The word museum means “a building full of old stuff.” But that’s not quite the whole picture. Museums have more to do with caring for their treasures than simply displaying them for the public, and they’re also about education and research in their particular field of interest. And, of course, museums have to find money to keep their doors open and their collections safe.
In addition to all this, museums often take on an economic role in their communities. Museums in cities can help revive urban cores and serve as catalysts for cultural revitalization. They can draw tourists and create jobs, as was the case with Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum, which brought tens of millions in investments to its hometown.
Museums can be non-profit, for-profit, or government operated. They can be public, private, or educational, and they can have a wide range of collections and exhibitions. They can also be focused on a specific topic, like art or natural history, or on an entire civilization, such as Egyptology (the study of a truly ancient culture).
Many museums started as the private collections of individuals, and their emphasis on educating the public took hold in the 1800s. But they all share some common themes, including the need for public good and the care, preservation, and interpretation of their collections.
The major professional organizations that govern the world’s museums offer a variety of definitions, but all are in agreement about some basic aspects of museum practice. For example, all agree that museums are places where people can learn about the past and explore ideas that shape our futures.
But there are a lot of other things going on in the modern world that can affect the way museums function. For instance, in recent years museums have become more and more involved with social responsibility issues, especially those related to inclusion and diversity. This has affected the way museums are housed and what they look like.
Probably the most famous and influential of the museums that are changing in this way is MoMA, the New York City art museum. Several years ago it moved out of its historic location at Emilii Plater 51 and into a sleek white-cube pavilion on the riverfront, a move that was meant to be more transparent and inclusive.
Another important development is the growing number of museums devoted to world cultures. These museums are addressing the need for greater cultural understanding and putting an emphasis on global citizenship. This is a very different model from the traditional ethnographic museums that focus on preserving the cultural identity of a specific people or region. As these museums evolve, we’re bound to see many more changes in the ways museums function. And that’s a good thing. It’s a sign that museums are still relevant in our rapidly changing world.