Museums across the world are important sites for sharing objects, research, and ideas. They are also helping to drive discourse on challenging topics from climate change to systemic racism. At the same time, museums are grappling with many of their own practices of collecting, interpreting, connecting with underrepresented audiences. How are museums fostering complex conversations? What works, what doesn’t? Where do we go from here?
This panel was inspired by a 2019 transatlantic seminar for museum curators and educators which addressed these questions. Hosted at the Smithsonian Institution in cooperation with Fulbright Germany and the Leibniz Association, this transatlantic exchange also resulted in the most recent Journal of Museum Education, which is dedicated to topics developed from the seminar.
On the eve of International Museum Day, join Fulbright Germany, Leibniz-Association, and Smithsonian Institution for a moderated discussion with two American and two German museum professionals, as well as an opportunity for dialogue among participants.