Here is will be a practical guide based on deep research that helps art museum educators understand the role and value of spaces designed for families and helps them to create dedicated spaces for intergenerational play and learning.

Families are a critical audience for art museums and museums use many different strategies for reaching families, such as special family days and festivals, workshops, special tours, family backpacks and gallery guides, in-gallery materials or demonstration carts, and specific family galleries.

Here is a practical guide based on research that helps art museum educators understand the role and value of spaces designed for families and helps them to create dedicated spaces for intergenerational play and learning.

This book features insights, best practices, and lessons learned from years of experience in creating dedicated spaces for families in a wide range of art museums. Through case studies, in-depth stories, and engaging graphics and images this book identifies key issues that museum professionals need to consider when developing family spaces in museums.

This book is a how-to guide to creating or updating an interactive family space. Everything you need to know, soup to nuts, from understanding your audience to hiring a designer and opening your doors to the public is here.

Each section is situated within groundbreaking visitor research findings and how museum educators have used those findings to better understand the family audience and develop fun, safe, inclusive, spaces that inspire wonder and curiosity, as well as places for meaning-making and family bonding, all in the service of creating loyal and committed museum visitors.

Acknowledgements

Foreword

Preface

Chapter 1: Know Your Audience

What is a Family?

Families in Museums

Family Learning in Interactive Spaces in Art Museums

Your Turn

Chapter 2: Values Matter

Are Art Museums Essential to Families?

Are Families Essential to Art Museums?

Your Turn

Chapter 3: Stop, Look, Listen

Time Spent

General Patterns of Use

Relationship of Interactive Gallery to the Larger Museum Visit

Connections at Home & Long After

Your Turn

Chapter 4: Walk the Talk

Frist Art Museum Martin ArtQuest Gallery: Case Study

High Museum of Art Greene Family Learning Gallery: Case Study

The Mint Museum Lewis Family Gallery and Speed Art Museum ArtSparks: Case Study

Chapter 5: Get Started

Are You Ready to Create Amazing Family Spaces?

Now Make Definite plans!

Afterword

Appendix A: Sample Vision & Intention Statement for the Greene Family Learning Gallery, 2018

Appendix B: Sample Request For Proposal for Outside Designers

Appendix C: Checklist of Tasks for Development of Interactive Family Spaces

Appendix D: Sample Heat Map for Balancing Family Gallery Activities

Appendix E: Sample Experience Matrix

About the Authors