work. In my talk, I …
Point of View: Inspiring Reflection in Museums
Why and how the perspective and purpose of museums should …
From the President and CEO: Getting Out of the Box
For generations, much of the American public has put museums in a box, seeing them as nice places to visit on occasions like annual school field trips but not community anchors essential to …
From Cultural Appropriation to Cultural Appreciation at the Center for Design and Material Culture
Lessons from the Center for Design and Material Culture at the University of Wiscons…