Abstract This essay recounts the story of the Denver Community Museum, a pop-up institution which operated for almost a year in downtown Denver, Colorado. This temporary museum was designed to be short-lived. It prompted experiments with audience participation and questioned past versus present, fact versus fiction, and the museum “voice.” This article gives an overview of the space and its operations. Using personal accounts, the article explores the value of participation for the museum’s audience, as well as for the institution itself. These narratives are used as a springboard for a larger discussion of museum practice and creating opportunities for personal connection within the museum.
- Jaime Kopke (jaime@poesy-praxis.com) is a freelance creative producer collaborating with museums. She writes about museum practice on her website, Poesy & Praxis (http://www.poesy-praxis.com).
Article first published online: 6 OCT 2011
DOI: 10.1111/j.2151-6952.2011.00104.x
