Concerts have silences between songs. Book chapters have blank spaces at the end. In this email, there is an empty line after each idea. But in our exhibitions, sometimes we let stuff fill up every surface, like we gotta hose down the place with content …

Almost all museums are nonprofit businesses. But “nonprofit” is a tax status, not a financial goal. Museums make money. They have to. And when our work helps them to do that, we can have a bigger impact. So how do museums make money? Here’s the list …

“Black box” — which definition of the term do you use? The general public might say “flight data recorder” or “a computer thing that works mysteriously”. But museum folks and exhibition planners mean something else. I’m asking: what’s your definition? …

Yes, apparently it’s French word week here at MtM. In our MtM podcast on “How to Build a Museum”, architect David Greenbaum called “esprit de corps” a must-have for every project team. But what is it? It literally means “group spirit”, and it’s as powerful a tool as anything we use …

What’s “enfilade”? When you arrange rooms without a common hallway, you have to go through each room to get to the next. Architects call that “enfilade” circulation. The rooms are the hallway. But caution: some museums take enfilade to the extreme. …

This idea came up again at the MAAM Building Museums Symposium last week. Which is sometimes a sign that I should finally write it down. When we simultaneously design a museum and the core exhibitions in it, it’s like making a peanut butter cup. …

In exhibitions, black box refers to a gallery space that doesn’t matter. It is all black. We take the term from black box theater. Black box is a term in engineering and airplane safety too. In all three cases, the container is irrelevant. The content is what we care about. …

You’re done making the documents that you’ll use to get bids. But what will happen if all the bids you get are over budget? Maybe you got estimates along the way. Maybe you could drum up more funding if need be. Maybe you have strict procurement rules. …

Museums today appear in countless panicky essays in the press. But that doesn’t mean museums are doomed. It does mean it’s time to fight for hearts and minds. Possibilities abound. For now, let’s talk about sneakers. …

What does collaboration look like, in exhibition projects? Ten people putting up post-its, drawing on floor plans, and listening? That happens. And it’s fun. But there are at least three more common modes: Ping-Pong, Relay Race, and Crew Team. …

Keepers of important collections and facts want to show as many as possible to the public. Which means never repeating things. But you can repeat a digital image, a word, or an idea as often as you like. Why would you? Because visitors need it. …

What is a “growth mindset” — and why is it more important than ever for our industry? What happens when we combine museology with the fast-growing field of positive psychology? Do we sometimes all take ourselves … too seriously? Give it a listen! …

Exhibition and experience projects usually follow what economists would call a “smiling curve” of effort. That’s a curve shaped like a smile, basically a wide “u”. It maps effort (vertical) over time (horizontal). At the start we’re on the left side of the smile …

You almost certainly know about immersive art, the for-profit trend that influences the development of museum exhibitions and experiences today in many ways. But that’s not the only thing out there. Introducing the “tainments” (all real) …

Can a museum revitalize a city? Are design competitions a good idea? What comes first in design, practicality or fun? Andy Klemmer (Founder, Paratus Group) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to reveal “The Real Bilbao Effect”.

Visitors don’t expect to find raw, unfinished building materials like chain link fencing, raw plywood, or unpainted concrete blocks in an exhibition. These materials can be both memorable and affordable. But there’s a “but”.

PHIL: You’re furrowing your brow. MONIQUE: I need a working title and a catchy organizing principle for this little civics exhibition I’m doing. PHIL: Try the Rule of Three. You might solve both. MONIQUE: Rule of what? …

How can we raise the voices of people of color in museums and exhibitions — and what stands in the way? What is Museum Hue? What constitutes a sustainable museum job? Could exhibitions be one of the best places to make visible change happen?

Every exhibition and experience project team has multiple personalities. But that’s good. The trick is creating an atmosphere that allows each to be themselves, permits conflicts to arise, and resolves them collegially. Tension is a byproduct of what’s needed. …

“Phygital.” It’s a running joke at MtM, the podcast. It’s a portmanteau, blending the sounds and meanings of “physical” and “digital”. Other portmanteaus seen at MtM: animatronic, edutainment, guesstimate, hazmat, metaverse, starchitect …