How can museums build authentic relationships with their communities and design programming that truly resonates?
In this conversation, our Learning & Engagement Specialist Marissa Culbreath speaks with Shannon Egan, Director, and Heather Flaherty, Curator of Education, from The Trout Gallery at Dickinson College. As part of our Philadelphia Museum of Art Cohort, The Trout Gallery has reimagined its approach to engagement by centering community voices, particularly Black leaders, historians, and educators.
Supplies
Contract Labor
Transportation
The Trout Gallery at Dickinson College
Carlisle, PA
The Trout Gallery created a mini exhibition based on four artworks from the exhibition "The Legacy of Two Centuries of Black American Art," using images of the artworks reproduced on large pop-up banners. The mini exhibition traveled to local elementary schools, community centers, and festivals, specifically engaging Black communities. Audiences were invited to view the mini exhibition and make artwork based on the methods of the featured artists. Participants had the option of taking their artwork with them or allowing the Trout Gallery to display it in a community exhibition at the museum. All participants received a special invitation to see the larger exhibition and visit their own works in the community exhibition, which was displayed during the museum’s fall festival.
The Trout Gallery, the art museum of Dickinson College, had a goal to take exhibition content off campus to reach at least 2,000 participants, especially individuals who are part of the Black community in Carlisle.
The community’s response to the pop-up mini exhibition was enthusiastic and revealed the impact that this type of activity can have in communicating the ideas, artists, and aesthetics represented in an exhibition while directly engaging audiences in conversation about artwork. Black communities, including schoolchildren, church groups, and community center leaders, widely engaged with the mini exhibition, which reached 1,596 individuals. Showing the participants’ resulting artworks from the mini exhibition at the Trout Gallery also encouraged new and diverse audiences to visit the museum.
When planning a pop-up mini exhibition with activities,prepare for two key challenges: staffing demands and inclusive audience engagement. Ensure you have sufficient personnel by planning ahead for the labor-intensive logistics of packing, transporting, and installing a mobile exhibition. Consider increasing intern or staff hours to meet these demands but be mindful that this will involve additional costs and complex scheduling. Equally important is intentional outreach, especially if you aim to engage communities of color. Invest in targeted promotional efforts before your exhibition launches and prioritize direct community engagement by visiting the audiences you hope to attract. Be open to listening and learning through these interactions. Understand that traditional spaces like college campuses may not always feel welcoming to all community members. Meaningful participation requires ongoing dialogue, reflection, and a willingness to adapt your approach to foster a true sense of belonging.
The Brooklyn Museum created a free daylong symposium of presentations, performances, and conversations, celebrating the life and legacy of artist Elizabeth Catlett.
Inspired by the exhibition, "Scarlet Poppies and Ultramarine Butterflies: Language of Color," the Allentown Art Museum hosted an eight-session art program led by educator Rain Black that combined ethical foraging with creative projects like papermaking and watercolor. It culminated in a public virtual field guide, associated with local parks, to inspire community engagement with nature and art.
The Brooklyn Museum created a free daylong symposium of presentations, performances, and conversations, celebrating the life and legacy of artist Elizabeth Catlett.
Inspired by the exhibition, "Scarlet Poppies and Ultramarine Butterflies: Language of Color," the Allentown Art Museum hosted an eight-session art program led by educator Rain Black that combined ethical foraging with creative projects like papermaking and watercolor. It culminated in a public virtual field guide, associated with local parks, to inspire community engagement with nature and art.
How can museums build authentic relationships with their communities and design programming that truly resonates?
In this conversation, our Learning & Engagement Specialist Marissa Culbreath speaks with Shannon Egan, Director, and Heather Flaherty, Curator of Education, from The Trout Gallery at Dickinson College. As part of our Philadelphia Museum of Art Cohort, The Trout Gallery has reimagined its approach to engagement by centering community voices, particularly Black leaders, historians, and educators.