Digital Journal — Museums have finally become cool. Today’s specialized, visitor-centred museums are interested in what interests you.
Like many of our cultural hubs, museums have been accused of being elitist and overly authoritative. Often quoted is museum pioneer John Cotton Dana: “Museums are built to keep objects of art, and objects of art are built to be kept in museums,” he wrote in 1917. Many analysts argue museums took almost a century to seriously consider that criticism.
In 2005, some museums are working to shake the old stereotype that they are hollow, gloomy spaces where historical artifacts are revered. The reason for this shift, says Gail Anderson, editor of Reinventing the Museum, is museum professionals have realized artifacts aren’t as important as visitors. “The reason for showing a collection is to serve the public,” she says. “You do that through the collections.”
So what does the public want to see in a museum? An ancient sarcophagus or a 53-year-old TV set? Both, which is why newer museums specialize and older ones adapt. Another important development, explains Anderson, is instead of presenting their findings as gospel, museums are offering “a two-way dialogue” and “allowing visitors to determine for themselves the importance of the artifacts.”
These modern museums are less about paying homage to the past and more about processing it, especially over the last century’s rapid rate of social, technological and political change. With these developments in mind, Digital Journal profiles five museums that are changing the way we think about exhibiting history.
This article is part of Digital Journal‘s Summer 2005 issue. To read the rest of this story, pick up your copy in bookstores across Canada or the United States!
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