No More “Business As Usual”
Responding to uncertainty and loss with resilience and imagination isn’t easy. But we believe it’s essential to thrive in our current world. This month, we spotlight three resources that describe how museums are rethinking “business as usual.”
March Staff Picks
EBONY’S PICK
Museums Adapting to Change
“In these uncertain times, I’ve been thinking about community, resilience, and navigating spaces. So, this month, I want to share ‘Transforming Community Engagement in Unexpected Spaces,’ by Jim Richardson. In this post, Aditi Anand, the Artistic Director of the Migration Museum in London, discusses how the museum has cultivated deep engagement with community members in unexpected spaces, like shopping centers and train stations. In these spaces, the museum becomes a place of gathering, highlighting how migration has shaped communities and nations. For me, this post shows the power we have in spaces of gathering and movement.”
KATIE’S PICK
Zero-Waste Museum Exhibitions
“This article about how museums can reduce the waste generated by their exhibitions caught my attention. It reminded me of our work with The Wild Center on their Climate Solutions exhibition and hearing about their thought processes behind trying to reduce environmental impact through their exhibition design (for example using thrifted phones for audio interactives and recycled wood pallets for wall treatments). While environmental impact was top of mind for The Wild Center in developing an exhibition about Climate Solutions, it might not be something every museum has on their radar. This article offers tips for small steps that can get you started as well as bigger steps museums can work up to.”
EMILY’S PICK
The Un-Museum
“I recently learned about the creation of the DiasporaDNA Story Center in Philadelphia. The Center’s Executive Director, Monica O. Montgomery, has a long history working in and with museums and envisions the Center as an ‘Un-Museum’. On this podcast episode, she breaks down what this entails, and I was intrigued by the two-way exchange she describes between the Center and the visitor, where people come to learn about stories but also share their own stories and histories. In essence, the Center plans to preserve and make history with the visitor in real time through a variety of dynamic programming and experiences. She says, ‘You might come a stranger, but you leave a maker, an author, a curator, a historian, and an artist.’”
New on the Learning Hub
What’s New At Kera?
All of our past newsletters are now available on our Learning Hub! Look for posts with the blue “News from Kera” icons or filter by topic and select “News from Kera.” We’ll post the newsletters regularly on our website from now on, so you can catch up anytime.
Speaking of news, we’ve refreshed our website! We’re loving how dynamic it is and how it helps us better express our vision. Shout out to our friends at Wild Awake Creative for helping us bring it to life!
We’re delighted to be starting up some new work with Smithsonian units: evaluation planning and strategy for the Office of the Under Secretary for Education’s Together We Thrive grant program and phase two of our evaluation of the National Museum of American History’s Youth Leadership Team Program.
Moment of Wonder
“My daughter’s middle school Parent Teacher Association hosted a Skate Night at our local, blast-from-the-past roller rink. Every time I go there, I am in wonder at what a fun and unique place it is (but also very overstimulating!). Fill it with over 150 middle schoolers and their families having a good time, and I am all smiles. 😊"
— Amanda
