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What does the transformation to a visitor-centered approach do for a museum? How are museums made relevant to a broad range of visitors of varying ages, identities, and social classes? Does appealing to a larger audience force museums to "dumb down¿ their work? Based on a study of ten innovative American and European collections based museums, Samis and Michaelson answer these key questions. The book:¿ describes key institutions that have opened the doors to a wider range of visitors;¿ addresses the internal struggles to reorganize and democratize these institutions;¿ uses case studies, interviews and additional resources to help museum professionals implement a visitor-centered approach
List of contents
Preface Introduction Part 1: Moving Toward the Visitor-Centered Museum Chapter 1: Considering the Visitor Chapter 2: Contours of Change Chapter 3: Creating Change Part 2: Spaces of Engagement Chapter 6: City Museum, St. Louis, MO Chapter 7: Minnesota History Center, St. Paul, MN Chapter 8: Ruhr Museum, Essen, Germany Chapter 9: Detroit Institute of Arts Chapter 10: Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow, U.K. Chapter 11: Oakland Museum of California Chapter 12: Denver Art Museum Chapter 13: Columbus Museum of Art Chapter 14: Van Abbe Museum, Eindhoven, NL Chapter 15: Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver Part 3: Lessons Learned Chapter 16: Complexities, Outcomes and Aftermaths Chapter 17: Conclusion: Lessons Learned Notes References Index About the Authors
