Kari Laurent <[log in to unmask]> writes:

"We love our work, yes?
 Otherwise we would be CPAs ($$$$).  And when we love what we do and get
excited about it, this comes out in  how we express ourselves, and others
get
excited about what we do.  In other words, if we provide for the visitor
exciting exhibits, events, lectures, pamphlets, etc. that give them a
sense
of what museums are fundamentally, we are going to get people excitied
with
us.  This will lead to increased visitorship, increased membership,
increased
donations..."

You get it, exactly. I'm not a museum professional, just a newspaper
reporter who is very interested in American history, interior design, and
architecture. I've spent enough time around museums and their
professionals and visitors, and I can see both sides of this question.

I personally find the inner workings of a museum to be fascinating. Is
that just me, or is it because museum professionals spend so much time
talking to one another they've forgotten what it was like to be a layman?
I've also noticed in a few cases that some museum professionals seem to
hold both their visitors and their volunteers in what seems to be a type
of contempt - as in, "I'm an expert, and you're not."

That's fine if museums exist just so other museum professionals can visit
them on their days off. But I don't think there are enough of you guys out
there to support the project!!

The other end of this seems to be how some museum professionals become SO
engrossed in reaching out to the people that they resemble
overly-enthusiastic second grade teachers. They seem to think the more
simple and obvious one can make an exhibit or accompanying explanation,
the more one has succeeded.

Maybe there's some truth to that, but second grade was a long time ago.
Isn't it possible to keep the level of museum work up so that adults who
don't need to be coddled might enjoy it?

Frankly, the guy who was following the visitor group around to note down
everything they did would give me the creeps! You know what it appeared
they were doing; did you know what went on inside their heads? So why
didn't you just ASK - you know, like they were people and not a lab
experiment!

I think the curators and others who communicate their love of their museum
best are those who like people, and don't despise them for not being
experts, yet don't pander to those who feel that museums must compete with
television, video games, etc. for "special effects," or lose their
audience.

Trust me....this stuff is fascinating all on its own. You will find your
audience, and they will find you, if you give them the same respect and
concern you would give to anyone - even a museum professional!

Just my two cents' worth...