What’s the Plan?
This month we are sharing resources that highlight the power of planning — because whether you're designing for visitors, reimagining your museum's role in the community, or preparing for a leadership transition — thoughtful planning is what transforms good intentions into thriving institutions.
What’s Making Us Curious?
Planning for Visitors’ Needs
“I appreciated this article by Danielle Schulz and Karuna Srikureja about an exhibition at the Denver Art Museum that prioritized making space for rest. Not only did this choice align with the artist’s values, but it is such an important way to support visitors' comfort and encourage people to linger with the artworks. Making seating an intentional part of the exhibition design adds so much value. ”
— Katie
Planning for Collective Experiences
“Every April, I look forward to The New York Times Museum Issue. One article that caught my eye this year was about the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, which doubled its attendance in just one year and has reinvented itself as a community hub. Knowing that so many museums strive for something similar, I was curious how. New director Aziz Isham upgraded the basic infrastructure and launched free weekend programming that drew crowds. But I think another key driver for the museum’s increased visitation is that it is intentionally leaning into creating shared, analog, material-rich experiences.”
— Stephanie
Planning for Transition
“I cringe a little every time I hear “succession planning,” because I imagine the power- hungry, dysfunctional, and pathological characters of the show Succession! Yet, planning for leadership transitions is undoubtedly important for the sustainability of organizations and projects. In fact, we were just discussing succession planning in a recent Visitor Studies Association board meeting. Therefore, Kimberly Bender’s 10 lessons learned in planning for her exit as founding executive director at the Heurich House Museum was timely!”
— Amanda
What’s New At Kera?
We encourage you to check out the latest issue of the Journal of Museum Education, which focuses on the relationship between education and evaluation. Our own Hannah Heller served as co-guest editor and Amanda Krantz contributed to this issue as a co-author.
Going to the American Alliance of Museums’ Annual Meeting in Philadelphia? Stop in to see Amanda co-presenting “Changing Times: Redefining Visitor Research and Evaluation in Today’s Context” on Thursday, May 21 at 8:30am. Hannah will also be attending the conference and is looking forward to all of the interesting sessions there are to choose from. Be sure to say hello if you see Amanda or Hannah!
Moment of Wonder
“I was recently at the National Museum of American History to speak to visitors in the Asian Pacific American Center (APAC) exhibition How Can You Forget Me: Filipino American Stories. It tells the story of three men whose belongings were found in these three trunks, and what their experiences can tell us about the Filipino immigrant experience in the United States. I still can’t get over how incredibly functional these trunks are–they have hangers, drawers, multiple compartments! It made me 1) wish we could still have nice things, and 2) marvel all the more at the ingenuity and planning required to make these impossibly long trips in search of a new home."
— Hannah
