Culture Lab Cooperative
Utilizing community-centered design and an immersive retreat experience to explore and design diverse cultural narratives for museums
The Challenge
The American Alliance of Museums Conference took place in New Orleans in May of 2019, and the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center (APAC) and Shift Collective wanted to find a way to bring local culture bearers who were not a part of the conference together with national thinkers in an authentic and intimate exploration of New Orleans culture and museology.
Our Approach
Shift Collective and APAC developed an engagement to take place prior to the conference, with an event during the conference for conference attendees and the general public. We researched and designed a 1.5 day tour and workshop to engage visiting national partners to contribute talent to local issues, connect local organizations into national discussions, and deepen connections with cultural heritage organizations across the United States. We also wanted to be sure that the time together would have meaningful design implications for future community-centered museum design, and focused on how one of the Louisiana State Museum’s buildings, Madame John’s Legacy, might be leveraged to tell the story of the many diverse ethnic populations of New Orleans and Southeast Louisiana.
Stats and Impacts
8 national cultural heritage professionals, 9 local cultural heritage professionals, 8 Smithsonian and Shift staff participated
While this was a national collaboration, the local community was an equal partner from design to execution, a key value in our work
Along with initial positive reviews from participants, both local and national participants sent emails and letters extolling the value and the impact the event had on their perspective to the cultural heritage field
National partners remarked how the event transformed the way they think about their work
Both local and national partners were deeply impressed by the tour locations, and commented that the experience changed the way they perceive Louisiana
APAC’s partnership with New Orleans Airlift and artist Christine Sun Kim resulted in a new permanent interactive exhibit in the Music Box Village, which was unveiled in a special event during the AAM conference
“Our team’s experience with the Cooperative has directly
influenced the plans for not only the future of Madame
John’s Legacy (MJL) but the museum’s other historic
sites as well. It has increased our focus on accessibility,
sensory experiences, and the power of storytelling.”
“I remember, and will always remember, the wind blowing over the choppy water and the feelings of being simultaneously heartbroken and in love.”
“The Culture Lab Cooperative was one of the most meaningful cultural experiences I’ve ever been a part of.”
Learn more about the Culture Lab Cooperative program on the archived website or download the full report
Partners
Research
Read the case study about Culture Lab Cooperative.