Making the Museum is a newsletter and podcast about exhibitions for museum leaders and teams.
NEW! The MtM Glossary of Museum Exhibitions (BETA)
Written and hosted by Jonathan Alger | MtM is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture
Experts by Experience
When exhibition teams need a subject matter expert (aka SME), we often look for someone with degrees, publications, or impressive credentials. But that's just one type of expert. There are three. …
Over-Cross-Referencing
Every so often, a subject matter expert we work with suggests adding cross-references from one gallery to another. Occasionally, even that every exhibit should cross-reference every other exhibit. Call this over-cross-referencing. …
10 Reasons Intro Theaters Are Worth Considering
Intro theaters are classic — but oddly uncommon, given how worthwhile they are. Here are 10 reasons to consider one in your next project: 1. Background Basics: An intro theater gives essential background — so visitors are “already into it” …
[Podcast] Lost in Translation: The Multilingual Museum in the Age of AI, with Will Lach
Can AI be trusted to translate all our museum catalogs and artwork labels? (Nope.) Will Lach (Director of Sales, Eriksen Translations) discusses “Lost in Translation: The Multilingual Museum in the Age of AI” with MtM host Jonathan Alger. …
Objects as Scene
Most commonly in museums, objects get chosen to go on display because they are categorically similar to each other. But that’s not the only option. Here’s one last less-common idea: what about choosing them to create an environment? …
Interrelating Objects
Not every museum display case groups similar objects or juxtaposes objects. Some display interrelated objects. Interrelating objects is a strategy where you select artifacts to tell a specific tale. They all belong to the same unfolding narrative puzzle. …
Juxtaposing Objects
Most museum display cases invite visitors to compare similar things. Occasionally, though, you’ll encounter two objects in a case that don’t appear to be similar at all, but it’s no accident they are together. …
Demystifying Informal Learning
Have you ever learned something valuable — without any school, class, or training program? We all do it all the time. It’s called informal learning. You’re doing it right now. In fact, you’re informally learning about informal learning. …
Three Types of Learning
When museums describe themselves as educational … are they? Yes. But. There is a difference between “education” and “educational.” Here is the landscape. First, Formal Learning. That’s schools, colleges, and universities. …
Do Questions Work as Titles?
(See what I did there?) Yes. Most panel titles are just naming the subject, like a Wikipedia article: “Early Railroads.” “Civil War Medicine.” “Ancient Trade Routes.” Those titles are clear, sure, but they mostly just sit there. …
Do Object Rotations Cause Repeat Visits?
Why do our visitors come back? Often, because we have “something new.” But not every kind of “new” works this way. A whole new temporary exhibition can be an event. A single rotated object might be “new,” but not in the same way. …
Podcast: Make Space for Change (New Book), with Femke Bijlsma
How can exhibitions create positive change in the world? Femke Bijlsma (Partner, Kossmanndejong) discusses “Make Space for Change (The New Book)” with MtM host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners). …
Should Museums Remove Difficult History?
Political leaders have argued that museums should emphasize national pride rather than difficult history. Yes, museums should not overwhelm visitors. But there is a difference between handling history carefully and removing it entirely. …
Inzovu Curve
Some difficult history exhibitions overwhelm visitors. Others are so restrained that visitors feel almost nothing. How do we navigate these two extremes? Here’s one way: the Inzovu Curve, developed during genocide memorial work in Rwanda. …
Difficult History
Many of us make exhibitions on subjects that are emotionally and politically difficult. (Some of us do nothing but.) War. Slavery. Genocide. Colonialism. Refugees. Terrorism. Injustice. In museum-speak, this is difficult history. …
Why a Wedding Needs a Brontosaurus
“Want to get married under a giant extinct lizard skeleton?” ”I thought you’d never ask.” Exhibition halls and rotundas can make excellent event spaces. We need rentals. Without them, our financial health has one less thing to rely on. …
What is Scope Creep?
Scope creep is the gradual, unacknowledged expansion of work beyond what was originally agreed upon, without corresponding official changes to the budget, schedule, or expectations. Scope creep is not just “the project getting bigger.” …
Wikipedia Theme Park: The Information / Engagement Spectrum
Exhibitions have a constant tension. Are we giving information? Or creating engagement? Of course, the answer is, “Both! Duh.” But let’s dive into that, because “both” isn’t a thorough answer either. Imagine an Information/Engagement Spectrum. …
Historical Timeline Design Challenge
Someone might ask you to include a historical timeline in your next project. After all, they’re everywhere. Which is actually part of the problem. If you do decide to make one, here are a few challenges you could try …
“Carry-Over” Expectations
All our visitors "carry over" expectations from their lives into our exhibitions. Are we actually meeting those expectations? For example, 100% of our visitors use their phones dozens of times on the same day of a visit. …