Mohamad Faizuan Bin Mat, Hasnul Jamal Saidon, Sarah Naemah Aman Leong
{"title":"Co-Creation Art as Curatorial Method: A Case Study of the Bin 2.0 Art Exhibition","authors":"Mohamad Faizuan Bin Mat, Hasnul Jamal Saidon, Sarah Naemah Aman Leong","doi":"10.1111/cura.70053","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cura.70053","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study examines co-creation art as a curatorial method through a case study of <i>The Bin 2.0 Art Exhibition</i>, a community-based initiative involving youth participants from Kampung Muhibbah, Sarawak Malaysia community, curators, artists from FACA Art Gallery and Aftermath Thinker collective. Guided by the Value of Co-creation Model—co-experience, co-definition, co-elevation, and co-development—the research investigates collaborative dynamics in art-making and curatorial practice. Adopting a qualitative case study approach informed by phenomenological inquiry, data were collected through participatory observation, documentation, and reflective accounts of participants. The study aims to (1) extend current understandings of contemporary curatorial practice through co-creation; (2) critically examine the applicability of co-creation as a theoretical framework for sustainable community-art based practices; and (3) analyze the lived experiences of participants within collaborative curatorial processes. The project resulted in six co-created artworks, foregrounding process-based practice over object-based outcomes. Findings indicate that co-creation reconfigures conventional hierarchies between artist, curator, and community, fostering shared authorship, increased accessibility, and situated meaning-making. The study contributes to the discourse on socially engaged art by demonstrating how co-creation can function as a viable curatorial methodology that supports sustainability and cultural value production in community-driven contexts.</p>","PeriodicalId":10791,"journal":{"name":"Curator: The Museum Journal","volume":"69 4","pages":"581-593"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/cura.70053","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149125891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Héctor Navarro-Güere, Jesica Menéndez-Signorini, Maria Forga-Martel
{"title":"The Discourse of Equality in Spanish Museums. How Social Media Communicate International Women's Day","authors":"Héctor Navarro-Güere, Jesica Menéndez-Signorini, Maria Forga-Martel","doi":"10.1111/cura.70049","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cura.70049","url":null,"abstract":"<p>International Women's Day on March 8th is an arena for discourse in contemporary Spain, highlighted by intra-feminist tension and ideological polarization. In their role as sociocultural mediators, museums construct narratives of gender equality. Through discourse analysis, this study scrutinizes the digital strategies used by Spanish museums on various platforms during 8 M (the Spanish acronym for 8 de marzo, or IWD). The empirical findings indicate that women clearly share the foreground nowadays, yet their representation continues to reproduce patriarchal iconographies due to a lack of critical, feminist discernment, along with indiscriminate content dissemination on platforms. Addressing these issues requires the use of intersectional narrative frameworks, platform-tailored dissemination strategies, and inter-institutional partnerships in order to enhance the transformative potential of museums.</p>","PeriodicalId":10791,"journal":{"name":"Curator: The Museum Journal","volume":"69 4","pages":"546-561"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/cura.70049","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149125882","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jessica J. Luke, Kami Lee Chesnut, Ash Gingery, Yanyue Guan, Shizheng Miao, Emily Shields, Lucas Terry, Marcela Velandia-Pirazan, Allison Bramblett, Jamie Fontana, Makayla Fry, McKenna Johnson, Erika Krause, Lauren Krieger, Wilson Lam, Mariel Lees, Marley Salgado Smith, Polly Yorioka, Michael Zamudio
{"title":"More Inspired, Less Anxious: Well-Being Impacts of a Self-Directed Art Museum Visit","authors":"Jessica J. Luke, Kami Lee Chesnut, Ash Gingery, Yanyue Guan, Shizheng Miao, Emily Shields, Lucas Terry, Marcela Velandia-Pirazan, Allison Bramblett, Jamie Fontana, Makayla Fry, McKenna Johnson, Erika Krause, Lauren Krieger, Wilson Lam, Mariel Lees, Marley Salgado Smith, Polly Yorioka, Michael Zamudio","doi":"10.1111/cura.70042","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cura.70042","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Increasingly, art museums are seen as places that can support human flourishing. We describe a quasi-experimental investigation of the impacts of a self-directed art museum visit on adults' subjective well-being. Data were collected from 363 adults at three art museums in Seattle, WA. Participants spent 60 min in the museum galleries. Researchers measured well-being before and after their gallery experience, interviewing participants to collect both quantitative data through the Museum Well-Being Measures Toolkit and qualitative data through open-ended reflections on their feelings during their visit. Results show that after visiting the art museum, adults felt significantly more inspired and significantly less irritable and nervous. Well-being impacts differed according to personal factors, including age, social group, relationship to the area, and art museum identity. People attributed changes in their inspiration to the artwork and changes in their irritation and nervousness to the museum environment or to factors outside the museum's control. Findings have implications for research and practice related to the role of art museums in fostering well-being.</p>","PeriodicalId":10791,"journal":{"name":"Curator: The Museum Journal","volume":"69 4","pages":"507-516"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/cura.70042","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149125790","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kelly L. Hoke, Martin Storksdieck, Kelly Riedinger, Jessica J. Luke, Jennifer Rehkamp
{"title":"InterPLAY: A Framework to Describe Play and STEM Engagement at Exhibits for Young Children","authors":"Kelly L. Hoke, Martin Storksdieck, Kelly Riedinger, Jessica J. Luke, Jennifer Rehkamp","doi":"10.1111/cura.70040","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cura.70040","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Play-based STEM learning at exhibits is a feature of children's museums and science centers; yet little is known about how these exhibits support young children's STEM engagement. This study developed and tested the interPLAY Framework to describe play-based STEM engagement at exhibits for young children. Building upon previous literature on play-based STEM learning, a framework was drafted and tested at 11 museums and science centers, with 319 structured observations. Observations were coded for types of play, STEM practices, and adult facilitation. Play was observed in 93% of visits, and play types were positively correlated with STEM practices (<i>r</i> = 0.42, <i>p</i> < 0.001). Adult facilitation significantly increased children's time at exhibits and STEM engagement. The interPLAY Framework provides museum professionals with an evidence-based tool to reflect on and design exhibits that embed STEM phenomena in meaningful play experiences.</p>","PeriodicalId":10791,"journal":{"name":"Curator: The Museum Journal","volume":"69 4","pages":"489-506"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/cura.70040","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149125908","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Understanding the Range and Impact of Visitor Experiences at Science Museums","authors":"Jan Packer","doi":"10.1111/cura.70048","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cura.70048","url":null,"abstract":"<p>While the core mission of science museums is to provide engaging learning experiences that promote scientific literacy among the visiting public, attention has recently been focused on the wide range of visitor experiences that surround and support visitor learning. This paper provides a visitor perspective on the experiences elicited by science museums, and explores the links between visitor experiences, satisfaction, learning and other well-being outcomes. Surveys were administered to 688 visitors at three science museums in the USA and Australia; 378 of these also completed a follow-up survey 4 weeks later. Comparative data were collected from 206 zoo visitors to aid interpretation of findings. The visitor experience at the participating science museums was characterized by Engagement, Awe, Appreciation of Beauty, and Reflection. Awe in particular was an important precursor of learning and well-being outcomes. Visitors' free-text comments provide insights into the ways different experiences can be facilitated through exhibit design.</p>","PeriodicalId":10791,"journal":{"name":"Curator: The Museum Journal","volume":"69 4","pages":"531-545"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/cura.70048","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149125883","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Exploring the Potential of “La Scienza Nell'arte” as an Approach to Science Through Art","authors":"Camilli Francesca, Marchi Valentina","doi":"10.1111/cura.70052","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cura.70052","url":null,"abstract":"<p>European policies and academic research are striving to bridge the gap between the humanities and sciences as interconnected fields. This paper analyses how science can be approached through art by exploring the Italian “La scienza nell'arte” initiative. Eight webinars guided people in observing figurative artworks through the lens of different scientific disciplines. The results integrated content analysis of material from the Internet regarding art and science events, with findings elaborated from a survey and semi-structured interviews conducted with the public. The results highlight the need to promote initiatives of this type by strengthening interdisciplinary research and improving collaborations among stakeholders at different institutional and societal levels. Facilitating dialogue between art and science by looking at works of art also from a scientific perspective can generate new knowledge to support the development of museum tools to promote art while also disseminating science.</p>","PeriodicalId":10791,"journal":{"name":"Curator: The Museum Journal","volume":"69 4","pages":"571-580"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/cura.70052","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149125890","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Gender Attitudes Roles Evaluation in Collections-Based Organizations: Overcoming the Gender Bias","authors":"Mar Gaitán","doi":"10.1111/cura.70041","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cura.70041","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Collections-based organizations (CBOs) have historically been institutions that reinforce values and power structures including gender inequalities. However, in recent decades, feminism and critical theory have promoted significant changes in how CBOs address gender issues in their collections, exhibitions, and educational programmes. Nonetheless, many of these initiatives have not been evaluated, whereas those that are evaluated are scattered, and there is a lack of standardization in the field. This paper focuses on the rationale behind the evaluation of the Re-reading Collections Toolkit to address Sustainable Development Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. It compares the application of the Gender Roles Attitudes Scale (GRAS) test to CBOs with a qualitative evaluation. This initiative aims to provide credible evidence to demonstrate that CBOs can contribute significantly and measurably to integrating diverse gender perspectives in their daily actions and turn their sustainability aspirations and commitments into action.</p>","PeriodicalId":10791,"journal":{"name":"Curator: The Museum Journal","volume":"69 4","pages":"517-530"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/cura.70041","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149125878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Fostering Dialogue on AI Ethics and Biases Through an Issue-Based Traveling Exhibition","authors":"Dagmar Mercedes Heeg, Lucy Avraamidou","doi":"10.1111/cura.70038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cura.70038","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Discriminatory algorithms, unauthorized data use, and environmental costs show how artificial intelligence (AI) advancements are tied to larger sociopolitical issues. Through the design and pilot study of <i>AI Dilemmas</i>, an issue-based traveling exhibition, this qualitative case study explores fostering dialogue on such complex scientific concepts. The findings offer a conceptual design framework to intentionally design for dialogue. Through the pilot study, we observed continuous, on-topic engagement and dialogue among visitors, who shared personal AI experiences, prior knowledge, and opinions. The dialogues took various forms such as discussions, debate, question-and-answer, storytelling, and brainstorming, fostering a rich exchange of ideas and perspectives among visitors. The conclusions speak to the importance of intentional design through an issue-based approach to foster dialogue about contemporary socioscientific issues, such as AI ethics and biases.</p>","PeriodicalId":10791,"journal":{"name":"Curator: The Museum Journal","volume":"69 4","pages":"475-488"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/cura.70038","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149125845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Laycca Umer, Franklin Aucapina, Priya Mohabir, Katherine McMillan Culp
{"title":"Fostering Dialogue Among Community Stakeholders: A Museum-Based Case Study of Public Health Engagement","authors":"Laycca Umer, Franklin Aucapina, Priya Mohabir, Katherine McMillan Culp","doi":"10.1111/cura.70051","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cura.70051","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This article examines how museums have expanded their societal roles, particularly in fostering community engagement, a shift highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Once focused mainly on presenting established knowledge, museums now work to involve the public in exploring ideas that help them navigate a changing world. This evolution emphasizes the need for trust and inclusive dialogue, especially around sensitive issues. The pandemic exposed major public health inequities, particularly in communities of color, and pushed museums to respond to emerging community needs. This article presents a case study at the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) in which the museum engaged community stakeholders in structured dialogue about public health and community wellness following the COVID-19 pandemic. Positioned within broader conversations about museums' changing roles, it offers practical strategies for movement toward authentic engagement and for building long-term, collaborative relationships with community partners.</p>","PeriodicalId":10791,"journal":{"name":"Curator: The Museum Journal","volume":"69 4","pages":"603-612"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/cura.70051","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149125927","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Rethinking the Exhibition of Human Remains: A Bio-Psycho-Social-Spiritual Framework Integrating Death Studies, Death Education, and Terror Management Theory","authors":"Damiano Fina","doi":"10.1111/cura.70039","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cura.70039","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The exhibition of human remains represents one of the most debated issues in the contemporary field of museum studies. Although mummies, skeletons, and funerary assemblages have historically played a central role in archeological and anthropological research, their presentation to the public today raises ethical, cultural, and existential questions. This article brings Death Studies, Death Education, and Terror Management Theory into dialog in order to contribute to the debate on how to rethink the exhibition of human remains in museums. In particular, it introduces the Bio-Psycho-Social-Spiritual (BPSS) framework as a conceptual tool for interpreting encounters with the theme of death within the museum space. Through this perspective, the article suggests how the exhibition of human (and non-human) remains can be transformed into an opportunity for dialog and reflection on the theme of death, fostering the development of death literacy. The BPSS framework is proposed both as an analytical tool for interpreting existing displays and as a framework capable of guiding future curatorial choices, promoting awareness and critical reflection on the complex and multifaceted nature of death.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":10791,"journal":{"name":"Curator: The Museum Journal","volume":"69 4","pages":"465-474"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149125831","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}