ma2016 welcome to the museum: do we really mean it?

Welcome to the museum: Do we really mean it? MA2016 conference, AucklandTuesday 17 May, 2016

@laura_miles www.slideshare.com/lauramiles

National Standards for Australian Museums & Galleries: www.mavic.asn.au/resources

www.economist.com/topics/museums

Elizabeth Merritt’s “unbundling of cultural experiences”

“…visitors have more and more choices about how they spend their time and money.”

AAM 2015 conference

“…museums must work on broadening their appeal…traditional museums are white, Western and ‘womanless’.”

What do we mean by ‘welcoming’?

• Physically• Intellectually• Socially

www.rijksmuseum.nl/

www.rijksmuseum.nl/ Detail of Ceiling Painting, Richard Wright (2012)

What do we mean by ‘welcoming’?

• Physically (museum spaces)• Intellectually (language used)• Socially (interacting allowed)

Active and implied welcomes

• Real people – at the front desk/within the galleries

• Signage indicating access and/or clever architecture granting permission

http://experience.durhamcollege.ca/excited-kittenwww.grumpycats.com/meet-grumpy-cat

www.hetnoordbrabantsmuseum.nl/english

www.hetnoordbrabantsmuseum.nl/englishwww.jheronimusbosch-artcenter.nl/en

www.flickr.com/groups/desire_paths

https://twitter.com/hashtag/naturesplayground

www.theclickdesign.com/project/national-trust-natures-playground/

“Mistrust…

…a man who never has an occasional flash…

…of silliness”

Power, roles and visitor expectations

• Legitimate (seen as the authority)• Reward (exchanged for compliance)• Expert (has knowledge)• Referent (charms)• Coercive (threatens)

(French & Raven, 1959)

http://quickbase.intuit.com/blog/the-5-types-of-power-revisited

http://wellcomecollection.org/visit-us/trails

www.museumsassociation.org/museum-practice

www.creativenz.govt.nz/development-and-resources/research-and-reports

www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/oct/19/science-art-exploring-mind-museum-goer

http://brightonmuseums.org.ukwww.ditchlingmuseumartcraft.org.uk

www.ditchlingmuseumartcraft.org.uk

Ocean Blues temporary exhibition, Brighton Museum & Galleryhttp://brightonmuseums.org.uk/

Kids labels on permanent collection objectshttp://brightonmuseums.org.uk

LGBTQ labels on permanent collection objectshttp://brightonmuseums.org.uks

Victorian & Albert Museum – Museum of Childhoodwww.vam.ac.uk/moc

https://www.facebook.com/museumchildhood/

How to work on your welcome?

• Decide on your focus• Use your resources wisely - lo-tech can

be good• Keep an ‘ideas file’ • Maintain an ‘ideas network’

Takeaways:Download these slides at:www.slideshare.com/lauramiles

More resources:www.mavic.asn.auwww.youtube.com/MuseumsAustraliaVic

http://www.slideshare.com/lauramiles

http://www.mavic.asn.au/

http://www.youtube.com/MuseumsAustraliaVic

ma2016 welcome to the museum: do we really mean it?

Art & Photos