Patagonian Toothfish

Sometimes the museum idea we’re working on is a bad idea.

But every once in a while, it’s a good idea, waiting for a better name.

The Patagonian Toothfish was a deep-sea species from the Southern Hemisphere that nobody wanted to eat. One wholesaler, tired of attempting to convince people to buy them, tried renaming the fish entirely.

It worked. Under its new name — Chilean Sea Bass — the Toothfish went from unwanted to needing regulation against overfishing. Of course, it helped that it was tasty to begin with.

Maybe our latest museum idea is a Toothfish.

Maybe our “Donor Recognition Wall” should be called “Museum Heart.”

Maybe our “Participatory LED Display” should be called “The Lens.”

Maybe our “Agriculture Innovation Exhibition” should be called “Frannie Foo’s Future Farm.”

Here’s the thing:
Sometimes an idea is a bad idea.

But every once in a while, it’s a good idea — a Patagonian Toothfish — waiting for a better name.

Warmly,
Jonathan

- - - - - - - - - - - -

MtM Word of the Day:
Cap height. In typography, the height of a capital letter with a flat top, like an H. (As opposed to "x-height," the height of a lowercase letter with a flat top, like an x.) In exhibitions, cap heights are better discussed in inches or millimeters, not in points.