Episodes
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How would you design an exhibit — if an animal’s life depended on it?
What is the number one reason people come to the National Aquarium? When should you take ego out of design? What is a “machine for living”? Which is right: “know-feel-do” or “feel-know-do”? (Hint: might not be the first one.) Why would an aquarium visitor want to hear from the people who take care of the animals? What happens when you float an entire Chesapeake wetland on top of the ocean, in the middle of Baltimore Harbor? How have kitchens and exhibits had a similar evolution?
Jacqueline Bershad, Vice President of Planning & Design at the National Aquarium, joins MtM host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “Designing with Animals.”
Along the way: plankton, anemones, turtles, ducks, night herons, sloths, and rockwork sculpting geniuses.
Talking Points:
1. Architecture with a Small “a"
2. Embracing Unlearning
3. When Your Clients Can’t Speak for Themselves
4. Behind the Scenes IS the Scene
5. Passionate People and Pragmatic Problems
6. Vision with a Big “V”How to Listen:
Making the Museum: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G
Everywhere: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/
Guest Bio:
Jacqueline Bershad, Vice President of Planning & Design at the National Aquarium, is a licensed, LEED certified architect with 25 years of experience in the design of museums, exhibit experiences, zoos and aquaria. Her team is responsible for all capital improvement projects, experiential design, exhibit fabrication and operations. She represents the Aquarium at national conferences including AAM, MAAM, AZA and ASLA; has published on museum experience in national outlets; and was appointed by the Mayor to serve on Baltimore’s Public Art Commission. Jacqueline holds a Master’s in Architecture from North Carolina State University, Master’s of Science in Architecture from the University of North Carolina with a specialty in the design of public space, and a Bachelor’s in History from Wesleyan University.
About MtM:
Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Links for This Episode:
Jacqueline on LinkedIn
National Aquarium - Harbor WetlandBaltimore Floats an Artificial Wetland in Pursuit of a Cleaner Harbor - Bloomberg
National Weather Desk Harbor Wetland
National Aquarium Strategic Master Plan – Studio Gang
Harbor Wetland — Ayers Saint Gross
Urban Aquatic Health: Integrating New Technologies and Resiliency into Floating Wetlands. | 2018 ASLA Professional Awards
Evolutionary Thinking in Habitats® - CLR Design
Links for MtM, the Podcast:
https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger
[email protected]
https://www.cgpartnersllc.comDiscover Making the Museum, the Newsletter:
Liked the show? You might enjoy the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a free weekly professional development email for exhibition practitioners, museum leaders, and visitor experience professionals.
(And newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about new episodes of this podcast.)
Join hundreds of your peers with a one-minute read, three times a week. Invest in your career with a diverse, regular feed of planning and design insights, practical tips and tested strategies — including thought-provoking approaches to technology, experience design, audience, budgeting, content, and project management.
Subscribe here (and unsubscribe at any time):
https://www.makingthemuseum.com
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How do you make an institution that's both a museum and a memorial — at the same time?
How are exhibitions like theater? Is a museum a group experience, or a personal one — or is that a trick question? When is it time to trust your gut? Why is collaboration so important? When is a single milk can the most important object in a museum? How can one single, simple philosophy inform everyone’s work, from the curators to the team making mounts for the artifacts? How are the principles of making a memorial museum different from other types of museums — or are they so different after all?
Alice Greenwald (Principal of Memory Matters, LLC, and past President and Chief Executive Officer of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “Making a Memorial Museum.”
Along the way: spackling, reverence, and what happens when a museum director leaves their office door open.
Talking Points:
0. What is a Memorial Museum?
1. Start With Authenticity
2. It’s About Storytelling
3. Museums Are Not Books
4. Practice Conscientious Listening
5. Trust Your Gut
6. Collaboration is RequiredHow to Listen:
Making the Museum: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G
Everywhere: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/
Guest Bio:
Alice M. Greenwald is internationally recognized as a leader in the field of museum practice, with expertise in history, ethnic heritage, and memorial museums. Currently the principal of Memory Matters, LLC, providing strategic advice to museums, memorial projects, senior executives, and boards, she served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum from 2017-2022 and from 2006 to 2016, as the organization’s Founding Museum Director and Executive Vice President for Exhibitions, Collections and Education. Previously, she was Associate Museum Director, Museum Programs, at the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC. Alice serves on the boards of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative and the United Kingdom Holocaust Memorial Foundation and is a Trustee Emerita at Central Synagogue in New York City. She is First Vice President of The Lotos Club, and in January 2024, concluded her service as a board member of the International Council of Museums-US. She holds an M.A. in the History of Religions from the University of Chicago Divinity School, and a B.A with concentrations in English Literature and Anthropology from Sarah Lawrence College, where she delivered the commencement address to the class of 2007.
About MtM:
Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Links for This Episode:
Alice by Email:
[email protected]Alice at Memory Matters:
https://www.memorymattersllc.comNational September 11th Memorial & Museum:
https://www.911memorial.orgUnited States Holocaust Memorial Museum:
https://www.ushmm.orgLinks for MtM, the Podcast:
https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger
[email protected]
https://www.cgpartnersllc.comDiscover Making the Museum, the Newsletter:
Liked the show? You might enjoy the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a free weekly professional development email for exhibition practitioners, museum leaders, and visitor experience professionals.
(And newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about new episodes of this podcast.)
Join hundreds of your peers with an ad-free quick one-minute read, three times a week. Invest in your career with a diverse, regular feed of planning and design insights, practical tips and tested strategies — including thought-provoking approaches to technology, experience design, visitors, budgeting, content, and project management, to name just a few.
Subscribe here (and unsubscribe at any time):
https://www.makingthemuseum.com
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Episodes manquant?
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Is there an organization for the exhibition field? A new initiative is picking up steam.
The exhibition community in the US, some say, has recently gone from having “nearly one” professional organization — to none at all. That’s because of the unexpected 2023 dissolution of NAME, the National Association for Museum Exhibition, a group within the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). But now a new effort is rising at SEGD, an international organization headquartered in the US. It takes the form of a PPG, or professional practice group, specific to exhibition practitioners. How can everyone in the field access professional development and mentorship? What is the role of networking in a professional community? Should there be better standards for the field?
Cybelle Jones (CEO of SEGD) and the cofounders of the new PPG, Steven Rosen (President and Creative Director, Available Light), and George Mayer (Retired Vice President of Business Development, Kubik Maltbie), join host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “A New Home for the Exhibition Community.”
Along the way: how listeners can get involved, the role of local meetups, and what a survey revealed that people in the field most urgently need.
ElevateAdvocateEducateStandardizeSocializeCelebrate
Talking Points:How to Listen:
Making the Museum: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/podcastApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Everywhere: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/Guest Bios:
Cybelle Jones is CEO of SEGD, a multidisciplinary community creating experiences that connect people to place. SEGD is a non-profit member organization focusing on education, innovation and design excellence by designing more equitable, sustainable, and user-centric environments. Prior to joining SEGD, Cybelle led numerous acclaimed design projects during her 25+ year tenure as Principal of G&A, including the National WWII Museum, the International Spy Museum, and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum. Cybelle is actively involved in various boards and has spoken on the field of experience design at AAM, the V&A, FIT, AIGA, AIA and MuseumNext.
Steven Rosen, President and Creative Director, Available Light: Merging performance lighting techniques with traditional non-theatrical environments launched Steven’s career and his founding of Available Light over 30 years ago. From Museum exhibits to immersive architecture to trade shows, the fun never stops—it helps that he works with some of the planet’s most talented lighting aficionados. The originality and grand scale of Steven’s award-winning designs are evident in many one-of-a-kind award-winning projects as: The Neural Climber interactive at the Franklin Institute, Ocean Hall for the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, the International Spy Museum in DC, and Chicago MSI’s U-505. He is passionate about supporting the lighting community.
George Mayer first joined Maltbie Associates in 1986 and was responsible for identifying new business opportunities, proposal writing, presentations, contract negotiation, and oversight of project management teams to ensure satisfactory fulfillment for permanent and traveling exhibits. From 2002 to 2009, George worked as the founding director of a new museum fabrication business for Art Guild, Inc., a nationally active trade show exhibits producer. In 2010, George rejoined Maltbie (now Kubik Maltbie, Inc.) as Vice President of Business Development. He retired from the firm in June of 2022.
About MtM:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Links for This Episode:
SEGD:
https://segd.org/SEGD Membership:
https://segd.org/join/SEGD Professional Practice Groups:
https://segd.org/resources/introducing-segd-professional-practice-groups/
SEGD PPG Unveiling at 2024 AAM:
https://segd.org/news/segd-unveils-professional-practice-groups-at-american-alliance-of-museums-conference/
Cybelle:
Steven:
George:
Links for MtM, the Podcast:
https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger
[email protected]
https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Discover Making the Museum, the Newsletter:
Like the show? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a free weekly professional development email for exhibition practitioners, museum leaders, and visitor experience professionals. Join hundreds of your peers with an ad-free quick one-minute read, three times a week. Invest in your career with a diverse, regular feed of planning and design insights, practical tips and tested strategies — including thought-provoking approaches to technology, experience design, visitors, budgeting, content, and project management, to name just a few. (And a bonus: newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about new episodes of this podcast.)
Subscribe here (and unsubscribe at any time):https://www.makingthemuseum.com
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“The client’s role is not to solve the problem — it’s to state the problem.”
What’s the client’s perspective in major cultural projects? What are “client user groups?” What’s the difference between advocating for the client, and advocating for the project? How do you “inhabit your project?” How might a single gender-inclusive restroom project change an entire institution? Should every project have a “super contingency” in the budget?
Amy Weisser (Deputy Director for Strategic Planning and Projects at Storm King Art Center) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “The Client Side of Major Projects.”
Along the way: P.P.E., trusting the hiring decisions, and a 2,000-year-old Roman theory that still works today.
Talking Points:
1. The Three-Legged Stool: Vision, Schedule, Budget
2. Client Advocate, Project Advocate, User Advocate
3. Museum Building Projects are Linear, Not Cyclical
4. All Projects are Transformational
5. Project Phases: Watercolors to Hard Hats
6. Disasters DO Happen
7. Build Your Values
How to Listen:
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G
Everywhere
https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/
Guest Bio:Amy Weisser is Deputy Director, Strategic Planning and Projects at Storm King Art Center, where she incubates projects focused on strategic growth. Weisser has spent 30 years supporting cultural institutions undergoing profound development. Prior to Storm King, Weisser led exhibition development for the National September 11 Memorial Museum from 2005 to 2017 and helped open the contemporary art museum Dia:Beacon and the American Museum of Natural History’s Rose Center for Earth and Space. She has taught Museum Studies at New York University. Weisser holds a doctorate in Art History from Yale University. She is a co-author of Martin Puryear: Lookout (GRM/SKAC, 2024).
About MtM:
Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Links for This Episode:
Amy’s Email:
[email protected]Amy’s LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/amysweisser/
Storm King:
www.stormking.org
Storm King’s Capital Project:
https://stormking.org/capitalproject/
Building Museums Symposium, a project of the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums:
https://midatlanticmuseums.org/building-museums/
Links for MtM:
https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger
[email protected]
https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Newsletter:
Like the show? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email, three times a week, on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. (And the best way to find out first about new episodes of the podcast.)Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com
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Can you get big press with a small budget? (Hint: Yes.)
For museums, small firms, and independent consultants, this episode is packed with literally dozens of ideas from a master of scrappy PR.
What is the #1 tip about PR, if you forgot all the others? How do you get a journalist’s attention? How do you get in the news without something new? Who should be your spokesperson? Is press actually about the topic — or is it about just being in the news? Once you get an article, what do you do with it? Do people still write press releases? How important is PR, anyway? (Hint: Very.)
Sarah Maiellano (Founder, Broad Street Communications) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “Scrappy PR for Museums”.
Along the way: newsjacking, working the niches, and the magic of a holiday gift guide.
Talking Points:
1. Eight Story Ideas: Beyond the Exhibition
a. New = News
b. Humans are Interested in Other Humans
c. Party Time
d. Shopping!
e. Localize It, Personalize It
f. Education
g. Newsjacking
h. Money Money
2. Doing the Prep Work: Photos, Video, Writing, Talking Points, Spokesperson
3. Building a Media List
4. Maximizing Media Coverage
How to Listen:
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G
Everywhere
https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/
Guest Bio:Equal parts creative and entrepreneurial, Broad Street Communications founder Sarah Maiellano’s superpower is discovering and telling stories. Sarah is an award-winning Philadelphia-based Public Relations professional and independent journalist. She serves Philadelphia area arts and culture institutions, with a focus on museums, and regional non-profits. Over the last 15 years, she has generated more than 3,000 stories about her clients. She’s a past board member of the Philadelphia Public Relations Association and is a frequent speaker at events and conferences, including the American Alliance of Museums 2024 annual meeting. As a freelance journalist, Sarah covers travel and food for regional and national outlets, including USA Today and Philadelphia Magazine.
About MtM:
Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Show Links:
[email protected]www.broadstreetcomms.com
www.sarahmaiellano.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmaiellano/https://www.instagram.com/sarahmaiellano/
MtM Show Contact:
https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger
[email protected]
https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Newsletter:
Liked the show? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com -
Have we lost a sense of playfulness in our work … and could we get it back?
In museums for children, why does “analog usually beat digital?” What’s a “climbing structure”? What are design metaphors, and why should planners beware of them? How can exhibition teams better empathize with one another’s fears and concerns? Why should a museum professional or designer “hyper-specialize”?
Jonathan Goldstein and Kyle Talbott (Principals, Skyhouse Studio) join host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “Six Keys for Unlocking Your Most Playful, Creative Work.”
Along the way: ancient trees, vacuum tubes, and Easter eggs.
Talking Points:
1. Finish Every Sketch
2. Beware of Design Metaphors
3. Design as if You’re Going to Build It
4. Demonstrate Empathy Through Disruption
5. Analog Usually Beats Digital
6. Hyper-SpecializeHow to Listen:
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1GEverywhere
https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/Guest Bios:
As a child, Jonathan Goldstein accidentally built a 2-story treehouse surrounded by a thicket of poison ivy. Never deterred by a project’s audaciousness (or the limitations of his botanical knowledge), Jonathan designs climbing structures to conjure adventure and perceived risk—the stuff of childhood memories. Prior to his architectural studies, Jonathan’s earlier career as a junior high school history teacher prepared him for what would be his quest: To awaken people’s senses and engage their innate curiosities. His specialization in climbing structure design is born from a desire to make special places for families to share uncommon, joyous experiences. Jonathan is the founder and design principal of SKYHOUSE Studio.
Kyle Talbott is Design Principal at SKYHOUSE Studio. He is obsessed with designing complex three-dimensional labyrinths that challenge the mind and body. He uses cutting-edge parametric modeling software to sculpt weird, organic structures inspired by everything from a craggy mountainside to an osprey nest. Kyle sees the world as a complex, orderly whole, and his climber designs embody the harmony of natural and technological things. He is also a passionate educator who is an Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. In all his work, Kyle helps people cultivate a growth mindset and a heroic spirit through inquisitive play.
About MtM:
Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Show Links:
Skyhouse
https://skyhousestudio.org/
SKYHOUSE Studio is a service of the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico CampusJonathan Goldstein
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-goldstein-49856b2aKyle Talbott
Email for Kyle: [email protected]
LinkedIn for Kyle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-talbott-9b17b325/MtM Show Contact:
https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger
[email protected]
https://www.cgpartnersllc.comNewsletter:
Liked the show? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email, three times a week, on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. (And the best way to find out first about new episodes of the podcast.)
Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com
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How do new museums make money — really?
In this episode, we lift the veil on new museum projects and money. What is “the peril of the bicycle wheel”? Is it bad to rely on “anchor funding”? How many kinds of revenue should a new museum project have? What happens if you have the wrong number? (Hint: eh, not so good.) How much money do endowments make? And what’s so magical about thirds?
Amy Kaufman (Principal, Amy Kaufman Cultural Planning) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “The Money Pie Chart”.
Along the way: Latin American Art curator jokes, coat-checking 200 motorcycle helmets at once, and a pharmaceutical metaphor Jonathan will never live down.
Talking Points:
1. Museums have to make money
2. Introducing the pie chart
3. Pac Man, peace signs, and anacins
4. The peril of the bicycle wheel
5. What happens when you don’t diversify
6. What’s next: Living wages and climate actionHow to Listen:
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G
Everywhere
https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/
Guest Bio:Amy Kaufman (Principal, Amy Kaufman Cultural Planning) is an institutional planner with demonstrated success in strategy, business and facilities planning, branding, and operational implementation. She has successfully worked with organizations of all types and sizes, including museums, universities, parks, botanic gardens, visitor centers and heritage sites. She collaborates with government agencies, architects, developers, foundations, and institutional leaders to integrate a variety of goals and perspectives. She plans new institutions; and assesses performance and conducts qualitative and quantitative market research for existing organizations, integrating findings into strategic, operational and visitor experience plans. Previously, Amy was Managing Director at Lord Cultural Resources and Special Project Director at the Guggenheim.
About MtM:
Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Show Links:
Amy Kaufman Cultural Planninghttps://www.akculturalplanning.com
MtM Show Contact:
https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger
[email protected]
https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Newsletter:
Liked the show? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com -
What’s the role of wonder in experience design?
What can the circus teach us to make our exhibitions better? (Spoiler alert: a lot.) Could being “with it and for it” be the secret to success for museum projects? How much technology is too much? Can we really design for all five senses? Can an exhibition be a high-wire act — literally?
Jennifer Lemmer Posey (Tibbals Curator of Circus at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to teach some inspirational “Circus Lessons for Museum Professionals”.
Along the way: popcorn, a wall of clowns, and that special smell of elephants.Talking Points:
1. Build a team that is “with it and for it”
2. Engage all of the senses
3. Technology shouldn’t steal the center ring
4. Wonder is in the details
5. Create opportunities for shared experiences
6. Design a space that can be ever-changing, never-changing
How to Listen:
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1GEverywhere
https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/Guest Bio:
As the Tibbals Curator of Circus at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Jennifer Lemmer Posey oversees the interpretation and care of objects and ephemera related to the history of circus. With more than twenty years of experience, Jennifer serves as a liaison to the international circus community and facilitates academic study of circus arts. A leading scholar in American circus history, her work has been included in numerous books, catalogs, and journals. Jennifer served as editor for Bandwagon: The Journal of the Circus Historical Society and was an Advisory Scholar in Circus Arts for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in 2017.
About MtM:
Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Show Links:
About Jennifer:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferlemmerposey/
https://www.instagram.com/wonderfilled_curator/About the Ringling:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/theringling
https://www.instagram.com/theringling/
https://www.facebook.com/TheRinglingFrom Point 1 - Building a team that is “with it and for it”:
Behind the scenes of the Howard Bros. Circus model - museum staff program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxntny_wC_MWagon Wheel installation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgF8__NDnJQFrom Point 2 - Engage all of the senses:
The Ringling
https://www.ringling.orgWonder Symposium
https://www.ringling.org/wonder-symposium/From Point 3 - Technology shouldn’t steal the center ring:
The Greatest Show On Earth Gallery at The Ringling
https://www.ringling.org/event/the-greatest-show-on-earth-gallery/Manage This Podcast – My Project is a Three Ring Circus
https://www.velociteach.com/manage-this-podcast/my-project-is-a-three-ring-circus/From Point 4 - Wonder is in the details:
Howard Tibbals & the Howard Bros. Circus Model
https://www.pbs.org/video/wedu-arts-plus-311-howard-tibbals/Smithsonian Folklife Festival – Wonder Is by Albert Tong and Hae-Yang Chang
https://festival.si.edu/blog/wonder-is-circus-artsCircus Museum Collection Highlights
https://emuseum.ringling.org/collections/5163/circus-highlights/objectsFrom Point 5 - Create opportunities for shared experiences:
The Ringling’s Collecting Recollections series features fascinating people with fascinating stories to tell about their lives, the Museum, the Circus, Sarasota – and more. I recommend Dolly Jacobs, Kenneth Feld, Jackie LeClaire, Peggy Williams
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLctJhityCmSnHNtgDWP6uWK3Nf0l7Pkr1From Point 6 - Design a space that can be ever-changing, never-changing:
The Circus Museum at The Ringling
https://www.ringling.org/visit/venues/circus-museum/To learn more about circuses:
Federation Mondiale du Cirque
http://www.circusfederation.org
Circus Historical Society
https://circushistory.orgCircus Sarasota
https://circusarts.orgRingling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey
https://www.ringling.comMtM Show Contact:
https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger
[email protected]
https://www.cgpartnersllc.comNewsletter:
Liked the show? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com
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Do museum stores actually make any money?
What are they really for? Can a store act like an exhibition? What does “cap rate” mean? How big should a museum store be? What percentage of visitors go into one, and how many of them buy something? Why should you get an expert to design your store, and what happens when you don’t?
David Franke (museum store architect) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discover what’s “Beyond ‘Exit Through the Gift Shop’”.
Along the way: rubber snakes, oysters, onions, and Mona Lisa ashtrays.
Talking Points:
1. An oyster living in a birds nest.
2. New store in a new museum or a renovation to an existing one. Where, oh where to begin?
3. The peeling of the onion.
4. Getting the balance just right.
5. Don’t forget that long range strategy to ensure you don’t fall victim to your own success.How to Listen:
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1GEverywhere
https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/Guest Bio:
With over four decades of experience as an architect, David Franke’s focus is now exclusively on store design and planning for museum and cultural institutions around the world. Museum stores include two at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History and the Museum of the American Cowgirl, the US Botanic Garden in DC, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West in Arizona; the Grounds for Sculpture in New Jersey, three retail projects for the State Preservation Board in Austin, and the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park Illinois.
David has also served on councils and boards for the Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle, Historical Society of Pennsylvania’s Building and Facilities Committee and the Pennsylvania Ballet. He is a participant in the International Museum Construction Congress, the California Association of Museums, Texas Association of Museums, American Association of Museums and Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums, where has co-presented sessions on the design of museum retail.
About MtM:
Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.comShow Links:
David's website: https://www.davidfrankeconsulting.com
David by Email: [email protected]
David by Phone: +1 (215) 498-4384
David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-franke-ra-21a4539/
MtM Show Contact:
https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger
[email protected]
https://www.cgpartnersllc.comNewsletter:
Liked the show? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com
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Why is economic planning so vital to any new museum project?
What happens if you don’t do it? What is “dark tourism”? Why do economists think about audiences? Can a museum have “ROI”? Which is more important, a profitable museum event, or one that advances a museum’s mission? What can economics teach us about how to make our projects better?
James Stevens, AICP (Vice President, ConsultEcon, Inc.) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “An Economic Planner’s Advice to Museums”.
Along the way: double-edged swords, vocal impersonations, and the Museum of Forks.
Talking Points:
1. Know your audiences (plural).
2. Be both curious and skeptical.
3. Formulate your “mission test”.
4. You’ll be able to take time, but not too much time.
5. Establish strict budgets and fundraising goals. Then change them.How to Listen:
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G
Everywhere
https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/
Guest Bio:
James Stevens, AICP (Vice President, ConsultEcon, Inc.) is a business planner and management consultant with over 20 years of experience with development planning and analyzing the economics of new museums, major expansions and renovations, and new exhibition programs, among other types of visitor attractions and tourism destinations. He has completed hundreds of studies nationally and internationally for building projects large and small. He contributed a chapter to Sustainable Revenue for Museums: A Guide and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences. He has a bachelor’s degree in history from Cornell University and a master’s degree in city planning from MIT.About MtM:
Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Show Links:
James via Email
[email protected]James on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/philly-james-stevens/
ConsultEconhttps://www.consultecon.com/
Sustainable Revenue for Museums: A Guidehttps://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538112984/Sustainable-Revenue-for-Museums-A-Guide
MtM Show Contact:
https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger
[email protected]
https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Newsletter:Like the show? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com
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What is the “humanities gap” — and why is it a huge opportunity for museums?
Why can’t everybody be a philanthropist for the day? What does “cultural literacy” mean, and how can it unlock new approaches to the collections we put on display? Why could a shortfall in humanities funding suggest new ways for museums to be relevant? Why shouldn’t a museum buy products and services from its own community?
Michele Y. Smith (CEO, Museum of Popular Culture) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to talk about “A Guitar That Teaches Civil Rights”.
Along the way: preserving 80,000 artifacts, how revenue drives mission, and why George Clooney’s Batman costume is missing its cape.
Talking Points:
1. MoPOP: a museum designed like a guitar melting.
2. Schools have a humanities gap — museums can help.
3. How “cultural literacy” makes subjects relevant.
4. How a guitar can teach civil rights…
5. … and WALL-E can teach climate change.
6. Achieving financial independence from the founder.
7. Why not open the annual gala to the community?
8. Why not do F&B with local and BIPOC vendors?How to Listen:
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1GEverywhere
https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/Guest Bio:
Michele Y. Smith is the CEO of the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), known for her mission-focused leadership in the nonprofit sector, emphasizing business development, operations, and finance. Her approach prioritizes diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and mentoring, advocating for philanthropy's democratization through pop culture. Previously, as Chief Business & Financial Officer at Woodland Park Zoo, Smith led the institution through the COVID-19 pandemic, achieving significant growth in revenue, events, and guest services with her dynamic strategy.
About MtM:
Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Show Links:
Michele Y. Smith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/micheleysmith/
Museum of Popular Culture (MoPOP) Online: https://www.mopop.org/
MoPOP’s “Massive: The Power of Pop Culture”:
https://www.mopop.org/exhibitions-plus-events/exhibitions/massive-the-power-of-pop-culture/MtM Show Contact:
https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger
[email protected]
https://www.cgpartnersllc.comMtM, the Newsletter:
Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com
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We might think a design concept is the first step — but it’s not. What do you need to ask yourself, before you even start?
What does your community want from your new museum, and how can you find out? What happens when you have funding for 10 staff, but you design a museum that will take 25 staff to operate? What’s more important, the cost of creating the museum, or the later costs of operating it? What’s “noblesse oblige”? What’s a “civic entrepreneur”?Carolynne Harris (Museum Planner, Carolynne Harris Consulting) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “The Questions You Have to Ask Before the Project”.
Along the way: team sports, a right turn at Albuquerque, and training to do five things at once.
Talking Points:
1. A master plan comes before design, but what comes before a master plan?2. Have you got your stakeholders aligned?
3. Do you know what your community wants?
4. Who are your financial supporters — both immediate and ongoing?
5. How many staff can you support, and how will they get paid?
6. Should there even be a museum?
How to Listen:
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G
Everywhere
https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/
Guest Bio:
Carolynne Harris, Founder and Principal of Carolynne Harris Consulting, has over 30 years of experience in the museum field, including over 10 years of senior-level experience at the Smithsonian Institution and Fernbank Museum of Natural History. Carolynne’s nonprofit consulting business specializes in developing emerging museums, renovations, and expansions from early visioning through implementation, and strategic planning for non-profits. Carolynne has been published in Curator, served on the board of the Pennsylvania Museum Association and the Denver Commission for Cultural Affairs, and is currently the Board Secretary of the National Association of Museum Exhibitions (NAME). Carolynne has an MA in Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts from Emory University and a BA in Anthropology from The University of Virginia.(Carolynne is also a member of Praxis Museum Projects Group, a "network of professionals, each of whom brings an expertise to the process of creating exhibitions and cultural experiences in collaboration with exhibit designers, architects, and museums". Members of the Praxis group are a special focus of the first episodes of this podcast.)
About MtM:
Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Show Links:
Carolynne by email: [email protected]
Carolynne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynne-harris-1a52a9/
Carolynne Harris Consulting on the web: https://www.carolynneharris.com/https://www.praxisexhibits.com/
MtM Show Contact:
https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger
[email protected]
https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Newsletter:
Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com -
Why is “70/50” the gold standard? Should it be? Who decided?
Does every gallery really need to be 70 degrees, plus/minus two? Does every storage space really need to be 50% humidity, plus/minus five? Is that a reasonable goal for most museums? At what cost? What’s the difference between “AA” climate control, and just “A”? How much energy could we all save, just by switching down one grade? Are artifact loan agreement climate requirements consistent, or is there room for improvement?
Roger Chang (Principal, Buro Happold) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “Rethinking Climate Control in Museums”.
Along the way: Jackie Kennedy, root cellars, and a wooly mammoth.
Talking Points:
1. Why 70 degrees?
2. Does it have to be the premier system?
3. Reconsider those loan agreements.
4. Knitting at the Renwick
5. Don’t fight the building.
6. “Fun Puzzles”
7. Look in all directions.
8. K.I.S.S.: Keep It Simple Sustainably.
How to Listen:
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G
Everywhere
https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/
Guest Bio:
Roger Chang has over two decades of building engineering experience and currently leads the MEP team within Buro Happold’s Washington DC office. He has significant experience with complex cultural, education, civic, and government projects, including two AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) Top 10 winners. Roger regularly presents at architecture and engineering schools on integrated design, including at the Catholic University of America School of Architecture. He has presented and authored papers on high-performance design, including at Greenbuild, AIA, ASHRAE, and AAM conferences. He has a special interest in the intersection of façade engineering and building systems. He is a strong proponent of adaptive reuse and modernization projects and has worked on a significant number of buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. He was recognized in 2020 as an ASHRAE Fellow.
About MtM:
Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Show Links:
Roger by email: [email protected]
Roger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/changkey
Buro Happold on the web: https://www.burohappold.com
MtM Show Contact:
https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger
[email protected]
https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Newsletter:
Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com -
What if chaos in cultural projects is something to embrace, not fear?
Can chaos theory give us new insights about how to manage complex work? Are we advocates for the owner of a project, or for the project itself? What are the three things upon which the success or failure of a project depends? Sometimes, is it better to let a few things change, rather than fight those changes for even longer? Museum staff are rarely experts in managing building projects or large exhibition productions. Why would we expect them to be? And how can we help?
Jon Maass (Director, MAASS) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss "Embracing Chaos".
Along the way: high-performance buildings, that word “program” again, and whether projects need overseers, therapists or cheerleaders.
Talking Points:
1. Chaos theory studies things that are impossible to predict.
2. Museum projects are chaotic and that’s a good thing.
3. A project is a cultural exercise, with its own diverse culture.
4. Museum owners are not built to build buildings.
5. Teams who excel at museum projects are rare.
6. Change during the process is inevitable, so embrace it.
How to Listen:
Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G
Everywhere
https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/
Guest Bios:
Jon Maass is an architect, builder and maker of things. His history of designing and building structures informs and supports his work as an owner’s representative, helping numerous cultural institutions realize new mission-driven projects and restore important cultural touchstones. His work is process driven, emphasizing proper planning at the project’s outset and relentless pursuit of its stated goals. Jon received degrees from the University of Michigan and the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York, where he was amongst the first recipients of the Menschel Fellowship. His creative history began in the theater where we he designed and built stage sets for numerous Off- Broadway and Off-off Broadway shows throughout New York’s East Village. He continues to teach at Cooper Union, helping young architects understand how to navigate the design and construction process toward making exceptional buildings.About MtM:
Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Show Links:
MAASS on the web: https://www.maass.worksMAASS by phone: +1-917-578-0190
Jon Maass by email: [email protected]
MtM Show Contact:
https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger
[email protected]
https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Newsletter:
Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com -
What’s the secret to success, when a project lasts years longer than planned?
What keeps us going when our work takes more time? How does the subject matter of a project relate to the form of a project? Why should we be thinking equally about the budget for what happens after a project opens? What is the “architecture of delight”? Why do “reverberations matter”? Which is more important: patience, or pushing? (Hint: it’s a trick question.) And most importantly, why should everybody visit the house of Louis and Lucille Armstrong in Queens, New York?
Regina Bain (Executive Director, Louis Armstrong House Museum & Archives) and Sara Caples, (Principal and co-founder of Caples Jefferson Architects) join host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss the new Louis Armstrong Center project that all three worked on.
Along the way: why everyone should take acting classes, and what it’s like being inside a cello.
Chapters:1. Louis and Lucille’s House
2. We’ll Open in Three Months
3. A Golden Curve
4. Serious Acting
5. The Reverberations Matter
6. Patience and Pushing
7. Letter to Your Earlier Self
8. Budget Beyond Opening
How to Listen:
Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G
Everywhere
https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/
Guest Bios:
Regina Bain is an artist and educator serving as the Executive Director of the Louis Armstrong House Museum. In the midst of the reverberations of slavery, Jim Crow laws and the great migration, Armstrong became America’s first Black popular music icon. The Museum preserves his home and archives and develops programs grounded in the values of artistic excellence, education and community. This year, Ms. Bain recently opened the new 14,000 sq. foot Armstrong Center housing a multimedia exhibit curated by Jason Moran, a 75-seat performance space, and the 60,000-piece Armstrong Archives — the largest archives of any jazz musician and one of the largest of any Black musician. Previous to her appointment at LAHM, Ms. Bain served as Associate Vice President of the Posse Foundation — a national leadership and college access program. Bain’s efforts helped to increase Posse’s national student graduation rates for four consecutive years. Bain is currently the co-chair of Culture @3’s anti-racism subcommittee and recently served on the Yale Board of Governors.
Sara Caples AIA is Principal and co-founder of Caples Jefferson Architects PC. Sara's early experience was focused on the design and direction of large projects, especially in the public realm. Since founding the firm in 1987 with Everardo Jefferson, she has remained committed to designing cultural, educational, and community centers for neighborhoods underserved by the design professions. Sara is a frequent lecturer at schools, community, and professional organizations. She has served as a visiting professor at Syracuse, CCNY, University of Miami, and Yale. Sara and her partner Everardo are currently William B. and Charlotte Shepherd Davenport Professors at Yale School of Architecture, and Everardo and Sara worked together on the design of the Louis Armstrong project. CJA has been honored with AIANY’s President’s Award and awarded the AIA’s New York State Firm of the Year. With work widely published from Architect Magazine and Domus to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Their most recent book is Many Voices: Architecture for Social Equity.
About MtM:
Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Show Links:
Louis Armstrong House Museum: https://www.louisarmstronghouse.org/Louis Armstrong (Artist) on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/19eLuQmk9aCobbVDHc6eek?si=lYvi-xRYRXyPTNj7TpzuqA
Images of Louis Armstrong Center Building: https://www.capjeff.com/louis-armstrong-center-new
Images of Louis Armstrong Center Exhibitions: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/projects/new-project-the-louis-armstrong-center-2/Regina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reginabain/
Sara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saracaples/
Caples Jefferson Architects: https://www.capjeff.com
C&G Partners (Jonathan’s Firm, Exhibition Designers): https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Potion Design (Technology Design for Interactive Table): https://www.potiondesign.com/Art Guild (Exhibition Fabricators): https://www.artguildinc.com/
MtM Show Contact:
https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger
[email protected]
https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Newsletter:
Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com -
What is a “growth mindset” — and why is it more important than ever for our industry?
What happens when we combine museology with the fast-growing field of positive psychology? How do exhibition teams get through projects with tough subject matter? Why should we always “put our own oxygen mask on first”? What’s the opposite of love (hint: not hate)? What’s contemplative science? How can we learn from the latest news about the Rubin Museum? Do we sometimes all take ourselves … too seriously?
Dr. Kiersten F. Latham (President & CEO, Sauder Village) and Professor Brenda Cowan (Graduate Exhibition & Experience Design, SUNY Fashion Institute of Technology), join host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss the new book they’ve edited: “Flourishing in Museums”.
Along the way: yogic theory, growing towards the sun, and even a few museum dad jokes.
Talking Points:
1. Flourishing starts with intention, and means living and working with an abundance perspective.
2. Healthy museums have a growth mindset internally and externally: with staff, visitors, communities, and the profession.
3. Museum people must do self-care, and also offer care and support to staff, colleagues, communities, and the system itself.
4. To flourish we must go bold with change: address what’s uncomfortable, deconstruct dysfunctional systems, and even redefine what a museum is.
5. Flourishing takes many forms for the book’s authors, who address war, sexual abuse, discrimination, and regret — as well as fun, playfulness and magic.
6. Positive museology is a fluid and developing project that aims to change how museums function and the way they are seen in society.
How to Listen:
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1GEverywhere
https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/Guest Bios:
Dr. Kiersten F. Latham is President & CEO of Sauder Village, a living history museum complex in Ohio, USA. She has worked in museums for over 35 years. Prior to the Village, her professional journey spanned many kinds of museums and positions within them. She has led museum studies programs at Michigan State University and Kent State University, founded the experimental MuseLab, and has taught all aspects of museum studies. Dr. Latham has conducted research on the meaning of museum objects, conceptual foundations of museums as document systems, numinous experiences in museums, user perceptions of ‘the real thing,’ and positive museology.
Brenda Cowan is a Professor of Graduate Exhibition & Experience Design at SUNY/Fashion Institute of Technology in New York where she teaches exhibition development and evaluation; object and museum studies; research and audience studies. Her background includes work for museums and design firms in the roles of interpreter, exhibition developer, education director, evaluator, and project manager. She is the co-editor of the recently published Flourishing in Museums: Towards a Positive Museology, as well as Museum Objects, Health and Healing both published by Routledge Taylor & Francis. Brenda is a Fulbright Scholar in the disciplines of museums, objects and mental health. Relatedly, her theory of Psychotherapeutic Object Dynamics (www.psychoherapeuticobjectdynamics.com) has been presented at conferences and institutes internationally and published with the National Association for Museum Exhibition and the Society for Experiential Graphic Design. She is currently co-host of a podcast titled Matters of Experience.
About MtM:
Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Show Links:
Book Publisher: https://routledge.pub/Flourishing-in-Museums
Book Email: [email protected]
Book Website (in progress): www.flourishingmuseums.com
Kiersten on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/k-f-latham-298a35189/
Brenda on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brenda-cowan-01bb94140/
Brenda’s FIT Graduate Exhibition & Experience Design Program on Instagram: @fitgradexdMtM Show Contact:
https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger
[email protected]
https://www.cgpartnersllc.comNewsletter:
Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com
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Can an eye-catching museum revitalize a city? The answer might surprise you.
Getting the right designer is vital. If you don’t like a painting you can put it away, but if you don’t like a building, you can’t take it down. Why is it important to have the goals of a complex museum project fit in a mantra of a few words? What comes first in museum architecture, practicality or creative genius? Should you choose your designers by design competition? If not, what’s the alternative? What are the three things a designer needs to do, to win a major project?
Andy Klemmer (Founder, Paratus Group) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to reveal “The Real Bilbao Effect”.
Along the way: why every architect has a bad building, how $300 per square foot can beat $3,000 per square foot, and why you should always take people to ball games.
Talking Points:
1. Words matter
2. Helping an owner be a conductor
3. Every architect has one bad building
4. Good Bilbao Effect vs. Bad Bilbao Effect
5. Architecture is practicality first, fun second
6. Why you shouldn’t hold a design competition
7. Nature, community, service, faith (& other mantras)
How to Listen:
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1GEverywhere
https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/Guest Bio:
Andrew Klemmer established Paratus Group in 1997 to offer specialized consulting for cultural projects involving complex programs, exceptional design, intricate construction, and highly creative global teams. With over thirty years of experience, Andrew assumes a pivotal leadership role in every Paratus project. The genesis of Paratus stems from Andrew's oversight of the expansion of the landmarked Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in 1991 and subsequent involvement in directing the planning and programming of Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain. Paratus uniquely leads in programming, planning, budgeting, design, and construction oversight for cultural institutions, adhering to core principles from project inception to completion. Noteworthy projects include collaborations with renowned architects like Renzo Piano, SANAA, Jean Paul Viguier, and Herzog de Meuron. Andrew is active in the architecture community, contributing as a guest critic, speaker, and advisory panelist. He holds bachelor’s degrees in economics and environmental studies from Bowdoin College.
About MtM:
Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger.
This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Show Link:
Paratus Group: https://www.paratusgroup.com/
MtM Show Contact:
https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger
https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Newsletter:
Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here:
https://www.makingthemuseum.com -
How can we raise the voices of people of color in museums and exhibitions — and what stands in the way?
What is Museum Hue? What constitutes a sustainable museum job, a sustainable career? What percentage of staff at museums are folks of color, and what roles do they have? What do we see happening in the exhibitions that museums create? Many cultural organizations began their DEI initiatives after the tragic events of 2020; how are those programs doing now? Could exhibitions be one of the best places to make visible change happen?
Sierra Van Ryck DeGroot (Deputy Director, Museum Hue) and Jinelle Thompson (Research and Partnerships Manager, Museum Hue) join host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “Raising the Voices of People of Color in Museums and Exhibitions”.
Along the way: the power of networking, Front of House vs. Back of House, and the Museum salary transparency spreadsheet.
Talking Points:
1. What Museum Hue does, and how it all started.
2. The challenge of raising the voices of people of color in the museum and exhibitions field.
3. The real numbers: percentages of museum staff who are people of color.
4. How we can bring students into sustainable careers in the arts (and what “sustainable” means here).
5. Ways to help raise the voices of people of color: Exposure, Mentorship, Support, and Networking.
6. How listeners can get involved: Museum Hue is looking for Speakers, Collaborators, Sponsors, and Partners.
How to Listen:
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1GEverywhere
https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/Guest Bios:
Sierra Van Ryck deGroot is the Deputy Director of Museum Hue. A proud alumna of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Program at Seton Hall University and Bank Street College of Education. Sierra has her BA in Art, Design and Interactive Media; Fine Arts; and Art History and M.S.Ed in Museum Education. A child of Guyanese immigrants. She is proudly born and raised in Central Jersey (NJ) which does exist and it is pork roll, not Taylor Ham. She is also half of the former Sierras co-presidential leadership team of the National Emerging Museum Professionals Network, a current board member for the New Jersey Association of Museums and participating in many side quests related to advocating for change in the GLAM sector, especially in museums, around salary transparency, actionable equity, in higher in practices, the abolition of unpaid internships, and the practice of rest for all museum workers.
Jinelle Thompson is the Research & Partnerships Manager at Museum Hue. She is an arts administrator and cultural strategist working with cultural institutions to establish equitable partnerships and programming with communities across NYC. Through qualitative research, collaborative visioning, and anti-oppressive facilitation, Jinelle develops engagement strategies for the inclusion and empowerment of communities of color. She has organized workshop and public programs with artists, organizers, and activists concerning civic engagement, immigration, voting rights, and mass incarceration. In addition to her work with museums and arts organizations, Jinelle has worked with libraries, social impact organizations, and elected officials in state and municipal government providing operations and administrative support through project and client management, strategic communications, and event administration. Jinelle holds a Bachelor’s with honors in Sociology & Political Science with a concentration in Public Law and a Masters in Museum Studies.
About MtM:
Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Show Links:
Museum Hue: https://www.museumhue.org/
Museum Hue on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/museum-hue/
Museum Hue on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/museumhue/
Museum Hue on Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/museumhueSierra’s Email: [email protected]
Sierra on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sierravrd/
Sierra on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sierragoesthere/
Sierra on Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/sierra_vrdJinelle’s Email: [email protected]
Jinelle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jinellethompson/MtM Show Contact:
https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger
[email protected]
https://www.cgpartnersllc.comNewsletter:
Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com
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What do technologies like the Apple Vision Pro mean for exhibitions and experiences?
For people who create cultural destinations, the pace of technology has now become so fast it’s hard to keep up. AR, VR, AI. What’s happening in the “near future” of the technologies that will define our field for years to come? What is spatial computing? Are projection mapping and Pepper’s Ghosts early forms of augmented reality? Is the extreme personalization of all digital content causing problems we don’t even understand yet? Are museums a potential antidote?
Neil Redding (Near Futurist and SXSW Speaker) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “The Near Future of Experience Design”.
Along the way: self-driving cars, the third era of computing, and getting fidgety about phygital.
Talking Points:
1. What is “Near Futurism”?
2. Applying Near Futurism to Experience Design
3. Are Physical and Digital Converging?
4. What is “Spatial Computing”?
5. The Near Future of Augmented Reality (AR)6. The Near Future of Virtual Reality (VR)
Guest Bio:
Neil Redding is a keynote speaker, author, Innovation Architect and Near Futurist. Neil has worked at the convergence of digital and physical for decades, and is an expert in spatial computing, virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), AI and convergent brand ecosystems.
As a Near Futurist, Neil focuses on connecting what's possible with what's practical. Neil currently leads Redding Futures, a boutique consultancy that enables brands and businesses to powerfully engage the Near Future. Prior to founding Redding Futures, Neil held leadership roles at Mediacom, Proximity/BBDO, Gensler, ThoughtWorks and Lab49. He has delivered for clients including Visa, Nike, Cadillac, Macy’s, NBA, Verizon, TED, The Economist, MoMA, Converse, Morgan Stanley, Apple, Oracle, Financial Times, and Fidelity Investments.
He has spoken at numerous conferences including SXSW, AWE, Immerse Global Summit, infoComm, Tech2025, CreateTech, SEGD XLab, A.R.E. Shoptalk, Creative Technology Week, Design+AI and VRevolution. Neil is also editor of Near Future of Retail, author of the forthcoming book The Ecosystem Paradigm, and advises multiple startups at the leading edge of the digital-physical convergence.
Show Links:Neil’s Email: [email protected]
Neil at LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reddingneil/
Neil’s Website: https://www.neilredding.com
Newsletter:
Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here:
https://www.makingthemuseum.com -
Great projects happen because of great teams. But how do you build that team in the first place?
Who should a museum hire first, to start a major project? How do you decide whether internal staff should run a big project, or if you need help from outside? Should you hire an architect before you hire an exhibition designer, or vice versa? Who else do you need, and when? Where can a museum find firms they might like to work with? What’s an “owner’s rep” anyway?Beth Van Why (Senior Project Manager, Becker & Frondorf) returns to the show, joining host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “Assembling a Collaborative Project Team”.
Along the way: what “AV integrator” means, choosing your own adventure, and how to build a museum on top of Pike’s Peak.
Talking Points:
1. What is a project team?
2. Every project has unique restrictions and opportunities.
3. What museums can do internally vs. when they need help.
4. Timeline for adding staff, partners, and consultants.
5. Owners reps, museum planners, architects, exhibition designers — who else?
6. The role of RFQs and RFPs in team building.
Guest Bio:
Beth Van Why has spent most of her career managing construction and development projects for non-profit and cultural institutions. She offers an extensive background in architecture, exhibit design, collections care, construction, and owner-run program management. Beth is very familiar with the various funding sources available to non-profits and the parameters that come with them. From master planning to design and budget consultation, Beth brings a comprehensive view of the role needed in making a building project successful. A strong advocate for the importance of education, Beth also serves as an associate professor in museum design at University of the Arts.
Show Links:[email protected]
https://www.beckerfrondorf.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethvanwhy/Newsletter:
Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here:
https://www.makingthemuseum.com - Montre plus
