What is a museum? The question may seem simple enough, but when you consider the many different types of museums and cultural institutions and what their roles in society are and should be, the question becomes more complex. Join us for a lively Pechakucha-style presentation and discussion on this topic. Three speakers will each present their view on what a museum is, advancing quickly through their slides as they do so. There will be time after the presentations for rousing conversation and debate among attendees.
Food and drink are available to purchase through National Mechanics.
Moderated by Katie Sorenson, Director of Outreach & Communications at the Museum for Art in Wood.
Presenters:
Monica O. Montgomery is a thought leader, consultant, and professor operating at the nexus of culture, equity and education. She serves as a scholar and advisor for leaders and a creative milieu of museums, associations, historical and humanities councils, non profits, universities and museums on community engagement and DEI initiatives championing ecologies of promise.
Known for curating social justice exhibits (Museum of Impact) and founding diversity initiatives (Museum Hue), over the last 2 decades she has served as an executive director (3x), fundraiser, marketer, project manager, and educator. Her career credits include a TedX talk , SXSW plenary,and over 40+ curated contemporary art and public history exhibits with renowned organizations like the South African Embassy, Brooklyn Museum, Portland Art Museum, Community Art Center, Teachers College, T Thomas Fortune Cultural Center, The New School, The National Trust for Historic Preservation, Weeksville Heritage Center, The Highline and more. Throughout the pandemic she served as Curator of Social Justice and Special Programs for the FUTURES exhibition, at Smithsonian Arts & Industries, organizing an interactive exhibit of art, technology and history to celebrate the Smithsonian Institutions 175th Anniversary.
She is proud to invest in the next generation as a graduate adjunct professor with: University of the Arts, and past professor at American University, Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University, Pratt Institute and NYU. She has media appearances on CBS, NBC, Fox, C-Span, PBS Newshour, The Washington Post, Smithsonian Magazine, Humans of New York, Hyperallergic and Radio One. She holds a Bachelors of Arts in Broadcast Communication from Temple University and Masters of Arts in Corporate Communication from LaSalle University, and graduated from Oxford Cultural Leaders program. She serves on the boards of Monument Lab (Vice Chair), PA Museums Association, The Museum Council of Greater Philadelphia, Penn Museum Community Advisory Board, Philly 250 Community Advisory Board. Additionally she stewards the Montgomery collection an archive of black history, ephemera and art and resides in the suburbs of Philadelphia with her family.
Rachel Kiskaddon is currently the Manager of Inquiry-Based Programs at the Please Touch Museum. Rachel previously worked at the American Swedish Historical Museum, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Paul W. Zuccaire Gallery, and has volunteered at the Academy of Natural Sciences. Prior to her work in museum education, Rachel taught preschool and managed the afterschool program at Eurokids Learning Center. Rachel received her BA in Art History and Anthropology from Stony Brook University in 2016 and earned her MA in Museum Education at the University of the Arts in 2020. In her graduate thesis, Building Bridges Between Art Museums & Their Communities: Strategies for Effective Community Engagement, Rachel researched and discussed initiatives for museums to create welcoming spaces for community members and increase engagement.
Chase Dougherty is the Gretchen Hupfel Curator of Contemporary Art at The Delaware Contemporary where she has been collaboratively exploring how to engage audiences with contemporary artistic practice, materials, and content in order to increase relevance and resonance. She received her BA in Art History from Sonoma State University and her MFA in Museum Exhibition Design and Planning from The University of the Arts. As both an exhibition designer and a curator, she aims to more seamlessly immerse the two fields to construct more meaningful art experiences.