Say What You Mean
Language is the main way we communicate.
The words and phrases we use, whether intentional or subconscious, have enormous power to shape how we make sense of our world. This month, we’re sharing three perspectives on how language gives us meaning.
March Coffee Break Picks
HANNAH’S PICK
The Importance of Language in Museum Exhibits
“Dispatches from the Future of Museums shared an ARTnews article reporting that three large museums in the UK will begin to phase out the word ‘mummy’ and instead use ‘mummified remains of’ or ‘mummified person.’ This is meant to encourage visitors ‘to think of the individual and engage in a broader conversation about colonialism in the UK. While museums that collect human remains have a long way to go to ensure that human remains are treated respectfully (and whether a ‘respectful’ collection of people is even possible), this move serves as a reminder of the importance of language in how human remains are presented to the public.”
KATIE’S PICK
How Does Activism Work?
“At Kera, our team has a thread of Google chats where we share ideas and experiences, one of which is devoted to sharing our travels. Last month, Amanda was at the Anacostia Community Museum in Washington, DC with Ebony and Stephanie. She shared photos on our travel thread from an exhibition, The Utopia Project, on activism, pointing out the intersections between the process of activism and the process of evaluation. The exhibition shares three key steps for activism—crafting clear objectives, understanding your audience and what they care about, and getting creative in your approach. I appreciated how the museum framed the value of objectives for planning and measuring success!”
EMILY’S PICK
The Power of Storytelling
“In a January blogpost on MuseumNext, Anna Faherty writes of the crucial role of ‘storyteller’ that museums assume when interpreting collections. Interpretation is subjectively based on who is telling the story and which perspective they have chosen to highlight. The power of storytelling is undeniable. Stories are told repeatedly until they become part of public consciousness and are accepted as truth. Faherty writes about characteristics that make storytelling a powerful tool for engaging audiences–‘the emotional connection is the reason stories are so powerful.’ This is created by telling stories about people and places, not just displaying objects.”
What’s New At Kera?
At the end of February, Claire Lucas, Research Assistant, completed their one-year term with us. Claire was invaluable throughout their time at Kera Collective, bringing their warm, engaging personality and their passion for accessibility and equity to all their work. Look out for some Learning Hub posts featuring conversations between Claire and various leaders in accessibility on the state of accessibility in museums, which we will publish throughout 2023. We’ll miss you, Claire!
We are so excited to announce that we have started a new project with a design firm in the Southwest! We’re happy to be back to doing work in this beautiful desert region! We previously traveled to the Southwest to support the reimagining of a visitor center at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Nevada. Check out the project summary here!
Last month on our Learning Hub, Hannah explored how museums can learn from a recent study of Black Americans’ perspectives on ways to promote racial equity, and Cathy shared tips for how to read and report qualitative data trends.
Moment of Wonder
“Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum. It was my first time visiting, and I was ecstatic to meet the museum staff in person and view the museum’s current exhibition, The Utopia Project: Inspiration for Creative Activism. I loved exploring questions of how and why social change happens in the exhibition, which showcased illuminating examples from local history and contemporary movements. With the exhibition’s dreambook in hand, I was excited to see what I had often read about in my own historical research: dreams are the roots of action.”
— Ebony
