John Ploof

This course explores current issues in museum education and audience engagement with an emphasis on implications for practice. Students will engage with concepts such as partnerships, accessibility, youth engagement, community outreach, public programming, and more. Students will also explore museum practice as it is shaped by legacies of colonialism, systemic racism, misogyny, and other forms of exclusion, in addition to addressing urgent questions about museums in the COVID era and beyond. Students will directly engage with museums in Chicago and elsewhere both remotely and in person (where safe and appropriate), and will regularly interact with practicing museum professionals, primarily at the Art Institute of Chicago. Discussions and projects will be supplemented and inspired by readings and other media, as well as museum visits and conversations with guest presenters. This course is based upon the premise that public cultural institutions must be seen as important sites for life-long and at-will learning (entertainment and pleasure). Along with libraries, public museums are one of our nation?s few institutions that offer all citizens access to essential opportunities and resources.