How do you make an institution that's both a museum and a memorial — at the same time?How are exhibitions like theater? Is a museum a group experience, or a personal one — or is that a trick question? When is it time to trust your gut? Why is collaboration so important? When is a single milk can the most important object in a museum? How can one single, simple philosophy inform everyone’s work, from the curators to the team making mounts for the artifacts? How are the principles of making a memorial museum different from other types of museums — or are they so different after all?Alice Greenwald (Principal of Memory Matters, LLC, and past President and Chief Executive Officer of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “Making a Memorial Museum.”Along the way: spackling, reverence, and what happens when a museum director leaves their office door open.Talking Points:0. What is a Memorial Museum?1. Start With Authenticity2. It’s About Storytelling 3. Museums Are Not Books 4. Practice Conscientious Listening5. Trust Your Gut6. Collaboration is RequiredHow to Listen:Making the Museum: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/podcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Everywhere: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bio:Alice M. Greenwald is internationally recognized as a leader in the field of museum practice, with expertise in history, ethnic heritage, and memorial museums. Currently the principal of Memory Matters, LLC, providing strategic advice to museums, memorial projects, senior executives, and boards, she served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum from 2017-2022 and from 2006 to 2016, as the organization’s Founding Museum Director and Executive Vice President for Exhibitions, Collections and Education. Previously, she was Associate Museum Director, Museum Programs, at the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC. Alice serves on the boards of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative and the United Kingdom Holocaust Memorial Foundation and is a Trustee Emerita at Central Synagogue in New York City. She is First Vice President of The Lotos Club, and in January 2024, concluded her service as a board member of the International Council of Museums-US. She holds an M.A. in the History of Religions from the University of Chicago Divinity School, and a B.A with concentrations in English Literature and Anthropology from Sarah Lawrence College, where she delivered the commencement address to the class of 2007. About MtM:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Links for This Episode:Alice by Email:[email protected] Alice at Memory Matters:https://www.memorymattersllc.com National September 11th Memorial & Museum:https://www.911memorial.org United States Holocaust Memorial Museum:https://www.ushmm.org Links for MtM, the Podcast:https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger [email protected] https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Discover Making the Museum, the Newsletter:Liked the show? You might enjoy the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a free weekly professional development email for exhibition practitioners, museum leaders, and visitor experience professionals. (And newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about new episodes of this podcast.)Join hundreds of your peers with an ad-free quick one-minute read, three times a week. Invest in your career with a diverse, regular feed of planning and design insights, practical tips and tested strategies — including thought-provoking approaches to technology, experience design, visitors, budgeting, content, and project management, to name just a few.Subscribe here (and unsubscribe at any time):https://www.makingthemuseum.com 

Is there an organization for the exhibition field? A new initiative is picking up steam. The exhibition community in the US, some say, has recently gone from having “nearly one” professional organization — to none at all. That’s because of the unexpected 2023 dissolution of NAME, the National Association for Museum Exhibition, a group within the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). But now a new effort is rising at SEGD, an international organization headquartered in the US. It takes the form of a PPG, or professional practice group, specific to exhibition practitioners. How can everyone in the field access professional development and mentorship? What is the role of networking in a professional community? Should there be better standards for the field?Cybelle Jones (CEO of SEGD) and the cofounders of the new PPG, Steven Rosen (President and Creative Director, Available Light), and George Mayer (Retired Vice President of Business Development, Kubik Maltbie), join host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “A New Home for the Exhibition Community.” Along the way: how listeners can get involved, the role of local meetups, and what a survey revealed that people in the field most urgently need.Talking Points:ElevateAdvocateEducateStandardizeSocializeCelebrate How to Listen:Making the Museum: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/podcastApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Everywhere: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bios: Cybelle Jones is CEO of SEGD, a multidisciplinary community creating experiences that connect people to place. SEGD is a non-profit member organization focusing on education, innovation and design excellence by designing more equitable, sustainable, and user-centric environments. Prior to joining SEGD, Cybelle led numerous acclaimed design projects during her 25+ year tenure as Principal of G&A, including the National WWII Museum, the International Spy Museum, and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum. Cybelle is actively involved in various boards and has spoken on the field of experience design at AAM, the V&A, FIT, AIGA, AIA and MuseumNext. Steven Rosen, President and Creative Director, Available Light: Merging performance lighting techniques with traditional non-theatrical environments launched Steven’s career and his founding of Available Light over 30 years ago. From Museum exhibits to immersive architecture to trade shows, the fun never stops—it helps that he works with some of the planet’s most talented lighting aficionados. The originality and grand scale of Steven’s award-winning designs are evident in many one-of-a-kind award-winning projects as: The Neural Climber interactive at the Franklin Institute, Ocean Hall for the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, the International Spy Museum in DC, and Chicago MSI’s U-505. He is passionate about supporting the lighting community. George Mayer first joined Maltbie Associates in 1986 and was responsible for identifying new business opportunities, proposal writing, presentations, contract negotiation, and oversight of project management teams to ensure satisfactory fulfillment for permanent and traveling exhibits. From 2002 to 2009, George worked as the founding director of a new museum fabrication business for Art Guild, Inc., a nationally active trade show exhibits producer. In 2010, George rejoined Maltbie (now Kubik Maltbie, Inc.) as Vice President of Business Development. He retired from the firm in June of 2022.About MtM:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Links for This Episode: SEGD:https://segd.org/ SEGD Membership:https://segd.org/join/ SEGD Professional Practice Groups:https://segd.org/resources/introducing-segd-professional-practice-groups/ SEGD PPG Unveiling at 2024 AAM:https://segd.org/news/segd-unveils-professional-practice-groups-at-american-alliance-of-museums-conference/ Cybelle:[email protected] Steven:[email protected] George:[email protected] Links for MtM, the Podcast: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger [email protected] https://www.cgpartnersllc.com  Discover Making the Museum, the Newsletter: Like the show? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a free weekly professional development email for exhibition practitioners, museum leaders, and visitor experience professionals. Join hundreds of your peers with an ad-free quick one-minute read, three times a week. Invest in your career with a diverse, regular feed of planning and design insights, practical tips and tested strategies — including thought-provoking approaches to technology, experience design, visitors, budgeting, content, and project management, to name just a few. (And a bonus: newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about new episodes of this podcast.) Subscribe here (and unsubscribe at any time):https://www.makingthemuseum.com 

“The client’s role is not to solve the problem — it’s to state the problem.”What’s the client’s perspective in major cultural projects? What are “client user groups?” What’s the difference between advocating for the client, and advocating for the project? How do you “inhabit your project?” How might a single gender-inclusive restroom project change an entire institution? Should every project have a “super contingency” in the budget?Amy Weisser (Deputy Director for Strategic Planning and Projects at Storm King Art Center) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “The Client Side of Major Projects.”Along the way: P.P.E., trusting the hiring decisions, and a 2,000-year-old Roman theory that still works today.Talking Points:1. The Three-Legged Stool: Vision, Schedule, Budget 2. Client Advocate, Project Advocate, User Advocate 3. Museum Building Projects are Linear, Not Cyclical 4. All Projects are Transformational 5. Project Phases: Watercolors to Hard Hats 6. Disasters DO Happen 7. Build Your ValuesHow to Listen: Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Everywherehttps://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bio:Amy Weisser is Deputy Director, Strategic Planning and Projects at Storm King Art Center, where she incubates projects focused on strategic growth. Weisser has spent 30 years supporting cultural institutions undergoing profound development. Prior to Storm King, Weisser led exhibition development for the National September 11 Memorial Museum from 2005 to 2017 and helped open the contemporary art museum Dia:Beacon and the American Museum of Natural History’s Rose Center for Earth and Space. She has taught Museum Studies at New York University. Weisser holds a doctorate in Art History from Yale University. She is a co-author of Martin Puryear: Lookout (GRM/SKAC, 2024). About MtM: Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Links for This Episode: Amy’s Email: [email protected] Amy’s LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/amysweisser/ Storm King: www.stormking.org Storm King’s Capital Project:https://stormking.org/capitalproject/Building Museums Symposium, a project of the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums: https://midatlanticmuseums.org/building-museums/Links for MtM: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger [email protected] https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Newsletter: Like the show? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email, three times a week, on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. (And the best way to find out first about new episodes of the podcast.)Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com 

Can you get big press with a small budget? (Hint: Yes.) For museums, small firms, and independent consultants, this episode is packed with literally dozens of ideas from a master of scrappy PR. What is the #1 tip about PR, if you forgot all the others? How do you get a journalist’s attention? How do you get in the news without something new? Who should be your spokesperson? Is press actually about the topic — or is it about just being in the news? Once you get an article, what do you do with it? Do people still write press releases? How important is PR, anyway? (Hint: Very.)Sarah Maiellano (Founder, Broad Street Communications) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “Scrappy PR for Museums”. Along the way: newsjacking, working the niches, and the magic of a holiday gift guide.Talking Points: 1. Eight Story Ideas: Beyond the Exhibition     a. New = News     b. Humans are Interested in Other Humans     c. Party Time     d. Shopping!     e. Localize It, Personalize It     f. Education     g. Newsjacking     h. Money Money2. Doing the Prep Work: Photos, Video, Writing, Talking Points, Spokesperson3. Building a Media List4. Maximizing Media CoverageHow to Listen: Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Everywherehttps://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bio:Equal parts creative and entrepreneurial, Broad Street Communications founder Sarah Maiellano’s superpower is discovering and telling stories. Sarah is an award-winning Philadelphia-based Public Relations professional and independent journalist. She serves Philadelphia area arts and culture institutions, with a focus on museums, and regional non-profits. Over the last 15 years, she has generated more than 3,000 stories about her clients. She’s a past board member of the Philadelphia Public Relations Association and is a frequent speaker at events and conferences, including the American Alliance of Museums 2024 annual meeting. As a freelance journalist, Sarah covers travel and food for regional and national outlets, including USA Today and Philadelphia Magazine.About MtM:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Show Links: [email protected] www.sarahmaiellano.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmaiellano/https://www.instagram.com/sarahmaiellano/ MtM Show Contact: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger [email protected] https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Newsletter: Liked the show? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com 

Have we lost a sense of playfulness in our work … and could we get it back?In museums for children, why does “analog usually beat digital?” What’s a “climbing structure”? What are design metaphors, and why should planners beware of them? How can exhibition teams better empathize with one another’s fears and concerns? Why should a museum professional or designer “hyper-specialize”?Jonathan Goldstein and Kyle Talbott (Principals, Skyhouse Studio) join host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “Six Keys for Unlocking Your Most Playful, Creative Work.”Along the way: ancient trees, vacuum tubes, and Easter eggs.Talking Points:1. Finish Every Sketch2. Beware of Design Metaphors3. Design as if You’re Going to Build It4. Demonstrate Empathy Through Disruption5. Analog Usually Beats Digital6. Hyper-SpecializeHow to Listen:Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311  Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G  Everywherehttps://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/  Guest Bios:As a child, Jonathan Goldstein accidentally built a 2-story treehouse surrounded by a thicket of poison ivy. Never deterred by a project’s audaciousness (or the limitations of his botanical knowledge), Jonathan designs climbing structures to conjure adventure and perceived risk—the stuff of childhood memories. Prior to his architectural studies, Jonathan’s earlier career as a junior high school history teacher prepared him for what would be his quest: To awaken people’s senses and engage their innate curiosities. His specialization in climbing structure design is born from a desire to make special places for families to share uncommon, joyous experiences. Jonathan is the founder and design principal of SKYHOUSE Studio.Kyle Talbott is Design Principal at SKYHOUSE Studio. He is obsessed with designing complex three-dimensional labyrinths that challenge the mind and body. He uses cutting-edge parametric modeling software to sculpt weird, organic structures inspired by everything from a craggy mountainside to an osprey nest. Kyle sees the world as a complex, orderly whole, and his climber designs embody the harmony of natural and technological things. He is also a passionate educator who is an Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. In all his work, Kyle helps people cultivate a growth mindset and a heroic spirit through inquisitive play.About MtM:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Show Links:Skyhousehttps://skyhousestudio.org/ SKYHOUSE Studio is a service of the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus Jonathan Goldstein Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-goldstein-49856b2a Kyle TalbottEmail for Kyle: [email protected] LinkedIn for Kyle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-talbott-9b17b325/ MtM Show Contact:https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger  [email protected]  https://www.cgpartnersllc.com  Newsletter:Liked the show? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email, three times a week, on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. (And the best way to find out first about new episodes of the podcast.)Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com 

How do new museums make money — really?In this episode, we lift the veil on new museum projects and money. What is “the peril of the bicycle wheel”? Is it bad to rely on “anchor funding”? How many kinds of revenue should a new museum project have? What happens if you have the wrong number? (Hint: eh, not so good.) How much money do endowments make? And what’s so magical about thirds?Amy Kaufman (Principal, Amy Kaufman Cultural Planning) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “The Money Pie Chart”.Along the way: Latin American Art curator jokes, coat-checking 200 motorcycle helmets at once, and a pharmaceutical metaphor Jonathan will never live down.Talking Points:1. Museums have to make money2. Introducing the pie chart3. Pac Man, peace signs, and anacins4. The peril of the bicycle wheel5. What happens when you don’t diversify6. What’s next: Living wages and climate actionHow to Listen:Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Everywherehttps://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bio:Amy Kaufman (Principal, Amy Kaufman Cultural Planning) is an institutional planner with demonstrated success in strategy, business and facilities planning, branding, and operational implementation. She has successfully worked with organizations of all types and sizes, including museums, universities, parks, botanic gardens, visitor centers and heritage sites. She collaborates with government agencies, architects, developers, foundations, and institutional leaders to integrate a variety of goals and perspectives. She plans new institutions; and assesses performance and conducts qualitative and quantitative market research for existing organizations, integrating findings into strategic, operational and visitor experience plans. Previously, Amy was Managing Director at Lord Cultural Resources and Special Project Director at the Guggenheim.About MtM: Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Show Links: Amy Kaufman Cultural Planninghttps://www.akculturalplanning.comMtM Show Contact: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger [email protected] https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Newsletter: Liked the show? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com 

What’s the role of wonder in experience design? What can the circus teach us to make our exhibitions better? (Spoiler alert: a lot.) Could being “with it and for it” be the secret to success for museum projects? How much technology is too much? Can we really design for all five senses? Can an exhibition be a high-wire act — literally? Jennifer Lemmer Posey (Tibbals Curator of Circus at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to teach some inspirational “Circus Lessons for Museum Professionals”. Along the way: popcorn, a wall of clowns, and that special smell of elephants.Talking Points:1. Build a team that is “with it and for it”2. Engage all of the senses3. Technology shouldn’t steal the center ring4. Wonder is in the details5. Create opportunities for shared experiences6. Design a space that can be ever-changing, never-changing How to Listen:Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311  Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G  Everywherehttps://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/  Guest Bio:As the Tibbals Curator of Circus at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Jennifer Lemmer Posey oversees the interpretation and care of objects and ephemera related to the history of circus. With more than twenty years of experience, Jennifer serves as a liaison to the international circus community and facilitates academic study of circus arts. A leading scholar in American circus history, her work has been included in numerous books, catalogs, and journals. Jennifer served as editor for Bandwagon: The Journal of the Circus Historical Society and was an Advisory Scholar in Circus Arts for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in 2017.About MtM:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Show Links:About Jennifer:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferlemmerposey/ https://www.instagram.com/wonderfilled_curator/ About the Ringling:https://www.linkedin.com/company/theringling https://www.instagram.com/theringling/ https://www.facebook.com/TheRingling From Point 1 - Building a team that is “with it and for it”:Behind the scenes of the Howard Bros. Circus model - museum staff programhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxntny_wC_M Wagon Wheel installationhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgF8__NDnJQ From Point 2 - Engage all of the senses:The Ringlinghttps://www.ringling.org Wonder Symposiumhttps://www.ringling.org/wonder-symposium/ From Point 3 - Technology shouldn’t steal the center ring:The Greatest Show On Earth Gallery at The Ringlinghttps://www.ringling.org/event/the-greatest-show-on-earth-gallery/ Manage This Podcast – My Project is a Three Ring Circushttps://www.velociteach.com/manage-this-podcast/my-project-is-a-three-ring-circus/ From Point 4 - Wonder is in the details:Howard Tibbals & the Howard Bros. Circus Modelhttps://www.pbs.org/video/wedu-arts-plus-311-howard-tibbals/ Smithsonian Folklife Festival – Wonder Is  by Albert Tong and Hae-Yang Changhttps://festival.si.edu/blog/wonder-is-circus-arts Circus Museum Collection Highlightshttps://emuseum.ringling.org/collections/5163/circus-highlights/objects From Point 5 - Create opportunities for shared experiences:The Ringling’s Collecting Recollections series features fascinating people with fascinating stories to tell about their lives, the Museum, the Circus, Sarasota – and more. I recommend Dolly Jacobs, Kenneth Feld, Jackie LeClaire, Peggy Williamshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLctJhityCmSnHNtgDWP6uWK3Nf0l7Pkr1 From Point 6 - Design a space that can be ever-changing, never-changing:The Circus Museum at The Ringlinghttps://www.ringling.org/visit/venues/circus-museum/ To learn more about circuses:Federation Mondiale du Cirquehttp://www.circusfederation.org Circus Historical Societyhttps://circushistory.org Circus Sarasotahttps://circusarts.org Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Baileyhttps://www.ringling.com MtM Show Contact:https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger [email protected]  https://www.cgpartnersllc.com  Newsletter:Liked the show? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com 

Do museum stores actually make any money? What are they really for? Can a store act like an exhibition? What does “cap rate” mean? How big should a museum store be? What percentage of visitors go into one, and how many of them buy something? Why should you get an expert to design your store, and what happens when you don’t?David Franke (museum store architect) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discover what’s “Beyond ‘Exit Through the Gift Shop’”.Along the way: rubber snakes, oysters, onions, and Mona Lisa ashtrays.Talking Points:1.  An oyster living in a birds nest.2.  New store in a new museum or a renovation to an existing one. Where, oh where to begin?3.  The peeling of the onion.4.  Getting the balance just right.5.  Don’t forget that long range strategy to ensure you don’t fall victim to your own success.How to Listen:Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311  Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G  Everywherehttps://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/  Guest Bio:With over four decades of experience as an architect, David Franke’s focus is now exclusively on store design and planning for museum and cultural institutions around the world. Museum stores include two at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History and the Museum of the American Cowgirl, the US Botanic Garden in DC, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West in Arizona; the Grounds for Sculpture in New Jersey, three retail projects for the State Preservation Board in Austin, and the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park Illinois. David has also served on councils and boards for the Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle, Historical Society of Pennsylvania’s Building and Facilities Committee and the Pennsylvania Ballet. He is a participant in the International Museum Construction Congress, the California Association of Museums, Texas Association of Museums, American Association of Museums and Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums, where has co-presented sessions on the design of museum retail.About MtM: Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Show Links:David's website: https://www.davidfrankeconsulting.comDavid by Email: [email protected] David by Phone: +1 (215) 498-4384David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-franke-ra-21a4539/ MtM Show Contact:https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger  [email protected]  https://www.cgpartnersllc.com  Newsletter:Liked the show? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com 

Why is economic planning so vital to any new museum project?What happens if you don’t do it? What is “dark tourism”? Why do economists think about audiences? Can a museum have “ROI”? Which is more important, a profitable museum event, or one that advances a museum’s mission? What can economics teach us about how to make our projects better?James Stevens, AICP (Vice President, ConsultEcon, Inc.) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “An Economic Planner’s Advice to Museums”.Along the way: double-edged swords, vocal impersonations, and the Museum of Forks.Talking Points:1. Know your audiences (plural).2. Be both curious and skeptical.3. Formulate your “mission test”.4. You’ll be able to take time, but not too much time.5. Establish strict budgets and fundraising goals. Then change them.How to Listen:Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Everywherehttps://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bio: James Stevens, AICP (Vice President, ConsultEcon, Inc.) is a business planner and management consultant with over 20 years of experience with development planning and analyzing the economics of new museums, major expansions and renovations, and new exhibition programs, among other types of visitor attractions and tourism destinations. He has completed hundreds of studies nationally and internationally for building projects large and small. He contributed a chapter to Sustainable Revenue for Museums: A Guide and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences. He has a bachelor’s degree in history from Cornell University and a master’s degree in city planning from MIT.About MtM:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Show Links: James via [email protected] on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/philly-james-stevens/ConsultEconhttps://www.consultecon.com/Sustainable Revenue for Museums: A Guidehttps://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538112984/Sustainable-Revenue-for-Museums-A-Guide MtM Show Contact: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger [email protected] https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Newsletter:Like the show? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com 

What is the “humanities gap” — and why is it a huge opportunity for museums?Why can’t everybody be a philanthropist for the day? What does “cultural literacy” mean, and how can it unlock new approaches to the collections we put on display? Why could a shortfall in humanities funding suggest new ways for museums to be relevant? Why shouldn’t a museum buy products and services from its own community?Michele Y. Smith (CEO, Museum of Popular Culture) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to talk about “A Guitar That Teaches Civil Rights”.Along the way: preserving 80,000 artifacts, how revenue drives mission, and why George Clooney’s Batman costume is missing its cape.Talking Points:1. MoPOP: a museum designed like a guitar melting.2. Schools have a humanities gap — museums can help.3.  How “cultural literacy” makes subjects relevant.4. How a guitar can teach civil rights…5. … and WALL-E can teach climate change.6. Achieving financial independence from the founder.7. Why not open the annual gala to the community?8. Why not do F&B with local and BIPOC vendors?How to Listen:Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311  Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G  Everywherehttps://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/  Guest Bio:Michele Y. Smith is the CEO of the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), known for her mission-focused leadership in the nonprofit sector, emphasizing business development, operations, and finance. Her approach prioritizes diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and mentoring, advocating for philanthropy's democratization through pop culture. Previously, as Chief Business & Financial Officer at Woodland Park Zoo, Smith led the institution through the COVID-19 pandemic, achieving significant growth in revenue, events, and guest services with her dynamic strategy.About MtM:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Show Links:Michele Y. Smith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/micheleysmith/ Museum of Popular Culture (MoPOP) Online: https://www.mopop.org/ MoPOP’s “Massive: The Power of Pop Culture”: https://www.mopop.org/exhibitions-plus-events/exhibitions/massive-the-power-of-pop-culture/ MtM Show Contact:https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger  [email protected]  https://www.cgpartnersllc.com  MtM, the Newsletter:Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com 

We might think a design concept is the first step — but it’s not. What do you need to ask yourself, before you even start? What does your community want from your new museum, and how can you find out? What happens when you have funding for 10 staff, but you design a museum that will take 25 staff to operate? What’s more important, the cost of creating the museum, or the later costs of operating it? What’s “noblesse oblige”? What’s a “civic entrepreneur”?Carolynne Harris (Museum Planner, Carolynne Harris Consulting) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “The Questions You Have to Ask Before the Project”. Along the way: team sports, a right turn at Albuquerque, and training to do five things at once. Talking Points: 1. A master plan comes before design, but what comes before a master plan?2. Have you got your stakeholders aligned?3. Do you know what your community wants?4. Who are your financial supporters — both immediate and ongoing?5. How many staff can you support, and how will they get paid?6. Should there even be a museum?How to Listen: Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Everywherehttps://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bio: Carolynne Harris, Founder and Principal of Carolynne Harris Consulting, has over 30 years of experience in the museum field, including over 10 years of senior-level experience at the Smithsonian Institution and Fernbank Museum of Natural History. Carolynne’s nonprofit consulting business specializes in developing emerging museums, renovations, and expansions from early visioning through implementation, and strategic planning for non-profits. Carolynne has been published in Curator, served on the board of the Pennsylvania Museum Association and the Denver Commission for Cultural Affairs, and is currently the Board Secretary of the National Association of Museum Exhibitions (NAME). Carolynne has an MA in Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts from Emory University and a BA in Anthropology from The University of Virginia. (Carolynne is also a member of Praxis Museum Projects Group, a "network of professionals, each of whom brings an expertise to the process of creating exhibitions and cultural experiences in collaboration with exhibit designers, architects, and museums". Members of the Praxis group are a special focus of the first episodes of this podcast.)About MtM: Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Show Links: Carolynne by email: [email protected] on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynne-harris-1a52a9/ Carolynne Harris Consulting on the web: https://www.carolynneharris.com/https://www.praxisexhibits.com/ MtM Show Contact: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger [email protected] https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Newsletter: Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com 

Why is “70/50” the gold standard? Should it be? Who decided? Does every gallery really need to be 70 degrees, plus/minus two? Does every storage space really need to be 50% humidity, plus/minus five? Is that a reasonable goal for most museums? At what cost? What’s the difference between “AA” climate control, and just “A”? How much energy could we all save, just by switching down one grade? Are artifact loan agreement climate requirements consistent, or is there room for improvement? Roger Chang (Principal, Buro Happold) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “Rethinking Climate Control in Museums”. Along the way: Jackie Kennedy, root cellars, and a wooly mammoth. Talking Points: 1. Why 70 degrees? 2. Does it have to be the premier system?3. Reconsider those loan agreements.4. Knitting at the Renwick5. Don’t fight the building.6. “Fun Puzzles”7. Look in all directions.8. K.I.S.S.: Keep It Simple Sustainably.How to Listen: Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Everywherehttps://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bio: Roger Chang has over two decades of building engineering experience and currently leads the MEP team within Buro Happold’s Washington DC office. He has significant experience with complex cultural, education, civic, and government projects, including two AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) Top 10 winners. Roger regularly presents at architecture and engineering schools on integrated design, including at the Catholic University of America School of Architecture. He has presented and authored papers on high-performance design, including at Greenbuild, AIA, ASHRAE, and AAM conferences. He has a special interest in the intersection of façade engineering and building systems. He is a strong proponent of adaptive reuse and modernization projects and has worked on a significant number of buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. He was recognized in 2020 as an ASHRAE Fellow. About MtM: Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Show Links: Roger by email: [email protected] on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/changkey Buro Happold on the web: https://www.burohappold.com   MtM Show Contact: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contacthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/[email protected]://www.cgpartnersllc.com Newsletter: Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com 

What if chaos in cultural projects is something to embrace, not fear? Can chaos theory give us new insights about how to manage complex work? Are we advocates for the owner of a project, or for the project itself? What are the three things upon which the success or failure of a project depends? Sometimes, is it better to let a few things change, rather than fight those changes for even longer? Museum staff are rarely experts in managing building projects or large exhibition productions. Why would we expect them to be? And how can we help? Jon Maass (Director, MAASS) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss "Embracing Chaos".Along the way: high-performance buildings, that word “program” again, and whether projects need overseers, therapists or cheerleaders.Talking Points: 1. Chaos theory studies things that are impossible to predict.2. Museum projects are chaotic and that’s a good thing.3. A project is a cultural exercise, with its own diverse culture.4. Museum owners are not built to build buildings.5. Teams who excel at museum projects are rare.6. Change during the process is inevitable, so embrace it.How to Listen: Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Everywherehttps://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bios:Jon Maass is an architect, builder and maker of things. His history of designing and building structures informs and supports his work as an owner’s representative, helping numerous cultural institutions realize new mission-driven projects and restore important cultural touchstones. His work is process driven, emphasizing proper planning at the project’s outset and relentless pursuit of its stated goals. Jon received degrees from the University of Michigan and the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York, where he was amongst the first recipients of the Menschel Fellowship. His creative history began in the theater where we he designed and built stage sets for numerous Off- Broadway and Off-off Broadway shows throughout New York’s East Village. He continues to teach at Cooper Union, helping young architects understand how to navigate the design and construction process toward making exceptional buildings. About MtM: Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Show Links: MAASS on the web: https://www.maass.worksMAASS by phone: +1-917-578-0190Jon Maass by email: [email protected] MtM Show Contact: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger [email protected] https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Newsletter: Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com 

What’s the secret to success, when a project lasts years longer than planned? What keeps us going when our work takes more time? How does the subject matter of a project relate to the form of a project? Why should we be thinking equally about the budget for what happens after a project opens? What is the “architecture of delight”? Why do “reverberations matter”? Which is more important: patience, or pushing? (Hint: it’s a trick question.) And most importantly, why should everybody visit the house of Louis and Lucille Armstrong in Queens, New York? Regina Bain (Executive Director, Louis Armstrong House Museum & Archives) and Sara Caples, (Principal and co-founder of Caples Jefferson Architects) join host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss the new Louis Armstrong Center project that all three worked on.Along the way: why everyone should take acting classes, and what it’s like being inside a cello.Chapters:1. Louis and Lucille’s House2. We’ll Open in Three Months3. A Golden Curve4. Serious Acting5. The Reverberations Matter6. Patience and Pushing7. Letter to Your Earlier Self8. Budget Beyond OpeningHow to Listen: Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Everywherehttps://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bios:   Regina Bain is an artist and educator serving as the Executive Director of the Louis Armstrong House Museum. In the midst of the reverberations of slavery, Jim Crow laws and the great migration, Armstrong became America’s first Black popular music icon. The Museum preserves his home and archives and develops programs grounded in the values of artistic excellence, education and community. This year, Ms. Bain recently opened the new 14,000 sq. foot Armstrong Center housing a multimedia exhibit curated by Jason Moran, a 75-seat performance space, and the 60,000-piece Armstrong Archives — the largest archives of any jazz musician and one of the largest of any Black musician. Previous to her appointment at LAHM, Ms. Bain served as Associate Vice President of the Posse Foundation — a national leadership and college access program. Bain’s efforts helped to increase Posse’s national student graduation rates for four consecutive years. Bain is currently the co-chair of Culture @3’s anti-racism subcommittee and recently served on the Yale Board of Governors. Sara Caples AIA is Principal and co-founder of Caples Jefferson Architects PC. Sara's early experience was focused on the design and direction of large projects, especially in the public realm. Since founding the firm in 1987 with Everardo Jefferson, she has remained committed to designing cultural, educational, and community centers for neighborhoods underserved by the design professions. Sara is a frequent lecturer at schools, community, and professional organizations. She has served as a visiting professor at Syracuse, CCNY, University of Miami, and Yale. Sara and her partner Everardo are currently William B. and Charlotte Shepherd Davenport Professors at Yale School of Architecture, and Everardo and Sara worked together on the design of the Louis Armstrong project. CJA has been honored with AIANY’s President’s Award and awarded the AIA’s New York State Firm of the Year. With work widely published from Architect Magazine and Domus to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Their most recent book is Many Voices: Architecture for Social Equity. About MtM: Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Show Links: Louis Armstrong House Museum: https://www.louisarmstronghouse.org/ Louis Armstrong (Artist) on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/19eLuQmk9aCobbVDHc6eek?si=lYvi-xRYRXyPTNj7TpzuqAImages of Louis Armstrong Center Building: https://www.capjeff.com/louis-armstrong-center-newImages of Louis Armstrong Center Exhibitions: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/projects/new-project-the-louis-armstrong-center-2/ Regina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reginabain/ Sara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saracaples/ Caples Jefferson Architects: https://www.capjeff.com C&G Partners (Jonathan’s Firm, Exhibition Designers): https://www.cgpartnersllc.comPotion Design (Technology Design for Interactive Table): https://www.potiondesign.com/ Art Guild (Exhibition Fabricators): https://www.artguildinc.com/ MtM Show Contact: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger [email protected] https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Newsletter: Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com 

What is a “growth mindset” — and why is it more important than ever for our industry?What happens when we combine museology with the fast-growing field of positive psychology? How do exhibition teams get through projects with tough subject matter? Why should we always “put our own oxygen mask on first”? What’s the opposite of love (hint: not hate)? What’s contemplative science? How can we learn from the latest news about the Rubin Museum? Do we sometimes all take ourselves … too seriously?Dr. Kiersten F. Latham (President & CEO, Sauder Village) and Professor Brenda Cowan (Graduate Exhibition & Experience Design, SUNY Fashion Institute of Technology), join host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss the new book they’ve edited: “Flourishing in Museums”.Along the way: yogic theory, growing towards the sun, and even a few museum dad jokes.Talking Points:1. Flourishing starts with intention, and means living and working with an abundance perspective.2. Healthy museums have a growth mindset internally and externally: with staff, visitors, communities, and the profession.3. Museum people must do self-care, and also offer care and support to staff, colleagues, communities, and the system itself.4. To flourish we must go bold with change: address what’s uncomfortable, deconstruct dysfunctional systems, and even redefine what a museum is.5. Flourishing takes many forms for the book’s authors, who address war, sexual abuse, discrimination, and regret — as well as fun, playfulness and magic.6. Positive museology is a fluid and developing project that aims to change how museums function and the way they are seen in society.How to Listen:Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Everywherehttps://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bios:Dr. Kiersten F. Latham is President & CEO of Sauder Village, a living history museum complex in Ohio, USA. She has worked in museums for over 35 years. Prior to the Village, her professional journey spanned many kinds of museums and positions within them. She has led museum studies programs at Michigan State University and Kent State University, founded the experimental MuseLab, and has taught all aspects of museum studies. Dr. Latham has conducted research on the meaning of museum objects, conceptual foundations of museums as document systems, numinous experiences in museums, user perceptions of ‘the real thing,’ and positive museology.Brenda Cowan is a Professor of Graduate Exhibition & Experience Design at SUNY/Fashion Institute of Technology in New York where she teaches exhibition development and evaluation; object and museum studies; research and audience studies. Her background includes work for museums and design firms in the roles of interpreter, exhibition developer, education director, evaluator, and project manager. She is the co-editor of the recently published Flourishing in Museums: Towards a Positive Museology, as well as Museum Objects, Health and Healing both published by Routledge Taylor & Francis. Brenda is a Fulbright Scholar in the disciplines of museums, objects and mental health. Relatedly, her theory of Psychotherapeutic Object Dynamics (www.psychoherapeuticobjectdynamics.com) has been presented at conferences and institutes internationally and published with the National Association for Museum Exhibition and the Society for Experiential Graphic Design. She is currently co-host of a podcast titled Matters of Experience.About MtM:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Show Links:Book Publisher: https://routledge.pub/Flourishing-in-Museums Book Email: [email protected] Book Website (in progress): www.flourishingmuseums.com  Kiersten on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/k-f-latham-298a35189/ Brenda on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brenda-cowan-01bb94140/ Brenda’s FIT Graduate Exhibition & Experience Design Program on Instagram: @fitgradexd  MtM Show Contact:https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger [email protected] https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Newsletter:Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com 

Can an eye-catching museum revitalize a city? The answer might surprise you. Getting the right designer is vital. If you don’t like a painting you can put it away, but if you don’t like a building, you can’t take it down. Why is it important to have the goals of a complex museum project fit in a mantra of a few words? What comes first in museum architecture, practicality or creative genius? Should you choose your designers by design competition? If not, what’s the alternative? What are the three things a designer needs to do, to win a major project? Andy Klemmer (Founder, Paratus Group) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to reveal “The Real Bilbao Effect”. Along the way: why every architect has a bad building, how $300 per square foot can beat $3,000 per square foot, and why you should always take people to ball games. Talking Points: 1. Words matter2. Helping an owner be a conductor3. Every architect has one bad building4. Good Bilbao Effect vs. Bad Bilbao Effect5. Architecture is practicality first, fun second6. Why you shouldn’t hold a design competition7. Nature, community, service, faith (& other mantras) How to Listen:Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Everywherehttps://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bio:Andrew Klemmer established Paratus Group in 1997 to offer specialized consulting for cultural projects involving complex programs, exceptional design, intricate construction, and highly creative global teams. With over thirty years of experience, Andrew assumes a pivotal leadership role in every Paratus project. The genesis of Paratus stems from Andrew's oversight of the expansion of the landmarked Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in 1991 and subsequent involvement in directing the planning and programming of Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain. Paratus uniquely leads in programming, planning, budgeting, design, and construction oversight for cultural institutions, adhering to core principles from project inception to completion. Noteworthy projects include collaborations with renowned architects like Renzo Piano, SANAA, Jean Paul Viguier, and Herzog de Meuron. Andrew is active in the architecture community, contributing as a guest critic, speaker, and advisory panelist. He holds bachelor’s degrees in economics and environmental studies from Bowdoin College.About MtM:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Show Link: Paratus Group: https://www.paratusgroup.com/ MtM Show Contact: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contacthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/[email protected]://www.cgpartnersllc.com  Newsletter: Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here:https://www.makingthemuseum.com

How can we raise the voices of people of color in museums and exhibitions — and what stands in the way?What is Museum Hue? What constitutes a sustainable museum job, a sustainable career? What percentage of staff at museums are folks of color, and what roles do they have? What do we see happening in the exhibitions that museums create?  Many cultural organizations began their DEI initiatives after the tragic events of 2020; how are those programs doing now? Could exhibitions be one of the best places to make visible change happen?Sierra Van Ryck DeGroot (Deputy Director, Museum Hue) and Jinelle Thompson (Research and Partnerships Manager, Museum Hue) join host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “Raising the Voices of People of Color in Museums and Exhibitions”.Along the way: the power of networking, Front of House vs. Back of House, and the Museum salary transparency spreadsheet.Talking Points:1. What Museum Hue does, and how it all started.2. The challenge of raising the voices of people of color in the museum and exhibitions field.3. The real numbers: percentages of museum staff who are people of color.4. How we can bring students into sustainable careers in the arts (and what “sustainable” means here). 5. Ways to help raise the voices of people of color: Exposure, Mentorship, Support, and Networking.6. How listeners can get involved: Museum Hue is looking for Speakers, Collaborators, Sponsors, and Partners.How to Listen:Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Everywherehttps://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bios:  Sierra Van Ryck deGroot is the Deputy Director of Museum Hue. A proud alumna of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Program at Seton Hall University and Bank Street College of Education. Sierra has her BA in Art, Design and Interactive Media; Fine Arts; and Art History and M.S.Ed in Museum Education. A child of Guyanese immigrants. She is proudly born and raised in Central Jersey (NJ) which does exist and it is pork roll, not Taylor Ham. She is also half of the former Sierras co-presidential leadership team of the National Emerging Museum Professionals Network, a current board member for the New Jersey Association of Museums and participating in many side quests related to advocating for change in the GLAM sector, especially in museums, around salary transparency, actionable equity, in higher in practices, the abolition of unpaid internships, and the practice of rest for all museum workers.Jinelle Thompson is the Research & Partnerships Manager at Museum Hue. She is an arts administrator and cultural strategist working with cultural institutions to establish equitable partnerships and programming with communities across NYC. Through qualitative research, collaborative visioning, and anti-oppressive facilitation, Jinelle develops engagement strategies for the inclusion and empowerment of communities of color. She has organized workshop and public programs with artists, organizers, and activists concerning civic engagement, immigration, voting rights, and mass incarceration. In addition to her work with museums and arts organizations, Jinelle has worked with libraries, social impact organizations, and elected officials in state and municipal government providing operations and administrative support through project and client management, strategic communications, and event administration. Jinelle holds a Bachelor’s with honors in Sociology & Political Science with a concentration in Public Law and a Masters in Museum Studies.About MtM:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Show Links:Museum Hue: https://www.museumhue.org/ Museum Hue on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/museum-hue/ Museum Hue on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/museumhue/ Museum Hue on Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/museumhue Sierra’s Email: [email protected] Sierra on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sierravrd/ Sierra on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sierragoesthere/ Sierra on Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/sierra_vrd Jinelle’s Email: [email protected] Jinelle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jinellethompson/ MtM Show Contact:https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger [email protected] https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Newsletter:Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com 

What do technologies like the Apple Vision Pro mean for exhibitions and experiences? For people who create cultural destinations, the pace of technology has now become so fast it’s hard to keep up. AR, VR, AI. What’s happening in the “near future” of the technologies that will define our field for years to come? What is spatial computing? Are projection mapping and Pepper’s Ghosts early forms of augmented reality? Is the extreme personalization of all digital content causing problems we don’t even understand yet? Are museums a potential antidote? Neil Redding (Near Futurist and SXSW Speaker) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “The Near Future of Experience Design”. Along the way: self-driving cars, the third era of computing, and getting fidgety about phygital. Talking Points: 1. What is “Near Futurism”?2. Applying Near Futurism to Experience Design3. Are Physical and Digital Converging?4. What is “Spatial Computing”?5. The Near Future of Augmented Reality (AR)6. The Near Future of Virtual Reality (VR) Guest Bio:  Neil Redding is a keynote speaker, author, Innovation Architect and Near Futurist. Neil has worked at the convergence of digital and physical for decades, and is an expert in spatial computing, virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), AI and convergent brand ecosystems. As a Near Futurist, Neil focuses on connecting what's possible with what's practical. Neil currently leads Redding Futures, a boutique consultancy that enables brands and businesses to powerfully engage the Near Future. Prior to founding Redding Futures, Neil held leadership roles at Mediacom, Proximity/BBDO, Gensler, ThoughtWorks and Lab49. He has delivered for clients including Visa, Nike, Cadillac, Macy’s, NBA, Verizon, TED, The Economist, MoMA, Converse, Morgan Stanley, Apple, Oracle, Financial Times, and Fidelity Investments. He has spoken at numerous conferences including SXSW, AWE, Immerse Global Summit, infoComm, Tech2025, CreateTech, SEGD XLab, A.R.E. Shoptalk, Creative Technology Week, Design+AI and VRevolution. Neil is also editor of Near Future of Retail, author of the forthcoming book The Ecosystem Paradigm, and advises multiple startups at the leading edge of the digital-physical convergence.Show Links: Neil’s Email: [email protected] at LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reddingneil/Neil’s Website: https://www.neilredding.com  Newsletter:Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here:https://www.makingthemuseum.com

Great projects happen because of great teams. But how do you build that team in the first place?Who should a museum hire first, to start a major project? How do you decide whether internal staff should run a big project, or if you need help from outside? Should you hire an architect before you hire an exhibition designer, or vice versa? Who else do you need, and when? Where can a museum find firms they might like to work with? What’s an “owner’s rep” anyway?Beth Van Why (Senior Project Manager, Becker & Frondorf) returns to the show, joining host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “Assembling a Collaborative Project Team”.Along the way: what “AV integrator” means, choosing your own adventure, and how to build a museum on top of Pike’s Peak. Talking Points: 1. What is a project team?2. Every project has unique restrictions and opportunities.3. What museums can do internally vs. when they need help.4. Timeline for adding staff, partners, and consultants.5. Owners reps, museum planners, architects, exhibition designers — who else?6. The role of RFQs and RFPs in team building. Guest Bio:  Beth Van Why has spent most of her career managing construction and development projects for non-profit and cultural institutions. She offers an extensive background in architecture, exhibit design, collections care, construction, and owner-run program management. Beth is very familiar with the various funding sources available to non-profits and the parameters that come with them. From master planning to design and budget consultation, Beth brings a comprehensive view of the role needed in making a building project successful. A strong advocate for the importance of education, Beth also serves as an associate professor in museum design at University of the Arts. Show Links: [email protected] https://www.beckerfrondorf.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethvanwhy/  Newsletter: Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here:https://www.makingthemuseum.com

How can we make digital experiences work for all visitors — whether kids or grandparents? Hint: it has to do with recognizing “diverse digital literacies.” When should you bring in a creative technologist? Why should you aim for the strong verbs? What is “sneaky attract mode”? How do you do paper prototyping? Are a lot of digital experiences in museums essentially “sexy browsing”? Are touch tables a trend that will never die?Patrick Snee (Creative Technologist) joins Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to reveal “5 Secrets of Digital Experience Design”. Along the way: tessellation, thinking in three dimensions, and a return to agar art!Talking Points: 1. Think in 3 Dimensions 2. Assume Diverse Digital Literacies 3. Identify the (Strong) Verb 4. Distill the Personality 5. Prototype Early and Often Guest Bio:  For more than two decades, Patrick Snee has designed and engineered immersive, interactive exhibitions for leading museums and brand environments. As a creative technologist, he uses a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to craft effective, engaging digital experiences. A former agency founder and principal, Patrick now consults on complex media projects in roles ranging from concept strategy to interaction design to application development. His recent projects include immersive experiences for Kennedy Space Center and Nokia Bell Labs, interactive exhibits for Liberty Science Center, The Henry Ford, and the National Archives, and digital strategy for the New Britain Museum of American Art.Show Links: https://patricksnee.com/[email protected]://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-snee/https://www.instagram.com/mnemonic.studio/ About Micro-interactions:https://uxdesign.cc/micro-interactions-why-when-and-how-to-use-them-to-boost-the-ux-17094b3baaa0 Prototyping Digital Exhibits:http://www.mnemonic.studio/memo/prototyping-digital-exhibits-part-1/ The Magic of Paper Prototyping:https://uxplanet.org/the-magic-of-paper-prototyping-51693eac6bc3 Prime Access Consulting:https://www.pac.bz/ Shivers Down Your Spine:https://cup.columbia.edu/book/shivers-down-your-spine/9780231129893  Newsletter: Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.comAbout MtM:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com

What’s the very first question we should ask — before we start our projects? Should we start designing … by designing? How do we make sure we understand our audience, before we start making experiences for them? Why is prototyping so important? How many of our ideas should we expect to survive the creative process? And what does microbiology art have to do with your sense of balance? (Hint: they’re both topics at a certain well-known venue.) Liza Rawson (Head of Exhibitions, Liberty Science Center) joins Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss why we should “Start With ‘Who’s It For?’” Along the way: Rubik’s Cubes, how to start a museum career at age 14, and Beverly Serrell’s “big idea”. Talking Points: Don’t start designing by designing. Ask questions instead.Start with: who’s it for?What do we want to hear them saying?What do we want to see them doing?What do we want them to feel?What is the “wrap”?What is the “point of engagement”?What do you want them to say when you ask what the goal was?Guest Bio: Liza Reich Rawson is Head of Exhibitions for Liberty Science Center, a 300,000-square-foot learning center in Jersey City, NJ. She provides leadership and creative vision for exhibition development and design and special projects; manages the traveling exhibition program and oversees the exhibition maintenance and animal husbandry teams. Previously she led award-winning exhibition projects for Brooklyn Children’s Museum and the Brooklyn Historical Society and was adjunct faculty for Johns Hopkins University and Bank Street College museum studies graduate programs. From 2010 to 2020 Liza was the managing editor of the National Association for Museum Exhibition’s premier professional journal Exhibition. Her publications include: “It’s About Them: Using Developmental Frameworks to Create Exhibitions for Children (and Their Grown-Ups)” in Connecting Kids to History with Museum Exhibitions (2009). She holds a BA in Historic Preservation from Goucher College, and an MA in History Museum Studies from the Cooperstown Graduate Program. Show Links: [email protected] on LinkedInLiberty Science Center Projects of Note:Microbes Rule!Wobbly WorldThe BuildingThe Great Train SetDino Dig AdventureSciTechCity  Newsletter: Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here:https://www.makingthemuseum.com

Cultural projects should be data-driven — but which *kind* of data?What’s the difference between the “big data” we all know — and “thick data”? Which is more important? (Hint: trick question.) What does cell phone data have to do with sculpture gardens? What’s a “two-hour ring”? What if we just recorded visitors narrating their entire experience — out loud?Elena Kazlas (Founder, Elevativ) and Adaheid Mestad (Design Anthropologist, HGA) join Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “Museum Research: Big Data Meets Thick Data”.Along the way: drawing polygons, the odd truth of Connecticut art museums, and the “streakers, strollers, scholars” model.  Talking Points: 1. Big Data = Quantitative. Thick Data = Qualitative.2. Big Data on museum visitors includes demographics, origin/where they are coming from, how long they spend on site, leisure patterns and spending patterns in near real-time. 3. Big Data analytics inform business and marketing strategies to support the mission. 4. But Big Data (numbers) alone can’t capture the emotions of visitors’ daily lives. 5. Thick Data reveals the social, emotional, and cultural context of individuals and their social identity in the place they are in6. Thick Data is real-time, whole-person context, and can be scaled.7. Thick Data anchors strategic, programming, and operational decisions on insights derived directly from the perspectives of visitors, members, and community.8. When Big Data meets Thick Data, we support strategic, efficient, and impactful mission decisions.Guest Bios:Elena Kazlas is the Founder & Creator of Elevativ, LLC. Elena has over 25 years’ of international experience in the successful development of non-profit and for-profit projects.She has extensive experience in working with clients as part of iterative planning processes to yield optimal development strategies for socially impactful projects, such as museums, with a special expertise in understanding their market and economic potential. Elena leads Elevativ with a left-brain/right-brain approach to project planning, balancing both quantitative and qualitative elements as they relate to a project’s potential success. Elena is a thought leader and expert in future planning for cultural projects.Adaheid Mestad, M.A., is a Design Anthropologist currently working at HGA. Ada has over 15 years of experience utilizing social science approaches to translate human experience and sociocultural practices within the built environment. Ada’s philosophy is to engage and design with people, as the experts, to understand social constructs, values, and perspectives throughout a transparent and iterative process. Her ethnographic research informs and evaluates design that strengthens identity, representation, relationships, and sociocultural systems. Ada has worked with innovators, nationally and internationally, to transform experiences and social impact within Healthcare, Workplace strategy, Higher Education, Urban Planning, Government, and Cultural Institutions.About MtM:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.comShow Links:Elena’s Email: [email protected] Elena’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elena-kazlas/ Elena’s Website: https://elevativ.co/ Placer.ai: https://www.placer.ai/ (mention Elena Kazlas from Elevativ)Ada’s Email: [email protected] Ada’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adaheidmestad/ Ada’s Website: https://hga.com/people/adaheid-mestad/ The American Anthropological Association: https://americananthro.org/ EPIC (Ethnography Association): https://www.epicpeople.org/ Thick Data: The term has been popularized by the anthropologist Tricia Wang and built on American Anthropologist Clifford Geertz’s “thick description”: https://medium.com/ethnography-matters/why-big-data-needs-thick-data-b4b3e75e3d7Newsletter:Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com

What if there were just five important things to remember when you build a museum?  What if the most important one of them all — had nothing to do with architecture? Which costs more in the end: building the museum, or operating the building? (The answer might surprise you.) Is it better to be bold, or to be subtle? What’s the difference between how design teams experience a museum project — and how visitors experience it in the end? Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) is joined by David Greenbaum, FAIA (museum architect, Gensler) to discuss How to Build a Museum. Hint: it all boils down to five things you’ll want to remember. Along the way: designing a 200-year building, historic re-enactors, cap-ex versus op-ex, and the “elephant-dog-gerbil principle”. Talking Points: 1. The Importance of “Esprit de Corps” —(Team spirit.) It starts with the client’s clear vision, ambition, high expectations and drive. Informal relationships outside the org chart make cross-disciplinary collaboration easier. Team spirit is vital because there will be many challenges down the road.     2. Consider the Full Life Cycle —Mission, Vision, Design, Construction, Operations. Museums do fail. Look at projects holistically. Museum buildings are a substantial investment, but the capital costs will be outstripped by operational costs in short order. 3. Celebrate the Uniqueness — Be bold or be subtle. But be memorable. Each museum project offers an opportunity to help distinguish itself in the community it serves. Make visitors feel something.   4. There is One Visitor Experience —Art, architecture, and interpretation need to be integrated. It all adds up to form one experience. Close collaboration is key along with the client and design teams. 5. Build to Last —Design with flexibility in mind.  Change is inevitable and sometimes unpredictable. Provide a robust infrastructure for technology.  Use long lasting materials and building systems. Guest Bio: David Greenbaum, FAIA, is an expert in the design of museums, performing arts venues, visitorattractions, institutional, and mixed-use projects. In a 40-year career that includes multiple projects of national significance for the Smithsonian Institution, The National Gallery of Art, the Architect of the Capitol, and other sites in the U.S. and overseas, David has developed an international practice in museum design and comparable visitor attractions, with a particular interest in the development of cultural districts. His project work has been recognized with over 75 national and regional design honors and published in more than 300 articles, underscoring the importance of his work in the architectural and museum communities, as well as the larger public realm. David served as the 2019 Chairman of AIA National Committee on Design. After almost 35 years at SmithGroup, David changed paths to start helping clients develop and implement the planning and design of their cultural facilities. At Gensler, he now works with cultural institutions to help put the parts in place for enabling successful projects. He has great capacity for integrating the team and advancing complex projects to enable success. About MtM:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Show Links for This Episode: David by Email: [email protected] by Phone: +1 (202) 257-7592David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-greenbaum-faia/General Show Links: Website: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contactJonathan’s Email: [email protected] on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalgerC&G Partners: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com   Newsletter:Like the episode? Try the newsletter! Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here:https://www.makingthemuseum.com

What’s the #1 thing to know about experiential technology?  How long do LED walls last? (The answer will surprise you.) Is a project done when it opens, or are growing pains normal? What happens when you use technology just to have technology? What’s an “integrator”? Is sustainability a thing in experiential tech? How? What missteps waste money, ruin the experience, and let content go stale? Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) is joined by Will Bullins (Executive Consultant, Electrosonic) to go over six Experiential Tech Insights you’ll want to remember. Along the way: AVIXA, a little wonking out on pixel pitch distance formulas, and of course, the Las Vegas Sphere. Talking Points: 1. Never use technology just to have technology.2. Be clear about your true goals.3. Growing pains are normal, after opening.4. Sustainability is a thing.5. Discuss fears, budgets and timeframes openly and often.6. Start the discussion early, even if briefly. Guest Bio:  Will Bullins brings over ten years of creative technology design to his role as Executive Consultant. He has worked on a wide range of high-profile experiential projects which helps give him a strong blend of creativity and technical design skills. Will is passionate about human-centered design and how to use technology in a way that works best for the user. His intention is not to design technology systems for the sake of designing but rather to design a system that will help facilitate the experience the client is trying to create. To deliver that solution he recognizes it is important to develop effective partnerships with architects, experience designers, content creators, and fabricators. About MtM:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.comShow Links: Will’s Email: [email protected] on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-bullins-cts-d-b2ba4724/Electrosonic Website: www.electrosonic.com MtM Show Contact: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contacthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/[email protected]://www.cgpartnersllc.com  Newsletter: Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here:https://www.makingthemuseum.com

What if there were a better way? Are the normal exhibition planning and design methods actually way too risky — and is there a way to “de-risk” them? Are our concepts not good enough, because we’re not developing enough of them, fast enough? What would happen if we merged effective web techniques like “Agile” with established physical development processes like “Waterfall”? Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) is joined by Clare Brown (PhD candidate and Creative Director at G&A) to explore “Rapid Experience Design”, a new approach to the typical development process that Clare is researching for her doctorate. Along the way: adventure education, the tyranny of the floor plan, some rollerskating, and listening to a doctoral candidate think about her project in real time. Talking Points: 1. The usual approach to exhibition design — “waterfall” — isn’t the only way.2.  We can combine approaches from outside the exhibition world to make something new.3. Focus on creating experiences first, spatial arrangements later.4. This new approach can “de-risk” a project.5. The process was inspired by teaching fast courses.6. Changing established processes teaches you about change itself. Guest Bio: Clare Brown has led teams creating museum experiences for the past 25 years. She is currently Creative Director at G&A, an experience design company where she guides creative process and cultivates human-centered design practices. In addition to professional practice, Clare's background includes design education and 'design as research', through her role as Chair and Assistant Professor of Design at the Corcoran College of Art & Design, and in pursuing a PhD in Experience Design and Collaborative Creativity. She brings to her work a background growing up as a '3rd Culture Kid' in Africa and Asia, working in the theater, and pursuing degrees in Cultural Anthropology and Museum Studies. Clare embraces dance, roller skating, and flying trapeze among many forms of physical movement to deepen her understanding of resilience, risk, joy, and creativity. About MtM:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.comShow Links: Clare on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarebrown/ MtM Show Contact: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contacthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/[email protected]://www.cgpartnersllc.com  Newsletter:Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here:https://www.makingthemuseum.com

What’s the A in DEAI, and why are the ADA guidelines not enough anymore? What’s intersectionality? What’s a “user expert”? If ADA isn’t our goal, what comes after? This is a must-listen episode, featuring two of the most important voices in museum accessibility today. Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) is joined by Beth Ziebarth (Smithsonian head diversity officer and director of Access Smithsonian) and Jan Majewski (Director, Inclusive Cultural and Educational Projects, IHCD) to talk “DEAI: Meeting ADA Isn’t Enough”.Along the way: when mentors become mentees, why that 26% actually might be higher, and some show notes that are a must-have all on their own. Talking Points: 1. Individuals with disabilities are 26% of the population.2. To be essential to all, museums and exhibitions must be accessible to all.3. DEI + Accessibility = DEAI 4. DEI is about the people. Accessibility is about their environment.5. Intersectionality: Everyone has multiple identities.6. Meeting the ADA standards isn’t enough for DEAI.7. Visitors with disabilities want to see themselves reflected in the exhibitions.8. Exhibition teams can tap individuals with disabilities as “user experts”. Guest Bios:Beth Ziebarth is the Smithsonian’s head diversity officer and director of Access Smithsonian. She is moving forward organizational diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion (DEAI) goals by building a community of practice, serving as a lead advisor and participant in the implementation of institutional strategic initiatives and developing opportunities to bring DEAI resources into the Institution. Ziebarth also develops and implements accessibility policy and guidelines for the Institution, ensuring that Smithsonian visitors equitably experience inclusive physical and digital environments. In her more than 30 years at the Smithsonian, Ziebarth has served as a volunteer, as a social science analyst in the Institutional Studies Office, as leader of Access Smithsonian, and, more recently, as the interim head diversity officer. She has translated her personal interest in accessibility and disability into a broader professional perspective and responsibility for DEAI initiatives for visitors and staff. Ziebarth is board vice president and programs committee chair of Nature Forward, a nonprofit organization that inspires residents in the Washington, D.C., region to appreciate their natural environment through outdoor experiences and education. Ziebarth received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Marquette University in Milwaukee. Jan Majewski, Director, Inclusive Cultural and Educational Projects of IHCD, joined the Institute for Human Centered Design (IHCD) to enrich her love for museums and her advocacy for making them more inclusive. Brainstorming and problem solving with museum professionals across the globe, she collaborates with clients to ensure their museums, exhibitions, programs, and policies provide people on the spectrum of ability and age, from all cultures, an equal opportunity for engagement and participation. Learning deeply from user/experts who have lived experience with disabilities, Jan helps share their expertise in museums through user testing, co-design, and training. The American Alliance of Museums awarded Jan the 2021 individual award for Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion. Before joining IHCD, Jan was an Accessibility Specialist in the Disability Rights Section of the United States Department of Justice, where she worked on issues of museum accessibility, accessible technology, cooperation between the disability and business communities, and ADA technical assistance. Jan began her career in museums at the Smithsonian Institution. Coming from a classroom background, teaching students who were deaf, she began as the Coordinator for Special Education in the Institution’s then Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. She later became the Office’s Director of Outreach Programs and then founded the Institution-wide Accessibility Program where she partnered with all of the museums and the National Zoo to increase accessibility throughout the Institution. Jan led the teams that wrote the first comprehensive set of U.S. museum exhibition universal design guidelines, the Smithsonian Guidelines for Accessible Exhibition Design, and the museum training manual, Part of Your General Public Is Disabled.About:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.comShow Links: Inclusive Exhibition DesignNational Association of Museum Exhibition, Exhibition: A Journal of Exhibition Theory and Practice for Museum Professionals, Fall 2015 issue: Creating an Inclusive Experience: Exhibitions and Universal Designhttps://www.name-aam.org/exhibition_fall2015  Inclusive Digital Interactives Design Collaborative project by Access Smithsonian, IHCD, and MuseWeb: Inclusive Digital Interactives: Best Practices + Researchhttps://ihcd-api.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/file+downloads/Inclusive+Digital+Interactives+Best+Practices+%2B+Research.pdf  ADA Standards for Accessible Designhttps://www.ada.gov/law-and-regs/design-standards/https://www.access-board.gov/ada/ Smithsonian Guidelines for Accessible Exhibition Designhttps://www.sifacilities.si.edu/sites/default/files/Files/Accessibility/accessible-exhibition-design1.pdf IHCD Webcasts on Museum Exhibition Design IHCD webcast, All Museums for All People: https://www.humancentereddesign.org/media/16 IHCD webcast, Museum Prototype Testing and Co-Design in Time of Covid: https://www.humancentereddesign.org/media/13 Universal Design for Learning Universal Design for Learning Guidelines from CAST:https://udlguidelines.cast.org Levent, Nina and Pascual-Leone, Alvaro. The Multisensory Museum: Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives on Touch, Sound, Smell, Memory, and Space. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2014.  Examples of Museum Pre-visit Information, Particularly for People with Certain Brain-based Disabilitieshttps://access.si.edu/node/22 https://www.mfa.org/visit/accessibility/tips-for-visitors-on-autism-spectrum ...

How can exhibition teams help to decolonize design? What are the pitfalls cultural organizations should watch out for in their DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives? What’s a supertoken and why are cluster hires a better strategy? And what does it mean to approach the process indigenous-first? The new book, “Decolonizing Design: A Cultural Justice Guidebook” offers answers to all these questions and more, thanks to author Dr. Dori Tunstall. Now starting her own consulting firm, Dori was previously the dean of the faculty of design at OCAD in Toronto. She was also the first black dean of a faculty of design anywhere. In this episode, Dr. Tunstall joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to talk about her new book, what it means for the field of design, and how listeners can begin their own process of “decolonizing design” — from understanding the deep roots of the issue, all the way to writing smarter job postings.Guest Bio:Elizabeth "Dori" Tunstall is a design anthropologist, researcher, academic leader, writer, and educator. She was dean of the faculty of design at OCAD University (Ontario College of Art and Design University) in Toronto, Canada, and the first black dean of a faculty of design anywhere. Tunstall holds a PhD and an MA in anthropology from Stanford University and a BA in anthropology from Bryn Mawr College.About:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.comShow Links:Author Website for “Decolonizing Design: A Cultural Justice Guidebook”:https://decolonizingdesignbook.wordpress.com/(The site includes a list of IBPOC bookstores to buy from, and locations for Dori’s book tour)Publisher (MIT Press) Website for “Decolonizing Design”: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262047692/decolonizing-design/Upcoming Website for Dori's New Firm (available later in Fall 2023):https://www.doritunstall.com/ Show Contact: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contacthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalgerNewsletter:Like this episode? Subscribe to the Making the Museum newsletter (the best way to hear about new podcast episodes). It's a one-minute regular read on exhibition planning for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe at: makingthemuseum.com

What if the best way to market an exhibition — wasn't marketing?What do we need to do better to help visitors find us in the first place? When they do, how do we engage them? When visitors arrive at our institutions, do they know where to go? What happens to the visitor's experience when we haven't thought enough about the restrooms, the stairs, or the endless line to get something to eat? Why do cultural institutions struggle with following up with visitors after they visit?Visitor experience expert Samir Bitar (The Art of Consulting) joins host Jonathan Alger (C&G Partners) to discuss The Visitor Engagement Lifecycle. Along the way: empathy training, why our technology ideas might not be what our visitors want, and how every project could use a visitors' advocate. (And the answer to that question about marketing.) Talking Points: Five main phases occur, spread along a journey before, during and after a visit.  For a visual, think of these phases arranged along a circle, not a straight line.  Phase 5 leads back to Phase 1, in a continuous cycle. Pre-Visit:1. Discover: Visitor is gathering information.2. Engage: Visitor is actively planning a visit, getting tickets, calling ahead. During Visit:3. Arrive: Visitor arrives on site, looking for orientation and direction.4. Experience: Visitor does the experience, uses amenities, makes purchases. Post-Visit:5. Followup: Visitor signs up for emails, gives feedback, becomes a member. Phase 5 now leads back to Phase 1. Guest Bio: Samir Bitar is a customer experience advisor, lecturer, and keynote speaker who helps organizations focus on the experiences of the people they serve. As the inaugural Director of Visitor Experience for the Smithsonian Institution he led a revitalization of the visitor experience across galleries, museums, and a zoo. In doing so, he helped transform an organization’s relationship with its visitors. During his tenure, Samir pioneered the use of visitor journey mapping in museum planning and design, published a watershed study of visitors' museum experience, and produced the award-winning Hirshhorn Eye mobile app. In 2018, Samir stepped down from his position to open the National Veterans Memorial and Museum, and in 2019, founded The Art of Consulting. Through his firm, Samir works with organizations to embed new capacities that lead to a customer experience transformation.About:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: http://www.cgpartnersllc.comShow Links:Samir’s Website:http://theartofconsulting.orgSamir’s Email:[email protected] Contact:https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contacthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/[email protected]://www.cgpartnersllc.com  Newsletter:Like the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter! (It’s the best way to know when a new podcast episode goes live.) Making the Museum is also a very short daily newsletter on exhibition planning for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here:www.makingthemuseum.com

Three podcast hosts join forces in a single show to discuss the latest in experience design. It’s a fast-paced three-way session covering half a dozen broad themes, and countless smaller ones. What are we hearing out there? How can we apply it to the work of cultural institutions? Is the biggest creative trend of them all the resurgence of … empathy? Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) is joined by the co-hosts of “Matters of Experience,” Brenda Cowan (Professor at SUNY FIT) and Abigail Honor (Founding Partner of Lorem Ipsum Corp) — who share what they’ve learned so far from their own podcast about experience design. Along the way: a mystery visit, disagreeing with yourself, and cocktails in the arms and armor gallery. In case anyone’s keeping track, this is a podcast about a podcast. (And it would probably be easier to summarize what we didn’t discuss than what we did.)Talking Points:1. Breaking Down The Silos (The purpose of “Matters of Experience”)2. Cross Pollination (The people we interview)3. Immersion, AI, and Empathy (The trends we are finding)4. Experience Designers at the Table (It’s not all about architecture)5. Collections, Repatriation and Provocation (What is happening with objects)6. Being Playful, Seeing the Larger Context, and Owning It (Takeaways for listeners)Guest Bios:Abigail Honor, co-host of the podcast “Matters of Experience”, is a founding partner of Lorem Ipsum Corp. She is a curator and experience designer of award-winning exhibits such as The Warmth of Yamal, Zoya Museum and Zaradye Park and has worked with world-renowned international museums and foundations, including, the Smithsonian Museum and the V-A-C Foundation. Abigail has partnered with corporations including Verizon 5G, Google, and Snapchat and has spoken at global conferences like the Society for Experiential Graphic Design, MuseumNext, and the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts about museum design, visitor experience, and multimedia. Abigail graduated from Boston University with an MFA in film production.Brenda Cowan, co-host of the podcast “Matters of Experience”, is a Professor and former Chairperson of Graduate Exhibition & Experience Design at the SUNY/Fashion Institute of Technology in New York where she teaches exhibition development and evaluation; object and museum studies; research methodologies and audience studies. Her background includes work for museums and design firms in education, exhibition development, and research. Brenda is a Fulbright Specialist in the disciplines of museums, objects and mental health. Her research work with museum objects, mental health and healing has been presented for the American Alliance of Museums; Museums of Hope; MidAtlantic Association of Museums; Sweden’s National Museums of World Culture; CoMuseum Athens; the American Association of State and Local History Leadership Institute; and published with Routledge, Taylor & Francis, the National Association for Museum Exhibition, and the Society for Experiential Graphic Design. About:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.comShow Links:Podcast: Matters of Experience https://loremipsumcorp.com/matters-of-experience/Abby via LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/abigailhonor/Abby at Lorem Ipsum:https://www.loremipsumcorp.comBrenda via LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/brenda-cowan-01bb94140/Brenda / Museums, Health, and Wellbeing: Museum Projectshttps://www.psychotherapeuticobjectdynamics.com/for-the-museum-communityBrenda / New Book: Museum Objects, Health and Healinghttps://www.routledge.com/Museum-Objects-Health-and-Healing-The-Relationship-between-Exhibitions/Cowan-Laird-McKeown/p/book/9781138606203Brenda / Research: Psychotherapeutic Object Dynamicswww.psychotherapeuticobjectdynamics.comShow Contact:https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contacthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/[email protected]://www.cgpartnersllc.comNewsletter:Like the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter! (It’s the best way to know when a new podcast episode goes live.) Making the Museum is also a very short daily newsletter on exhibition planning for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here:https://www.makingthemuseum.com

What if there were a high-quality, peer-reviewed journal for the whole exhibition community? What if it featured the leading organizations, practitioners and ideas that shape the whole industry? What if back issues for the past 30 years were available — for free to see online, right now?“Exhibition,” the Journal of Exhibition Theory & Practice, published by the American Alliance of Museums, is all those things. But who makes it? What has it taught us? And what’s coming next? Ian Kerrigan (Managing Editor of “Exhibition” and Senior Vice President for Exhibitions at National September 11 Memorial & Museum) joins Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to go “Behind the Scenes at Exhibition Journal”.  Along the way: 1001 inventions, how fun helps even serious subjects, and why sometimes you might need to change your name.How to Subscribe: Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Googlehttps://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy50cmFuc2lzdG9yLmZtL21ha2luZy10aGUtbXVzZXVt Everywhere https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Talking Points:1. Big Ideas on Small (or Smaller) Budgets (Spring 2023)2. Effective Exhibitions Should _____ (Fall 2022)3. Putting Children First (Spring 2022)4. Beyond the Walls (Fall 2021)5. Crisis & Resilience (Spring 2021)6. Making Space for Fun in Museum Exhibitions (Fall 2020)7. Can Exhibitions Save the Planet? (Spring 2020) Guest Bio:Ian Kerrigan is Senior Vice President for Exhibitions at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York where he oversees exhibition development, design, and installation of the institution’s award-winning projects. He is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Museum Studies Program at New York University and serves as the Managing Editor for Exhibition, a journal of exhibition theory and practice published by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). He is also a federal grant reviewer for the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the National Endowment for the Arts, and a peer reviewer for the AAM’s Museum Assessment Program. About “Exhibition”: If you or your museum produces exhibitions, you’ll want to know about Exhibition, the peer-reviewed journal published by AAM with the leadership of Ian Kerrigan as Managing Editor and Jenny-Sayre Ramberg as Exhibits Newsline Editor, serving volunteer terms through December 2024, and Editor Jeanne Normand Goswami. Each issue is packed with insights on the latest developments in museum exhibition practice and award-winning designs. Published twice a year, Exhibition offers more than 100 pages of thought-provoking articles, exhibition critiques, and commentary, technical articles, and essays. Each issue is organized around a theme, such as the power of words, exhibitions and universal design, innovation and community relevance and new media in exhibitions.About Making the Museum:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.comShow Links: Contact Ian Kerrigan at:[email protected]/in/ian-kerrigan-10363420 Subscribe to Exhibition journal at:www.aam-us.org/programs/exhibition-journal View past issues of Exhibition journal at:www.name-aam.org/past-issues-online Feasibility Report template from Spring 2021 issue article “Real Talk: Assessing Feasibility with Collaborative Teams” by Emily Saich and Joey Scott from the Monterey Bay Aquarium at:https://mbayaq.co/37Lvrrq Resource list from Spring 2021 issue essay “Museum Remedy: 15 Resources for Museums Through a Lens of Racial Equity” by Monica O. Montogomery at:https://rb.gy/us6jh Show Contact: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contacthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/[email protected]://www.cgpartnersllc.com Newsletter: Like the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter! Making the Museum is also a very short daily newsletter on exhibition planning for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe at:  https://www.makingthemuseum.com

What if accessible design was for everybody, starting with … ourselves? What if we are all only temporarily enabled? How can a broader philosophy of access benefit every visitor? What does a WWII veteran have in common with a mom carrying a baby? Could TikTok and the rise of “quiet social media” teach us something we missed? Phillip Tiongson (Potion) joins host Jonathan Alger (C&G Partners) to discuss the realization that “We Are All Temporarily Enabled”. Along the way: interactive cinema, a change of heart, and the story of a tippy boat.  How to Listen:Subscribe anywhere you get your podcasts.Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1GTalking Points: 1. We are all temporarily enabled2. Accessibility is a state of mind, not a bar to clear3. Accessibility enhances access for all4. The example of open captions5. There is no ADA for stories6. The role of the “expert user” Guest Bio: Phillip R. Tiongson, CEO of Potion, is a Filipino American designer and leading authority on interactive technology that merges physical and digital elements. Phillip’s work has shaped the field at large. His award-winning projects have preceded mainstream versions of touch surfaces, position-based apps, and smart environments. Phillip holds an MS from MIT Media Lab, an MFA in Film Directing from Columbia, and two patents for interface design. He has been honored by AAM, SEGD, Fast Company, MUSE, Comm Arts, SXSW, and ADC. His clients include the Museum of Science and Industry, Richard Avedon Foundation, Smithsonian Networks, The Field Museum, and Nike. See you there! Warmly,Jonathan - - - - - - - - - - - - -About:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.comShow Links: [email protected] https://www.potiondesign.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/philliptiongson/ Show Contact: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contacthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/[email protected]://www.cgpartnersllc.com Newsletter:Like the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter! Making the Museum is also a short newsletter on exhibition planning for museum leaders, exhibition teams, and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe at: https://www.makingthemuseum.com

What is this thing we call a traveling exhibition?  Do they make money? Are traveling exhibitions the same as temporary ones? How can anyone plan a project for a space they’ll never see? Carol Bossert (Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service / Smithsonian Affiliations) joins host Jonathan Alger (C&G Partners) to reveal the “8 Principles of Traveling Exhibitions”. Along the way: thinking in whole truckloads, how to get to square two, and what happens when you have a 16-foot narwhal.Talking Points:1. Traveling exhibitions aren't temporary exhibitions.2. Match the exhibition to the realities of the host sites.3. Traveling exhibitions aren't all the same.4. Traveling exhibitions are stage sets.5. Size constraints matter.6. Weight constraints matter.7. Traveling exhibitions cannot rely on linear storytelling.8. Traveling exhibitions must consider staffing at host sites.9. [BONUS] Do traveling exhibitions make money? Guest Bio:Carol Bossert is an interpretive planner, writer and exhibition developer. She began her museum career at the Newark Museum and spent twenty years as an independent museum professional, having been involved in over 80 projects in five countries. Her 2014-2017 podcast Museum Life attracted over 2,000 monthly listeners. In 2017, she accepted a position with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) and is currently serving as the program manager for science. Carol holds a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Texas at Dallas and a B.A. in zoology from DePauw University. She is a graduate of the J. Paul Getty Museum Management Institute. About:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. A project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.comShow Links: SITES exhibition offerings: https://www.sites.si.edu/s/   The Museum on Mainstreet: https://museumonmainstreet.org/Smithsonian Affiliations: https://affiliations.si.edu/Reach Carol Bossert at: [email protected] or 202-633-2601 Show Contact: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contacthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/[email protected]://www.cgpartnersllc.com Newsletter:Like the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter! Making the Museum is also a very short daily newsletter on exhibition planning for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe at:  https://www.makingthemuseum.com

It’s a rare moment when a leading designer swaps jobs to lead a nonprofit member organization. And then has to lead that organization through a global pandemic. What unique insights does an experience like that give you — and what can we all learn from it?Cybelle Jones (CEO of SEGD), joins host Jonathan Alger (C&G Partners) to discuss what she’s learned going “From Leading Designer to Leading a Nonprofit”. Along the way: finding your friendly nemesis, becoming a truffle pig, wearing the Hope Diamond — and all about the SEGD 50th Annual Meeting in Washington DC in August.Talking Points:1. Reinvention: Be agile and willing to reinvent yourself.2. Competition / Cameraderie: It’s important to have a friendly nemesis and peer competition, but also to allow the space for open conversations.3. Bigger Market: We can market our expertise to many more companies, markets and projects than you may realize.4. Right Thing: We have tremendous influence and power to do the right thing on behalf of the communities, visitors and people our design is in service to. 5. Legacy: We have a responsibility to create the pipeline for the next generation our communal future.6. That Question: Ask me anything. And no, I don’t miss designing. You know why?7. SEGD’s 50th: What to expect at the organization’s 50th Annual Meeting in August.Guest Bio:Cybelle Jones is CEO of SEGD, a multidisciplinary community creating experiences that connect people to place. SEGD is a non-profit member organization focusing on education, innovation and design excellence by designing more equitable, sustainable, and user-centric environments. Prior to joining SEGD, Cybelle led numerous acclaimed design projects during her 25+ year tenure as Principal of G&A, including the National WWII Museum, the International Spy Museum, and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum. Cybelle is actively involved in various boards and has spoken on the field of experience design at AAM, the V&A, FIT, AIGA, AIA and MuseumNext.About:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. It is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.comShow Links:[email protected]/in/cybelle-jones-8b495b13Show Contact:https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contacthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/[email protected]://www.cgpartnersllc.comNewsletter:Like the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter! Making the Museum is also a very short daily newsletter on exhibition planning for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe at:  https://www.makingthemuseum.com

(P.S. Will you be at AAM in Denver? Drop a line if you’d like to catch up there, or see if we can find Phil & Monique at the grab-and-go café.) If a project is over budget, who does the cutting? How early should you estimate costs on a project? What should you do with expensive suggestions? How do you make your own cost estimate?  Host Jonathan Alger (C&G Partners) goes through a list of “Black Belt Cost Control Tips.” Along the way: the beauty of modularity, poker wisdom, and ideas that will save you a lot of time and money. Talking Points: 1. Plan to NOT Be Over Budget 2. Modular Alternates 3. React Fast to Expensive Suggestions 4. The End Is Too Late / Estimate Insanely Early 5. Estimate Repeatedly 6. Adjust As You Go 7. Control the Cuts Yourself Bio:We always start with a bio, but this is a solo show, so here’s mine: I am the Managing Partner of C&G Partners, a design firm in New York City working with cultural clients. I was taught architecture and graphic design in the day, and theater and music at night, but I never thought I could do all that for a living. Like every guest on this show so far, I got into this field accidentally. In fact it found me, decades ago, but that’s a story for another time. About:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.comShow Links: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/newsletter/black-belt-cost-control-tipshttps://www.makingthemuseum.com/newsletter/plan-to-not-be-over-budgethttps://www.makingthemuseum.com/newsletter/five-whyshttps://www.makingthemuseum.com/newsletter/react-fast-to-expensive-suggestions Show Contact: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contacthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/[email protected]://www.cgpartnersllc.com Newsletter: Like the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter! Making the Museum is also a very short daily newsletter on exhibition planning for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe at:  https://www.makingthemuseum.com

What’s it really cost to build a museum? How can we find out if a project is financially viable — before we start? What are the most common ways museum projects get in financial trouble?Kris Collins, Managing Director of the Cultural practice group for MGAC, joins host Jonathan Alger (C&G Partners) to discuss “A Museum is a Business”. Along the way: projects of the heart, why you shouldn’t Google what museums cost, and what happens when your own kitchen goes over budget.Talking Points:1. A museum is a business. 2. Like any product, a museum succeeds if there is a need for it. 3. Museum founders are often successful businesspeople — but their experience might not be relatable to museums. 4. The routes for financing and financial management are different than in other businesses. 5. Museum buildings are twice as expensive as other buildings. 6. Do a feasibility study first. 7. Developing a workplan: scope, budget and schedule.Guest Bio:Kris Collins serves as a Managing Director of the Cultural practice group for MGAC, an Owner’s Representative and Project Management firm with offices across the US and UK. As an independent advocate for owners’ interests, MGAC has been helping clients with cultural projects since 1996. Kris is a licensed architect and LEED Accredited Professional, and he obtained a Masters in Management from University of Maryland while working for a national developer. He also trained as a carpenter and has actively participated in his community as a baseball coach and Scout Master – and was pleased that nobody died when the Scouts built a functional 18’ trebuchet. He has been a speaker at AAM, Building Museums, MAAM, CODAsummit, and Art World Conference.About:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.comShow Links:[email protected]://www.mgac.com/projects/sectors/cultural/IAMFA Papyrus article on Conceptual Target Budgets Show Contact:https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contacthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/[email protected]://www.cgpartnersllc.comNewsletter:Like the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter! Making the Museum is also a very short daily newsletter on exhibition planning for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe at:  https://www.makingthemuseum.com

How do you keep a huge cultural project on track? How do you guess the future? What’s a contingency — and why is it the difference between success and failure? Project manager Beth Van Why (Becker & Frondorf) joins host Jonathan Alger (C&G Partners) to reveal the Secrets of Complex Cultural Project Management.Along the way: recovering architects, Gantt charts, museum benchmarking — and a Girl Scout Gold Award.Listen and subscribe anywhere you get your podcasts.Or start here: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fmThe List: 1. How to anticipate the unknowns2. How to understand the knowns3. How to prepare for the unforeseen4. How to document the approvals process in advance5. How to define the project parameters6. How to know your clientGuest Bio:Beth Van Why has spent most of her career managing construction and development projects for non-profit and cultural institutions. She offers an extensive background in architecture, exhibit design, collections care, construction, and owner-run program management. Beth is very familiar with the various funding sources available to non-profits and the parameters that come with them. From master planning to design and budget consultation, Beth brings a comprehensive view of the role needed in making a building project successful. A strong advocate for the importance of education, Beth also serves as an associate professor in museum design at University of the Arts.How to Listen:Listen and subscribe anywhere you get your podcasts.Or start here: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fmSee you there!Warmly,Jonathan- - - - - - - - - - - - -About:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger.This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.comShow Links:[email protected]://www.beckerfrondorf.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethvanwhy/Show Contact:https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contacthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/[email protected]://www.cgpartnersllc.comNewsletter:Like the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter! Making the Museum is also a very short daily newsletter on exhibition planning for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Learn more, read past editions, and subscribe here:https://www.makingthemuseum.com

What are “streakers, strollers and studiers”? How can we plan better projects using the “attract, reveal, reward” system? What’s a “wunderkammer”? What can we expect in the upcoming “Exhibition and Experience Design Handbook”? Professor, designer, and museum director Tim McNeil (UC Davis) joins host Jonathan Alger (C&G Partners) to preview his upcoming book, “Exhibition and Experience Design Handbook”. The eBook is available this month (April), and the hardback version is coming in May — and available for pre-order NOW. It’s not every day that a new book on exhibition and experience projects comes out. We’ll be among the first to get a sneak peek. (And a quick education in exhibition and experience design along the way.) Subscribe and listen anywhere you get your podcasts. Or start here: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/11Sneak Peek Chapters in the Show: Chapter 1. Streakers, Strollers, Studiers Chapter 2. Once Upon a Timeline Chapter 5. Wow Moments Chapter 8. Trapped in Glass Boxes Chapter 10. Smoke and Mirrors Guest Bio:Tim McNeil is a professor of design and director of the Design Museum at the University of California, Davis. He has spent 30 years as a practicing exhibition designer working for major museums, researching exhibition design history and methods, and teaching the next generations of exhibition design thinkers and practitioners. Tim contributed to building the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center and Getty Villa, and the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art. His work has been recognized for design excellence by the Society for Experiential Graphic Design and the American Alliance of Museums. How to Listen: Subscribe and listen anywhere you get your podcasts. Or start here: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/11 See you there! Warmly,Jonathan - - - - - - - - - - - - - About:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.comShow Links: AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER: The Exhibition and Experience Design Handbook https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538157985/The-Exhibition-and-Experience-Design-Handbook Tim’s Practicehttp://munizmcneil.com/Tim’s Research http://www.tim-mcneil.comTim’s Teaching https://storiedspaces.faculty.ucdavis.edu/ Contacting Tim [email protected]://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-mcneil-1396636/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - Show Contact: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contacthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/[email protected]://www.cgpartnersllc.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - Newsletter:Like the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter! Making the Museum is also a very short daily newsletter on exhibition planning for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Learn more, read past editions, and subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com - - - - - - - - - - - - -

What’s the best way to organize the content in our experiences? What tricks are we forgetting to try? And what if you learned there were five ways to do it — and only five? Host Jonathan Alger (C&G Partners) does a solo show on “L.A.T.C.H.”, the framework proposed by TED founder Richard Saul Wurman, where there are just five ways to organize any kind of information. Along the way, we’ll cover dozens of ways to apply L.A.T.C.H. to museum and experience projects, explore two surprising potential additions to the list, and even do a little audience participation. Quotable Quotes:“Wurman’s idea was that any form of information organization was one of these five, or a subtype of one of them — and there aren’t any others.” “You could organize a sculpture show by C for Categorical, by sorting by medium. You could put marble over here, bronze over there … and dead shark in formaldehyde way over there.” “Each of the five types don’t only have examples like the ones we talked about. They also have subtypes. Let’s look into some.” “Sometimes you have an idea but it doesn’t feel quite right. Maybe it’s because the L.A.T.C.H. types aren’t the right fit. Or you are combining subtypes in an awkward way. But you didn’t know why. And maybe now you know.”“There are two proposed additions to the list. One totally surprised me. The other has me scratching my head. Let’s see what you think.” How to Listen:Subscribe and listen anywhere you get your podcasts. Or start here: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/9 See you there! Warmly,Jonathan - - - - - - - - - - - - -  Bio:We always start with a guest bio, but this is a solo show, so here’s mine: I am the Managing Partner of C&G Partners, a design firm in New York City working with cultural clients. I was taught architecture and graphic design in the day, and theater and music at night, but never thought I could do all that for a living. Like every guest on this show so far, I got into this field accidentally. In fact it found me, but that’s a story for another time. About:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.comShow Links:Richard Saul Wurman’s “Information Anxiety”:https://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2019/03/book-review-information-anxiety.php Nathan Shedroff’s Additions:https://nathan.com/information-interaction-design-a-unified-field-theory-of-design/ Contacting Jonathan:https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contacthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalgerhttps://[email protected] - - - - - - - - - - - - - Newsletter:Like the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter! Making the Museum is also a very short daily newsletter on exhibition planning for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Learn more, read past editions, and subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Is everything “phygital”? Are all our projects now neither physical nor digital, but both? How can a “phygital mindset” lead to better experience design? Exhibition designer and “phygital architect” Alin Tocmacov joins host Jonathan Alger (both partners at C&G Partners) to hash out some key principles, in “8 Ways to Be Phygital”. Stops along the way: magic portals, digital architecture, and that thing about glowing rectangles. Quotable Quotes:“Phygital is a mindset.” “Think beyond the glowing rectangle.” “A site-specific experience is unique by definition.” “Technology shouldn’t be applied to architecture, it should be the architecture.” “Every member of a project team now has to think phygitally.” How to Listen:Subscribe and listen anywhere you get your podcasts. Or start here: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/8 See you there! Warmly,Jonathan - - - - - - - - - - - - -  Guest Bio: Alin Tocmacov, Partner, C&G Partners: Alin is a museum and exhibition designer with more than 25 years’ experience leading multi-disciplinary creative teams for cultural organizations and major nonprofits in Europe, the Middle East, Canada and the United States. He is a partner at C&G Partners, where his projects focus on the “phygital,” the intersection between physical and digital experiences. Originally from Switzerland, Alin has a master’s degree in architecture from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. He is also an adjunct professor in the Spatial Experience Design BFA Program at the FIT School of Art and Design in New York.About:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.comShow Links: [email protected]://www.linkedin.com/in/alintocmacovhttps://www.cgpartnersllc.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - Newsletter:Like the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter! Making the Museum is also a one-minute daily newsletter on exhibition planning for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Learn more, read past editions, and subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Is lighting art or science?If you’re a curator tasked with lighting design, where do you start? Is lighting about light, or about shadows? If an exhibit ain't lit, is it there? When is a lighting designer's job actually about not lighting things? Lighting designers Steven Rosen and Ted Mather (Available Light) join host Jonathan Alger (C&G Partners) on Making the Museum, the podcast, to discuss "Revealing the Story with Light". Along the way: how an exhibition is like a theatrical stage, and a reminder that design is a team sport. REMASTERED: This episode is one of the first, from early 2023. It has been audio remastered to recover sound lost from mic problems in the original. This new version was uploaded on July 2, 2024. Enjoy!Talking Points:1. What shadows reveal2. The ABC’s of Lighting        a. Ambient Luminescence        b. Focal Glow        c. Play of Brilliance 3. HELP! I’m a curator tasked with a lighting design—where do I start? 4. Is lighting art or science? 5. Photon or wave?Quotable Quotes: “If it ain’t lit, it ain’t there.”“Lighting is about choosing where the shadows are going to fall”“If the lips aren’t lit, no one hears them.”“More lights aren’t about being brighter, it’s about more control.”“You are painting with light.”“Design is a team sport” How to Listen:Subscribe and listen anywhere you get your podcasts. Or start here: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bios:Steven Rosen, President and Creative Director, Available Light: Merging performance lighting techniques with traditional non-theatrical environments launched Steven’s career and his founding of Available Light over 30 years ago. From Museum exhibits to immersive architecture to trade shows, the fun never stops—it helps that he works with some of the planet’s most talented lighting aficionados. The originality and grand scale of Steven’s award-winning designs are evident in many one-of-a-kind award-winning projects as: The Neural Climber interactive at the Franklin Institute, Ocean Hall for the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, the International Spy Museum in DC, and Chicago MSI’s U-505. He is passionate about supporting the lighting community. Steven is a member of Praxis Museum Projects Group, a "network of professionals, each of whom brings an expertise to the process of creating exhibitions and cultural experiences in collaboration with exhibit designers, architects, and museums". Ted Mather, Managing Principal, New York Studio, Available Light:By design, Ted Mather’s career resides at the intersection of theatrical, entertainment, and architectural lighting. Ted’s dramatic flair and technical expertise merge seamlessly to create striking, dynamic environments and state-of-the-art installations. Ted’s decades of experience—working around the globe—means that his creative vision is balanced with what is truly practical and possible. Ted has transformed the Architainment industry with groundbreaking, award-winning projects such as The International Spy Museum, the National WWII Museum, and the National Museum of African American Music. Ted began his training at the University of Illinois and received his MFA in Stage design from NYU. About:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.comShow Links: Steven Rosenhttps://www.availablelight.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-rosen-fiald-70a2593/https://www.praxisexhibits.comhttps://www.praxisexhibits.com/posts/89tp8gajbu2bvd4lnn9rqaf1z1eorm-a7w52https://www.businessoflight.orghttps://www.businessoflight.org/who-we-are.html Ted Matherhttps://www.availablelight.com/team/ted-matherhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ted-mather-8963156/https://www.inparkmagazine.com/etc-from-theme-parks-to-everywhere/?fbclid=IwAR1uXhTUU_HqS07ML2FR8GzChSaXZj93JpPYM0i7mPn4003hCvbWVeO-Twc Newsletter:Like the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter!Making the Museum is also a very short newsletter on exhibition planning for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Learn more, read past editions, and subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com

How do we keep cultural projects from going off the rails, without sacrificing creativity? It’s not impossible. In fact, there are some simple secrets to unlock the process. (Except now they won’t be secrets anymore.) Media design expert Trent Oliver joins host Jonathan Alger on Making the Museum, the podcast, to discuss the Secrets of Creative Collaboration. Trent brings her theatrical experience as an equity stage manager to her work creating visitor experiences. Turns out, theater has a lot to teach us. Quotable Quotes: “Brainstorming doesn’t work, but improv does.” “Having all the technical people collaborate up front is a form of insurance policy.” “Assign a devil’s advocate.”“The why is the map.” How to Listen:Subscribe and listen anywhere you get your podcasts.Or start here: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ See you there! Warmly,Jonathan - - - - - - - - - - - - - Guest Bio:Trent Oliver, Principal and Managing Director, Blue Telescope: Trent is a connector who finds the best people. The first time she felt in her element was when she stage-managed for community theater in between her engineering studies. Since then, she’s always done some version of putting on a show. Stage managing led to live theater, commercials, and corporate video. Trent has built a highly respected, award-winning team at Blue Telescope, producing hundreds of boundary-pushing interactives over several decades. She wants these experiences to be impactful, emotional, instructive, and accessible, with a healthy dose of weirdness (as appropriate). She believes in changing the world by doing work that matters. Trent is a member of Praxis Museum Projects Group, a "network of professionals, each of whom brings an expertise to the process of creating exhibitions and cultural experiences in collaboration with exhibit designers, architects, and museums". About:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger.This is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture.Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.comShow Links:https://www.bluetelescope.com/https://www.praxisexhibits.com/https://www.praxisexhibits.com/posts/89tp8gajbu2bvd4lnn9rqaf1z1eorm-a7w52-ssx9khttps://blooloop.com/museum/opinion/brainstorming-sparking-great-ideas/https://harrietbdesendants.org/team - - - - - - - - - - - - - Newsletter:Like the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter! Making the Museum is also a very short daily newsletter on exhibition planning for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Learn more, read past editions, and subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Do exhibits really teach? Do they really present big stories well? Is personalization really a must? Are exhibits getting ... better? Interpretive planner and designer Matt Kirchman joins me on the podcast to debate Six Provocative Questions. Listen in and see what your own answer is to each. But buckle your seat belts — these are called provocative for a reason.Quotable Quotes:“Exhibits tell great stories — but they don’t narrate very well.”“Do less, better.”“Exhibits are both Shredded Wheat and Lucky Charms.” “Exhibits aiming at customization often deliver complexity instead.”“We’re the number one trusted source, more than the news media – now what do we do with that soft power?” Guest Bio:Matt Kirchman, Founder and President, ObjectIDEA: Matt serves as the Creative Director of Planning and Design for all his projects. A formal education in visual communication and experiential education underpins his passion for interpretive design. After 20 years in the field, he founded ObjectIDEA in 2005. The company works with institutions, architects, and designers to create enjoyable and memorable visitor experiences. Matt is a member of The Museum Group and the Praxis Museum Projects Group and serves on the Boards of the New England Museum Association (NEMA) and the National Association for Museum Exhibition (NAME). Matt keeps a database of his museum visits: 600 and growing.Matt is a member of Praxis Museum Projects Group, a "network of professionals, each of whom brings an expertise to the process of creating exhibitions and cultural experiences in collaboration with exhibit designers, architects, and museums".About:Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. MtM is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture.Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.comShow Links:http://www.objectidea.com/https://www.praxisexhibits.com/Core Standards for Museums (American Alliance of Museums)https://www.aam-us.org/programs/ethics-standards-and-professional-practices/core-standards-for-museums/Standards for Museum Exhibitions and Indicators of Excellence (American Alliance of Museums)https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58fa260a725e25c4f30020f3/t/58ff73ed3e00bea8e746d4ce/1493136367751/2012+Standards+for+Museum++Exhibitions+and+Indicators+of+Excellence.pdfThe Visitor Studies Association, whose mission is to understand and enhance learning experiences in informal settings through research, evaluation, and dialogue.https://visitorstudies.org/The Big Idea e-book by Beverly Serrellhttps://serrellassociates.com/store/big-idea-ebookThe 227-Mile Museum, or, Why We Need a Visitors' Bill of Rights, by Judy Randhttps://www.informalscience.org/sites/default/files/VSA-a0a0x9-a_5730.pdfPlease write in and add your own provocative ideas and resources to Matt’s ever-growing list!Newsletter:Like the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter!Making the Museum is also a very short daily newsletter on exhibition planning for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Learn more, read past editions, and subscribe here:https://www.makingthemuseum.com

Prototyping saves projects money and time, every time. But how do you do it right? Exhibition designer and prototyping expert Paul Orselli joins me to discuss his proven system: Prototyping with ELVIS. Guest Bio:Paul Orselli, POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop)For over 40 years, Paul Orselli has worked to create inventive and playful museums and exhibits. He is now the Chief Instigator at POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.) his exhibit design and development company. Paul has consulted on museum projects in North America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. He has taught and lectured at numerous universities on museum topics and has presented at professional conferences around the world. He is also a two-time grant recipient of the Fulbright Specialist program. His popular ExhibiTricks blog can be found at blog.orselli.net. Praxis Museum Projects GroupPaul is also a member of Praxis Museum Projects Group, a "network of professionals, each of whom brings an expertise to the process of creating exhibitions and cultural experiences in collaboration with exhibit designers, architects, and museums". Members of the Praxis group are a special focus of the first episodes of this podcast.) Show Links: [email protected]://www.orselli.nethttps://www.praxisexhibits.com/ - - - - - Like the episode? Subscribe to the newsletter! Making the Museum is also a very short daily newsletter on exhibition planning for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Learn more, read past editions, and subscribe here:https://www.makingthemuseum.com Making the Museum is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture.Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger.