Welcome to The Weekly Muse. What began as a grad school project is now a weekly Substack dedicated to following the museum world.
Upon its completion, Benjamin Franklin described the U.S. Constitution as “having an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Respectfully, I disagree. Other issues have cropped up [in the years since 1789] that never seem to go away. They’re a part of life. For me, it could be a dwindling social life; for a museum, it might be poor visitation. Problems arise simply through the act of existing. But the ability to see challenges like these as opportunities is a rare and special gift, particularly when they won’t be disappearing anytime soon. We must innovate to evolve.
Last week was all about embracing the Here and Now. Now, the Here is further elevated through a change-based mindset. When it comes to “innovation,” institutions cross-industry often put existing, ongoing issues on pause the moment a new area of conversation presents itself. A typical objective is likely to create something brand-new rather than make an existing thing better; the bright, shiny object is favored over whatever’s gathering dust. But museums were/are not especially known for swift execution with regard to modernity let alone acknowledging the past. So how are so-called “memory institutions” making progress Now on the Here? And can museums, unlike the Constitution, obtain permanence if society is ever-changing? Read on about the latest attempts.
To muse over
RELEVANCE. The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series made its lone U.S. stop in Boston last week. In partnership with Red Bull, the Institute of Contemporary Art was used as the official, literal jump-off point. The results of this collaboration weren’t merely a series of beautiful photos; just by leveraging its physical presence, ICA obtained street cred through association with the massive brand. It also cleverly expanded museum awareness to a brand-loyal audience of sports enthusiasts who may have previously overlooked it in favor of seeing a live game. This time, they got both.
UNIONIZATION. Giving hope to museum workers everywhere, the private Glenstone Museum has unionized, added to a list that includes the Jewish Museum, American Folk Art Museum, and the Museum of Fine Art in Boston. What makes Glenstone particularly noteworthy was the internal war waged between the staff and its founders, Mitchell and Emily Wei Rales, an actual pair of billionaires that could afford to use [and did use] all manner of persuasion. Provided the Rales’ hold up their promise to “respect the right of our associates to decide whether to join a union,” it should be said that they hadn’t up to this point. Most of the 89 workers mentioned needing second jobs to make ends meet, the lack of healthcare benefits, and being made to work outdoors “during extreme heat and cold.” There is no doubt that the issues raised are long-standing yet ARTnews pointedly noted a 2018 $219 million expansion of the museum. Could some of that donation have been diverted toward workers rights? The unfortunate reality is that most museum workers lack these basic amenities; it is far too common and perpetuates classist gate-keeping. For context, the average salary of someone working in a museum is $51,588 or $25/hr with many roles requiring a Masters degree at minimum. So while there are pros and cons to joining a union, it may be what is necessary in order to finally make change.
EXPANSION. Kansas City’s Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art has grown large enough to warrant an expansion but rather than make the standard move of hiring an agency, it hired consultants to launch and manage an open architectural competition. While this is not certainly the first design challenge of its kind or the first with the goal to attract new audiences, it encourages participants to inspire community engagement. Collaboration with local communities has long been a successful strategy but the purpose of making a welcoming environment from scratch with the help of local talent creates an added element of appreciation and respect for that community. PSA: Acknowledge the people who work at your institution as well as the people who visit it.
REPATRIATION. Repatriation ceremonies tend to fly under the media radar but the recent return of looted Asante artifacts from the UK to Ghana was turned into a true celebration. To spread excitement (and visibility), Manhyia Palace launched a competition for art students at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology as a larger effort to support traditional Ghanaian art. What makes this activation notable isn’t the competition aspect but the action of turning what would’ve been considered a “bureaucratic affair” behind closed doors into a nationwide celebration giving the public the opportunity to enjoy the newly-returned art alongside new art created by the winners. The British Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum, and British Airways provided support, likely in the form of programming opportunities and comped flights, which is the least they can do in lieu of an apology for centuries of colonization.
LITERAL, ACTUAL SHIT. The winner of the Guinness World Record for the largest collection of fossilized feces (old poop) noticed a void in the museum market when it came to coprolite (dinosaur poop) and opened his own Poozeum this month. Yes. He had been amassing the 8,000-item collection since 2014 and now visitors may peruse them all, free of charge. “We believe that financial constraints should never hinder anyone from experiencing the wonders within our exhibits,” said founder George Frandsen. This was a brilliant launch on Frandsen’s part but a huge miss for natural science museums, who could have seen his August 2023 win as an out-of-the-box exhibition opportunity.
Coming up: MuseumNext is hosting an XR Summit on June 26-27. In advance, ICOM (the Int’l Committee for the Collections and Activities of Museums of Cities) will hold its annual conference in Amsterdam this year, taking place on October 9-11. AAM’s Future of Museums Summit is on October 29-30.
Until next time
The MoMA Design Store is having a summer sale. That’s all. -Sara