Week Five: Musings on Small Museums

      My internship experience with Glen Foerd this week proved very educational. On Tuesday, I attended the Small Museum Association Conference in Ocean City, Maryland with Erica Harvey. The day was exhausting (I had to start my day at 4am in order to meet Erica and make it to Ocean City by 8:30!), but a wonderful experience for a graduate student interested in a future career as a museum professional. As it was the final day of the conference, all of the sessions were fit into two time slots, so Erica and I split up in order to attend the maximum amount of sessions.

The first session that I attended concerned the changing demographics of museum audiences, and how to best handle these changes. The session was run as a group discussion, which I found to be less helpful that I first imagined. Each museum professional had varying issues, but the discussion basically centered on how to involve your particular community and maintain museum attendance. Many of the participants spoke of ethnic diversity new to their communities, specifically the rising Latino population in many areas. To this issue, one individual suggested translating captions, brochures, and other museum literature, as well as incorporating themes that appeal to all Americans—including recent immigrants—such as freedom or immigration. Other museum professionals discussed appealing to the senior community and those with disabilities by making your site accessible. The final consensus reached at the conclusion of the discussion was that focusing on children’s programming was vital, and that no matter your struggles, you should never compromise your mission in order to attract more visitors.

I found the second session I attended to be more useful than the first. This session focused on the topic of how to capture a new audience through socially engaging programs. Three museum professionals from the Delaware Art Museum delivered a presentation about their success with new programming that attracts new audiences, retains those audiences, and thus sustains their future. Through several programs, including “Art is Social,” “Clay Date,” and “Sunday Studio Program,” the museum staff has successfully attracted a new audience. Partnering with local artists (especially bands and DJs) and liquor stores, advertising in local magazines and through blogs and social media, and charging a small fee have all helped draw these new crowds. The key to their success seemed to be socially engaging programs—whether essentially throwing a party in the museum, offering date nights in their studios to create your own art, or family friendly arts and crafts on Sundays, each program maintained a social aspect. The most interesting thought the presenters shared was that the museums once offered similar programs free of charge, and had little turnout at each event. Once the museum began to charge, only $5 for the “Art is Social” and Sunday Studio Program, their visitors felt the program had some value, and many events sell out. Though their ideas may not be possible at Glen Foerd at this time, they are certainly something to consider in the future.