Museum People

Dan and Marieke get into the big museum issues and debate whether we’re stodgy or boring. “What do you wish people knew about museums?” Marieke asks her museum peeps. Bob Burns of the Mattatuck Museum describes the challenge of running a museum in an industrial city, how he’s helping drive downtown development and acting as a community resource.

Marieke questions museum workers about their greatest obstacles. Dan and Marieke ponder why museums are here and whether they deserve more money. Laurie Lamarre of the Institute for American Indian Studies talks about authenticity, empathy, diversity, and museums as social leaders.

NEMA Executive Director Dan Yaeger and Marieke Van Damme, director of the Cambridge Historical Society introduce themselves and the podcast. Marieke asks “Why do you love working with museums?” Alex Dunn of the Trustees of Reservations tells us why he’s optimistic about the future of museums.