By Brad King, Vice President, Management Consultancy, Lord Cultural Resources

Are collections still at the heart of museums? If so, will that continue to be true in the future, and in what ways?

This issue of Cultural Capital examines the changing definitions and uses of ‘collections’ from traditional artifacts, artworks and specimens to those representing intangible heritage and living collections. We explore the issue of relevance and whether collections are still as central to institutions as they were in the past – and whether they will remain so in the future. And we look at these questions in the context of established institutions holding major collections and new institutions aspiring to develop them. To do so, we have asked some leaders in the field about these issues from the point of view of their own museums.

Both the definitions and uses for collections have been expanding. Although art museums still present works of art for sheer aesthetic pleasure, the diagram on the right presents a broad range of options for science, history and natural history museums, with one axis considering the spectrum of interpretive approaches, and other the array of collection types from intangible to tangible. More traditional methods are found in the lower right-hand section, where interpretation tends to emphasize tangible collections used in didactic ways. Newer approaches are represented by the upper left-hand side of the diagram, where more interactivity and direct engagement with the visitor and less emphasis on tangible collections is the rule.

Along with changes in the ways collections are defined and used, there are ongoing changes in collection development practices. The enormous cost and effort of developing a ‘traditional’ collection – and the heavy cost of ongoing management and care – means that many new museums approach the issue very carefully indeed. The decision to collect is never taken lightly, and even when the answer is ‘yes’, acquisitions are often intended for display only.

But this does not necessarily mean that collections are becoming less relevant. As we will see, all of the contributors to this issue are involved in re-visioning existing institutions or creating completely new ones, and their articles focus on how collections (however the term may be defined) can support their institution’s mission. Mission is the key, and as institutional missions evolve, so too does the understanding and use of their collections.

Consistent with the environmental education mission of the Miami Museum of Science, collections there are used as vehicles of engagement with current events. Gillian Thomas has led an effort to expand and relocate this museum with emphasis on living collections as bridges between people and contemporary issues relating to our natural environment. Relevance, engagement, interactivity and education – all of these adjectives apply in this case as this longestablished institution repositions itself for the 21st century.

Some cultural institutions are broadening their definitions to include a stronger emphasis on intangible collections. Judith Dueck’s article about the Canadian Museum for Human Rights illustrates this dynamic new museum’s focus on ‘stories’ as collection resources, supported as well by historical objects, works of art, and archival materials. Again the Museum’s mission to educate and engage visitors in human rights issues drives the ways in which the collections are used and defined.

Collections can be weapons in the fight against ignorance, irrationality and intolerance. Current events will not allow us to forget that myths, half-truths and outright falsehoods are often difficult to eradicate. Stephanie Nolen and Ngaire Blankenberg in their article on the Museum of AIDS in Africa and Howard Dodson in his piece on the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture touch on this important theme. For both institutions, collections are understood as a bulwark – in one case against misunderstandings relating to the human immunodeficiency virus, and the other against resurgent racism. Facts and evidence still matter – indeed, they are more important than ever in these days of ‘culture wars’ and polarized debate.

In all of these cases, the institutional mission is crucial. As missions evolve – as museums focus on contemporary issues, search for ways to make themselves continually relevant, and seek to engage visitors and encourage them to explore their personal creativity – they will find creative ways of building collections and using existing resources. And they will continue to tap into the enduring power of the authentic, whether represented tangibly or intangibly.