IN THIS ISSUE November/December 2012 In recent decades science museums have made significant progress in meeting the needs of visitors with a range of disabilities—physical, cognitive, and behavioral. But much more remains to be done for the inclusion of people with disabilities to become the norm. In this issue, we explore what it means to …
Dimensions, November/December 2012—Accessibility: Breaking New Ground Read More »
By Christine Reich From Dimensions November/December 2012 Science museums hold great promise for engaging learners of a broad range of abilities and disabilities in informal science learning. As institutions known for their interactive and self-directed activities, science museums already exhibit many of the principles of universal design for learning that foster equitable learning environments for …
Changing Practices: Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Science Museums Read More »
This is an extended discussion of the question that appeared in the Viewpoints department of the November/December 2012 issue of Dimensions magazine. My ideal museum experience is memorable. It requires only one cool exhibit experience where I spend significant time, engaged in a way that taps into previous interests and expands my thinking. It makes …
This is an extended discussion of the question that appeared in the Viewpoints department of the September/October 2012 issue of Dimensions magazine. The central focus for science centers is serving the communities in their region. Many of the science festivals popping up in the United States are led by museums, reflecting the responsibility that science …
Should exhibitions be the central focus of what science centers and museums do? Read More »
This is an extended version of an article that appeared in the September/October 2012 issue of Dimensions magazine. Science center and museum professionals from around the world share ways that they are engaging visitors in hands-on innovation. In July 2012, the Exploratorium launched its Global Tinkering Studio Initiative at the Saudi Aramco Cultural Program, …
Inspiring Visitors to Tinker, Create, and Innovate Read More »
IN THIS ISSUE July/August 2012 As a key part of our commitment to our members, ASTC is dedicated to providing vision and direction by anticipating trends and helping our member institutions to prepare for new opportunities and challenges. In this issue, we look at a selection of current and future trends that shape and influence …
By Julie Bowen From Dimensions July/August 2012 I have been wondering for a while why recent ASTC annual conferences have had fewer sessions about exhibits than they did five or 10 years ago. Have exhibits reached a point of perfection and become a craft needing only minor tweaking around the edges? Have museums run out …
The Future of Exhibits: Where Are We Headed? Read More »
This is an extended discussion of the question that appeared in the Viewpoints department of the July/August 2012 issue of Dimensions magazine. Groupon and LivingSocial are neither good nor bad for museums. However, they are a tool that must be used with great care. As museum professionals, we must ask: What is the value to …
By Michael John Gorman From Dimensions March/April 2012 The explosive cocktail of art and science has been with us for millennia. We have long had individual practitioners—from Pythagoras to Steve Jobs—who defied disciplinary boundaries, but I personally think there is something very exciting going on now that makes art-science in the 21st century different. What …
Science Gallery: Creative Collisions of Art and Science Read More »
This discussion was originally published in the Viewpoints department of the March/April 2012 of Dimensions magazine. Along with traditional measures of financial performance and customer satisfaction, a successful science center needs to show how it achieves its mission of engaging the public in science and technology. An innovative approach would be to convert evaluation studies into …
How should a science center or museum’s success be measured? Read More »
This is an extended version of an article that appeared in the March/April 2012 issue of Dimensions magazine. Science center and museum professionals, artists, and educators from around the world share their projects, programs, exhibitions, and initiatives that combine science and art. In our new Art of Science Gallery, the Academy of Natural Sciences of …
An Art and Science Gallery Read More »
I begin this column with a confession of sorts. I am not a science fiction (SF) reader. And yet, I am intrigued by the recent commentary of renowned SF writer Neal Stephenson in World Policy Journal. Stephenson laments the loss today of the “techno-optimism” of science fiction’s Golden Age—from Tom Swift’s photo telephone, to radiotransporters …
Cultivating Innovation and Optimism Read More »
By Paul Orselli From Dimensions January/February 2012 When I think about the most enjoyable and memorable places—truly great museums—that I’ve visited over a lifetime of avid museum-going, the ones that bubble to the top include the City Museum, St. Louis; the Exploratorium, San Francisco; the Minnesota History Center, St. Paul; and the Children’s Museum of …
Internal Capacity: Making a Good Museum Great Read More »
IN THIS ISSUE January/February 2012 Exhibitions are perhaps the most quintessential and exciting element of science centers’ work. In this issue of Dimensions, we examine the exhibition philosophies of various institutions, as well as the design principles that lead to great exhibition experiences. In addition, we explore the advantages of tinkering and prototyping in house, …
Dimensions, January/February 2012—Science Center Exhibitions: Views from the Field Read More »
This is an extended version of an article that appeared in the January/February 2012 issue of Dimensions magazine. We map our audience’s attitudes, knowledge base, and expectations—not in order to meet those expectations, but rather to overcome them, to surprise our visitors, and to create the aha! of the Heureka experience. More than designing objects, …
What is your institution’s exhibition philosophy? Read More »
This is an extended discussion of the question that appeared in the Viewpoints department of the January/February 2012 issue of Dimensions magazine. Science centers and museums should adopt overarching gift acceptance and ethical fundraising policies that should be approved by their governing boards. In addition, in order to ensure accountability and informed decision-making regarding corporate …
By Laura Huerta Migus From Dimensions November/December 2011 Science centers and museums fill a unique community role as centers of learning, research, entertainment, and community congregation. Beyond teaching scientific concepts, the underlying motivation for all science center activities is promoting the value of science and scientific thinking to the general public. Science centers and museums …
Shifting Paradigms: Embracing Multiple Worldviews in Science Centers Read More »
This is an extended discussion of the question that appeared in the Viewpoints department of the November/December 2011 issue of Dimensions magazine. Yes, we should. Science and technology raise controversial topics, and as institutions that promote civil engagement, we should present these topics as part of our responsibility to society. (Pictured: Bloomfield’s Peace Labyrinth exhibition.) …
Interviewed by Joelle Seligson This interview appeared in the November/December 2011 issue of Dimensions magazine. The director of the Blackfeet Native Science Field Center on traditional knowledge, Western science, and understanding our place in the world In high school, she took an interest in science; at the University of Montana, she pursued business. Today, Helen …
Q&A with Helen Augare Read More »
By Katherine I. Goodall From Dimensions July/August 2011 There is no question that recent years have been extraordinarily challenging for those responsible for the financial well being of science centers and museums. Since the global economic downturn began in 2008, every revenue stream has been under threat. Some organizations have been forced to make huge …
The State of the Science Center Read More »
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