A few weeks ago I shared a post questioning whether storytelling was an appropriate or useful format for museums exhibitions. This post received a number of comments, including people suggesting that stories evoke emotions, and that emotions are important for learning. In order to better understand how stories work, I interviewed Lane Beckes, Assistant ProfessorContinue reading “What do Stories Do? Interview with Lane Beckes”
Author Archives: Rebecca Shulman
Can what museums choose to exhibit or promote define the character of their cities?
Lately, I have been thinking about the relationship between museums and cities, and how museums support or impact their cities. As part of this exploration, I picked up Gail Lord and Ngaire Blankenberg’s recent book, Cities, Museums, and Soft Power. This book explores questions of cultural capital, and the ways in which museums wield power. The book makesContinue reading “Can what museums choose to exhibit or promote define the character of their cities?”
Should exhibits tell stories?
This is a post I have been trying to write for a long time – over a year. I’m still struggling, so bear with me. There has been a great deal written over the past few years about museums and storytelling. Storytelling was the theme of the 2013 Annual Alliance of Museums conference. In a 2014Continue reading “Should exhibits tell stories?”
Should we accept this gift?
A month ago, a donor offered to buy the Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum life-sized replicas of three dinosaur heads: Tyrannosaurus Rex, Allosaurus, and Velociraptor. This offer coincided with a decision to re-envision the display on our Sand Porch. The Sand Porch features a sand table with kinetic sand, which children love and play with for hours.Continue reading “Should we accept this gift?”
Schools and Museums: Interview with Sarah Schertz
Sarah Schertz has a Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education from New York University. She was a part of the 2015 Peoria Playhouse Teacher Team. She teaches kindergarten at Methodist Family Child Care Center in Peoria, IL. Sarah brought her ten five- and six-year-old students to the museum for aContinue reading “Schools and Museums: Interview with Sarah Schertz”
Will this work?
Last week I wrote about exposure as a goal for field trips, and readers debated whether exposure was passive. As I stated in a reply to this post, I don’t think exposure is passive for the visitor, but I do think that it can be a way for the museum to be passive, by abdicating responsibilityContinue reading “Will this work?”
Why can’t the goal of museum field trips be exposure?
Recently I spent a few hours writing a blog post to be submitted to The Whiskey City Collaborative, a local Peoria blog. Originally, this post was an exercise in thinking about how communities can help schools become places that expand children’s worlds, and thus their opportunities, through field trips. As I wrote, I tried to reconcileContinue reading “Why can’t the goal of museum field trips be exposure?”
When do we edit participation?
Last week, in honor of Bastille Day, we opened the PlayHouse Art Room to the public with a flag-making activity. We saw a range of flags created by kids and parents. As I share them, imagine some music playing, something vaguely patriotic but from an imaginary or unknown country. There were French-inspired flags: There were PlayHouseContinue reading “When do we edit participation?”
When does the risk of misunderstanding outweigh the value of an activity or program?
Franke L. Smith is an Education Coordinator at Hickory Hill, a Watson-Brown Foundation historic home, near Augusta, Georgia. At the American Alliance of Museums conference in May, Franke and I began a conversation about a program she offers, and whether and why it may be controversial. This program, “Cotton Pickin’ Field Trip,” teaches students about the history ofContinue reading “When does the risk of misunderstanding outweigh the value of an activity or program?”
Should museum professionals get into museums for free?
One of the great perks of working in the museum field is free entry into other museums. I recently went to Indianapolis, and visited three museums in two days. The cost of visiting these three museums, for just one person, was $51.50. But, being an “insider” in the museum world, I called a colleague before going to one museum, andContinue reading “Should museum professionals get into museums for free?”
Museum Questions 