Future of Museums

The conversation on social entrepreneurship continues (I especially loved the reference to those Super Bowl commercials that touted their company's commitment to the greater social good. What will this all mean for the current non-profit world?

From Ukraine to Syria to the South China Sea, the world is experiencing a spike in geopolitical crises. Yet the business community is, it seems, still largely confident that today's geopolitical crises will remain relatively marginal and mostly isolated. Is this view correct or could investors be missing the unfolding of a de-globalised world?,

From Ukraine to Syria to the South China Sea, the world is experiencing a spike in geopolitical crises. Yet the business community is, it seems, still largely confident that today's geopolitical crises will remain relatively marginal and mostly isolated. Is this view correct or could investors be missing the unfolding of a de-globalised world?,

Cafe goes wifi-free. Trend of digital detox playing out in Oakland.

And they call it a "fourth space" -- not work, not home, and not a place with free wi-fi!

From the blog: How do we "design for strangers"? Can people be "alone" and "together" just as easily in a space? From a comments: "we talk so much about the activities and the look and feel of places and don't spend nearly enough time thinking about the sound of a place"

Lisa mentioned wanted to have a meetup on the topic of events in Ferguson and how museums can respond....here's some fodder for that idea.

How important will the arts and humanities be in our future? That is the question!

...consumer product companies that have relied on developing new features, improved customer service and product innovation to drive growth, now see a future where competitive advantage will be based on the customer experience. What of museums in this environment?

Wide-ranging overview of international issues, any of which could become a crisis in 2015. Topics range from a naval incident in China to continued fall in oil prices that could destabilize Russia, Venezuela, and other countries.

Some important points in this Wall Street Journal article about the advantages of aging. It looks like the Boomer generation will continue to positively impact society for many years to come! How can museums take better advantage of this generation as more and more Boomers retire?

Museums are mining detailed information from visitors, raising questions about the use of Big Data in the arts.

According to ​new research, talking about a painting while looking at it changes the way you see it. Talking actually helps you see more of it.

My friend and former colleague, Max van Balgooy, suggests in his latest blog that museums can serve as "third spaces" to allow a safe place for diverse people to discuss and explore sensitive issues, such as those arising from Ferguson and related events. While we often think of "third spaces" being places for like-minded folks to gather informally, should they also provide a place to safely voice hurt and anger. What do you think about this interpretation of "third spaces?"