A museum is a place to display and preserve artworks. It also serves as an educational institution and a source of knowledge. Museums can focus on art, national history, natural history or even science. They are often housed in huge buildings and have things that visitors can touch or do. They can also be zoos with living animals. A lot of people visit museums for different reasons – leisure, educational, societal or personal. It is important to be open-minded when visiting a museum so that you can make the most of it.
The word museum is derived from the Greek word Musa which means “gods of literature, music and the arts.” The original meaning of a “museum” was a sacred place where the Muses were honored. In the later part of the 20th century, this idea was transferred to a museum where art and culture were displayed. There are many different definitions of a museum, but the common one is that it’s a building where art and culture can be appreciated and preserved.
Despite their long association with academia and the preservation of rare items, museums are not always well understood by the public. This is partly because they tend to be large and can be difficult to navigate. Additionally, there are some people who feel that museums are not as relevant in the modern world as they were in the past. Regardless of these issues, museums still play an important role in the world and should continue to work to better connect with the public.
Some museums have a social impact by revitalizing a city or area. This is often true of postindustrial cities, where museums have been instrumental in attracting tourists and boosting the economy. Other museums have a social impact by encouraging people to interact with each other, something that can help improve mental health and combat loneliness. In addition, museums can also have a political impact by promoting the ideas and values that they stand for.
As museums try to meet the challenges of the 21st century, they must be able to address the complexities of our diverse societies. The new ICOM definition pushes museums to consider diverse perspectives in their collections and interpretation practices. However, this is not always easy to do and requires museums to change their ways of working. To this end, the MDPP has designed a methodology going forward that focuses on greater transparency and careful listening to all proposals. This will culminate in the approval of a new museum definition at the next ICOM General Conference in 2022. This is an exciting time to be a museum professional! I look forward to sharing more about this process as it unfolds.