I'm writing this quick post to share some ideas and changes to this blog in the year ahead. Huge thanks to everyone who participated in the idea-sharing over the last couple months about how to make Museum 2.0 a more community-oriented place. Per your suggestions, in 2009...
- this blog will start featuring guest posts more frequently. My goal is 2-4 per month. These posts will be an opportunity to hear from more people who are experimenting, leading, and banging their heads against the challenges of incorporating participation into museums and other public cultural places. If this sounds like you and you would like to contribute as a blogger, please email me (nina @ museumtwo . com)
- I'm going to host an in-person retreat in the fall of 2009. It will be at my beautiful home in Santa Cruz and you are welcome to crash/camp/experience if you decide to come. The focus will be on developing your wildest dreams as they relate to museums, libraries, etc. I'm hoping that at least 3-5 people will come with a dream they want to make a reality and we can all work together to brainstorm and help those people make it happen. This is an attempt to merge the suggestion of a retreat with the "have a real project" suggestion. Plus, I have been dreaming about opening a museum/bar full of social interactives for a long time and I'd love to explore that concept with such a creative and intelligent group as you.
- I'm going to write a book. This didn't come from the idea-sharing site, but many of you have prodded me on this, I've thought about it, and I'm really excited to be starting it. Telling family and friends that you are blogging is one thing; saying you are writing a book is another. (The chief difference is that they know what a book is.) The book will be about applying community and participatory design principles to museums, and I'm going to try to complete it by summer of 2009. If you would like to help out with advance reading and editing please let me know. I'll set up a separate site for the book development soon and am grateful for your suggestions and opinions.
Have you checked out the Cabin Inn Bar at the City Museum in St. Louis? That is the only comparable I can think of. There is a cluster of historic houses in a small town in Texas that make most of their money by having one of the few liquor licenses in town (hence most public events have to book through them) but not quite the same thing....
ReplyDeleteI am totally excited to see your book. I am hoping to get our museum into a more interactive mindset and think that will be a great help. As you stated telling them about a book seems more clear than saying "hey, read this blog." I'm looking forward to seeing your insight and ideas in another print form. I would love to be part of the process if you're looking for an insider (though very small museum) take on things.
ReplyDeleteBodhi, I haven't been to the City Museum since my pre-drinking age days! My dream (which I'll try to write up soon) is to open a bar/coffee house that features one participatory exhibition at a time, about 6-8 per year. Some would be low-tech, some high-tech, some really weird, some flirty, but the goal would be to explore the potential for physical spaces to serve as participatory platforms and provide people a really fun place to hang out.
ReplyDeleteWonder Monkey, thanks so much for your kind words and I would love your perspective! Small museums are the vast majority of the field and I rarely have the perspective in since they can operate below the radar. Send me an email and I'll make sure to put you on the list for further info.
I, too, would love to help out with your book in any way I can. I've been following your blog silently for quite a while now, and have quietly welcomed many of your ideas. Our museum (also a small one) hasn't yet been persuaded to implement any, but the people I've persuaded to check your blog have all said how interesting your ideas are.
ReplyDeleteBullets 1-3, I'm in! All truly inspired ideas. Let me know how I can help.
ReplyDeleteThoroughly look forward to future projects. This blog is a fantastic stimulus for my thinking outside the box - and a book no less down the road!
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed being turned on to the John Holt and the Native Land books, social networking, Groundswell, and all the other things in this blog that are good to think.
This blog will be a required "text" for my Public Archaeology and Museums class this coming semester.
thanks,
I share your excitement (and frustration) about what museum's, galleries and the art community is doing online. Shared a bit of it here: http://tinyurl.com/7yplec at www.bretkovacs.com
ReplyDeleteWould love to help any way I can.
Fantastic plans for 2009 - much to look forward to. And as Wonder Monkey said (sadly?) it's so much more effective to point non-web people to books. Delighted to help in any way.
ReplyDeleteA book isn't terribly 2.0 is it? I'll buy it anyway and am sure it will be brilliant. If you need anything from an academic organization/arts & culture facility, I'd be happy to help.
ReplyDeleteFYI - your blog is required reading for my Introduction to Arts Administration course that I'm teaching at Albright College this spring.
Hi!
ReplyDeleteLove the idéa of the book. I'm looking forward to it! I love your blog and and am very interested in the subject. My own blog, or at least parts of it, is on a similar subject, but written in Swedish.