A question from a curious undergraduate:
 
Museum attendances are decreasing?  If so, would it not make sense to perhaps
compromise the intellectual atmosphere of museums to run educational programs
for children with a focus on fun, excitement and creativity as opposed to
more serious 'lecture-style' presentations which the kids get in school?
 
Two American surveys from the 1970s (Americans and the Arts, 1973 and
Americans and the Arts II, 1975) both found a correlation between childhood
exposure to museums and frequent participation at cultural events when adult.
If educational programs in museums would be more fun, perhaps more children
would develop a fondness toward museums.  When adults, they would more likely
visit a museum if given the opportunity, and when they have their own
children, they would be more likely to introduce their children to museums.
 
I'm not suggesting that museums become amusement parks like the Disney theme
parks, or lower themselves to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles level,
however...something more fun and exciting...after all, it is hard to compete
with Nintendo and Sega!
 
Joshua Heuman
[log in to unmask]