Making the Museum Jonathan Alger

What is the “humanities gap” — and why is it a huge opportunity for museums?
Why can’t everybody be a philanthropist for the day? What does “cultural literacy” mean, and how can it unlock new approaches to the collections we put on display? Why could a shortfall in humanities funding suggest new ways for museums to be relevant? Why shouldn’t a museum buy products and services from its own community?
Michele Y. Smith (CEO, Museum of Popular Culture) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to talk about “A Guitar That Teaches Civil Rights”.
Along the way: preserving 80,000 artifacts, how revenue drives mission, and why George Clooney’s Batman costume is missing its cape.
Talking Points:
1. MoPOP: a museum designed like a guitar melting.2. Schools have a humanities gap — museums can help.3.  How “cultural literacy” makes subjects relevant.4. How a guitar can teach civil rights…5. … and WALL-E can teach climate change.6. Achieving financial independence from the founder.7. Why not open the annual gala to the community?8. Why not do F&B with local and BIPOC vendors?
How to Listen:
Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 
Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G 
Everywherehttps://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ 
Guest Bio:
Michele Y. Smith is the CEO of the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), known for her mission-focused leadership in the nonprofit sector, emphasizing business development, operations, and finance. Her approach prioritizes diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and mentoring, advocating for philanthropy's democratization through pop culture. Previously, as Chief Business & Financial Officer at Woodland Park Zoo, Smith led the institution through the COVID-19 pandemic, achieving significant growth in revenue, events, and guest services with her dynamic strategy.
About MtM:
Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Show Links:
Michele Y. Smith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/micheleysmith/ Museum of Popular Culture (MoPOP) Online: https://www.mopop.org/ MoPOP’s “Massive: The Power of Pop Culture”: https://www.mopop.org/exhibitions-plus-events/exhibitions/massive-the-power-of-pop-culture/
MtM Show Contact:
https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger  alger@cgpartnersllc.com  https://www.cgpartnersllc.com 
MtM, the Newsletter:
Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com 

We might think a design concept is the first step — but it’s not. What do you need to ask yourself, before you even start? What does your community want from your new museum, and how can you find out? What happens when you have funding for 10 staff, but you design a museum that will take 25 staff to operate? What’s more important, the cost of creating the museum, or the later costs of operating it? What’s “noblesse oblige”? What’s a “civic entrepreneur”?
Carolynne Harris (Museum Planner, Carolynne Harris Consulting) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “The Questions You Have to Ask Before the Project”. Along the way: team sports, a right turn at Albuquerque, and training to do five things at once. Talking Points: 1. A master plan comes before design, but what comes before a master plan?
2. Have you got your stakeholders aligned?
3. Do you know what your community wants?
4. Who are your financial supporters — both immediate and ongoing?
5. How many staff can you support, and how will they get paid?
6. Should there even be a museum?
How to Listen: Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Everywherehttps://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bio: Carolynne Harris, Founder and Principal of Carolynne Harris Consulting, has over 30 years of experience in the museum field, including over 10 years of senior-level experience at the Smithsonian Institution and Fernbank Museum of Natural History. Carolynne’s nonprofit consulting business specializes in developing emerging museums, renovations, and expansions from early visioning through implementation, and strategic planning for non-profits. Carolynne has been published in Curator, served on the board of the Pennsylvania Museum Association and the Denver Commission for Cultural Affairs, and is currently the Board Secretary of the National Association of Museum Exhibitions (NAME). Carolynne has an MA in Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts from Emory University and a BA in Anthropology from The University of Virginia.
 
(Carolynne is also 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". Members of the Praxis group are a special focus of the first episodes of this podcast.)
About MtM: Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Show Links: Carolynne by email: carolynneharris@gmail.comCarolynne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynne-harris-1a52a9/ Carolynne Harris Consulting on the web: https://www.carolynneharris.com/
https://www.praxisexhibits.com/ MtM Show Contact: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger alger@cgpartnersllc.com https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Newsletter: Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com 

Why is “70/50” the gold standard? Should it be? Who decided? Does every gallery really need to be 70 degrees, plus/minus two? Does every storage space really need to be 50% humidity, plus/minus five? Is that a reasonable goal for most museums? At what cost? What’s the difference between “AA” climate control, and just “A”? How much energy could we all save, just by switching down one grade? Are artifact loan agreement climate requirements consistent, or is there room for improvement? Roger Chang (Principal, Buro Happold) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “Rethinking Climate Control in Museums”. Along the way: Jackie Kennedy, root cellars, and a wooly mammoth. Talking Points: 1. Why 70 degrees? 2. Does it have to be the premier system?3. Reconsider those loan agreements.4. Knitting at the Renwick5. Don’t fight the building.6. “Fun Puzzles”7. Look in all directions.8. K.I.S.S.: Keep It Simple Sustainably.How to Listen: Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Everywherehttps://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bio: Roger Chang has over two decades of building engineering experience and currently leads the MEP team within Buro Happold’s Washington DC office. He has significant experience with complex cultural, education, civic, and government projects, including two AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) Top 10 winners. Roger regularly presents at architecture and engineering schools on integrated design, including at the Catholic University of America School of Architecture. He has presented and authored papers on high-performance design, including at Greenbuild, AIA, ASHRAE, and AAM conferences. He has a special interest in the intersection of façade engineering and building systems. He is a strong proponent of adaptive reuse and modernization projects and has worked on a significant number of buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. He was recognized in 2020 as an ASHRAE Fellow. About MtM: Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Show Links: Roger by email: Roger.Chang@burohappold.comRoger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/changkey Buro Happold on the web: https://www.burohappold.com   MtM Show Contact: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contacthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalgeralger@cgpartnersllc.comhttps://www.cgpartnersllc.com Newsletter: Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com 

What if chaos in cultural projects is something to embrace, not fear?
 
Can chaos theory give us new insights about how to manage complex work? Are we advocates for the owner of a project, or for the project itself? What are the three things upon which the success or failure of a project depends? Sometimes, is it better to let a few things change, rather than fight those changes for even longer? Museum staff are rarely experts in managing building projects or large exhibition productions. Why would we expect them to be? And how can we help?
 
Jon Maass (Director, MAASS) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss "Embracing Chaos".
Along the way: high-performance buildings, that word “program” again, and whether projects need overseers, therapists or cheerleaders.
Talking Points: 1. Chaos theory studies things that are impossible to predict.2. Museum projects are chaotic and that’s a good thing.3. A project is a cultural exercise, with its own diverse culture.4. Museum owners are not built to build buildings.5. Teams who excel at museum projects are rare.6. Change during the process is inevitable, so embrace it.
How to Listen: Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Everywherehttps://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bios:
Jon Maass is an architect, builder and maker of things. His history of designing and building structures informs and supports his work as an owner’s representative, helping numerous cultural institutions realize new mission-driven projects and restore important cultural touchstones. His work is process driven, emphasizing proper planning at the project’s outset and relentless pursuit of its stated goals. Jon received degrees from the University of Michigan and the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York, where he was amongst the first recipients of the Menschel Fellowship. His creative history began in the theater where we he designed and built stage sets for numerous Off- Broadway and Off-off Broadway shows throughout New York’s East Village. He continues to teach at Cooper Union, helping young architects understand how to navigate the design and construction process toward making exceptional buildings.
 
About MtM: Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Show Links: MAASS on the web: https://www.maass.works
MAASS by phone: +1-917-578-0190
Jon Maass by email: jm@maass.works
 
MtM Show Contact: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger alger@cgpartnersllc.com https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Newsletter: Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com 

What’s the secret to success, when a project lasts years longer than planned?
 
What keeps us going when our work takes more time? How does the subject matter of a project relate to the form of a project? Why should we be thinking equally about the budget for what happens after a project opens? What is the “architecture of delight”? Why do “reverberations matter”? Which is more important: patience, or pushing? (Hint: it’s a trick question.) And most importantly, why should everybody visit the house of Louis and Lucille Armstrong in Queens, New York?
 
Regina Bain (Executive Director, Louis Armstrong House Museum & Archives) and Sara Caples, (Principal and co-founder of Caples Jefferson Architects) join host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss the new Louis Armstrong Center project that all three worked on.
Along the way: why everyone should take acting classes, and what it’s like being inside a cello.
Chapters:
1. Louis and Lucille’s House
2. We’ll Open in Three Months
3. A Golden Curve
4. Serious Acting
5. The Reverberations Matter
6. Patience and Pushing
7. Letter to Your Earlier Self
8. Budget Beyond Opening
How to Listen: Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Everywherehttps://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bios:   
Regina Bain is an artist and educator serving as the Executive Director of the Louis Armstrong House Museum. In the midst of the reverberations of slavery, Jim Crow laws and the great migration, Armstrong became America’s first Black popular music icon. The Museum preserves his home and archives and develops programs grounded in the values of artistic excellence, education and community. This year, Ms. Bain recently opened the new 14,000 sq. foot Armstrong Center housing a multimedia exhibit curated by Jason Moran, a 75-seat performance space, and the 60,000-piece Armstrong Archives — the largest archives of any jazz musician and one of the largest of any Black musician. Previous to her appointment at LAHM, Ms. Bain served as Associate Vice President of the Posse Foundation — a national leadership and college access program. Bain’s efforts helped to increase Posse’s national student graduation rates for four consecutive years. Bain is currently the co-chair of Culture @3’s anti-racism subcommittee and recently served on the Yale Board of Governors.
 
Sara Caples AIA is Principal and co-founder of Caples Jefferson Architects PC. Sara's early experience was focused on the design and direction of large projects, especially in the public realm. Since founding the firm in 1987 with Everardo Jefferson, she has remained committed to designing cultural, educational, and community centers for neighborhoods underserved by the design professions. Sara is a frequent lecturer at schools, community, and professional organizations. She has served as a visiting professor at Syracuse, CCNY, University of Miami, and Yale. Sara and her partner Everardo are currently William B. and Charlotte Shepherd Davenport Professors at Yale School of Architecture, and Everardo and Sara worked together on the design of the Louis Armstrong project. CJA has been honored with AIANY’s President’s Award and awarded the AIA’s New York State Firm of the Year. With work widely published from Architect Magazine and Domus to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Their most recent book is Many Voices: Architecture for Social Equity.
 
About MtM: Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Show Links: Louis Armstrong House Museum: https://www.louisarmstronghouse.org/
 
Louis Armstrong (Artist) on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/19eLuQmk9aCobbVDHc6eek?si=lYvi-xRYRXyPTNj7TpzuqA
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What is a “growth mindset” — and why is it more important than ever for our industry?
What happens when we combine museology with the fast-growing field of positive psychology? How do exhibition teams get through projects with tough subject matter? Why should we always “put our own oxygen mask on first”? What’s the opposite of love (hint: not hate)? What’s contemplative science? How can we learn from the latest news about the Rubin Museum? Do we sometimes all take ourselves … too seriously?
Dr. Kiersten F. Latham (President & CEO, Sauder Village) and Professor Brenda Cowan (Graduate Exhibition & Experience Design, SUNY Fashion Institute of Technology), join host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss the new book they’ve edited: “Flourishing in Museums”.
Along the way: yogic theory, growing towards the sun, and even a few museum dad jokes.
Talking Points:
1. Flourishing starts with intention, and means living and working with an abundance perspective.
2. Healthy museums have a growth mindset internally and externally: with staff, visitors, communities, and the profession.
3. Museum people must do self-care, and also offer care and support to staff, colleagues, communities, and the system itself.
4. To flourish we must go bold with change: address what’s uncomfortable, deconstruct dysfunctional systems, and even redefine what a museum is.
5. Flourishing takes many forms for the book’s authors, who address war, sexual abuse, discrimination, and regret — as well as fun, playfulness and magic.
6. Positive museology is a fluid and developing project that aims to change how museums function and the way they are seen in society.
How to Listen:
Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311
Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G
Everywherehttps://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/
Guest Bios:
Dr. Kiersten F. Latham is President & CEO of Sauder Village, a living history museum complex in Ohio, USA. She has worked in museums for over 35 years. Prior to the Village, her professional journey spanned many kinds of museums and positions within them. She has led museum studies programs at Michigan State University and Kent State University, founded the experimental MuseLab, and has taught all aspects of museum studies. Dr. Latham has conducted research on the meaning of museum objects, conceptual foundations of museums as document systems, numinous experiences in museums, user perceptions of ‘the real thing,’ and positive museology.
Brenda Cowan is a Professor of Graduate Exhibition & Experience Design at SUNY/Fashion Institute of Technology in New York where she teaches exhibition development and evaluation; object and museum studies; research and audience studies. Her background includes work for museums and design firms in the roles of interpreter, exhibition developer, education director, evaluator, and project manager. She is the co-editor of the recently published Flourishing in Museums: Towards a Positive Museology, as well as Museum Objects, Health and Healing both published by Routledge Taylor & Francis. Brenda is a Fulbright Scholar in the disciplines of museums, objects and mental health. Relatedly, her theory of Psychotherapeutic Object Dynamics (www.psychoherapeuticobjectdynamics.com) has been presented at conferences and institutes internationally and published with the National Association for Museum Exhibition and the Society for Experiential Graphic Design. She is currently co-host of a podcast titled Matters of Experience.
About MtM:
Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com
Show Links:
Book Publisher: https://routledge.pub/Flourishing-in-Museums Book Email: flourishingmuseums@yahoo.com Book Website (in progress): www.flourishingmuseums.com