How to Critically Analyze a Museum
Here is a tasting menu of questions to ask about your local museum!
What is the museum's mission?
Does the museum collect a broad range of items or does it have a single specific focus?
Is the museum hosted by a research institution?
Does the mission language cater to the local community, the academic community, or the museum's shareholders?
How are exhibitions funded?
Is the building purpose-built or repurposed?
Where did the objects come from?
Does the museum have a history of repatriating objects when asked to?
How complete is the online collection?
How searchable is the online collection?
What educational programs are offered?
What ages are the educational programs for?
Does the museum have an active social media presence?
Has the museum hosted any community events recently?
Does the museum have internship/fellowship/career programs?
What was the first thing you saw when walking into the exhibition?
Do the wall texts adequately prepare you for what you see in each gallery?
Are objects presented together or one-by-one?
Where are the object labels in relation to the objects? What seems to be more important, the visual effect of the object or its context?
Are the object labels easy to understand?
Do the object labels focus on description, interpretation, or historical context?
What adjectives are used in the object labels? How do they make you feel?
Is there any interactive material?
How tired do you feel after walking through an exhibition?
How many benches are in a typical gallery?
Are elevators centrally located or on the periphery?
Is the building fully wheelchair accessible?
Are the plinths and object cases easy to walk or wheel around?
Are the wall texts visually contrastive and easy to read from a distance?
Do the audio guides describe the objects at hand? Or do they exist to provide supplementary information/commentary?
Answering these questions for yourself is a great way to better understand your local museum—why it exists, who it serves, who each exhibition is for, and if it is effective in carrying out its mission. I like to keep these questions in mind when I visit a museum and note the answers as entries in my field journal. Now, go forth and visit some museums!
