The next big PhD step

Over the past few months (who am I kidding... the last six months) I have struggled to develop a meaningful field work project that would highlight, if not prove in quantitative measures that museums promote wellness in patients experiencing long term medical episodes.  In June I finally traveled to England to present my proposal to my PhD panel and wait with baited breathe for approval to move forward.

I presented my case, invited questions and discussed the key relationships I have established in the North American medical and museum fields which will lead to a successful research collaboration in the area of health and wellness as it relates to museum participation.  What follows is the quick and dirty of what I presented at my academic review...

The Birth of the RxMuse Project

(understanding the medical role of museums)

(Imagine you are sick and are no longer involved in the persuits that make you happy or feel valued ... Imagine you are stuck in a body you no longer recognize or feel comfortable in...what can society do to help you become engaged in the NEW world around you? The answer can be found in museums...

(Memory is a powerful tool to help people feel engaged and part of a community.... Museums are preservers of memory and makers of memory...

(Donors and galleries are memory givers, they facilitate memories and experiences...

(we are on the cusp of a great new adventure in the North American museum experiences... Museum Therapy...

(Museums are all around us, they are engaging in communities in new an unique ways... patients are a new group of museum stakeholders....

(My proposed PhD research project...

(Are you day dreaming about the future impact of museums on the wellness of their communities?  Yep me too... I'm already plotting ways to move RxMuse into the spotlight...)

What is your experience in Museum Therapy?

Prescription Museum: A life line for our world

Museums have held a fascination for people for generations. Museums provide a look into a by gone era, help visitors reflect on the world around them, provide meeting places for communities and let people learn about new things.  Yet museums are finding it increasingly difficult to reach new audiences, provide resources to everyone in their community and support their buildings and collections.  Financially speaking a lot of museums are living paycheck to paycheck.  But despite their challenges they rise to the occasions and create innovative and welcoming spaces for visitors around the world.

One unique opportunity British museums have taken advantage of is the emerging field of wellness program. A great resource on the British activity is https://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/museumstudies/rcmg/publications/mind-body-spirit-report as well as American Alliance of Museums' report on health and wellness in museums: https://www.aam-us.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/museums-on-call.pdf

I'm feeling inspired to connect my two passions, health care and museum education!

How do museums make you feel? How would you define wellbeing? Do you ever participate in culture or museum activities to increase your wellbeing?