Making the Museum

Jonathan Alger

A podcast on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams, and visitor experience professionals.

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66 episodes
Updated Tuesday

Episodes66

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Tuesday · 1 hr 8 min
What Museums Can Learn from Casinos, Theme Parks, Sports, and More, with Renée Hampton
What could museums learn right now — from their competitors? What’s happening out there that museums should know about? How can museums compete with a sports venue that has 18,000 seats, each with its own interactive controller? What do IP, KPI, and F&B mean? What if museums went out and learned from theme parks, advertising, corporate centers … and even casinos? Renée Hampton (Strategic Partnerships Manager, Electrosonic) discusses “What Museums Can Learn from Casinos, Theme Parks, Sports, and More” with MtM host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio). Along the way: eye tracking, Donkey Kong, and Cirque du Soleil. Talking Points: 1. What sports experiences … can teach museums 2. What theme parks … can teach museums 3. What advertising activations … can teach museums 4. What corporate briefing centers … can teach museums 5. What casinos … can teach museums How to Listen: Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Listen at Making the Museum, the Website: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/podcast Links to Every Podcast Service, via Transistor: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bio: Renée Hampton is passionate about bringing creativity and multidisciplinary partnerships into the way organizations design and build experiential attractions across industries. As Strategic Partnerships Manager at Electrosonic, she collaborates with architects, interior designers, exhibit designers, fabricators, media producers, and technology partners to develop innovative technology solutions for institutions, owners, and operators. With a background spanning film production, real-time interactive media production, and experiential events, Renée combines creative and technical expertise with partnership strategy, project management, and business development. She is dedicated to building strong relationships that help create immersive environments connecting people with spaces, stories, and technology through the power of design. About Making the Museum: Making the Museum is a newsletter and podcast on exhibitions, written and hosted by Jonathan Alger. MtM is a project of C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio. Learn more about the creative work of C&G Partners: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Links for This Episode: Renée via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renee-hampton/ Renée via Email: renee.hampton@electrosonic.com or renee.e.hampton@gmail.com Electrosonic: https://www.electrosonic.com/ Links for Making the Museum, the Podcast: Contact Making the Museum: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact Host Jonathan Alger, Managing Partner of C&G Partners, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger Email Jonathan Alger: alger@cgpartnersllc.com C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Making the Museum, the Newsletter: Like the show? You might enjoy the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a free weekly email about exhibitions for museum leaders and teams. (And newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about new episodes of this podcast.) Join hundreds of your peers with a one-minute read, three times a week. Invest in your career with a diverse, regular feed of planning and design insights, practical tips, and tested strategies — including thought-provoking approaches to technology, experience design, audience, budgeting, content, and project management. Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/
June 23 · 1 hr 1 min
Make Space for Change (The New Book), with Femke Bijlsma
How can exhibitions create positive change in the world? Why is play the key? How can we build trust with a community that doesn’t know us? Why should exhibition makers preserve their “beginner’s mind”? What can exhibitions do climate change, polarization and global conflict? How do we measure our impact? Femke Bijlsma (Partner, Kossmanndejong) discusses “Make Space for Change (The New Book)” with MtM host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio). Along the way: un-discipline, Santa Claus, and eating the story. Talking Points: 1. Why Make Space for Change? 2. PLAY 3. ACTION 4. REPRESENTATION 5. CREATIVITY 6. IMPACT How to Listen: Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Listen at Making the Museum, the Website: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/podcast Links to Every Podcast Service, via Transistor: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bio: Femke Bijlsma is a partner and content developer at Amsterdam-based design firm Kossmanndejong, creating immersive, narrative-driven spaces globally. Her work distinctively connects design with social goals, fostering meaningful inclusion and community empowerment. This approach shapes major projects like the Museum of the Mind, "Our Colonial Inheritance" at the Worldmuseum Amsterdam, and the UAE Pavilion for Expo 2020, alongside high-profile US work at the La Brea Tar Pits. Committed to positive change, Bijlsma co-founded the Refugee Company, chaired the Dutch Design Awards, and shares her expertise as a thought leader through regular international university lectures and workshops. About Making the Museum: Making the Museum is a newsletter and podcast on exhibitions, written and hosted by Jonathan Alger. MtM is a project of C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio. Learn more about the creative work of C&G Partners: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Links for This Episode: Make Space for Change (New Book): https://www.japsambooks.nl/products/make-space-for-change Femke: femke@kossmanndejong.nl Kossmandejong: www.kossmanndejong.nl Links for Making the Museum, the Podcast: Contact Making the Museum: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact Host Jonathan Alger, Managing Partner of C&G Partners, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger Email Jonathan Alger: alger@cgpartnersllc.com C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Making the Museum, the Newsletter: Like the show? You might enjoy the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a free weekly email about exhibitions for museum leaders and teams. (And newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about new episodes of this podcast.) Join hundreds of your peers with a one-minute read, three times a week. Invest in your career with a diverse, regular feed of planning and design insights, practical tips, and tested strategies — including thought-provoking approaches to technology, experience design, audience, budgeting, content, and project management. Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/
June 9 · 53 min
Liminal Space Research, with Dan Clevenger, Monika Smith, and Helen Ho
Museum lobbies have a huge influence on visitor experience. But what makes a good lobby? What is a “liminal space” in a museum? How does research actually work? What does “peer-reviewed research” actually mean? What do researchers hope their outcomes will be? Which department of a museum is even responsible for the lobby, and all the other “spaces in between”? Dan Clevenger (Principal), Monika Smith (Principal), and Helen Ho (Senior Associate, Senior Design Researcher) from DLR Group discuss “Liminal Space Research” with MtM host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio). Note: The "Liminal Space Research" project is in partnership with select art museum partners and cultural strategist Jill Snyder (Snyder Consultancy). Along the way: wonder, awe, gaps in the literature, and all the spaghetti you can throw at a cupboard. Talking Points: 1. DLR Group and the research team 2. What is a “liminal space”? 3. How research works 4. The peer review process 5. What the outcome will be 6. Sneak peek: things learned so far How to Listen: Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Listen at Making the Museum, the Website: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/podcast Links to Every Podcast Service, via Transistor: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bios: Dan Clevenger, AIA, LEED BD+C, Principal, Global Cultural + Performing Arts Leader, DLR Group. Dan Clevenger is an award-winning arts and cultural programmer, designer, and leader with more than two decades of experience across all phases of design and project development. His portfolio spans art museums, science centers, history museums, and natural history institutions, including the Heard Museum, Arizona Science Center, Chandler History Museum, C.N. Gorman Museum at UC Davis, the Sheldon Museum of Art at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, and the University of Arizona Arts Master Plan. His work reflects a consistent commitment to institutions that strengthen their communities with purpose and longevity. Dan serves as a board member of the Western Museum Association and the Arizona State University Art Museum Creative Impact Board. Monika Smith, AIA, Principal, Cultural+Performing Arts Design Leader, DLR Group. Monika Smith brings a rigorous design craft to some of the most complex museum environments in the country. A senior designer with 28 years of experience in cultural facilities and historic preservation, she is known for technically demanding work across new construction, adaptive reuse, and landmark renovation. Her portfolio includes the Albany Museum of Art, Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia, Library of Congress Conservation Lab, and the Smithsonian Institution. Monika is a juror for the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums Buildy Awards. Helen Ho, PhD, EDAC, Senior Associate, Senior Design Researcher, DLR Group. Helen Ho helps cultural institutions make informed, community-centered design decisions. With more than a decade of mixed-methods research experience, she connects stakeholder engagement, post-occupancy evaluation, and evidence-based frameworks to outcomes that matter: visitor wellbeing, spatial equity, and long-term institutional impact. She translates complex community needs into clear design metrics and research-informed strategies that support meaningful, people-centered spaces. Helen holds a Ph.D. in Communication Studies from the University of Michigan. She is an EDAC professional and an AIA Associate Member. About Making the Museum: Making the Museum is a newsletter and podcast on exhibitions, written and hosted by Jonathan Alger. MtM is a project of C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio. Learn more about the creative work of C&G Partners: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Links for This Episode: Dan Clevenger: dclevenger@dlrgroup.com Monika Smith: msmith@dlrgroup.com Helen Ho: hho@dlrgroup.com Jill Snyder: Snyder Consultancy The Cultural+Performing Arts / Museums Practice at DLR Group Strategic Research Partnerships Yield Museum Design Insights, at DLR Group Heard Museum by DLR Group Albany Museum of Art Adaptive Reuse by DLR Group Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery by DLR Group Links for Making the Museum, the Podcast: Contact Making the Museum: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact Host Jonathan Alger, Managing Partner of C&G Partners, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger Email Jonathan Alger: alger@cgpartnersllc.com C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Making the Museum, the Newsletter: Like the show? You might enjoy the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a free weekly email about exhibitions for museum leaders and teams. (And newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about new episodes of this podcast.) Join hundreds of your peers with a one-minute read, three times a week. Invest in your career with a diverse, regular feed of planning and design insights, practical tips, and tested strategies — including thought-provoking approaches to technology, experience design, audience, budgeting, content, and project management. Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/
May 19 · 1 hr 4 min
“Building a Museum: This is Not a Manual” (the New Book), with Jamē Anderson, Monteil Crawley, Sarah Ghorbanian & Chris Wood
How do you build a museum? How do you build the right project team? How do you engage with community? What does it mean to plan a museum? What does it mean to design a museum? How do you align your budget with your purpose? How do you build the story of your museum project? Jamē Anderson, Monteil Crawley, Sarah Ghorbanian, and Chris Wood from SmithGroup discuss “Building a Museum: This is Not a Manual (the New Book)” with MtM host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio). Along the way: a one-year process that took ten years, a mystery fifth guest, and branching out to herbal supplements. Talking Points: 1. Why a book like this? 2. How do I build the right project team, and what does it mean to engage with the community? 3. What does it mean to plan and design a museum? 4. How do I align budget with purpose? 5. How do you write a book? 6. How do I learn more from my network? How to Listen: Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Listen at Making the Museum, the Website: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/podcast Links to Every Podcast Service, via Transistor: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bios: Jamē Anderson is a vice president and director of SmithGroup’s national team of architects, planners, and engineers who focus exclusively on cultural capital projects. Her career is dedicated to cultural institutions, having held roles at the National Gallery of Art and Smithsonian Institution in addition to her tenure at SmithGroup. Monteil Crawley is a senior principal at SmithGroup and a leading expert in the design of museums and cultural facilities, shaping a unique design vision for each facility and institution. He has spent his career with SmithGroup designing prominent spaces and places that celebrate and reveal the history and culture of the United States. Sarah Ghorbanian is a principal at SmithGroup who specializes in the planning and project management of complex cultural projects. She is an expert at coordinating the intersection of architecture and exhibition design to create compelling, holistic, and engaging experiences for museum audiences. Chris Wood is a vice president at SmithGroup and leads the firm’s Washington, D.C., studio of design and engineering specialists devoted to cultural projects. He leads design teams for cultural capital projects of all scales and is a recognized expert in the planning and design of museums and collections facilities. About Making the Museum: Making the Museum is a newsletter and podcast on exhibitions, written and hosted by Jonathan Alger. MtM is a project of C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio. Learn more about the creative work of C&G Partners: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Links for This Episode: The Book: https://www.smithgroup.com/buildingamuseum SmithGroup: https://www.smithgroup.com Jamē Anderson: Jame.Anderson@smithgroup.com Monteil Crawley: Monteil.Crawley@smithgroup.com Sarah Ghorbanian: Sarah.Ghorbanian@smithgroup.com Chris Wood: Chris.Wood@smithgroup.com Links for Making the Museum, the Podcast: Contact Making the Museum: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact Host Jonathan Alger, Managing Partner of C&G Partners, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger Email Jonathan Alger: alger@cgpartnersllc.com C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Making the Museum, the Newsletter: Like the show? You might enjoy the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a free weekly email about exhibitions for museum leaders and teams. (And newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about new episodes of this podcast.) Join hundreds of your peers with a one-minute read, three times a week. Invest in your career with a diverse, regular feed of planning and design insights, practical tips, and tested strategies — including thought-provoking approaches to technology, experience design, audience, budgeting, content, and project management. Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/
February 3 · 1 hr 18 min
“Serious Fun” at First Americans Museum, with Shoshana Wasserman, Kimberly Rodriguez, and Bill Smith
How do you design for all ages at the same time? What is “serious fun”? Does nature ever go out of style? How do you create content for both Native and non-Native audiences? What do education staff do when a gallery has no text panels? What are “Native sensibilities”? Why is Blue Deer blue? Shoshana Wasserman (Deputy Director) and Kimberly Rodriguez (New Media Specialist) from First Americans Museum, and Bill Smith (Principal, Storyline Studio) discuss “Serious Fun at the First Americans Museum” with MtM host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio). Along the way: a 12-foot hawk, rotary phones, and Grandma Turtle’s Choctaw collar. Talking Points: 1. What is FAM? 2. What is the "FAMily Discovery Center" project? 3. Native Sensibilities Taking Center Stage 4. Native and Human Values: Community, Respect, Resilience, and Stewardship 5. We are all connected. 6. The project is still growing. How to Listen: Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Listen at Making the Museum, the Website: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/podcast Links to Every Podcast Service, via Transistor: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bios: Shoshana Wasserman (Muscogee Creek/Thlopthlocco Tribal Town citizen) began with a vision to weave culture, education, and community into meaningful spaces. For over 20 years, she helped bring First Americans Museum to life. A founding team member and Deputy Director, she oversees operations, guest services, and the store supporting Native artists. As co-curator of the FAMily Discovery Center, she champions immersive storytelling, tribal collaboration, and joyful design—all anchored in her belief We Are All Connected. For 18 years, Kimberly Rodriguez (Muscogee/Oglala Sioux) has been part of the FAM journey—from name changes to documenting the site “from the ground to the mound.” A co-curator of two exhibitions and a proud member of the powerhouse Communications team, she blends professionalism with a Looney Tunes sense of humor. With deep pride in promoting the stories of 39 tribes in Oklahoma today, Kimberly brings heart, wit, and collaboration to everything she does—because like water, humor is life. Bill Smith, Principal of Storyline Studio, brings over 40 years of experience as one of the nation’s leading exhibition designers. Formerly partner and design director at West Office Exhibition Design, he led award-winning projects for history, science, and cultural institutions. In 2003, he founded Storyline Studio to further his creative vision. His work has earned accolades from the Industrial Designers Society of America, AAM’s CurCom, and the Society for Environmental Graphic Design. About Making the Museum: Making the Museum is a newsletter and podcast on exhibitions, written and hosted by Jonathan Alger. MtM is a project of C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio. Learn more about the creative work of C&G Partners: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Links for This Episode: Shoshana Waserman: shoshanaw@famok.org Kimberly Rodriguez: communications@famok.org Bill Smith: bill@storylinestudio.com First Americans Museum: https://famok.org/ FAMily Discovery Center: https://familydiscoverycenter.org/ Storyline Studio: https://www.storylinestudio.com/ Links for Making the Museum, the Podcast: Contact Making the Museum: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact Host Jonathan Alger, Managing Partner of C&G Partners, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger Email Jonathan Alger: alger@cgpartnersllc.com C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Making the Museum, the Newsletter: Like the show? You might enjoy the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a free weekly email about exhibitions for museum leaders and teams. (And newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about new episodes of this podcast.) Join hundreds of your peers with a one-minute read, three times a week. Invest in your career with a diverse, regular feed of planning and design insights, practical tips, and tested strategies — including thought-provoking approaches to technology, experience design, audience, budgeting, content, and project management. Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/
Dec 2, 2025 · 1 hr 9 min
What Is Sustainable Exhibition Design? with Douglas Flandro
How can we make our exhibitions more sustainable — in every way? Where do we start? What can museum teams learn from sustainability advancements in architecture? What’s a “red list?” What is the difference between embodied and operational carbon? What does it mean to do “design for deconstruction?” And when can we all buy the upcoming “Sustainable Museum Exhibition Handbook?” Douglas Flandro (Exhibition Designer & Director of Sustainability, CambridgeSeven) discusses “What is Sustainable Exhibition Design?” with MtM host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio). Along the way: museum egos, dark skies, and heat islands. Talking Points: 1. Embracing Imperfection 2. Design for Human Health 3. Design for Social Health and Equity 4. Design for Ecosystem Health 5. Design for Climate Health 6. Design for the Circular Economy How to Listen: Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Listen at Making the Museum, the Website: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/podcast Links to Every Podcast Service, via Transistor: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bio: Drawing on his background in theater and film design, Douglas Flandro is especially interested in sustainable exhibit design, new technologies, immersive experiences, experiential graphic design and hands-on interactive exhibits. He has designed exhibits and graphics for numerous science museums, children’s museums, nature and visitor centers, aquariums, and zoos. As the firm’s Director of Sustainability, Douglas leads CambridgeSeven’s Sustainable Working Group and has taught and lectured at AAM, ASTC, Parson’s School of Design, and the Rhode Island School of Design. He is the author of the forthcoming book, “The Sustainable Exhibition Handbook,” due to be released in the Spring of 2026. About Making the Museum: Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. MtM is a project of C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio. Learn more about the creative work of C&G Partners: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Links for This Episode: Douglas by Email dflandro@cambridgeseven.com Douglas on LInkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglas-flandro/ CambridgeSeven https://www.cambridgeseven.com The Sustainable Exhibition Design & Construction Toolkit https://www.cambridgeseven.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SEDC-Toolkit_v6_Sep2024.pdf The Museum Exhibition Materials Pledge https://www.mindfulmaterials.com/museum-materials-pledge The Gallery Climate Coalition https://measure.galleryclimatecoalition.org/ The Bizot Green Protocol https://www.cimam.org/sustainability-and-ecology-museum-practice/bizot-green-protocol/ The Climate Toolkit https://climatetoolkit.org/about/ Living Future (ILFI) Red List of Worst in Class Chemicals https://living-future.org/red-list/ Green Science Policy Institute Six Classes of Chemicals https://www.sixclasses.org/ DarkSky International https://darksky.org/ Terrapin Bright Green 14+ Patterns of Biophilic Design https://www.terrapinbrightgreen.com/report/14-patterns/ The Design Museum, "The Waste Age: What can design do?" https://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/waste-age-what-can-design-do Links for Making the Museum, the Podcast: Contact Making the Museum https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact Host Jonathan Alger, Managing Partner of C&G Partners, on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger Email Jonathan Alger alger@cgpartnersllc.com C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Making the Museum, the Newsletter: Like the show? You might enjoy the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a free weekly professional development email for exhibition practitioners, museum leaders, and visitor experience professionals. (And newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about new episodes of this podcast.) Join hundreds of your peers with a one-minute read, three times a week. Invest in your career with a diverse, regular feed of planning and design insights, practical tips, and tested strategies — including thought-provoking approaches to technology, experience design, audience, budgeting, content, and project management. Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/
Nov 5, 2025 · 1 hr 5 min
Inclusive Design Will Change the World, with Sina Bahram & Corey Timpson
One in four people has a disability. Why aren’t we designing museums better for them? What is inclusive design? How does it relate to universal design, or the ADA? Which disciplines and departments have to get involved to make a museum truly inclusive? What happened when the military tried to design for the “average” jet pilot? If we design for better accessibility, are we designing for our own future selves? Sina Bahram and Corey Timpson (Principals, Prime Access Consulting) join host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “Inclusive Design Will Change the World.” Along the way: curb cuts, multimodality, and the finance department. Talking Points: 1. What is Inclusive Design? 2. The Average Jet Pilot 3. 1 in 4 People have a Disability 4. Vectors of Human Difference 5. Inclusive Design Has No Boundaries 6. It’s a Convincing Company, not an Accessibility One 7. A Company That’s Hopefully Pointless One Day How to Listen: Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Listen at Making the Museum, the Website: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/podcast Links to Every Podcast Service, via Transistor: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bios: Sina Bahram (President, Prime Access Consulting) is a blind computer scientist, consultant, researcher, speaker, mentor, and entrepreneur. He works with executive management, policymakers, engineering teams, content creators, designers, and others to promulgate accessibility and inclusive design throughout an organization. In 2012, President Obama recognized Sina as a White House Champion of Change. Sina and his PAC colleagues collaborate on creating digital experiences (web, app, embedded, projected, and more), immersive media, themed entertainment, capital builds, and any/all aspects of experiential design in order to welcome the widest possible audience. Sina serves on and chairs various corporate, research, and non-profit boards. Sina is a Mission Astro Access ambassador and recipient of a Thea Award. Corey Timpson (Principal, Prime Access Consulting) is an active collaborator and thought leader in the fields of inclusive design, digital media, and experience design within the cultural and themed entertainment industries. As one of the two principals of Prime Access Consulting, Inc. (PAC) Corey's primary focus is to facilitate the creation of inclusive, rich, and meaningful experiences that are welcoming to everyone. Among Corey’s previous positions, he was the Vice-President of Exhibitions, Research, and Design, and concurrently served as the Project Director, for the design-build of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights where his focus was on interpreting difficult knowledge and presenting it through an inclusive, multimodal, and transmedia storytelling approach. Corey’s design leadership has accounted for over 30 international awards in the fields of environmental, exhibition, and graphic design, digital and interactive media, digital systems design, film and linear media, and universal design. Corey serves as an Advisory Board member of Europe’s Best in Heritage and is a board member of the Portrait Gallery of Canada. About Making the Museum: Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. MtM is a project of C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio. Learn more about the creative work of C&G Partners: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Links for This Episode: Prime Access Consulting (PAC): https://pac.bz Mosaic (M4C): https://m4c.space Links for Making the Museum, the Podcast: Contact Making the Museum: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact Host Jonathan Alger, Managing Partner of C&G Partners, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger Email Jonathan Alger: alger@cgpartnersllc.com C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Making the Museum, the Newsletter: Like the show? You might enjoy the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a free weekly professional development email for exhibition practitioners, museum leaders, and visitor experience professionals. (And newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about new episodes of this podcast.) Join hundreds of your peers with a one-minute read, three times a week. Invest in your career with a diverse, regular feed of planning and design insights, practical tips, and tested strategies — including thought-provoking approaches to technology, experience design, audience, budgeting, content, and project management. Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/
Oct 8, 2025 · 1 hr 2 min
A Collaborative Approach to Exhibition Making (The New Book), with Emily Saich & Joey Noelle Scott
Is there a better way to collaborate? What’s the secret to good feedback? How do you manage 40 people in a room? Are group facilitators ever truly neutral? Should you tell your teammates their responsibilities, or have them tell you? What’s a RACI chart? If collaboration is so important, why hasn’t there been a book about it — until now? Emily Saich (Vice President of Exhibitions) and Joey Noelle Scott (Director of Exhibition Projects) from the Monterey Bay Aquarium discuss their new book “A Collaborative Approach to Exhibition Making” with host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio). Along the way: post-mortems, “Yes And,” and cardboard kelp cutouts. Talking Points: 1. A book for creatives, facilitators, and problem-solvers 2. Create responsibilities *with* collaborators 3. Truly neutral facilitators are rare 4. Healthy teams seek feedback 5. Build trust with contractors 6. Celebrate the work How to Listen: Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Listen at Making the Museum, the Website: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/podcast Links to Every Podcast Service, via Transistor: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bios: Emily Saich has more than twenty years of experience leading exhibition development, design, prototyping, and fabrication of exhibitions and innovative visitor experiences. She has worked on several award-winning and influential exhibitions and managed projects for all types of museums and organizations, including science centers, natural history museums, children’s museums, public gardens, performing art centers, art museums, historic sites, zoos, and aquariums. Emily is vice president of Exhibitions at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, where she leads vision and strategy for major exhibitions and guides collaborative teams through design and creation of visitor-centered experiences. Emily holds a Bachelor of Arts in studio art from California Polytechnic University, Humboldt, and a Masters of Fine Arts from Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University. Joey Noelle Scott is the director of Exhibition Projects at the Monterey Bay Aquarium where she leads teams that create innovative exhibitions that inspire conservation of the ocean. With 20 years of experience in educational and museum settings, she’s led a diversity of projects, including the creation of curriculum, professional development programs, digital products, and exhibitions. She’s built expertise in facilitation, program development, and project management with a particular focus on developing processes that support collaboration, creativity, and productivity. Her formal training includes a Bachelors of Science in genetics, an MA in education, and a certification as a Project Management Professional and LEED AP ID+C. About Making the Museum: Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. MtM is a project of C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio. Learn more about the creative work of C&G Partners: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Links for This Episode: How to Buy “A Collaborative Approach to Exhibition Making” (The New Book): https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/collaborative-approach-to-exhibition-making-9781538185261/ https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-collaborative-approach-to-exhibition-making-emily-saich/ee61b106aedc6e38?ean=9781538185261&next=t Emily Saich on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilysaich/ Joey Noelle Scott on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joey-noelle-scott-6359aa12/ Links for Making the Museum, the Podcast: Contact Making the Museum: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact Host Jonathan Alger, Managing Partner of C&G Partners, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger Email Jonathan Alger: alger@cgpartnersllc.com C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Making the Museum, the Newsletter: Like the show? You might enjoy the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a free weekly professional development email for exhibition practitioners, museum leaders, and visitor experience professionals. (And newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about new episodes of this podcast.) Join hundreds of your peers with a one-minute read, three times a week. Invest in your career with a diverse, regular feed of planning and design insights, practical tips, and tested strategies — including thought-provoking approaches to technology, experience design, audience, budgeting, content, and project management. Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/
Sep 9, 2025 · 51 min
Making the Medal of Honor Museum, with Bassam Komati
Is a museum where experiences happen — or is the museum the experience? Can a museum be designed to inspire? What is the Medal of Honor? What role does a bold design idea have in making a project happen? Does the mission of a museum inspire the people who make it? Can everyone have a mission? Bassam Komati, AIA OEAB (Partner, Viñoly Architects) discusses “Making the Medal of Honor Museum” with host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio). Along the way: floating blocks, extra helicopters, and going above and beyond the call of duty. Talking Points: 1. What is the Medal of Honor? 2. A Museum Meant to Inspire 3. The Origin of a Design Idea 4. A Tour of the Museum 5. A Building Team Inspired by a Cause 6. Everybody Can Have a Mission How to Listen: Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Listen at Making the Museum, the Website: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/podcast Links to Every Podcast Service, via Transistor: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bio: Bassam Komati, AIA OEAB, joined Rafael Viñoly Architects in 2006 and became a partner in 2019, contributing to major projects on four continents. He collaborated closely with Rafael Viñoly on conceptual designs, leading design development and coordination through digital and BIM platforms. As Partner-in-Charge of the National Medal of Honor Museum in Texas, he has led all phases since the firm’s 2019 competition win. His portfolio includes London’s Battersea Power Station Master Plan, NYU Abu Dhabi, and projects in corporate, commercial, research, and healthcare sectors. He holds degrees from Harvard University and the American University of Beirut and speaks internationally on architecture. About Making the Museum: Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. MtM is a project of C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio. Learn more about the creative work of C&G Partners: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Links for This Episode: Bassam Komati Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bassam-komati-562a11154/ National Medal of Honor Museum Website: https://mohmuseum.org Instagram: @mohmuseum Rafael Viñoly Architects Website: https://vinoly.com Project page: https://vinoly.com/works/national-medal-honor-museum/ Instagram: @rva_ny Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rafael-vinoly-architects/ Links for Making the Museum, the Podcast: Contact Making the Museum: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact Host Jonathan Alger, Managing Partner of C&G Partners, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger Email Jonathan Alger: alger@cgpartnersllc.com C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Making the Museum, the Newsletter: Like the show? You might enjoy the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a free weekly professional development email for exhibition practitioners, museum leaders, and visitor experience professionals. (And newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about new episodes of this podcast.) Join hundreds of your peers with a one-minute read, three times a week. Invest in your career with a diverse, regular feed of planning and design insights, practical tips, and tested strategies — including thought-provoking approaches to technology, experience design, audience, budgeting, content, and project management. Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/
Jun 18, 2025 · 57 min
Mission: Collaboration, with Barbara Miller and Danae Colomer
What are the (top) secrets of better collaboration? Is collaboration like a game of ping pong? Or more like ballroom dancing? Is there a better way to disagree? Does having constraints make design ... better? How is an exhibition like a film? And what happens when your project feels — in this case, even literally — like “Mission: Impossible”? Barbara Miller (Deputy Director for Curatorial Affairs, Museum of the Moving Image) and Danae Colomer (Director of Exhibition Management and Design, Museum of the Moving Image) discuss “Mission: Collaboration” with host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio). Along the way: zombies, skateboards, and messages that self-destruct. Talking Points: 1. A Moving Experience 2. What is Collaboration? 3. Is It Ping Pong ... or Ballroom Dancing? 4. Constraints Make a Stronger Design 5. Sometimes It’s Mission: Impossible How to Listen: Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Listen at Making the Museum, the Website: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/podcast Links to Every Podcast Service, via Transistor: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bios: Barbara Miller is Deputy Director for Curatorial Affairs at Museum of the Moving Image in New York, where she organizes exhibitions and directs the content of the Museum’s permanent collection of material culture related to film, television and digital media. Major projects at MoMI include The Jim Henson Exhibition; Deepfake: Unstable Evidence on Screen; and Born Digital: Pathways Towards Preservation, an Andrew W. Mellon-funded initiative to institute sustainable collection and exhibition practices related to digital media. Prior to joining MoMI in 2009, Miller's wide-ranging research and storytelling projects included work on the nationally broadcast PBS documentary American Roots Music, for which she earned an Emmy nomination. She holds a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology from New York University. Danae Colomer is an architect and exhibition designer with over 15 years of experience across museum, architecture, and film design. She is passionate about the power of storytelling and how it can be translated into physical space to create meaningful, immersive experiences. Originally from Spain, Danae discovered her passion for exhibition design at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. Since relocating to New York in 2009, she worked at Ralph Appelbaum Associates on award-winning museums worldwide. In 2021, she joined the Museum of the Moving Image as Director of Exhibition Management and Design. She holds a Master’s in Architecture from the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid and a Master’s in Exhibition Design from FIT in New York. When she’s not designing exhibitions, Danae explores the world through the curious eyes of her children — which currently means mastering the rules of soccer and decoding the unique language of skateboarding. About Making the Museum: Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. MtM is a project of C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio. Learn more about the creative work of C&G Partners: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Links for This Episode: Barbara by Email: bmiller@movingimage.org Barbara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-miller-8b788b13b/ Danae by Email: dcolomer@movingimage.org Danae on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danaecolomer/ Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI): https://movingimage.org/ “Mission: Impossible — Story and Spectacle” (Exhibition at MoMI): https://movingimage.org/event/mission-impossible-story-and-spectacle/ Links for Making the Museum, the Podcast: Contact Making the Museum: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact Host Jonathan Alger, Managing Partner of C&G Partners, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger Email Jonathan Alger: alger@cgpartnersllc.com C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Making the Museum, the Newsletter: Like the show? You might enjoy the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a free weekly professional development email for exhibition practitioners, museum leaders, and visitor experience professionals. (And newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about new episodes of this podcast.) Join hundreds of your peers with a one-minute read, three times a week. Invest in your career with a diverse, regular feed of planning and design insights, practical tips, and tested strategies — including thought-provoking approaches to technology, experience design, audience, budgeting, content, and project management. Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/
May 21, 2025 · 56 min
The Art of Choosing a Museum Architect, with Susanna Sirefman
How do you choose the right architect for your museum? Is architecture about more than a building? Is architect selection about more than architecture? What is a design “brief”? Why are museum projects on “elephant time”? Are anonymous open design competitions a good thing? What comes after “good design is good business”? Susanna Sirefman (President, Dovetail Design Strategists) discusses “The Art of Choosing a Museum Architect” with host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio). Along the way: cello studies, Winston Churchill, and two lions named Patience and Fortitude. Talking Points: 1. Design excellence is a basic human right 2. Architecture is about more than a building 3. Architect selection is about more than architecture 4. Selecting the right architect is vital 5. Ask the right questions and you’ll get the right answers 6. Moving beyond “Good design is good business” How to Listen: Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Listen at Making the Museum, the Website: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/podcast Links to Every Podcast Service, via Transistor: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bio: Susanna Sirefman, President and Founder of Dovetail Design Strategists, draws from extensive knowledge of the latest design and building trends, providing her clients with unmatched access to both emerging and acclaimed talent in architecture. Trained as an architect at the renowned Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, England, Susanna’s deep knowledge of the field informs her ability to advise on design, synthesize architectural concepts, making architecture accessible to the public. About Making the Museum: Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. MtM is a project of C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio. Learn more about the creative work of C&G Partners: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Links for This Episode: Susanna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanna-sirefman-17b8a813/ Susanna by email: info@dovetailstrategists.com Dovetail Design Strategists: https://www.dovetailstrategists.com Links for Making the Museum, the Podcast: Contact Making the Museum: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact Host Jonathan Alger, Managing Partner of C&G Partners, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger Email Jonathan Alger: alger@cgpartnersllc.com C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Making the Museum, the Newsletter: Like the show? You might enjoy the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a free weekly professional development email for exhibition practitioners, museum leaders, and visitor experience professionals. (And newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about new episodes of this podcast.) Join hundreds of your peers with a one-minute read, three times a week. Invest in your career with a diverse, regular feed of planning and design insights, practical tips, and tested strategies — including thought-provoking approaches to technology, experience design, audience, budgeting, content, and project management. Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/
May 7, 2025 · 1 hr 10 min
Think Like a Children's Museum, with Edwin Link
What if every museum were more like ... a children’s museum? Why is play “agnostic”? Can you design an entire museum for every generation, all at the same time? How are children’s museums like (and not like) other museums? How did they get that way? Wait, could we make an entire exhibition out of nothing but cardboard boxes? What is “co-learning”? And why don’t more museum people visit … other people’s museums? Along the way: teaching artists, art teachers, and what we really mean by “caregiver.” Talking Points: 1. Children’s museums, then and now 2. See the word “museum” differently 3. Play is agnostic 4. Designing for multiple generations 5. Caregivers as co-learners 6. Why professionals should visit other museums How to Listen: Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Listen at Making the Museum, the Website: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/podcast Links to Every Podcast Service, via Transistor: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bio: Edwin Link, M.Ed., serves as the Executive Director of Children’s Museum of Atlanta, where he applies his 18 years of experience in the nonprofit, arts, education, children museums, and youth development sectors. His experience includes developing and executing national initiatives focused on serving families in under-resourced communities, building community responsive experiences that create joy and wonder, building strategic partnerships, driving revenue to support strategic objectives, and identifying and implementing change management processes for operational efficiency. About Making the Museum: Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. MtM is a project of C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio. Learn more about the creative work of C&G Partners: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Links for This Episode: Edwin Link on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwinlink/ The Children’s Museum of Atlanta: https://childrensmuseumatlanta.org/ Links for Making the Museum, the Podcast: Contact Making the Museum: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact Host Jonathan Alger, Managing Partner of C&G Partners, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger Email Jonathan Alger: alger@cgpartnersllc.com C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Making the Museum, the Newsletter: Like the show? You might enjoy the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a free weekly professional development email for exhibition practitioners, museum leaders, and visitor experience professionals. (And newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about new episodes of this podcast.) Join hundreds of your peers with a one-minute read, three times a week. Invest in your career with a diverse, regular feed of planning and design insights, practical tips, and tested strategies — including thought-provoking approaches to technology, experience design, audience, budgeting, content, and project management. Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/
Apr 23, 2025 · 1 hr 6 min
A Museum Transformed with AI, with Kimberly Beaudin & Geoff Thatcher
What can we learn from one of the most complex AI projects in any museum today? What is the history of AI in museums? Can we add AI to our experiences without a complete renovation? How do you teach an AI about 775 different football teams? How can AI put visitors literally into a story? Is AI accurate enough for a museum? What about bias? Doesn’t AI take away jobs? And how do you specify exactly what shade of college football orange you want to an AI — if you can only use words? Kimberly Beaudin (CEO, College Football Hall of Fame) and Geoff Thatcher (Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Creative Principals) discuss “A Museum Transformed with AI” with host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio). Along the way: Hypercinema, Salvador Dalí, and net promoter scores. Talking Points: 1. A College Football Museum Transformed with AI 2. History of AI in Museums 3. Adding, Not Redesigning 4. Putting Visitors in the Story: Cheerleader, Coach, Player 5. Accuracy, Inclusivity and Jobs 6. What We Learned 7. What Visitors Are Saying How to Listen: Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Listen at Making the Museum, the Website: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/podcast Links to Every Podcast Service, via Transistor: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bios: Kimberly Beaudin is the Chief Executive Officer for the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame, one of Atlanta’s top attractions, and college football’s mecca. Beaudin joined the College Football Hall of Fame in June 2015 as the Vice President of Marketing and Communications. With over 20 years of experience in leading brand development and marketing strategy, she was later promoted to oversee the sales operations of the business in March 2016. In April 2020, Beaudin was appointed CEO of the Hall of Fame, making her the first female leader of the storied attraction. In her role as CEO, Beaudin focuses on strategic marketing initiatives, community and public relations, group sales and event sales as well as philanthropic development and partnership sales and activation. Geoff Thatcher is an experienced creative director who excels at leading projects from concept to reality. These projects are most often about creating world-class experiences in corporate visitor centers, executive briefing centers, museums, theme parks and live events.Great experiences are distinguished by great story telling. Whether it’s interviewing executives about the future of health care in America, walking the Fort Worth assembly line of the F-35 Lightning II or listening to a seventh-generation Hawaiian play ukulele in her living room, it all begins with finding the story and translating it into memorable experiences. Geoff’s passion and experience in leadership development is ultimately about creating an environment where great work can get done together. About Making the Museum: Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. MtM is a project of C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio. Learn more about the creative work of C&G Partners: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Links for This Episode: Kimberly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-hartley-beaudin-a547933/ Kimberly by email: kbeaudin@cfbhall.com College Football Hall of Fame: https://www.cfbhall.com/ Geoff on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffthatcher/ Geoff by email: gthatcher@creativeprincipals.com Creative Principals: https://www.creativeprincipals.com/ Links for Making the Museum, the Podcast: Contact Making the Museum: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact Host Jonathan Alger, Managing Partner of C&G Partners, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger Email Jonathan Alger: alger@cgpartnersllc.com C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Making the Museum, the Newsletter: Like the show? You might enjoy the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a free weekly professional development email for exhibition practitioners, museum leaders, and visitor experience professionals. (And newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about new episodes of this podcast.) Join hundreds of your peers with a one-minute read, three times a week. Invest in your career with a diverse, regular feed of planning and design insights, practical tips, and tested strategies — including thought-provoking approaches to technology, experience design, audience, budgeting, content, and project management. Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/
Mar 26, 2025 · 1 hr 4 min
Creating Effective Museum Experiences, with Lynda Roscoe Hartigan
What if the secret to better museums was … neuroscience? How can museums inspire human creativity? How much media should be in a gallery — or should there be any? How soon should you get feedback on your exhibition ideas? Can museums help us all “escape the algorithm”? What does knitting have to do with visitor satisfaction? In this episode, we’ll learn some unexpected tricks of the trade from a renowned museum leader. Lynda Roscoe Hartigan (The Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo Executive Director and CEO of the Peabody Essex Museum) discusses “Creating Effective Museum Experiences” with host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio). Along the way: standup comedy, Iris Apfel, and moon chairs. Talking Points: 1. Embrace Human Creativity 2. Design is Critical — Use Media Wisely 3. Knit Experiences 4. Escape the Algorithm 5. Know Your Audience — Get Feedback Early 6. Consider the Neuroscience How to Listen: Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Listen at Making the Museum, the Website: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/podcast Links to Every Podcast Service, via Transistor: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bio: Lynda Roscoe Hartigan is The Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo Executive Director and CEO of the Peabody Essex Museum. As a curator, scholar and museum executive, Lynda Roscoe Hartigan brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to PEM. During her time as Chief Curator at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, she led an internationally recognized acquisition initiative to build collections of works by Black, self-taught and modern and contemporary artists. In 2003, Lynda was appointed as PEM’s first Chief Curator and in 2016 became Deputy Director. Overseeing the interpretation and installation of PEM’s new wing, she was integral to developing and advancing the museum’s innovative exhibition program, collection stewardship, fundraising, education, publishing, digital and global leadership initiatives. Most recently, she was Deputy Director for Collections and Research and Chief Innovation Officer at the Royal Ontario Museum, Canada's largest museum dedicated to art, culture and the sciences. Lynda has returned to PEM to become the museum’s first woman director and to boldly lead the nation’s oldest continually operating and ever-evolving museum forward. About Making the Museum: Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. MtM is a project of C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio. Learn more about the creative work of C&G Partners: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Links for This Episode: Lynda’s Email: lynda_hartigan@pem.org Lynda on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynda-hartigan-762b475/ Lynda’s Thesis: "Grandma Moses and the Implications of Memory,' in Grandma Moses in the 21st Century, Jane Kallir, ed., Art Services International, Alexandria, VA, 2001, pp. 64-79. https://www.amazon.com/Grandma-Moses-Century-Jane-Kallir/dp/0300089279 Calder exhibition: https://www.pem.org/exhibitions/calder-and-abstraction-from-avant-garde-to-iconic Ansel Adams exhibition: https://www.pem.org/exhibitions/ansel-adams-at-the-waters-edge Escape the Algorithm, PEM’s latest ad campaign: https://www.pem.org/blog/turning-heads-pems-chief-marketing-officer-gives-the-scoop-on-the-museums-new-brand-campaign Neuroscience initiative: https://www.pem.org/about-pem/pem-initiatives/neuroscience-initiative Art Pharmacy from Mass Cultural Council: https://www.artpharmacy.co/ FutureMuseum (PEM will be hosting museum leaders for this event on May 28 and 29, 2025): https://www.museumbooster.com/future-museum Links for Making the Museum, the Podcast: Contact Making the Museum: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact Host Jonathan Alger, Managing Partner of C&G Partners, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger Email Jonathan Alger: alger@cgpartnersllc.com C&G Partners | The Exhibition and Experience Design Studio: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Making the Museum, the Newsletter: Like the show? You might enjoy the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a free weekly professional development email for exhibition practitioners, museum leaders, and visitor experience professionals. (And newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about new episodes of this podcast.) Join hundreds of your peers with a one-minute read, three times a week. Invest in your career with a diverse, regular feed of planning and design insights, practical tips, and tested strategies — including thought-provoking approaches to technology, experience design, audience, budgeting, content, and project management. Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/
Mar 11, 2025 · 58 min
Museum as Lab, with Ann Neumann
What if a museum were more like a laboratory? What if our exhibits were experiments? What if our galleries were more about questions, rather than answers? What if we didn’t fear failure as much? What if scientists, artists, and technologists all created exhibitions together? What happens when you edit an exhibit about editing DNA? Should every project have a post-opening contingency — in addition to the normal kind? Ann Neumann (Director of Galleries and Exhibitions, MIT Museum) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “Museum as Lab.” Along the way: circadian rhythms, robots, maritime paintings, and a huge spiderweb you can play like a musical instrument. Talking Points: 1. The MIT Museum 2. Scientists, Artists, and Technologists 3. Editing the Genetics Gallery 4. Spiderweb Concert 5. Circadian Biology: Lighten Up 6. Moving 1,500,000 Objects How to Listen: Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Listen at Making the Museum, the Website: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/podcast Links to Every Podcast Service, via Transistor: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bio: Ann Neumann, Director of Galleries and Exhibitions at the MIT Museum, leads conceptual planning of museum exhibitions presenting MIT’s research, collections, and innovation in science, art, design and technology in the heart of the biotech corridor. Her focus is on the museum as an experimental test bed for ideas, conversations and experiences that reflect the critical issues of culture and society. She’s the recipient of numerous awards for her work and named a Blooloop Museum Influencer in 2024. Her experience developing museums and science centers in the US and internationally reflect a commitment to expanding the human experience and science understanding through interdisciplinary collaborations, visual communication and the built environment. About Making the Museum: Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. MtM is a project of C&G Partners, the exhibition and experience design studio. Learn more about the creative work of C&G Partners: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Links for This Episode: Ann by Email: neumanna@mit.edu Ann on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-neumann MIT Museum: https://mitmuseum.mit.edu Links for Making the Museum, the Podcast: Contact Making the Museum: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact Host Jonathan Alger, Managing Partner of C&G Partners, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger Email Jonathan Alger: alger@cgpartnersllc.com C&G Partners | Design for Culture: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Making the Museum, the Newsletter: Liked the show? You might enjoy the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a free weekly professional development email for exhibition practitioners, museum leaders, and visitor experience professionals. (And newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about new episodes of this podcast.) Join hundreds of your peers with a one-minute read, three times a week. Invest in your career with a diverse, regular feed of planning and design insights, practical tips and tested strategies — including thought-provoking approaches to technology, experience design, audience, budgeting, content, and project management. Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/
Feb 19, 2025 · 51 min
Community Engagement Misconceptions, with Nu Goteh
What if we're doing community engagement … wrong? How long should the process really take for a museum or exhibition? What’s the difference between demographics and psychographics? What does it mean to “move at the pace of community”? Why do community engagement experts sometimes cringe when they hear the word “charrette”? And what exactly does “community” mean? Nu Goteh (Founder and Principal of ROOM FOR MAGIC, and Co-Founder of Deem Journal) joins MtM host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “Community Engagement Misconceptions.” Along the way: Red Bull, lived experience experts, and Burnt Caramel Cookie Crumble. Talking Points: 1. What Does Community Mean? 2. Moving at the Pace of Community 3. Engagement Isn’t Free 4. Finding Partner Organizations 5. Charrettes Are One Tactic (They’re Not a Strategy) 6. The Inherent Tensions 7. The Ice Cream Test How to Listen: Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Listen at Making the Museum, the Website: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/podcast Links to Every Podcast Service, via Transistor: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bio: Hi, I’m Nu—a designer, strategist, and educator dancing between design, culture, pedagogy and socially-engaged art. My practice integrates and reframes design beyond aesthetics. I’m interested in how design can serve as a catalyst for meaningful social change, informed by my Liberian heritage and a commitment to counter-culture ideals. I believe in the regenerative power of creativity to reimagine what is possible and to shape more inclusive and sustainable futures. As the Founder and Principal of ROOM FOR MAGIC (studio practice) and the Co-Founder of Deem Journal (research & narrative practice), I see design as more than a tool—it's a language that connects people, places, and histories, offering pathways to restore and reshape the world. For me, design carries within it the life of communities, the rhythm of culture, and the potential for social regeneration. I am passionate about creating projects that not only spark imagination but also nurture a sense of being, becoming and belonging. Whether building platforms for dialogue or designing systems for change, I am driven by a vision of community-focused spaces that invite others to participate, collaborate, and thrive. Design, at its best, becomes a bridge—a way to reclaim agency and envision new possibilities. About Making the Museum: 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 more about the creative work of C&G Partners: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Links for This Episode: Nu via Email: nu@roomformagic.com Room for Magic: https://www.roomformagic.com Nu’s Personal Website: https://www.nugoteh.com Deem Journal: https://www.deemjournal.com @deemjournal (Instagram) Links for Making the Museum, the Podcast: Contact Making the Museum: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact Host Jonathan Alger, Managing Partner of C&G Partners, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger Email Jonathan Alger: alger@cgpartnersllc.com C&G Partners | Design for Culture: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Making the Museum, the Newsletter: Liked the show? You might enjoy the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a free weekly professional development email for exhibition practitioners, museum leaders, and visitor experience professionals. (And newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about new episodes of this podcast.) Join hundreds of your peers with a one-minute read, three times a week. Invest in your career with a diverse, regular feed of planning and design insights, practical tips and tested strategies — including thought-provoking approaches to technology, experience design, audience, budgeting, content, and project management. Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/
Feb 4, 2025 · 58 min
Playful Engagement, with Ed Rodley
What if we combined immersion, emotion, storytelling — and games? We all want “engagement” … but what is engagement? How can our projects create it? What are the elements that go into it? Can game theory and play teach us how to make our experiences better? What is “narrative transportation”? Why are emotions key to memory creation? And what do Renaissance fairs have to do with museums? Ed Rodley (Co-Founder and Principal, The Experience Alchemists), joins MtM host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “Playful Engagement.” Along the way: holodecks, Sleep No More, portmanteaus, and Ed’s upcoming book. Talking Points: 1. What is “Playful Engagement”? 2. The Magic Circle 3. Immersion 4. Emotion 5. Storytelling 6. Games and Play How to Listen: Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Listen at Making the Museum, the Website: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/podcast Links to Every Podcast Service, via Transistor: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bio: Ed Rodley, Co-Founder & Principal, The Experience Alchemists (TEA), is an award-winning experience designer with over thirty-five years’ experience in making exhibitions and experiences for cultural organizations large and small. Incorporating emerging technologies into museum practice has been a theme throughout his career. As a thought leader in the digital transformation of the cultural sector, Ed frequently speaks at events around the world like ICOM’s International Symposium 2024 in Dubai and the National Digital Forum 2023 in New Zealand. He was one of Blooloop’s 50 Museum Influencers for 2021. His book “Designing for Playful Engagement in Museums” is due out in Summer 2025 from Routledge. About Making the Museum: 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 more about the creative work of C&G Partners: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Links for This Episode: Ed Rodley by Email: ed@theexperiencealchemists.com The Experience Alchemists https://www.theexperiencealchemists.com “Taking the Plunge” in Museum Magazine https://www.aam-us.org/2022/11/01/taking-the-plunge/ This article discusses the current state of immersive experiences, some of the conversations around these experiences and their “authenticity” and surveys the psychological research into immersion in digital environments to explore what makes them compelling. "Thinking about Museums" Blog https://thinkingaboutmuseums.com/ Ed’s personal weblog on museums, content, design, and why they matter. Museopunks: The Podcast for the Progressive Museum https://www.aam-us.org/programs/about-museums/museopunks/ Ed had the distinct pleasure of co-hosting with Suse Anderson her AAM-sponsored podcast which investigated the fascinating work and personalities in and around the museum sector, with a focus on emergent, boundary-pushing work and ideas. Humanizing the Digital: Unproceedings from the MCN 2018 Conference https://ad-hoc-museum-collective.github.io/humanizing-the-digital/ This book explored how museums can use technology to foster human connection and dialogue, advance accessibility and inclusion, and champion inquiry and knowledge, drawn from the Museum Computer Network conference. CODE | WORDS - Technology and Theory in the Museum https://medium.com/code-words-technology-and-theory-in-the-museum Brought together leading museum thinkers and practitioners to explore emerging issues about the nature of museums in the light of the dramatic and ongoing impact of digital technologies. Links for Making the Museum, the Podcast: Contact Making the Museum: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact Host Jonathan Alger, Managing Partner of C&G Partners, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger Email Jonathan Alger: alger@cgpartnersllc.com C&G Partners | Design for Culture: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Making the Museum, the Newsletter: Liked the show? You might enjoy the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a free weekly professional development email for exhibition practitioners, museum leaders, and visitor experience professionals. (And newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about new episodes of this podcast.) Join hundreds of your peers with a one-minute read, three times a week. Invest in your career with a diverse, regular feed of planning and design insights, practical tips and tested strategies — including thought-provoking approaches to technology, experience design, audience, budgeting, content, and project management. Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/
Jan 22, 2025 · 57 min
Sculpting History, with Ivan Schwartz
Can a statue change American history? How do we decide who gets a statue? What happens when you realize how many people deserve a statue but never got one? What’s the difference between a “forensic sculpture” for an interpretive exhibition, and one you’d put in a fine art show? Why are some museums just not complete without a bronze statue of the main characters? Are there “statues of limitations”? Ivan Schwartz (Founder and Director of StudioEIS), joins MtM host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “Sculpting History.” Along the way: hagiography, phalanges, and ketchup bottles made of bronze. Talking Points: 1. What is a “Forensic” Sculpture? 2. Sculptor as Visual Storyteller 3. How to Sculpt a President 4. A Phone Call from the Archives 5. Telling History Like It Is 6. Statues of LImitation How to Listen: Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Listen at Making the Museum, the Website: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/podcast Links to Every Podcast Service, via Transistor: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bio: Ivan Schwartz is the founder and director of StudioEIS. He is a sculptor, painter, and designer, with a keen interest in American history and the use of sculpture in the development of our national symbols. With a degree in sculpture from The College of Fine Arts at Boston University, he packed up and spent a year working in Pietrasanta, Italy in the early 1970s. He was the recipient of a distinguished alumni award from Boston University in 2003, and has shown his work in New York since 1981. Ivan was a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board at Boston University’s College of Fine Arts until the end of 2009 and was also a founding board member of Art Omi, an international arts workshop. He was also President of Innovators in America, 2009-2011, working closely with Sir Harold Evans. The StudioEIS archive was acquired by the Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas, Austin, in 2014 in association with a new area of study on American symbols. StudioEIS has created hundreds of projects in its 50-year history; most notably for: The National Constitution Center, The New York Historical Society, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Virginia Women’s Monument, and The National Museums of African American History and Natural History. The studio has explored the American Presidency, Military History and Civil Rights history extensively. Current Projects include the Clara Luper Memorial that will be unveiled in May in Oklahoma City and Theodore Roosevelt & Barack Obama Presidential Libraries. Ivan has been seen recently on the CBS Sunday Morning program and at the Lyndon Johnson Library in conversation with Doris Kearns Goodwin on the subject of Abraham Lincoln. His film: “Lest We Forget, Statues of Limitation,” can be seen on Vimeo. About Making the Museum: 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 more about the creative work of C&G Partners: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Links for This Episode: Ivan by Email: ivan@studioeis.com StudioEIS Online: https://www.studioeis.com “Lest We Forget: Statues of Limitation” on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/211595498 Links for Making the Museum, the Podcast: Contact Making the Museum: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact Host Jonathan Alger, Managing Partner of C&G Partners, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger Email Jonathan Alger: alger@cgpartnersllc.com C&G Partners | Design for Culture: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Making the Museum, the Newsletter: Liked the show? You might enjoy the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a free weekly professional development email for exhibition practitioners, museum leaders, and visitor experience professionals. (And newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about new episodes of this podcast.) Join hundreds of your peers with a one-minute read, three times a week. Invest in your career with a diverse, regular feed of planning and design insights, practical tips and tested strategies — including thought-provoking approaches to technology, experience design, audience, budgeting, content, and project management. Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/
Jan 7, 2025 · 55 min
Secrets of Museum Display Case Design, with Stéphanie Bilodeau
How do you make a museum display case disappear? This episode is a masterclass in museum display case design. To the untrained eye, museum display cases look like what you’d find in a gift shop. But under the hood, they couldn’t be more different — and they are 100% unique to the museum world. Secrets we’ll reveal: art envelopes, non-offgassing, air exchange rates, and how glass is never, ever just glass. How can a display case be sealed, yet also designed to leak? What exactly makes a museum display case conservation grade? How do those little packets of silica gel work? Stéphanie Bilodeau, (Director, Sales and Business Development, Zone Display Cases in Québec City, Canada), joins MtM host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to reveal the “Secrets of Museum Display Case Design.” Along the way: reclaimed wood from Oregon, ordering a lot of insects, and falling in love with an industry. Talking Points: 1. What Makes a Display Case "Conservation-Grade"? 2. The Basics: Microclimates, Art Envelopes, and Air Exchange Rates 3. How to Balance Conservation, Operation, and Design 4. Can a Display Case Look Antique but Be Modern? 5. Think You Know Glass? 6. I Need a Display Case - Now What? How to Listen: Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G Listen at Making the Museum, the Website: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/podcast Links to Every Podcast Service, via Transistor: https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/ Guest Bio: Born and raised in Québec City, Stéphanie has an extensive academic background in science, with multiple years of focused studies, including a specialization in entomology and a marketing certificate from Université Laval. She joined Zone Display Cases in 2011, drawn to the company’s collaborative and people-centered culture. Over the years, she progressed from Internal Sales and Project Management to Director of Sales and Marketing in 2018. Known for her energy and sociability, Stéphanie is highly skilled and passionate about supporting the various trades within the museum community. Her scientific expertise offers a unique perspective on artifact preservation, helping to showcase and protect cultural and historical treasures. About Making the Museum: 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 more about the creative work of C&G Partners: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Links for This Episode: Zone Display Cases: https://www.zonedisplaycases.com Email Stéphanie Bilodeau: steph@zonedisplaycases.com Stéphanie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/st%C3%A9phanie-bilodeau-52269177/ Links for Making the Museum, the Podcast: Contact Making the Museum: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact Host Jonathan Alger, Managing Partner of C&G Partners, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger Email Jonathan Alger: alger@cgpartnersllc.com C&G Partners | Design for Culture: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Making the Museum, the Newsletter: Liked the show? You might enjoy the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a newsletter on exhibition planning and design — for museum leaders, exhibition teams, and visitor experience professionals. (And newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about new episodes of this podcast.) Join hundreds of your peers with a one-minute read, three times a week. Invest in your career with a diverse, regular feed of planning and design insights, practical tips and tested strategies — including thought-provoking approaches to technology, experience design, audience, budgeting, content, and project management. Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.makingthemuseum.com/
Dec 3, 2024 · 52 min
Story-Based Design, with Alan Reed
Can a building tell a story? How do you design a glass wall to be ... mist? What if architecture, landscape, and exhibitions were all thought of as one thing? What changes when you etch barbed wire into a handrail? How can the floor plan of an entire museum relate to a nautilus shell? What does “A.D.R.O.I.T.” stand for? We’re going to find out, so notebooks at the ready. Alan Reed, FAIA, LEED AP (President and Design Principal of GWWO Architects), joins MtM host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “Story-Based Design.” Along the way: dendrites, neurons, Seminole history, and a famous mathematical sequence that goes 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 … Talking Points: 1. What is Story-Based Design? 2. Do the Research 3. Define the Essence 4. One Experience: Architecture + Landscape + Exhibitions 5. Intuitive Wayfinding: A.D.R.O.I.T. 6. Materials Matter, Down to the Details How to Listen: Listen on Apple Podcasts > Listen on Spotify > Listen at Making the Museum, the Website > Links to Every Podcast Service, via Transistor > Guest Bio: Alan Reed, FAIA, LEED AP is President and Design Principal of GWWO Architects. Alan has focused his career on the planning and design of facilities that engage users, foster interaction, and enhance communities. Alan is a regular speaker on issues related to museum and interpretive facility design. He has spoken at numerous conferences, on many panels, and for many organization events including the National Association for Interpretation Conference, Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums Conference, Southeastern Museums Conference, and Building Museums Symposium. His work has been featured by Architectural Record and Metropolis, among other publications, and has received accolades at the national, regional, and local levels. 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 more about the creative work of C&G Partners > Links for This Episode: Email Alan Reed Alan Reed on LinkedIn GWWO Architects Projects referenced: Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Welcome Center at Niagara Falls State Park Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center Cade Museum for Creativity & Invention George Washington’s Mount Vernon Ford Orientation Center and Donald W. Reynolds Museum & Education Center Links for Making the Museum, the Podcast: Contact Making the Museum Host Jonathan Alger, Managing Partner of C&G Partners, on LinkedIn Email Jonathan Alger C&G Partners | Design for Culture Making the Museum, the Newsletter: Liked the show? You might enjoy the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a free weekly professional development email for exhibition practitioners, museum leaders, and visitor experience professionals. (And newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about new episodes of this podcast.) Join hundreds of your peers with a one-minute read, three times a week. Invest in your career with a diverse, regular feed of planning and design insights, practical tips and tested strategies — including thought-provoking approaches to technology, experience design, audience, budgeting, content, and project management. Subscribe here >

Making the Museum

What Museums Can Learn from Casinos, Theme Parks, Sports, and More, with Renée Hampton

Make Space for Change (The New Book), with Femke Bijlsma

Liminal Space Research, with Dan Clevenger, Monika Smith, and Helen Ho

“Building a Museum: This is Not a Manual” (the New Book), with Jamē Anderson, Monteil Crawley, Sarah Ghorbanian & Chris Wood

“Serious Fun” at First Americans Museum, with Shoshana Wasserman, Kimberly Rodriguez, and Bill Smith

What Is Sustainable Exhibition Design? with Douglas Flandro

Inclusive Design Will Change the World, with Sina Bahram & Corey Timpson

A Collaborative Approach to Exhibition Making (The New Book), with Emily Saich & Joey Noelle Scott

Making the Medal of Honor Museum, with Bassam Komati

Mission: Collaboration, with Barbara Miller and Danae Colomer

The Art of Choosing a Museum Architect, with Susanna Sirefman

Think Like a Children's Museum, with Edwin Link

A Museum Transformed with AI, with Kimberly Beaudin & Geoff Thatcher

Creating Effective Museum Experiences, with Lynda Roscoe Hartigan

Museum as Lab, with Ann Neumann

Community Engagement Misconceptions, with Nu Goteh

Playful Engagement, with Ed Rodley

Sculpting History, with Ivan Schwartz

Secrets of Museum Display Case Design, with Stéphanie Bilodeau

Story-Based Design, with Alan Reed