Making the Museum Jonathan Alger

What’s the role of wonder in experience design?
 
What can the circus teach us to make our exhibitions better? (Spoiler alert: a lot.) Could being “with it and for it” be the secret to success for museum projects? How much technology is too much? Can we really design for all five senses? Can an exhibition be a high-wire act — literally?
 
Jennifer Lemmer Posey (Tibbals Curator of Circus at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to teach some inspirational “Circus Lessons for Museum Professionals”. Along the way: popcorn, a wall of clowns, and that special smell of elephants.
Talking Points:
1. Build a team that is “with it and for it”
2. Engage all of the senses
3. Technology shouldn’t steal the center ring
4. Wonder is in the details
5. Create opportunities for shared experiences
6. Design a space that can be ever-changing, never-changing
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:
As the Tibbals Curator of Circus at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Jennifer Lemmer Posey oversees the interpretation and care of objects and ephemera related to the history of circus. With more than twenty years of experience, Jennifer serves as a liaison to the international circus community and facilitates academic study of circus arts. A leading scholar in American circus history, her work has been included in numerous books, catalogs, and journals. Jennifer served as editor for Bandwagon: The Journal of the Circus Historical Society and was an Advisory Scholar in Circus Arts for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in 2017.
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:
About Jennifer:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferlemmerposey/ https://www.instagram.com/wonderfilled_curator/
About the Ringling:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/theringling https://www.instagram.com/theringling/ https://www.facebook.com/TheRingling
From Point 1 - Building a team that is “with it and for it”:
Behind the scenes of the Howard Bros. Circus model - museum staff programhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxntny_wC_M
Wagon Wheel installationhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgF8__NDnJQ
From Point 2 - Engage all of the senses:
The Ringlinghttps://www.ringling.org
Wonder Symposiumhttps://www.ringling.org/wonder-symposium/
From Point 3 - Technology shouldn’t steal the center ring:
The Greatest Show On Earth Gallery at The Ringlinghttps://www.ringling.org/event/the-greatest-show-on-earth-gallery/
Manage This Podcast – My Project is a Three Ring Circushttps://www.velociteach.com/manage-this-podcast/my-project-is-a-three-ring-circus/
From Point 4 - Wonder is in the details:
Howard Tibbals & the Howard Bros. Circus Modelhttps://www.pbs.org/video/wedu-arts-plus-311-howard-tibbals/
Smithsonian Folklife Festival – Wonder Is  by Albert Tong and Hae-Yang Changhttps://festival.si.edu/blog/wonder-is-circus-arts
Circus Museum Collection Highlightshttps://emuseum.ringling.org/collections/5163/circus-highlights/objects
From Point 5 - Create opportunities for shared experiences:
The Ringling’s Collecting Recollections series features fascinating people with fascinating stories to tell about their lives, the Museum, the Circus, Sarasota – and more. I recommend Dolly Jacobs, Kenneth Feld, Jackie LeClaire, Peggy Williamshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLctJhityCmSnHNtgDWP6uWK3Nf0l7Pkr1
From Point 6 - Design a space that can be ever-changing, never-changing:
The Circus Museum at The Ringlinghttps://www.ringling.org/visit/venues/circus-museum/
To learn more about circuses:
Federation Mondiale d

Do museum stores actually make any money?
What are they really for? Can a store act like an exhibition? What does “cap rate” mean? How big should a museum store be? What percentage of visitors go into one, and how many of them buy something? Why should you get an expert to design your store, and what happens when you don’t?
David Franke (museum store architect) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discover what’s “Beyond ‘Exit Through the Gift Shop’”.
Along the way: rubber snakes, oysters, onions, and Mona Lisa ashtrays.
Talking Points:
1.  An oyster living in a birds nest.2.  New store in a new museum or a renovation to an existing one. Where, oh where to begin?3.  The peeling of the onion.4.  Getting the balance just right.5.  Don’t forget that long range strategy to ensure you don’t fall victim to your own success.
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:
With over four decades of experience as an architect, David Franke’s focus is now exclusively on store design and planning for museum and cultural institutions around the world. Museum stores include two at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History and the Museum of the American Cowgirl, the US Botanic Garden in DC, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West in Arizona; the Grounds for Sculpture in New Jersey, three retail projects for the State Preservation Board in Austin, and the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park Illinois. 
David has also served on councils and boards for the Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle, Historical Society of Pennsylvania’s Building and Facilities Committee and the Pennsylvania Ballet. He is a participant in the International Museum Construction Congress, the California Association of Museums, Texas Association of Museums, American Association of Museums and Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums, where has co-presented sessions on the design of museum retail.
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:
David's website: https://www.davidfrankeconsulting.com
David by Email: DavidFrankeRA@Gmail.com
David by Phone: +1 (215) 498-4384
David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-franke-ra-21a4539/ 
MtM Show Contact:
https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger  alger@cgpartnersllc.com  https://www.cgpartnersllc.com 
Newsletter:
Liked the show? 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 economic planning so vital to any new museum project?
What happens if you don’t do it? What is “dark tourism”? Why do economists think about audiences? Can a museum have “ROI”? Which is more important, a profitable museum event, or one that advances a museum’s mission? What can economics teach us about how to make our projects better?
James Stevens, AICP (Vice President, ConsultEcon, Inc.) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “An Economic Planner’s Advice to Museums”.
Along the way: double-edged swords, vocal impersonations, and the Museum of Forks.
Talking Points:
1. Know your audiences (plural).2. Be both curious and skeptical.3. Formulate your “mission test”.4. You’ll be able to take time, but not too much time.5. Establish strict budgets and fundraising goals. Then change them.
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: James Stevens, AICP (Vice President, ConsultEcon, Inc.) is a business planner and management consultant with over 20 years of experience with development planning and analyzing the economics of new museums, major expansions and renovations, and new exhibition programs, among other types of visitor attractions and tourism destinations. He has completed hundreds of studies nationally and internationally for building projects large and small. He contributed a chapter to Sustainable Revenue for Museums: A Guide and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences. He has a bachelor’s degree in history from Cornell University and a master’s degree in city planning from MIT.
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: James via Emailjstevens@consultecon.com
James on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/philly-james-stevens/
ConsultEcon
https://www.consultecon.com/
Sustainable Revenue for Museums: A Guide
https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538112984/Sustainable-Revenue-for-Museums-A-Guide MtM Show Contact: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger alger@cgpartnersllc.com https://www.cgpartnersllc.com Newsletter:
Like the show? 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 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