Do museum stores actually make any money?

What are they really for? Can a store act like an exhibition? What does “cap rate” mean? How big should a museum store be? What percentage of visitors go into one, and how many of them buy something? Why should you get an expert to design your store, and what happens when you don’t?

David Franke (museum store architect) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discover what’s “Beyond ‘Exit Through the Gift Shop’”.

Along the way: rubber snakes, oysters, onions, and Mona Lisa ashtrays.

Talking Points:

1. An oyster living in a birds nest.
2. New store in a new museum or a renovation to an existing one. Where, oh where to begin?
3. The peeling of the onion.
4. Getting the balance just right.
5. Don’t forget that long range strategy to ensure you don’t fall victim to your own success.

How to Listen:

Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311

Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G

Everywhere
https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/

Guest Bio:

With over four decades of experience as an architect, David Franke’s focus is now exclusively on store design and planning for museum and cultural institutions around the world. Museum stores include two at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History and the Museum of the American Cowgirl, the US Botanic Garden in DC, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West in Arizona; the Grounds for Sculpture in New Jersey, three retail projects for the State Preservation Board in Austin, and the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park Illinois.

David has also served on councils and boards for the Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle, Historical Society of Pennsylvania’s Building and Facilities Committee and the Pennsylvania Ballet. He is a participant in the International Museum Construction Congress, the California Association of Museums, Texas Association of Museums, American Association of Museums and Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums, where has co-presented sessions on the design of museum retail.

About MtM:

Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com

Show Links:

David's website: https://www.davidfrankeconsulting.com

David by Email: DavidFrankeRA@Gmail.com

David by Phone: +1 (215) 498-4384

David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-franke-ra-21a4539/

MtM Show Contact:

https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger
alger@cgpartnersllc.com
https://www.cgpartnersllc.com

Newsletter:

Liked the show? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com

Why is economic planning so vital to any new museum project?

What happens if you don’t do it? What is “dark tourism”? Why do economists think about audiences? Can a museum have “ROI”? Which is more important, a profitable museum event, or one that advances a museum’s mission? What can economics teach us about how to make our projects better?

James Stevens, AICP (Vice President, ConsultEcon, Inc.) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “An Economic Planner’s Advice to Museums”.

Along the way: double-edged swords, vocal impersonations, and the Museum of Forks.

Talking Points:

1. Know your audiences (plural).
2. Be both curious and skeptical.
3. Formulate your “mission test”.
4. You’ll be able to take time, but not too much time.
5. Establish strict budgets and fundraising goals. Then change them.

How to Listen:

Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311

Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G

Everywhere
https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/

Guest Bio:

James Stevens, AICP (Vice President, ConsultEcon, Inc.) is a business planner and management consultant with over 20 years of experience with development planning and analyzing the economics of new museums, major expansions and renovations, and new exhibition programs, among other types of visitor attractions and tourism destinations. He has completed hundreds of studies nationally and internationally for building projects large and small. He contributed a chapter to Sustainable Revenue for Museums: A Guide and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences. He has a bachelor’s degree in history from Cornell University and a master’s degree in city planning from MIT.

About MtM:

Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com

Show Links:

James via Email
jstevens@consultecon.com

James on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/philly-james-stevens/

ConsultEcon

https://www.consultecon.com/

Sustainable Revenue for Museums: A Guide

https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538112984/Sustainable-Revenue-for-Museums-A-Guide

MtM Show Contact:

https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger
alger@cgpartnersllc.com
https://www.cgpartnersllc.com

Newsletter:

Like the show? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com

What is the “humanities gap” — and why is it a huge opportunity for museums?

Why can’t everybody be a philanthropist for the day? What does “cultural literacy” mean, and how can it unlock new approaches to the collections we put on display? Why could a shortfall in humanities funding suggest new ways for museums to be relevant? Why shouldn’t a museum buy products and services from its own community?

Michele Y. Smith (CEO, Museum of Popular Culture) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to talk about “A Guitar That Teaches Civil Rights”.

Along the way: preserving 80,000 artifacts, how revenue drives mission, and why George Clooney’s Batman costume is missing its cape.

Talking Points:

1. MoPOP: a museum designed like a guitar melting.
2. Schools have a humanities gap — museums can help.
3. How “cultural literacy” makes subjects relevant.
4. How a guitar can teach civil rights…
5. … and WALL-E can teach climate change.
6. Achieving financial independence from the founder.
7. Why not open the annual gala to the community?
8. Why not do F&B with local and BIPOC vendors?

How to Listen:

Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311

Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G

Everywhere
https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/

Guest Bio:

Michele Y. Smith is the CEO of the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), known for her mission-focused leadership in the nonprofit sector, emphasizing business development, operations, and finance. Her approach prioritizes diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and mentoring, advocating for philanthropy's democratization through pop culture. Previously, as Chief Business & Financial Officer at Woodland Park Zoo, Smith led the institution through the COVID-19 pandemic, achieving significant growth in revenue, events, and guest services with her dynamic strategy.

About MtM:

Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com

Show Links:

Michele Y. Smith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/micheleysmith/
Museum of Popular Culture (MoPOP) Online: https://www.mopop.org/
MoPOP’s “Massive: The Power of Pop Culture”:
https://www.mopop.org/exhibitions-plus-events/exhibitions/massive-the-power-of-pop-culture/

MtM Show Contact:

https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger
alger@cgpartnersllc.com
https://www.cgpartnersllc.com

MtM, the Newsletter:

Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com

We might think a design concept is the first step — but it’s not. What do you need to ask yourself, before you even start?

What does your community want from your new museum, and how can you find out? What happens when you have funding for 10 staff, but you design a museum that will take 25 staff to operate? What’s more important, the cost of creating the museum, or the later costs of operating it? What’s “noblesse oblige”? What’s a “civic entrepreneur”?

Carolynne Harris (Museum Planner, Carolynne Harris Consulting) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “The Questions You Have to Ask Before the Project”.

Along the way: team sports, a right turn at Albuquerque, and training to do five things at once.

Talking Points:

1. A master plan comes before design, but what comes before a master plan?

2. Have you got your stakeholders aligned?

3. Do you know what your community wants?

4. Who are your financial supporters — both immediate and ongoing?

5. How many staff can you support, and how will they get paid?

6. Should there even be a museum?

How to Listen:

Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311

Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G

Everywhere
https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/

Guest Bio:

Carolynne Harris, Founder and Principal of Carolynne Harris Consulting, has over 30 years of experience in the museum field, including over 10 years of senior-level experience at the Smithsonian Institution and Fernbank Museum of Natural History. Carolynne’s nonprofit consulting business specializes in developing emerging museums, renovations, and expansions from early visioning through implementation, and strategic planning for non-profits. Carolynne has been published in Curator, served on the board of the Pennsylvania Museum Association and the Denver Commission for Cultural Affairs, and is currently the Board Secretary of the National Association of Museum Exhibitions (NAME). Carolynne has an MA in Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts from Emory University and a BA in Anthropology from The University of Virginia.

(Carolynne is also a member of Praxis Museum Projects Group, a "network of professionals, each of whom brings an expertise to the process of creating exhibitions and cultural experiences in collaboration with exhibit designers, architects, and museums". Members of the Praxis group are a special focus of the first episodes of this podcast.)

About MtM:

Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com

Show Links:

Carolynne by email: carolynneharris@gmail.com
Carolynne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynne-harris-1a52a9/
Carolynne Harris Consulting on the web: https://www.carolynneharris.com/

https://www.praxisexhibits.com/

MtM Show Contact:

https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger
alger@cgpartnersllc.com
https://www.cgpartnersllc.com

Newsletter:

Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com

Why is “70/50” the gold standard? Should it be? Who decided?

Does every gallery really need to be 70 degrees, plus/minus two? Does every storage space really need to be 50% humidity, plus/minus five? Is that a reasonable goal for most museums? At what cost? What’s the difference between “AA” climate control, and just “A”? How much energy could we all save, just by switching down one grade? Are artifact loan agreement climate requirements consistent, or is there room for improvement?

Roger Chang (Principal, Buro Happold) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “Rethinking Climate Control in Museums”.

Along the way: Jackie Kennedy, root cellars, and a wooly mammoth.

Talking Points:

1. Why 70 degrees?
2. Does it have to be the premier system?
3. Reconsider those loan agreements.
4. Knitting at the Renwick
5. Don’t fight the building.
6. “Fun Puzzles”
7. Look in all directions.
8. K.I.S.S.: Keep It Simple Sustainably.

How to Listen:

Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311

Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G

Everywhere
https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/

Guest Bio:

Roger Chang has over two decades of building engineering experience and currently leads the MEP team within Buro Happold’s Washington DC office. He has significant experience with complex cultural, education, civic, and government projects, including two AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) Top 10 winners. Roger regularly presents at architecture and engineering schools on integrated design, including at the Catholic University of America School of Architecture. He has presented and authored papers on high-performance design, including at Greenbuild, AIA, ASHRAE, and AAM conferences. He has a special interest in the intersection of façade engineering and building systems. He is a strong proponent of adaptive reuse and modernization projects and has worked on a significant number of buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. He was recognized in 2020 as an ASHRAE Fellow.

About MtM:

Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com

Show Links:

Roger by email: Roger.Chang@burohappold.com
Roger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/changkey
Buro Happold on the web: https://www.burohappold.com

MtM Show Contact:

https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger
alger@cgpartnersllc.com
https://www.cgpartnersllc.com

Newsletter:

Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com

What if chaos in cultural projects is something to embrace, not fear?

Can chaos theory give us new insights about how to manage complex work? Are we advocates for the owner of a project, or for the project itself? What are the three things upon which the success or failure of a project depends? Sometimes, is it better to let a few things change, rather than fight those changes for even longer? Museum staff are rarely experts in managing building projects or large exhibition productions. Why would we expect them to be? And how can we help?

Jon Maass (Director, MAASS) joins host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss "Embracing Chaos".

Along the way: high-performance buildings, that word “program” again, and whether projects need overseers, therapists or cheerleaders.

Talking Points:

1. Chaos theory studies things that are impossible to predict.
2. Museum projects are chaotic and that’s a good thing.
3. A project is a cultural exercise, with its own diverse culture.
4. Museum owners are not built to build buildings.
5. Teams who excel at museum projects are rare.
6. Change during the process is inevitable, so embrace it.

How to Listen:

Apple Podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311

Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1G

Everywhere
https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/

Guest Bios:

Jon Maass is an architect, builder and maker of things. His history of designing and building structures informs and supports his work as an owner’s representative, helping numerous cultural institutions realize new mission-driven projects and restore important cultural touchstones. His work is process driven, emphasizing proper planning at the project’s outset and relentless pursuit of its stated goals. Jon received degrees from the University of Michigan and the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York, where he was amongst the first recipients of the Menschel Fellowship. His creative history began in the theater where we he designed and built stage sets for numerous Off- Broadway and Off-off Broadway shows throughout New York’s East Village. He continues to teach at Cooper Union, helping young architects understand how to navigate the design and construction process toward making exceptional buildings.

About MtM:

Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture. Learn about the firm's creative work at: https://www.cgpartnersllc.com

Show Links:

MAASS on the web: https://www.maass.works

MAASS by phone: +1-917-578-0190

Jon Maass by email: jm@maass.works

MtM Show Contact:

https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contact
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalger
alger@cgpartnersllc.com
https://www.cgpartnersllc.com

Newsletter:

Like the episode? Try the newsletter. Making the Museum is also a one-minute email on exhibition planning and design for museum leaders, exhibition teams and visitor experience professionals. Subscribe here: https://www.makingthemuseum.com