All day today was a pre-conference workshop that basically could have been called "So You Want to Start a Children's Museum 101". Actually, it was quite interesting, broken down into one hour modules and full of information.
Modules were on topics like the need for a feasibility study, running a capital campaign, basic fundraising, coming up with a business plan, the nuts and bolts of museum exhibits, and resources available to the start-up museum.
There were a few things that struck me about this workshop: The first was that there were quite a number of attendees who as far as I could tell are stay-at-hime moms who want to have a children's museum in their town. They have a lot of enthusiam and passion but it was pretty apparent that at least at the moment, they really don't have a good concept of is really involved in starting up a children's museum. (It is more than having a mini-grocery store exhibit or setting up a bunch of easels and paint brushes. But I give them total credit in that they are at the right conference, and are asking the right questions). Another observation for me is that at least in Rancho Cucamonga, so much of what was being talked about, we have already done (in a library context). Capital campaign? Done that. Fundraising? It is in our blood. Construction project management? No need to contract this out. With our feaibility study, what we are doing is textbook in that the Gyroscope people are doing *exactly* what more than one speaker said what should happen when doing a feasibility study. And unlike most people at the workshop, we have so much infrastructure already (such as administration, a building, facilities maintenance, a working 501(c)3 organization, etc.
My final observation was that most of the speakers today were once upon a time the stay-at-home moms who had a dream and through sheer determination, made their museum happen. Mind you, most of these museums are in the 900 (yes *900*) to 5,000 sq. ft. range, but the bottom line is that they made their dream happen, and more important, they are proud of what they have accomplished. These people made their dream happen (and in many cases, it took up to 12 years of living in cramped, temporary spaces and running a "museum without walls", which is a euphemism for just setting up an exhibit for a day in a park or a community center).
They did it so there is no reason why we will not. (Only we will do it better!)
RK
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
There was a time when I could have been one of those moms, as I definitely wanted a children's museum in my town. This was after I had visited some really good places like Portland and Crayola Factory and a smaller place in San Luis Obispo. I think it says something about those places that I wanted to be able to re-create the memories and experiences I had in those places again and again for and with my children. I think children's museums are like that. They can hold a really special place in the heart of the family and like libraries can change lives.
ReplyDeleteOn a separate note, I was looking up the median family income for RC yesterday and was shocked to see it was about $100,000. All warmth and fuzziness aside, these people can pay!