Six Provocative Questions, with Matt Kirchman

Making the Museum

Do exhibits really teach? Do they really present big stories well? Is personalization really a must? Are exhibits getting ... better?

Interpretive planner and designer Matt Kirchman joins me on the podcast to debate Six Provocative Questions. Listen in and see what your own answer is to each. But buckle your seat belts — these are called provocative for a reason.

Quotable Quotes:
“Exhibits tell great stories — but they don’t narrate very well.”

“Do less, better.”

“Exhibits are both Shredded Wheat and Lucky Charms.”

“Exhibits aiming at customization often deliver complexity instead.”

“We’re the number one trusted source, more than the news media – now what do we do with that soft power?”

Guest Bio:
Matt Kirchman, Founder and President, ObjectIDEA: Matt serves as the Creative Director of Planning and Design for all his projects. A formal education in visual communication and experiential education underpins his passion for interpretive design. After 20 years in the field, he founded ObjectIDEA in 2005. The company works with institutions, architects, and designers to create enjoyable and memorable visitor experiences. Matt is a member of The Museum Group and the Praxis Museum Projects Group and serves on the Boards of the New England Museum Association (NEMA) and the National Association for Museum Exhibition (NAME). Matt keeps a database of his museum visits: 600 and growing.

Matt is a member of Praxis Museum Projects Group, a "network of professionals, each of whom brings an expertise to the process of creating exhibitions and cultural experiences in collaboration with exhibit designers, architects, and museums".

About:
Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger.

MtM is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture.
Learn about the firm's creative work at:
https://www.cgpartnersllc.com

Show Links:
http://www.objectidea.com/

https://www.praxisexhibits.com/

Core Standards for Museums (American Alliance of Museums)
https://www.aam-us.org/programs/ethics-standards-and-professional-practices/core-standards-for-museums/

Standards for Museum Exhibitions and Indicators of Excellence (American Alliance of Museums)
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58fa260a725e25c4f30020f3/t/58ff73ed3e00bea8e746d4ce/1493136367751/2012+Standards+for+Museum++Exhibitions+and+Indicators+of+Excellence.pdf

The Visitor Studies Association, whose mission is to understand and enhance learning experiences in informal settings through research, evaluation, and dialogue.
https://visitorstudies.org/

The Big Idea e-book by Beverly Serrell
https://serrellassociates.com/store/big-idea-ebook

The 227-Mile Museum, or, Why We Need a Visitors' Bill of Rights, by Judy Rand
https://www.informalscience.org/sites/default/files/VSA-a0a0x9-a_5730.pdf

Please write in and add your own provocative ideas and resources to Matt’s ever-growing list!

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Making the Museum is also a very short daily newsletter on exhibition planning for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Learn more, read past editions, and subscribe here:
https://www.makingthemuseum.com