Nov 08, 2019
Museum Exchange: 26 German and US museum professionals shared best practices and built lasting connections discussing museums as spaces for social discourse and learning.
Representing a wide variety of institutions on both sides of the Atlantic, the group shared their expertise in multiple participant-driven panel discussions and peer learning sessions. In addition, expert practitioners and researchers joined the group for presentations and in-depth conversations, including Dr. Zahava Doering (Thinc Design), Prof. Dr. Martin Tröndle (Zeppelin University), and Dr. Margaret C. Conrads (Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art).
Washington, DC with its world-renowned museums and their distinguished staff proved to be the ideal location for this new seminar. The participants examined how exhibitions can reflect current public discourse at the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), experienced the National Museum of American History (NMAH) as a case study for accessibility, and explored the collaboration between different sectors at the Newseum. The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) welcomed the group on their last seminar day, focusing on national missions and narratives in a globalized world.
John Davis, Provost/Under Secretary for Museums, Education and Research at the Smithsonian Institution, thanked the participants and organizers: „It was such a great pleasure to have you and your ideas among us for four rich days of discussion. Thank you so much for your generous commitment to the sharing of knowledge. Given all of the good dialogue and comradery our teams experienced, I know that there will be more to come!”
This seminar was organized by Fulbright Germany and the Leibniz Association, in cooperation with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. It was part of the official “Year of German-American Friendship”.
For more information on the seminar, please visit the project webpage.
