Museum Studies Blog at Tufts University

Membership is traditionally a way for museums to increase engagement and have an additional source of revenue; however, museums often struggle to attract new members and keep existing members engaged. In this blog post, Eric Bruce, Head of Visitor Experience at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) provides AAM with the third post in a series highlighting Mia’s recent strategies for increasing their audience, including their membership base. Bruce explains their new approach that prioritizes loyalty over membership. To gain this loyalty, Mia strives to demonstrate loyalty to their visitors. With this mindset, the institution has made membership accessible for all visitors with no annual donation requirement and has since seen a dramatic increase in their membership base. To learn more about how exactly they have done this, read the article here.

Today’s around the globe post takes us to Småland, Sweden and the House of Emigrants. Here in America, there are many museums dedicated to the rich history of immigration, but this museum flips the viewpoint to that of a country where millions left for America. The House of Emigrants museum and research center has shared stories of Swedish emigrants, most of whom went to America, and of current immigration to the area for almost 50 years. In two permanent exhibits, The Dream of America and The Moberg Room, visitors learn about Swedish emigration to America from 1840 to 1930, experience life in Swedish American communities, and immerse themselves in the work of author Vilhelm Moberg, famous for writing four novels on the Swedish emigrant experience. The current temporary exhibit, a photographic exhibit titled I Come Alone uses stories to share the experience of youth in the midst of flight and migration.

The House of Emigrants is one part of the Kulturparken Småland that seeks to be “a gathering place and point of reference for debating and discussing the future of Småland.” Småland is a province in southern Sweden. Kulturparken Småland preserves and teaches the history, culture, and changes throughout Småland, and the House of Emigrants’ stories of migration to and from Sweden are an important part of this mission. To learn more about the House of Emigrants and Kulturparken Småland, visit their website.