Our new director has a similar vision of creating a feeling of "home" within our Whaling Museum. To help facilitate this idea, tonight we're having our fist ever "Jammy Gam." Our first overnighter for children will include a concert with seafaring readings, a scavenger hunt, and a "whale sighting," where will introduce our new mascot, Clara the Whale (some of you might find this of interest, because I believe about a month ago someone posted a question about mascots in museums). Indeed, it seems there is a big push for learning by experience. Unfortunately for me, to contribute to this experience, I volunteered to work the graveyard "night watch" shift. :) -Jeff Jeffrey S. Bowen Assistant Membership Coordinator Nantucket Historical Association P.O. Box 1016 Nantucket, MA 02554 Phone: 508-228-1894 x 116 Fax: 508-228-5618 Email: [log in to unmask] www.nha.org -----Original Message----- From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Micah Zender Sent: Friday, October 06, 2006 10:30 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [MUSEUM-L] "it all begins with what we do here creatively." An interesting article about the NYC Opera this morning on the USA Today site. The new director of the Opera seems to get the fact that catering the Opera to the publics interests, and not just that of his current patrons will make accessible something that has for a long time been regarded as entertainment for the eliete. I see interesting parallels within the museum world in the problems that he's addressing. As museums have often removed themselves from the general public in order to hold themselves more in line with acadamia, and high-art, rather than a source of cultural entertainment. (generalizing) I'm not looking to start a flame war - quite the opposite. Anyone have any ideas on what sort of strategy they think might work for moving a museum more into this light? Where the museum doesn't become the next theme park, or more simply, to make a museum feel like a place they 'want' to be in. More like a home than a school? As our culture shifts back towards being an Oral society, and not a Literate scociety the culture of learning, and interaction is going to take a huge leap away from the 'studious' museums, and more towards an 'experience.' Something that gives them fuel for communication. The days of looking things up in encyclopedias, are to be replaced by google searches and Wikipedia. What parallels can be drawn in the museum? here's the link. http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2006-10-05-metropolitan-oper a_x.htm Always poking the fire! :) Micah Micah Zender :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Zender + Associates 2311 Park Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45206 - W: 513.961.1790 x134 M: 513.617.6900 - E: [log in to unmask] - - ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes). ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).