Emily Holtrop

A museum education department is refining its docent-led tours with the tools of a research study. Photo credit: Cincinnati Art Museum. People often talk about going “from research to practice,” but in reality, this is fraught with challenges, not just among museums but in any field. One primary challenge is that research institutions operate in a realm of theories, hypotheses, and slow thinking, while museum practitioners operate in a quickly changing world that requires action.

What are the benefits of art museums to people? A question with so many answers. If you were a public administrator or official, you may say art museums support revenue growth, encourage participation rates across communities, or that they support K-12 academic test scores. While important, none of these data points address the meaning of art museums to individuals and communities.