When I worked at Carillon Historical Park as a Museum Theatre Assistant, there was one very hot summer day where it was too much to be out riding bicycles or doing some of the other more active things we would do around the park. We were also spread a little thin that day, so I was on my own. I pulled out an old quilt, sat in the grass under a tree in the shade, and worked on sewing all the buttons for the new aprons I was making for the museum.
A little girl and her mother walked up to watch me.
"What are you doing?"
"Sewing on buttons."
"Can I do it?"
"Of course."
The little girl plopped herself down, and I taught her to sew on a button. Her mother got a picture of us: it's one of my favorite photos of my time working there. In a quiet, simple moment on a hot day, in an environment of learning mixed with play, I taught her a life skill.
It was all the things museums want to be: audience engagement, immersive, interactive, relevant, hands on, meeting people where they are in a third space.
Jeanette Watts
History is My Playground
Original Message:
Sent: 10/21/2024 1:22:00 PM
From: Rachel Alschuler
Subject: What is the best connection you have made with a visitor as a museum professional ?
Dear All
What is the best connection you have made with a visitor as a museum professional? I think this can change the way a visitor looks at a museum visit and can help to make a lasting connection between museums and the community. I look forward to the in sight.
Thanks,
Rachel
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Rachel Alschuler
Museum Education/ Visitor Experience
San Francisco CA
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