Course Overview 

MST 5333 Introduction to Museum Interpretation introduces learners to interpretation as a powerful museum-educational tool – history, theory, contexts, techniques, technologies, and new perspectives. Following the classic Greek idea of a museum as an institution of dialogic discourse, museum interpretation today must continue to aspire to truth-finding and cultural belonging through texts, objects, images, process documents, exhibit designs, and interpretive amendments for the digital realm.1 

Introduces museum interpretation as a mode of communication to solicit informational experiences and inspire curiosity about a topic via media such as physical exhibits, educational programs, interactive designs, and virtual access. Given current demands for broader demographic inclusivity, the course also revisits conventional museum domains on who interprets what, with which sociocultural and ethnic background representing which segments of society.2  

Course Learning Objectives3  

• Develop interpretive plans for exhibits and “informal” educational programming respectful of community history, identity, culture, and representations.

• Critically explain past practices of museum education, interpretation theory, writing techniques, and interpretive evaluation in contrast with called-for approaches through qualitative visitor research methods and interdisciplinary visitor studies.

• Balance “orthodox curatorship” with changing concepts of “community as curator.” You may assume selected roles of a fictive “old-fashioned” curator who has become positively motivated by the exciting challenges of inclusive education approaches to 21st c. exhibition interpretation.

• Lead interpretive exhibit planning inclusive of community laity and expert input for museums, historic sites, nature preserves, botanical gardens, zoos/aquaria/arboretums, digital exhibits, etc.

• Explain trends in and needs for interpretation innovation and identify where more inclusive education strategies would better align museums’ experience delivery alongside proven interpretation successes.

• (Re)Evaluate the visitor experience following interpretive plans reflective of past social progress in view of new national and international trends around diversity, equity, and inclusion.

• Cultivate a critical understanding of the limitations of visitor research and evaluation in museums: underrepresented, disadvantaged, or absent visitor groups will inevitably miss out on interpretation needs attained for their demographic segments.

• Acquire an awareness of the awesome socio-political power of museum education regarding well-defined interpretation strategies; develop a commitment to the multiple challenges of exhibition interpretation to better serve the public equitably, truthfully, and responsibly.

Analysis

The course content deepened my understanding of museum interpretation and developing exhibitions to be more inclusive and diverse, enabling all audiences to engage in meaningful visitor experiences. Moreover, the course broadened my understanding of how museums communicate diverse perspectives and narratives to the public through object display, and how interpretation strategies provide context and understanding of objects in a museum’s collection. Key concepts that were most impactful were learning how interpretation in the museum can be used as an educational tool to provide new perspectives and stimulate public discourse. Course topics that shifted my perspective were learning about the importance of decolonization in the museum and ensuring authenticity in its representation of marginalized groups. Therefore, through decolonization, this can aid in depicting more accurate, respectful, relevant, diverse, and inclusive representations. This includes having an effective DEAI plan, facing uncomfortable truths, collaborating with the community as co-creators, and understanding that museums are not neutral spaces but places where truth should be presented. The course structure was well-organized, with modules bi-weekly, and the assignments, discussions, and readings provided a theoretical understanding of the material, while the course-spanning project allowed me to apply learned concepts in a creative and practical way. Throughout the course, there were several real-world professional connections that could be applied, such as developing an exhibit brief, which will be useful for a future career in curation, and learning how to propose my exhibit comprehensively to the museum board for funding.

The artifact, The Identity of Women: Romanticism to Reality, demonstrates my understanding of interpretive storytelling by showcasing the accurate and authentic narratives of women through ten objects that range from romanticized representations of womanhood in art to realistic, intimate portrayals in modernity. This can be seen in the representation of traditional and non-traditional objects, such as the hatpin, corset, and nineteenth-century dress, as well as in portraits in various mediums and photographs. Skills applied in creating the artifact include critical thinking and research to develop an interpretation strategy and incorporate knowledge gained to design an exhibit that engages visitors and is accessible, while also aligning with the AAM Collection Stewardship Standards and ICOM Code of Ethics.7,8 The artifact showcases my growth in critical analysis and meets the course learning objectives by developing meaningful interpretive content that considers audience engagement. Strengths of the artifact are creating an exhibit brief that incorporates a comprehensive theme, narrative, and focus, while also demonstrating a strong interpretation strategy. Yet a limitation of the artifact was its layout and design, which I struggled with because I did not know which software would be best to use.

Reflection

The course impacted me professionally by deepening my understanding of the value and importance of museum interpretation, providing valuable concepts and skills in audience engagement and interpretation strategies, and was the first course in which I created my own exhibition layout and experimented with exhibit design. The artifact impacted me personally and professionally through my research on the portrayal of women and the influence of the male gaze. It is these portrayals that only further highlight societal oppression and expectations of women and continue to place restrictions on a woman’s role. The course and artifact enhanced my critical thinking and fostered ethical interpretation strategies, which will be useful in my future career as a curator. As mentioned in the Collections Management course reflection, a challenge I experienced during this time was of a personal nature, as I had a severe asthma attack that left me ill for about a month. Therefore, it was a bit difficult to balance coursework and ensure I completed my assignments on time, but I used a planner and managed to get them all done. No other challenges were encountered throughout the course or with the artifact, in which I found the completion of the course-spanning project extremely productive.

This course helped shape my Personal Learning Goals (PLG) 2 and 4, which helped enhance my skills and expertise in exhibition planning, design, and development by better understanding the value of audience engagement, creating exhibition floor plans, identifying key exhibition design concepts that help enhance the visitor experience, such as lighting and space, and becoming familiar with multimedia technologies. Moreover, I was able to cultivate my skills in authentic and accurate museum interpretation strategies by studying inclusive, community-driven interpretation practices that showcased marginalized and underrepresented communities in exhibition narratives. The completion of this course also met Program Learning Outcomes (PLO) 2, 3, 4, and 7. This course was taken in my second semester in the MAMS program. If I were to do this assignment differently, I would improve how my themes and sub-themes are featured in the PowerPoint Presentation, and I would also improve the organization to give a better representation and sense of the actual exhibit, especially since some objects in the presentation come across as a bit de-emphasized. This could be accomplished by incorporating several featured objects into each theme, framed by the introductory and exit panels. Therefore, through this additional refinement, this would greatly improve the overall presentation.