Tag: Dispatches from the Mid-Atlantic (Page 4 of 6)

by columnist Madeline Karp,

If you’re friends with me on Facebook, then you may know that I spent Sunday morning at the Stainton Society’s Annual Brunch, which featured CNN journalist Anderson Cooper as a guest speaker.

The Stainton Society is an Atlantic City-based medical philanthropy group and the annual brunch is their big fundraiser for a local medical center. The who, what, and why of how I got into is event is really neither here nor there, but if you’re friends with me in general, then you may know that I am a huge Anderson Cooper fangirl. That had something to do with it.

I say this with only a little bit of bias: Anderson was awesome.

“There’s a value to bearing witness to what people are going through,” he said. “I think it’s important to see people in remarkable situations and acknowledge it.” No, bearing witness does not change the course of events, he continued. But it does open our eyes to other places and situations, and prevent someone who has passed away from simply dissolving into history, as if he never existed at all.

He went on to play to his audience, talking about how doctors and nurses bear witness to emotional, physical and medical extremes in hospitals – they see deaths and births, cure deadly diseases and deliver heartbreaking diagnoses. He then spoke about seeing war zones, of dealing with loss, of the people he’s met who remain optimistic, even in the direst of situations. On the surface, this all has nothing to do with me, or my profession.

But when it was all over, I had a strange thought: Anderson Cooper is a museum. (Specifically, I think he’s a history museum, but you can tell me if you disagree.)

Anderson Cooper has dedicated his life to bringing others’ stories to the public. They are stories from people you will never meet, stories that you may never hear otherwise. Some of them are terribly sad. Some of them are amazing. Some of them are funny in their own way. He wants to inform people and to tell them the facts – it’s up to us to interpret those facts, form an opinion and make that story mean something.

What is your museum’s mission? Technically, it may be to interpret history or make artistic masterpieces accessible for a nominal fee. But isn’t it really to bear witness to an historical moment? To recognize the human capacity to create amazing works of beauty?

Museums collect things, but the true story is that of the person who owned or used them. Objects tell a story – like Anderson Cooper, it’s the museum’s job to root that story out and share it with the public. With any collected object or exhibit, we have to find the story, ask the tough questions, edit the content, package it for mass consumption and give people something to think about. Please remember this exhibit, museums ask visitors. Please make this story meaningful.

I suppose what I’m getting at here is that in their own way, museums bear witness to the human condition and we as museum professionals are the reporters.

So what do you think? Is Anderson Cooper a history museum? Can history museums be Anderson Cooper?

Share you thoughts with me in the comments!

PS- I highly recommend reading Anderson’s book Dispatches from the Edge. In addition to giving insight into the lifestyle of a foreign correspondent, it may have helped inspire this column’s name. (Just a little.)

by columnist Madeline Karp

Last April, in a fit of ridiculousness, I declared myself Her Royal Highness, Madeline, Ice Princess of Pittsburgh and All Western Pennsylvania. My friends rolled their eyes, sighed, and obliged until the Pittsburgh Penguins were knocked out of Stanley Cup contention in the first round, thereby ending my reign supreme.

This year I did no such thing, but had I chosen to reclaim my Ice Princess title, the circumstances would have been far less ridiculous. You see, I was slated to attend the Please Touch Museum’s 5th annual Storybook Ball, a fundraiser where royal titles – along with ball gowns, knights in armor and a healthy imagination – are not only welcomed, they’re encouraged.

No, really. Some families got *way* into it.

For the past twenty-eight years, the Please Touch Museum has hosted an annual book awards ceremony to honor modern and prolific children’s authors like David Ezra Stein (author of my beloved Interrupting Chicken), Mo Willems (Listen to My Trumpet, Book 17 in the Elephant and Piggie series), and Ame Dyckman (Boy + Bot).

But a ceremony of such importance is nothing without a celebration, and as any child will tell you, story books plus big celebrations can only equal one thing: a Royal Ball. In 2009, the museum decided to host an accompanying fundraiser; thus the Annual Storybook Ball was born. Museum members are invited to come to the museum dressed as their favorite storybook characters for an evening of age-appropriate play, character meet and greets, and of course, author-led story times, all in the name of celebrating great children’s stories and literacy skills.

Adorably, this year’s Ball played out like a prom for pre-schoolers – complete with knights and superheroes, princesses and fairies. And lest you think the kids were the only ones involved, I saw more than one grown set of Prince Charming and Evil Queen chaperones.

For the less whimsical in the crowd, Storybook Ball has done more than provide Please Touch Museum members with a night of escapist fantasy that ends happily ever after (provided there are no temper tantrums). As a fundraising event, the Ball has proven itself to be an increasing success and a model for future fundraisers. Some stats, for you bottom-liners out there:

• Between 2012 and 2013, Storybook Ball has raised over $200,000 for the museum.
• 1,400 people attended Storybook Ball in 2013.
• Three authors/illustrators honored in the 2013 Book Awards ceremony attended the Ball.
• Storybook Ball was listed as one of the Top Ten Things To Do in Philadelphia for the weekend of 4/20/2013 on philly.com’s weekly event calendar.

In short, this fundraiser knows its audience, and it knows its audience is growing. It’s more than your average dinner/silent auction/raffle ticket fundraiser, it’s more fun than your average black tie museum affair and it’s more than a meet-and-greet with your favorite authors at the bookstore. Storybook Ball is all of these things and more.

To quote a famous book loving princess – and Ball attendee! – this event had “far off places, magic spells, daring swordfights, [and] a prince in disguise” among other enchanting features. Props if you can “Name That Princess.” More props if you decided reading was cool as a kid because she liked to read, too.

I’m a hard sell on fundraisers, but I am absolutely looking forward to attending next year’s Ball. Here’s hoping Her Royal Highness the Ice Princess will dust off her skates to make an appearance.

No Ball is complete without a carriage. Members were offered rides around the building in this horse-drawn pumpkin, complete with Footman and commemorative photo.

 All photos courtesy of the Please Touch Museum

by columnist Madeline Karp

I had the good fortune to spend Passover with my cousins this year. Being closer to Philadelphia now, we don’t see our New York family members as often, so we jump at the chance to spend time with them. Especially if we know one of the babies will be there.  I use the term “baby” loosely. The baby in question on this holiday is very much a toddler now.

Of course, being the second youngest cousin present, I was still relegated to the kids’ table – which meant we played together, all night long. We played Trucks. We played Blocks. He told me Je m’apelle Mickey Mouse. (He’s pulling to be bilingual, but his name is not Mickey Mouse.)

Needless to say, he surprised me in many, many ways. But perhaps what was most surprising of all was his ability to use an iPhone. Undirected, he unlocked the phone, paged through his parents’ apps, and correctly selected YouTube so we could watch Mickey’s “Hot Dog” song. (Click with caution. You WILL be singing this song for days.)

Did I mention that he’s barely two?

Dr. Marina Bers of Tufts University’s Department of Child Development has recently written a book on children and technology entitled Designing Digital Experiences for Positive Youth Development: From Playpen to Playground. An excerpt was included in Tufts’ most recent issue of Alma Matters magazine.

In her work, Dr. Bers posits that when it comes to child development, technology and computer software can act as a playpen or a playground. What’s the difference?

Playground: While they still need supervision, children make their own choices, use their bodies and surroundings in creative ways, and interact with others in their age group. Playgrounds are about autonomy.

– Examples of “playground” technology are programs Microsoft Paint or Word. They allow for the creation of original content. Like a playground, there are boundaries, but what you can do within those boundaries is more or less limitless.

Playpen: It doesn’t hinder development, but it doesn’t necessarily help foster it either. The space and resources provided are extremely limited. It’s more of a temporary holding space with “edutainment” options.

– Examples of “playpen” technology are websites like YouTube. Although they can aid in development, the child plays more passively.

So what does this have to do with museums?

Thinking through the exhibits in my museum, I realized that while we use a lot of technology, there is only one computerized interactive. It is in the corner of an exhibit we call The River, and honestly, I rarely see anyone use it. The kids are too busy splashing in the water, building boats and sending rubber duckies on pirating expeditions to even notice the nearby screen flickering facts about water conservation and the Schuylkill (pronounced: “SKOO-kill”) River.

Kids come to the Please Touch Museum to learn, but they also come to play. They use their imaginations, socialize, try out new skill sets and solve new problems. Confession: I’m sometimes frustrated when the museum is treated like a playground – I dislike being drenched with “river” water because a kid was roughhousing.

BUT! After reading this article I see that the museum IS a playground.

So…if a museum is a playground for kids, shouldn’t it be one for adults too? Shouldn’t exhibits reflect this?

Thinking over the museums I like best, they’re the ones that have found ways to involve me in my own education. They’re the ones that let me try new things, or put myself in situations I’ve never confronted before. If they use computer programs or kiosks, the content is interesting and open ended.

Similarly, the museums I’ve liked the least are the ones that ask me to shuffle through, stand and admire an important object, and then leave having “learned” something. And yet, I find that this is how most content is presented to adults – through tours and limited computer interactives. If it feels passive…it’s because it is.

Personally I find that in a museum, if a kid likes something, I’ll like it too. I want my museums to be like playgrounds.

So I’m asking you: What are some ways we can make “adult” institutions more like playgrounds? How can we redesign exhibits, programming, technology and content to get adult audiences more involved in their education?

Share your thoughts in the comments!

by columnist Madeline Karp,

Welcome to Dispatches from the Mid-Atlantic’s new series Meet the Museum! where we interview museum professionals in the Mid-Atlantic region to get a feel for who they are and what they’re up to.

Today, we’re talking to the Please Touch Museum’s new Manager of Visitor Services, Patrick Wittwer.

Tell us a little bit about your background. How did you get into the museum field?

Back in high school, a friend of mine had a part-time job at the Franklin Institute and suggested I apply. I was hired to work the overnight program there and have been working in museums ever since.

What do you do at the Please Touch Museum?

I am the Visitor Services Manager, and I am responsible for the quality of the guest experience at PTM. I oversee a large staff, and work on developing the programs and training that ultimately improves our ability to serve our guests.

What is the most challenging thing about working in Visitor Services?

With a large staff, learning everyone’s name has certainly been challenging. Beyond that [I think] dealing with unexpected issues can be a challenge.

Any crazy customer services stories to share with us?

When I worked at Disney World, we were encouraged to go above and beyond Disney’s guest service standards whenever we could. One of my favorite things to do was to give birthday kids a special message. There was an extension you could call and Goofy would pick up the phone and wish the child a happy birthday. The reaction that this call garnered was one of the many highlights of working for the Mouse.

Do you think Philadelphia museums have a particular “personality” in comparison to institutions in other cities/regions?

I think that the spirit of collaboration amongst Philadelphia institutions is higher than that of their counterparts in other cities, but do think a museum’s “personality” depends on what audience they are catering to.

What are some of the ups and downs about being a manager? We understand that PTM’s Visitor Services department is upwards of 70 people.

One of my goals as a manager is to bridge the gap between the floor staff and back-of-house staff that exists in just about every business. At PTM, there is an enthusiasm from both sides to create unity, which is very refreshing. On the flip side, every manager whose primary responsibility is guest service has to deal with dissatisfied guests, which at times is unpleasant, but the ups definitely outweigh the downs.

You’ve posted a March Madness bracket of children’s television shows and asked the staff to vote on their favorites all month. What inspired you to start this tournament, and what are you hoping the Visitor Services staff will gain from participating?

I had two goals with March Madness. One was to break up the day for the floor staff. My main goal was to use it as an icebreaker. I wanted to get to know my staff and assess their feelings about their jobs, the department, the museum, and get a feel for their personalities. With the tournament being posted on my door, it brought people into my office that may not have been comfortable approaching a new manager. It also prompted discussions that started with the [children’s] television shows on the board and inevitably segued into a chat about the job they do at the museum.

[Update: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles won the 2013 Children’s Television March Madness Tournament, with The Muppet Show coming in a close second place. Reading Rainbow and Hey Arnold! rounded out the Final Four slots.]

What advice would you give to someone looking to break into the museum field?

Never settle for anything less than what you truly want to do. People who go into the museum business don’t do it for the money; they do it because they have a passion that they are pursuing.  Networking helps. Joining a group like Philadelphia Emerging Museum Professionals (cheap plug – phillyemp.com) is a great way to get to know other people in the field.

Any last thoughts?

Sure, two little nuggets of wisdom:

1. There are a tremendous amount of resources out there for people in the museum field, use them as often as possible.

2. If you are not enjoying your position or you are no longer fulfilled in your job, find something new that challenges you and keeps you engaged in your work.

Thanks for taking the time to talk to us, Patrick!

Got a question for Patrick? Post it in the comments!

by columnist Madeline Karp

Working for a children’s museum, I am all about supporting the hopes and dreams of young children. Kids tell me them all the time.

I hear dreams of being an astronaut, a firefighter, a doctor, a professional athlete. I hear dreams about being able to read chapter books or tying shoes without help, and dreams of one day being tall enough to ride the museum’s carousel without an adult. I hear it all.

Some of them are silly, some of them are sincere, and some of them are downright outlandish. The thing is, I think it’s so important to support kids’ dreams, rather than quash them no matter what. So what if you can’t grow up to be a Tooth Fairy? It’s about having aspirations, goals to work for and finding ways to make seemingly impossible things come true.

So it really hit home for me when I heard what the Denver Museum of Nature and Science did for one little dreamer.

Eli Navant, 9, dreams of being a paleontologist and museum curator – so much so that when a position for a chief curator opened at the Denver Museum last November, he decided to apply. With the help of his third grade teacher and his parents, he sent in a handwritten cover letter and set of references that included Robert Bakker, an expert paleontologist whom Eli met briefly at one of the museum’s in-house mini-dig programs.

It would have been easy for the curatorial staff to ignore this little boy’s dream, but instead, they made him an honorary “Curator for the Day.” Clearly the museum’s exhibits and programming had made a lasting impression on this little boy, and that was something to be rewarded and shared.

This story is inspiring – both for children and museum professionals.

Kids: You can do anything you set your mind to. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.

Museum Professionals: You can connect with your audience in new and innovative ways. You can support a child’s dream, and make the museum a place of welcome and community, sometimes in unexpected ways.

To see the heartwarming CBS Evening News segment on Eli and the Denver Museum, click here. (Apologies for the ad beforehand.)

I’ve had a lot of kids ask me how to get a job like mine at the Please Touch Museum. I used to tell them they had to wait until they were 18 to apply. But now I think I may just tell them to pick up an application at the admissions desk.  Because why not? Let’s support their dreams.