Informal Learning Review: Popup Exhibits and the Distributed Museum
Great to see the article I wrote with Lynn Baum and Jan Crocker on popup exhibits out in the March/April issue of Informal Learning Review, the longstanding publication drawing together new research and understandings on informal learning in museum environments. The title of the article describes the focus: “Community Connection: Pop-Up Exhibits and the Distributed Museum.”
There are a couple trends going on: museums are honing in on the mission of connecting with their local communities. And new trends in popup experiences, from food trucks to science pubs are combining with social media and mobile technology to create new opportunities to create a museum that is more distributed throughout its community.
In my mind, it’s the next evolutionary step for museums, which started originally with objects, then added exhibit interpretation, and additional visitor-centered approaches and now community-centered approaches. Like the layers of the brain, each new development builds on the previous, leading to something greater than before.
So, check out Informal Learning Review — many museums subscribe, and you can find it in university libraries as well. I’ll post some of the photos in the article below as a preview…
Exploratorium popup science cart. © Exploratorium,www.exploratorium.edu
A Seattle food truck travels to customers. Photo by MarmadukePercy, CC-BY-SA-3.0
Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, altered book collaboration with Santa Cruz Public Library
Popup Storykiosk on the National Mall generates news. Photo: Fabiana Chiu-Rinaldi
Exploratorium temporary “parklet” for public space. Amy Snyder, © Exploratorium, www.exploratorium.edu
Popup activity generates new exhibit themes at Heritage Museums & Gardens
Popup activities facilitated community support for the eventual Phoenix Children’s Museum