I was honored to give a speech this week at the Mobius Science Center and Children's Museum's annual donor breakfast.
I took my first trip to Spokane, WA - what a beautiful area! - to be a part of Mobius' effort to move their education and community outreach front and center.
At their donor breakfast, I gave a speech about how museums are changing the ways they are engaging with their visitors and communities.
I focused on two trends that have been emerging in our field:
Extending into communities in creative and impactful ways, so that the fabric of the institution extends beyond its walls – beyond its traditional or perceived boundaries.
Bringing visitors into the process and letting them do what they expect – to be somewhat in charge of their experience. Sounds scary, huh? But museums are finding ways to create experiences that allow the visitor input and participation, without diluting the value of their expertise.
Museums have a long, long history of being an 'authoritative voice' and the profession worked pretty hard to break down that barrier the past 20+ years. This doesn't mean there isn't authentic content and exposure to vetted information and beautiful artistry, it's just being presented in new and creative ways. And these are but two ways museums are doing just that.
These particular trends align with where Mobius is going. They are moving into a new space this year, but it won't be a traditional exhibit-laden space, but a platform and toolbox for creating experiences and moving the process of science exploration and education out into the community.
It's always nice to share thoughts about what we are up to and how we are striving to be sustainable and make the magic happen!