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• Ray Oldenburg

Article first published online: 4 APR 2012

DOI: 10.1111/j.2151-6952.2012.00146.x

No abstract is available for this article.

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• Tony Butler

Article first published online: 4 APR 2012

DOI: 10.1111/j.2151-6952.2012.00145.x

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• Steven Lubar

Article first published online: 4 APR 2012

DOI: 10.1111/j.2151-6952.2012.00143.x

Abstract In histories of the art museum, Prague has only a minor place. Yet at one crucial early moment, Prague played an important role in what we might call the prehistory of European public museums. There is a close link between art museums and nationalism. One necessary condition for being a country, it might be said, is that its people have a distinctive artistic tradition and therefore reason to build a museum in which to house it. What, then, is the relationship between Prague’s art museums and the identity of the Czech people?

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• David Carrier

Article first published online: 4 APR 2012

DOI: 10.1111/j.2151-6952.2012.00142.x

Abstract   The deep trove of information available on the Internet and the expanding connections it affords to new communities online have been a transforming force in museums in the recent past. A single individual can publish thoughts and ideas to an audience of millions with a few simple clicks of a button. The cultural sector has made great strides in adopting these same methods to advance the missions and content of our organizations; however, a rise in participatory culture poses a number of challenges for the role of museums and our place in the evolving culture of our community. A debate surrounding the changing nature of authority and the participatory expectations of society is central to defining how museums can meaningfully engage with contemporary audiences. When making decisions that define how audiences play a role or not in their organizations, museums must consider the far-reaching consequences of these choices on the relationships they have with their communities.

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• Robert Stein

Article first published online: 4 APR 2012

DOI: 10.1111/j.2151-6952.2012.00141.x

Abstract   This article examines the metaphors used by museum leaders in the early twentieth century. Richard F. Bach’s metaphor for the Metropolitan Museum of Art as an adjunct of factory is positioned as a philosophical resolution between those of two prominent contemporaries: Benjamin Ives Gilman’s metaphor of the art museum as a temple and John Cotton Dana’s metaphor of the museum as a department store, which are often viewed by historians in a dichotomy of unresolved tension. While examining differences in institutional agendas suggested by these metaphors, this article illuminates the common goal among them: Museums explicitly saw themselves as serving an essential role in American society to refine public taste and the aesthetic sophistication of their audiences. A close analysis of the metaphors reveals three historical models that offered varying visitor experiences for exercising good taste.

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• Antoniette M. Guglielmo

Article first published online: 4 APR 2012

DOI: 10.1111/j.2151-6952.2012.00140.x

Abstract   In this paper we describe the particularities of Latin American museum visitors as learners through an exploratory study that took place at Universum, Museo de las Ciencias, a science museum located in Mexico City. The exploration of the learning experiences of Latin American family groups was carried out by means of a case study approach and from a socio-cultural theory perspective. This inquiry of 20 family groups reveals that nuances of the concept of “family,” in the Mexican context, are important in studying family learning in museum settings. The prominent roles of the extended family and interactions within family groups are discussed as intrinsic traits of a family’s museum learning. In addition, the outcomes of this study highlight the impact that the Latin American notion of educación has on museum education and research, as it encompasses issues that relate to the perpetuation of socio-cultural values, child-rearing, and ultimately, cultural identity.

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• Adriana Briseño-Garzón
• David Anderson

Article first published online: 4 APR 2012

DOI: 10.1111/j.2151-6952.2012.00139.x

Abstract   The exhibition Broken Links: Stolen Generations in Queensland focused on the history and impacts of the forced removal of Aboriginal children from their biological parents in Queensland, Australia between 1869 and 1969. This exhibition is discussed as a case study of “hot interpretation” (Ballantyne and Uzzell 1993), which incorporates emotion into the design of interpretive experiences in order to provoke cognitive and behavioral responses. Visitors’ responses to the exhibition are explored and issues regarding the use of “hot interpretation” techniques are discussed. Five principles are derived for the application of hot interpretive techniques in the context of shared and contested histories, with the aim of encouraging visitors to see their own history from a different perspective.

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• Roy Ballantyne
• Jan Packer
• Nigel Bond

Article first published online: 4 APR 2012

DOI: 10.1111/j.2151-6952.2012.00137.x