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Sharing Power: Leadership Lessons from Interdisciplinary Practices in an Art Museum
Author(s) -
Casadio Francesca
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
curator: the museum journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.312
H-Index - 8
eISSN - 2151-6952
pISSN - 0011-3069
DOI - 10.1111/cura.12421
Subject(s) - visitor pattern , transformative learning , context (archaeology) , the arts , public relations , narrative , sociology , engineering ethics , political science , visual arts , engineering , art , computer science , pedagogy , history , literature , archaeology , programming language
Fine arts museums are undergoing a radical transformation, from closed containers of “things” to porous spaces onsite and online where the visitor experience is paramount. The current moment is accelerating this transformative evolution of museums into institutions that feel relevant and attractive to diverse audiences, now increasingly on multiple platforms. This change on the visitor‐facing side needs to mirror a change in practices and attitudes on the inside. As part of this transformative effort a few art museums are supporting a new generation of leaders that have traditionally been in the shadows—those in charge of conservation and scientific research. The infusion of conservation and science narratives in art museums can change visitors’ mode of engagement, diversify content entry points to art for those drawn to science, inspire new public offerings, transform museum spaces to make the practice of conservation and scientific research visible, and attract new funding streams. In this paper we share recent experiences at the Art Institute of Chicago, distilling some key elements that can help transform museums into more equitable and multidisciplinary spaces of inquiry. The work underway builds on the values of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering Art and Math) education and takes place in the context of a growing field of collaborative and interdisciplinary museum practice.