On the Lookout for Inclusive Museum Practices
We are always thrilled to find museum experiences that strive to be inclusive and human-centered.
There are many different ways to integrate inclusive practices, as illustrated by these resources that highlight three innovative approaches to inclusion: universal design, mobile exhibitions, and collaborative processes in program evaluation.
May Coffee Break Picks
EMILY’S PICK
Embracing the Blind Perspective
“Every so often, I am reminded that the principles of universal design create enriching experiences for all museum visitors. This recent American Alliance of Museums blog on designing exhibitions with blind museum visitors in mind touches on principles of universal design and new technologies that not only make museum experiences more accessible for blind individuals, but really for all museum visitors. Reading the case studies of three museum experiences (two of which were not in the United States) made me reflect on how rare it still is to encounter museum experiences that don’t rely almost entirely on visual abilities.”
RACHEL’S PICK
Art on the Road
“I recently discovered the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ exhibition "VMFA on the Road: An Artmobile for the 21st Century", or Artmobile for short. The exhibition features select works from VMFA’s permanent collection, which are displayed in a climate-controlled trailer that travels to various towns across Virginia. The Artmobile was initially introduced by VMFA in 1953, and while it was replaced by community and museum partnerships in the 1990s, it was reintroduced again in late 2023. I’m intrigued by this concept of “mobile art” and am interested in visiting the exhibition if it happens to be nearby. Unfortunately, I missed the final travel dates by a few weeks, but I hope the Artmobile will be on the road again in the near future!”
HANNAH’S PICK
Rethinking How We Observe Educators
“I’ve been a little obsessed with K-12 program evaluation recently, and it’s definitely been a learning experience for me, now working from the evaluator’s perspective when I’ve been in a museum educator for so long. I thought this experience made me an empathic observer, but this article opened my eyes to ways managers and evaluators can bring museum educators into the evaluation process. Educators’ involvement not only ensures they feel comfortable with the evaluation methods and are aware of what they’re being evaluated on, but can also strengthen the whole process by helping align outcomes and objectives. Remember, no one knows a program as well as the person teaching it!”
New on the Learning Hub
What’s New At Kera?
Cathy will be attending EPIC’s week-long remote Learning and Networking event from May 6-10. She is excited to help out with the “Cultural Empathy Mapping: An Ethnographic Tool for Working Strategically in Teams and Organizations” tutorial led by John Curran. Say hi to Cathy if you’re attending!
Katie will be presenting in a panel session at the American Alliance of Museum’s conference in May. Her session is titled “Alternative Realities: Shaping Our Collective Climate Future Today” on May 17 at 11:30 AM - 12:30 at the Baltimore Convention Center. If you’ll be at AAM, definitely check it out!
We’re kicking off new projects this month! Amanda and Stephanie traveled to Miami to start a strategy project with History Miami Museum.
Moment of Wonder
“In April, I took a trip to Tucson, Arizona, where I lived for a few years during graduate school. I hadn’t been back in over 10 years, and it was a special experience introducing my kids to desert life and revisiting some of my favorite memories. Being there reminded me of how enchanting I find the Sonoran Desert, surrounded by mountains, cactuses, and beautiful blue skies. This picture captures a special moment on a hike in Sabino Canyon—we were looking at a rare cristate saguaro cactus (only about 1 in 200,000 have this mutation that causes a crested top rather than the typical pole-like “body” and two or more “arms” sticking out to the sides) when a hummingbird zoomed right over us as I snapped this picture! (Hint: look above the cactus on the left!)”
— Katie
