Engaging with Museums

Museums are a hub for art, culture, science and music (among other things...). Museums speak to the very core of their visitors through exciting programs, ground-breaking research and breathe-taking collections. But museums in general aren't able to create their magic single-handedly, there are team of professionals, volunteers and community stakeholders engaging in the process day in and day out.  Through dedicated and exiting stewardship of the programs and collections museums attract a variety of stakeholders across the globe to support both a museum's individual mission and the general idea of museums to bridge cultural, social or political gaps.

Vital research is preformed in museums every day. Retrospectives on historical events and trends help shape our future social engagement strategies as a community. Research on biological and paleo-specimens help answer questions about our scientific heritage and direct us in thinking about our relationship to the physical world around us. The pursuit of knowledge is inherent in museums and their staff, but how can we translate that drive... that thirst for knowledge and reflection to the museum visitors?

This is a question I have been struggling with recently as I embark on creating a research proposal for my PhD... how do communities engage with museums? Why do they engage with museums? and what outcomes are produced through museum engagement, and how does that effect the participant?.... share your thoughts in the comments