Category Archives: Design

Reimagining the West Building: What’s Changing at the National Gallery of Art?

Over the past year, the National Gallery of Art has begun experimenting with how it presents art in the West Building—the museum’s original home, long known for its restrained elegance and traditional installations. While the building remains largely unchanged since it opened in the 1940s, these recent “interventions” offer a glimpse into how the museum is rethinking its interpretive and design strategies as it prepares for a broader transformation.

In a previous post, I discussed the National Gallery’s process of reimagining its West Building. Now we’re seeing that process move from discussion to experimentation. Here are three interventions currently on view, each testing new ways to engage visitors and reframe the collection:

1. Nature and Objects in Dutch Landscapes

In the 17th-century Dutch landscape paintings gallery, two display cases offer a fresh angle on how nature shapes artistic imagination. One features three European decorative objects—a silver footed bowl, an elaborate stemmed glass, and a nautilus shell mounted on a gilt stand—designed to echo the forms and themes found in nearby paintings. The other case introduces a striking contemporary counterpart: Small Crafts on Sisyphean Seas by Dario Robleto, a mixed-media work combining natural materials like seashells, coral, urchin spines, and nautilus shells. These subtle interventions ask visitors to consider how objects, both functional and fantastic, reflect the human impulse to capture the natural world.

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How to Turn Exploratory Visitors into Loyal Fans

Museums and historic sites face a persistent challenge: how to transform mildly interested visitors into deeply engaged patrons. These exploratory visitors—those who follow your social media accounts, visit the website, or attend an occasional event—represent a critical audience segment with untapped potential. How can museums help these visitors feel more connected and motivated to return?

Three recent studies offer actionable insights into addressing this challenge: one on the power of framing and emotional relevance, another on the role of clear wayfinding in reducing visitor anxiety, and a third on the holistic visitor experience at heritage attractions.

Lesson 1: Framing and Emotional Relevance Matter

In “The Role of Framing, Agency, and Uncertainty in a Focus-Divide Dilemma,” Justin Claydon et al highlight how contextual framing—presenting information in a familiar, relatable way—dramatically improves motivation and engagement. When tasks are abstract or unfamiliar, people struggle to prioritize and engage effectively. Conversely, framing a task with real-world relevance reduces uncertainty and increases interest.

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Discovering Inspiration: Innovative Ideas from Texas Museums

Last week, Ken Turino and I conducted two “Reimagining House Museums” workshops in Mesquite (near Dallas) and Houston. These sessions sparked meaningful conversations about the future of house museums, but the inspiration didn’t stop there. We used our free time to visit several nearby museums, each offering unique approaches that left us thinking about how museums can better serve their audiences. Here are some standout ideas we discovered:

1. Personalizing Donor Recognition and Wayfinding at the Perot Museum of Science and Nature

The Perot Museum caught our attention with its donor wall, which didn’t just list names but included statements of intent from the donors. This added a personal touch, connecting visitors with the motivations behind the support. Another smart detail: wayfinding signage that directed visitors to “more cool exhibits.” This casual yet engaging language was both clear and inviting, proving that small touches can make a big impact.

Donor wall with statements of intent at the Perot Museum in Dallas.
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Sustainable Museums in Action: Key Takeaways from the NEMA Conference

This session on the sustainability initiatives at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum was among the first sessions at NEMA 2024.

Last week I attended the New England Museum Association 2024 Conference in Newport, Rhode Island. About 800 museum professionals attended over the three days of sessions, vendor displays, professional affiliation group meetings, and receptions. The weather was sunny and sixties, surprisingly warm for the first week of November. Without the crowds of summer, it made Newport much more pleasant.

The conference offered numerous sessions on sustainability, and I’m attending as many as possible in preparation for my upcoming course, “Creating Sustainable Museums,” at George Washington University this spring.

In the session “Climate Emergency and Sustainability Taskforce at RISD,” several staff members from the Rhode Island School of Design Museum shared insights on their in-house sustainability efforts. What began as informal conversations among a few staff members evolved into a formal task force that resulted in the “Take Care” exhibition. Staff from all areas of the museum—not only curators and educators—selected objects from the collection and created interpretive labels addressing sustainability themes. In addition to this curatorial approach, the museum implemented practical sustainable practices, including standardizing frame sizes, reusing exhibition cases, turning off cameras in virtual meetings, and eliminating admission stickers and vinyl lettering.

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The Charles Dickens Museum: Is it Worth Visiting?

I’m gearing up for my upcoming trip to London, and I’ve noticed that many museums now require advance ticket purchases. This makes planning more complex and leaves less room for spontaneity. As I navigate through various websites to check public hours and ticket availability, I’ve also come across some surprisingly clever visitor information along the way.

At the Charles Dickens Museum, there’s a Frequently Asked Questions section on the Admissions page which includes, “do I have to pay?” and “is it worth it?”

Frequently Asked Questions section on the Admissions page of the Charles Dickens Museum in London.

The Home page features a well-organized matrix of visitor information, covering everything from visiting hours and shopping options to exhibitions, performances, and unique tour experiences. Among these are evening and special-topic guided tours. Unfortunately, I’ll have to miss out on the intriguing “Sex, Gin, and Opium” tour, which only runs monthly. Otherwise, I’d be there, ready to dive into “Dickens’s world of boozy parties, illicit romances, and dangerous medical treatments.” And, wow, such bright happy colors for a historic house museum! It’s further proof that history doesn’t have to be brown and beige.

A well-organized matrix of visitor information at the Charles Dickens House.

How to Encourage Good Behavior at Memorials and Historic Sites

“Visitors are invited to touch the memorial names panels.”

I recently visited the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York City and although I didn’t know anyone who died that day, I was incredibly moved by the experience, even feeling uncomfortable taking photos. But I did because I’m always trying to understand how to interpret various events and topics, especially those that are difficult or sensitive.

I was also surprised that there was a need to explain to visitors how to behave at the memorial, the huge open fountains that mark the location of the Twin Towers and record the names of those who were murdered. Some explain what you can do, others what you shouldn’t, and some explain what’s happening. These might inspire you to think about language that might be appropriate around memorials and historic sites in your community.

Program in New England Studies Offered in June

Workshop with Brock Jobe during the Program in New England Studies.

This summer Historic New England is offering its Program in New England Studies (PINES), an intensive week-long exploration of New England decorative arts and architecture from Monday, June 17 to Saturday, June 22, 2019. This biennial program explores New England history and culture from the seventeenth century to the Colonial Revival through workshops, lectures, and visits to Historic New England properties, other museums, and private homes and collections. Highlights include the restored Quincy House Museum, the recently opened museum and study center at the Eustis Estate, and a champagne reception on the terrace of Beauport, the Sleeper-McCann House on Gloucester Harbor.

Registration is $1,600 and includes all lectures, admissions, transportation to special visits and excursions, daily breakfast and lunch, evening receptions, and various service charges. Participation is limited to 24 museum professionals, museum board members, collectors, and graduate students and will next be offered in 2021. Multiple scholarships are available for mid-career museum professionals and graduate students in the fields of architecture, decorative arts, material culture, or public history. At least one scholarship is available for a candidate from diverse cultural backgrounds. All are encouraged to apply. For more information, visit HistoricNewEngland.org or contact Ken Turino, Manager of Community Engagement and Exhibitions, at 617-994-5958.

James Madison’s Montpelier Unveils New Exhibition on Slavery & Enslaved

On Monday, June 5, James Madison’s Montpelier in Virginia opens “The Mere Distinction of Colour,” a major exhibition on the history and impact of slavery in the United States. It examines slavery both from the perspective of James Madison and his peers as well as from the 300 men, women, and children enslaved by the Madisons at Montpelier. It’s a complex and difficult story, but Montpelier has been researching and interpreting this topic for nearly 20 years. Thanks to a generous $10 million gift from David Rubenstein (co-founder and co-CEO of The Carlyle Group), that effort will be move to a higher level in this path-breaking exhibition. During the past two years, the museum staff worked closely with Proun Design, Northern Light Productions, and Mystic Scenic Studios to design, fabricate, and install the exhibition.

As an advisor and consultant to Montpelier for nearly fifteen years, I’ve watched its interpretation evolve. This exhibition is a major step forward for them and for Continue reading →

St. Louis’ new Blues Museum Needs More Artifacts (and Music)

National Blues Museum, St. Louis, Missouri.

National Blues Museum, St. Louis, Missouri.

In April, I had a chance to visit the newly opened National Blues Museum in St. Louis, Missouri while I was in town to lead a workshop with Ken Turino of Historic New England.  As the “only museum dedicated exclusively to preserving and honoring the national and international story of the Blues and its impact on American culture in the United States,” its mission is “to be the premier entertainment and educational resource focusing on the Blues as the foundation of American music.”  Those are pretty bold claims and we’ll have to give them some time to see if they can achieve them.  In the meantime, I wanted to share my initial reactions to the primary permanent exhibit designed by Gallagher & Associates of Silver Spring, Maryland (near my hometown!), who also designed exhibits for Mount Vernon, Gettysburg Visitor Center, and Jamestown Settlement Museum.

Housed in a former historic department store near the city’s downtown convention center, the bold use of panels filled with text, images, video, textures, and colors as well as a strong horizontal lines that pull you through each space, make it a compelling and attractive design. Indeed, it’s so effective that it didn’t strike me until about halfway through that the exhibit feels two-dimensional and there are hardly Continue reading →

Video: Self-portraits from Rembrandt to Selfie

This 1:22 video promotes an exhibition of self-portraits (“autoportraits”) at the Museum of Fine Arts in Lyon, France without any words. Showing a series of portraits that transition through the eyes, it also maintains engagement with subtle and dramatic visual effects. It might be an approach for giving historic images or objects a stronger visual presence in orientation films.