I recently listened to an interesting crowdsourcing story by Pat Mack on Colorado Public Radio about Denver’s History Colorado Center. The story detailed an exhibit project that lets homeless people connect with the broader community. The artifacts in the exhibit consist of handmade signs collected by Assistant Curator James Patterson from homeless individuals in downtownContinue reading “Museum Activism with Current Exhibits on Current Events”
Category Archives: Management
Light Up People’s Brains with Music
When I was in the third grade, Lloyd Higgerson, the music teacher, came to our class and introduced the opportunity to be in the band. I wanted to play trumpet and my parents bought the instrument and encouraged me to practice. And practice. And practice some more. It was lots more pressure than IContinue reading “Light Up People’s Brains with Music”
5 Ways to Turn T-shirts into Memorabilia with a Message
I love owning, wearing and buying t-shirts. They are comfortable, usually inexpensive, and serve as a palette for art and messaging. I can think of five good reasons to use them at interpretive sites and in social marketing campaigns as a way to promote your mission and message. Brand Recognition – At its simplest,Continue reading “5 Ways to Turn T-shirts into Memorabilia with a Message”
Matching Mission and Message Zooperbly
We recently enjoyed training twenty-eight interpretive professionals from Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania in a day-long interpretive planning workshop at the Melbourne Zoo. Zoo personnel kindly invited us to explore the Melbourne Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary, two of the three Victoria Zoos, in our remaining days in the Melbourne area and we took themContinue reading “Matching Mission and Message Zooperbly”
Six ways to Put Interpretation On Your Manager’s Agenda
I was at the National Park Service training facilities in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, when Mike Watson (then superintendent) said to me, “Interpretation is management.” I had heard our profession described as a management tool for decades, but if it’s only a tool, it’s one of those used too infrequently. I tend to agree withContinue reading “Six ways to Put Interpretation On Your Manager’s Agenda”
8 Key Ways to Keep Valued Employees
We create a culture at work made up of behavioral norms. One of the most important roles of a manager or director is setting values for that culture. Ideally, the corporate culture promotes a feeling of comfort and support that keeps employees motivated and productive. Here are eight key ideas to consider if you wantContinue reading “8 Key Ways to Keep Valued Employees”
Crowdfunding – No Silver Bullet
If you manage a program, I’m guessing one of the things constantly on your to-do list is raising funds for a variety of projects. It’s a great fantasy to imagine there’s some new simple system, a silver bullet that will eliminate the hard work traditionally associated with fundraising. The ease of Internet access in theContinue reading “Crowdfunding – No Silver Bullet”
A Flipchart Survey
This very simple survey method at a special event caught my eye last year at the Larimer County Farmers’ Market in Fort Collins, Colorado, where we live. When I managed a nature center for thirteen years in Pueblo, special events were the lifeblood of our fundraising and they attracted thousands of people to our site.Continue reading “A Flipchart Survey”
5 Thoughts About Graffiti – Messages on the Landscape
Graffiti – is it vandalism or a message on the landscape, something that transcends time to bring a view of the past into the present? At what point does graffiti stop being a problem and become a valued artifact, and who gets to make that judgment? Here are some random thoughts generated by graffiti aroundContinue reading “5 Thoughts About Graffiti – Messages on the Landscape”
Finding The Sweet Spot
At some heritage sites interpretation is entertainment, doing little more than passing time for visitors or delivering information that will not be remembered. Helping people connect emotionally and intellectually with complex stories is a challenge. Experiences must be planned with specific objectives in mind. Much of what we do in planning natural and culturalContinue reading “Finding The Sweet Spot”
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