Written over a thirty-five year career, the essays in
Civilizing the Museum
introduce students to the powerful, sometimes contested, and often unrealized notion that museums should welcome all because they house the collective memory of all.
Drawing on her experience working in and with museums in the US and throughout the world, Author Elaine Heumann Gurian explores the possibilities for making museums more central and relevant to society.
The twenty-two essays are organized around five main themes:
museum definitions
civic responsibility and social service
architectural spaces
exhibitions
spirituality and rationality.
And these themes address the elements that would make museums more inclusive such as:
exhibition technique
space configurations
the personality of the director
the role of social service
power sharing
types of museums
the need for emotion humour and spirituality.
Without abandoning the traditional museum processes, Gurian shows how museums can honour tradition whilst embracing the new.
Enriched by her experience in groundbreaking museums, Gurian has provided a book that provokes thought, dialogue and action for students and professionals in the field to realize the inclusive potential of museums.