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Reinventing Your Museum:
New Audiences, Great Expectations
Martha Aldridge, Chief Relocation Officer
Julia Swan, Manager of Programs & Community Engagement
Tara McCauley, Manager of Education & Youth Programs
About Us
Museum of History & Industry in Seattle, WA
• Regional history museum of a major metropolitan city
• Currently in process of a major institutional
transformation
About Us
• Aging building
• Poor accessibility
• Remote, hard-to-find
location
Our home since 1952
About Us
• Renovated historic building
• Brand new exhibits and
teaching spaces
• Central, vibrant, up and
coming neighborhood
Our home starting December 29, 2012
Discussion
What does reinvention mean to you?
To your organization?
What does reinvention mean to MOHAI?
Reinvention is
About Vision
MOHAI will be nationally recognized as a dynamic and
innovative center for historical exploration where people
will be inspired by the past to create a better future.
Reinvention is About
Realizing the Vision
Dazzle
Reinvention is About
Realizing the Vision
Engagement
Engagement
Reinvention is About
Realizing the Vision
Fiscal Responsibility
Reinvention is About
Realizing the Vision
MISSIONMOHAI is dedicated to enriching lives by
preserving, sharing and teaching the diverse
history of Seattle, the Puget Sound region and
the nation.
VISIONMOHAI will be nationally recognized as a
dynamic and innovative center for historical
exploration where people will be inspired by
the past to create a better future.
VALUESMOHAI believes that understanding history is relevant to today’s world – it fosters pride of place, and helps individuals in our
community understand the importance of civic engagement.
MOHAI is inclusive and accessible – we respect all communities and points of view and are committed to listening to and
sharing those stories.
MOHAI believes in professional scholarship and research to inform our work.
MOHAI values mutual respect and collaboration among staff, partners and volunteers, and is committed to sharing our
resources and skills with the wider community.
MOHAI is creative and resourceful, and strives for excellence in all our programs and services.
MOHAI manages the museum’s historical, human, physical and financial resources in an ethical and responsible manner that
ensures sustainability as a public trust.
Reinvention is
About Vision
Levels of Planning
Relocation Plan
Strategic Plan
Buildings
Schematic Design
Design Development
Pricing Drawings
Value Engineering
Construction Drawings
Financing
Public Support
Strategies
Private Fund
Raising
Feasibility Study
Fund Raising Plan
Program
Exhibits
Collections
Library
Programs
Education
Operations
Business Plan
Organizational Structure
Events Policies
Visitor Services
IT/Communications
Marketing/PR
Financial Management
Reinvention is About
Realizing the Vision
Flexibility is the Key
to Implementation
Despite the message on the
fare box, it has been my
experience that more often
than not, change is not exact.
How I wish that my room had a floor.
I don’t care so much for a door,
But this floating around
Without touching the ground
Is getting to be quite a bore.
Challenges
Reinvention is About
Realizing the Vision
Mitigation of Stress
• Information
• Control
• Humor
• Eyes on the vision
Reinvention is About
Realizing the Vision
New Audiences
New Location = New Audiences
• From residential neighborhood to urban core
Demographic shift in
visitors, members, donors
• New museum projection: 80% new audience
(e.g. young urban professionals), 20% old
Reinvention is About
New Audiences
Adult Programs and
Community Engagement
Step 1:
Bring the museum outside
our walls
Benefits of Sponsorship
History Café
Adult Programs and
Community Engagement
History Walking Tours
Adult Programs and
Community Engagement
Projected Cost
Pub Trivia
Adult Programs and
Community Engagement
MOHAI Minutes
youtube.com/mohaiprograms
Adult Programs and
Community Engagement
Adult Programs and
Community Engagement
Step 2:
Think creatively about
community partnerships
• Other museums
• Other arts organizations• Film industry
• Cafes, bars
• New neighbors
• For-profit companies• Gaming industry
Adult Programs and
Community Engagement
Adult Programs and
Community Engagement
Step 3:
Target New Audiences
History Is____ Film Competition
youtube.com/mohaiprograms
Adult Programs and
Community Engagement
Movies in the Park
Adult Programs and
Community Engagement
Cheshiahud Challenge
Adult Programs and
Community Engagement
Social Media
Adult Programs and
Community Engagement
Challenges
• Build new audience without alienating our core audience
• Fundamentals of museum programming vs. experimentation with new programming
• Staying aligned with changing institutional priorities, e.g. bringing the community back into our building
Adult Programs and
Community Engagement
Re-inventing Education
& Youth Programming1. Serve expanded audiences (in terms of age), within varied learning situations (formal AND
informal), that are interdisciplinary.
2. Utilize community partnerships to design new programs
1. Advisory teams with teachers, school administrators, scholars
2. Work with universities, advocacy groups (early learning), other non profits
3. Community members – parents, local businesses, etc.
3. Involve youth to design new programs
1. Youth created program and exhibit content
2. Peer advisory committees
3. Evaluation and surveys to youth
Education and
Youth Programs
Expand Youth Audiences
Education and
Youth Programs
• MiniMOHAI
Early Learning Initiative
Education and
Youth Programs
Expanded Family Programs
• Family Lab
• Exploration Packs
Education and
Youth Programs
• MOHAI Goes
Mobile
Education and
Youth Programs
Involve Youth to Design New
Programs
Education and
Youth Programs
• Punctum/Poetry
Education and
Youth Programs
• History Is____ Film Competition
Education and
Youth Programs
• New K – 12 Programs with youth
created content and student
evaluation
Education and
Youth Programs
Challenges
• NEW EVERYTHING!– New staff, new programs, new
technology, new building, new content – nothing is a given.
• Resources still a challenge
• Using and implementing evaluation results – With such careful and elaborate
planning it is important to stay agile, to adapt, to be ready to adjust/fail/try again.
Education and
Youth Programs
Concluding Challenges
How can staff cope with transformative change?
Can dramatic reinvention begin with one small change?
How can programs balance experimentation and fundamentals?
Can dramatic reinvention succeed with limited resources?
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