The museum of 2050?

This is my warm up essay I did for my program, the question was "What will the museum of 2050 look like?" in 1000 words. It was tricky to answer such a broad question in so few words but here is my attempt:

Change in museums is a slow process, taking many decades to develop. Considering this, what will the museum of 2050 look like? Many museum professionals, such as Harold Skramstad, call for the use of ‘inspiring’ interactivity and education for visitors and increased community involvement.[1] Others, such as controversial writer Josie Appleton, call for a focusing back on the collection, conservation and presentation of objects.[2]  In light of these trends, the museum of 2050 could be a progression or regression of museum practices and objectives. Or it will be both. If both, objects will not be replaced and ignored because they are thought to be irrelevant while in turn audience interaction and community involvement will not be ignored in favor of concentration on objects. Because museums are slow to change, museums in 2050 will contain past, present, and future goals of the museum, resembling the museums we now know yet able to combine these goals to create a stronger museum experience. In the article ‘Can Museums Be All Things to All People?’ there is a sense that a museum can meet its’ goals of preserving its’ integrity while also developing ways of attracting new audiences and strengthening its’ connection with the old. [3]  This will be achieved by combining the museum’s strengths and resources, such as objects and audience interaction. The balancing of these resources will create a cohesive whole, leading to a better museum experience for the visitor and an expansion of the museum out into the community.

Museums were created to house and display collections, and while the concept of the museum has grown and changed over the years, this core value is something that will always be a part of the museum. In a recent article in the Museum and Society journal, the Kotlers state that “across the literature and in the perceptions of those interviewed during our research, there is a tendency to emphasize the importance of presence, of possession – the real object enclosed in the real museum space.”[4] It is clear the object is still and will always be valued because it is unique and tangible, something that can’t be replaced or substituted by pictures or technology. While this focus on objects in the physical museum will be central to museums of the future, it won’t be a regression to old practices, rather it will be a refocusing. Objects will add strength and legitimacy to interactive and educational programs in the museums. They will also be utilized more actively because, as Eilean Hooper-Greenhill points out, curators will refocus their energies on being facilitators of objects and exhibitions, not just displayers and caretakers.[5] If this trend continues, it will allow visitors to interact with objects with the help of curator, not solely through remote authoritative texts, given through impersonal lectures and plaques. Objects will become an active component of the museum experience, allowing a more personal interaction and complete experience.

Education and interaction will also develop to create a more active experience with objects. According to Skramstad, visitors  “expect their social, economic, and cultural activities, though shaped by a variety of sources, will engage them in a way that is vivid, distinctive, and out of the ordinary.”[6] This can and will be achieved through interactive and personalized exhibits and programs. Interactive exhibits will be used as an introduction to help the visitor put the collection into context, as Marilyn Hood states, as ‘entrees, transitions, into the collections.”[7] They will be places that all visitors do more than just read, they will allow and encourage visitors to share their personal experiences and engage in physical activities, such as object reproduction or replica handling. It will play off the strengths of the object based collection, allowing greater access and interaction with the objects which, in turn, will develop a greater appreciation in the visitors for the objects.

While objects originated as the primary focus for museums and interaction is currently the primary focus of museums today, the relatively undeveloped area of museum involvement in the community will develop as a combination of these two to take a leading role  in the museum. In 1917, John Cotton Dana wrote that museums should be a central part of the community, with objects available for storefront exhibitions and local communities projects.[8] While this concept is sadly still in the developmental stage today, there a few successful current models, such as the Open Museum, created in conjunction with the Glasgow Museum Service. The Open Museum is a sort of “mini-museum” which uses objects from a local collection to put on exhibitions organized and displayed by the people from the local community.[9] The community is able to interact with the objects given on loan, giving a personal view of local history. In the Open Museum “cases display items borrowed from museums and donated by local residents, the exhibitions (have) two interactive displays, including a model of a volcano.”[10] The community is able to interact and in turn create interaction for others through their exhibitions. This practice will become prevalent in future museums as it encompasses the strengths of objects and interactivity with the growing importance of community involvement to create projects for, with and by the community.

The balance between the object and audience aspects of the museums is a very tricky undertaking but is essential as each component plays a curial role an inspiring museum experience. It is too simple to say that all museums will follow this path of balance for their competing components. The truth is that different museums will probably put more emphasis on one component over the other, depending on where they assess their strengths to be and the needs of their audience and community. However, it is the attempt at balance that is important, to create a well rounded and interconnected institution. Museums are multifaceted and this makes it difficult to predict their future course but it is this very versatile nature of the museum that is exactly why these different aspects of the museum need to develop and adapt together to meet the changing times, no matter how slow the process.

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[1] Harold Skramstad, ‘An Agenda for Museums in the Twenty-First Century’ in Reinventing the Museum: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on the Paradigm Shift, ed. By Gail Anderson (Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, 2004) pp 118-132 (p.131)

[2] Josie Appleton, ‘Museums for ‘The People’?’ in Museums and Their Communities, ed by Sheila Watson (London: Routledge, 2007) pp 114-126 (p.125)

[3]Neil Kotler and Philip Kotler, ‘Can Museums Be All Things to All People?’ in Reinventing the Museum: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on the Paradigm Shift, ed. By Gail Anderson (Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, 2004) pp 167-186 (p.185)

[4] Siân Bayne, Jen Ross, Zoe Williamson. ‘Objects, subjects, bits and bytes: learning from the digital collections of the National Museums’, Museum and Society, 7.2 (Jul. 2009) 110-124, <http://www.le.ac.uk/museumstudies/m&s/Issue%2020/bayne.pdf> (accessed 8 October, 2009) (p. 111)

[5] Eilean Hooper-Greenhill, Museums and the Shaping of Knowledge (London: Routledge, 1992) p. 200

[6] Harold Skramstad, ‘An Agenda for Museums in the Twenty-First Century’ in Reinventing the Museum: pp 118-132 (p 127)

[7] Marilyn G. Hood,  ‘Staying Away: Why People Choose Not to Visit Museums’ in Reinventing the Museum: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on the Paradigm Shift, ed. By Gail Anderson (Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, 2004) pp 150-157  (p 155)

[8] John Cotton Dana, ‘The Gloom of the Museum’ in Reinventing the Museum: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on the Paradigm Shift, ed. By Gail Anderson (Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, 2004) pp 13-29 (p.27)

[9] Matt Barnard, ‘Kist and Tell’ in Museums and Their Communities, ed by Sheila Watson (London: Routledge, 2007) pp 554-556 (555)

[10] Matt Barnard, ‘Kist and Tell’ in Museums and Their Communities, (555)

The Late Start

So it has been almost a month since I have come to the UK and I have not been faithful to entries in this blog. I am mostly adjusted to the move and to my new program so I figured that it was time to write a few more entries. I am happy to say that I find the University of Leicester Museum Studies Program very interesting and I never knew I would enjoy reading about "What is an Object?" or "What is a Museum?". These are crucial question to address and even if they seem simple, believe me, they are not. Ask yourself, what is an object? Is it vase? A photo? A painting? An historical building? A landscape? The answers seem infinite, so how does one assign a universal way of analyzing an object? or viewing an object? Just something to think about. One of the best things about this program is that it is really making me examine the ideas I have about museum and larger society. 

So while I will be devoting most of this blog to writing about my experience in the museum program, I guess I should give a description of where I am. So I am studying in Leicester, England, which is not the most beautiful european city. However, it has a surprising amount of charm to it. It is in the Midland region of England and is the 10th largest city in the UK, at more than 300,000 people. It has a long history dating back to the Roman period. The city survived through the medieval and modern era, boasting the oldest covered market (and largest) in all of Europe. While it is not as large I as I could imagined, it does have an extensive selection of food, with lots of fresh (though sadly, for the most part, not local) produce. The city center, where the market is located, also has a large number of stores and a large shopping mall area. This area of the city is fairly nice and it is enjoyable to walk around, with a beautiful walk way called "New Walk" which leads from the city center to the university. 

Leicester University is smaller than I imagined it, with a very compact campus center. My program is a little more than a 10 minute walk from the campus center, in a new building (opened just this year!) I have come to appreciate the library greatly, which is very nice and modern looking, with a separate area just for the postgraduate students. It is nice, however the library closes at midnight and there is no where to study besides my room after that time. 

My accommodations are adequate, a room with a wardrobe, desk, chair, and bed, with a kitchen, toilet and shower shared by the ten people in my block. I was a little disappointed when I moved in, because I was placed with all international students. I have 6 chinese roommates, 1 Taiwanese, 1 Indian, and 1 Arab roommate. So I am the only native English speaker and this can be difficult at times. I do wish I had a roommate from the UK as it would have greatly added to my experience here I feel. But I guess it makes sense. Leicester has more International Students in the postgraduate program than British students. 

So that is a brief (very brief) overview of Leicester, I am sure I will flesh it out as I go along. 

The Start

This is the start of my adventure into the new world of Museum Studies. My blog title refers to the phrase "Here there be monsters" or "Here there be dragons", which came into common use during early mapmaking. It was used as an umbrella term for uncharted waters, places that were notoriously stormy, or places where strange creatures or phenomena had been spotted or rumored. This is my adventures into the uncharted path of my future. While I know the course and the possible destinations, the details of my path are yet to be discovered. During my year in England, I will chronicle the path of my experiences in the University of Leicester Museums Studies program. England is the land of museums, so follow the tale of "Here There Be Museums"!