Beyond the Galleries: Systems, Space, and Where I Begin

Throughout this seminar, I moved through museums as spaces of design, interpretation, and public engagement. I paid close attention to how exhibitions are shaped, how stories are constructed, how visitors are invited in, and how meaning emerges through objects and space.

But on this final day, something changed.

The focus shifted from what museums “show”… to what sustains them.
From institutions… to my place within them.

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History - The Rotunda, anchored by the African Bush Elephant, the largest mounted specimen of the world’s largest living land animal, where scale, architecture, and encounter set the tone for the museum experience.

At the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, the conversation with Sara Cronan, Advancement Specialist at the NMNH, expanded to scale. What began historically as a single institution has evolved into a vast, interconnected system. A system where advancement, fundraising, and donor strategy are not peripheral operations, but central to how large museums function. Behind every exhibition is an infrastructure of relationships, resources, and long-term planning that visitors rarely see.

Later, at the DC History Center, that same reality appeared from a very different perspective; smaller in scale, but no less complex. Listening to Autumn Kalikan, the collections manager, reaffirmed how deeply layered this work can be. Collections are not static; they are inherited systems shaped by decades of decisions, limitations, and evolving practices. Every role builds not only on what we do now, but on what others did before us, often with different tools, priorities, and knowledge. I’m pretty sure that alot of museum professionals, or any professional, could relate to that!

Shared Challenges Across Institutions

In here, the contrast between institutions was clear. One operates with global reach and extensive resources. The other works within tighter constraints, negotiating space, staffing, and visibility. And yet, the core challenges were remarkably similar:

  • Both depend on fundraising and grants.

  • Both struggle with space (whether expanding or consolidating).

  • Both must balance the mission across all practices.

The former Carnegie Library, now home to the DC History Center—operates within a shared building alongside Apple, reflecting layered histories and evolving uses of space.
Right: Anne McDonough, Deputy Director, explains how exhibition design balances narrative, interaction, and spatial constraints in Washington, DC: A Magnet for Black Excellence.

Even exhibitions reflect these realities. As Anne McDonough, Deputy Director at the DC History Center, design decisions were shaped as much by funding requirements and spatial limitations as by interpretive goals. Interactivity, flexibility (with most display cases, objects, and furniture on wheels), and even the absence of original objects were not only creative choices but also strategic ones, allowing the space to transform into an event space at any given moment. A similar strategy was employed by the Planet Word Museum, which I visited yesterday. One of its largest galleries showcases an enormous 3D digital globe that can be converted into a grand salon by retracting this centerpiece, allowing the 12-foot diameter sphere to transform into a chandelier to accommodate events. Once again, adaptability and clever use of space are emphasized.

So, what became evident is that museums are not defined by size, but by how they navigate constraints. How they adapt and how they evolve...

In many ways, this brought me back to the beginning of the seminar, when we first discussed museums operating within broader systems shaped by uncertainty, change, and volatility. At that point, those systems felt distant (conditions institutions had to navigate). Now, they feel closer and more immediate, revealing themselves not only in how museums function, but in how we begin to position ourselves within them.

When Systems Become Personal

Adaptation and evolution unfold not only at the institutional level, but also in our personal and professional lives. And here, a quiet but meaningful connection emerged, mirroring, in some ways, the cherry blossoms unfolding across D.C. as I write this: gradual, seasonal, and impossible to rush.

This idea came into sharper focus during the final conversation of the day, a career talk with Greg Stevens, seminar assistant, and career coaching practice at Purple Cow Career & Talent Development, which brought everything into a more personal register. If museums are complex systems, then careers within them are equally non-linear. Paths are shaped by values, opportunities, and, often, uncertainty. There is no single trajectory, only a process of aligning what we care about with where we can contribute.

Collage of cherry blossom buds in Washington, D.C., paired with a quote by Charles Darwin and his bronze sculpture at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, connecting themes of growth, evolution, and change.

“Life evolves in response to a changing Earth.” —Charles Darwin
Between the early bloom of cherry blossoms and Darwin at the NMNH, evolution feels both visible and personal; an unfolding process shaped by time, context, and change.

Where I Begin...

Over the past couple of weeks, I have entered museums thinking primarily as an exhibit designer, focused on content, space, narrative, and visitor experience. I leave thinking more broadly. Not only about what exhibitions communicate, but also about the systems that make them possible: collections, funding, infrastructure, institutional decision-making, and, last but not least, the vast cross-functional system of museum staff that makes everything possible.

At the same time, this experience did not give me a fully defined path. If anything, it made me more aware of its complexity. What it did offer was something quieter, but perhaps more valuable: a way of seeing where I might begin to position myself within this field.

As someone interested in exhibition design, accessibility, and interpretive planning, I find myself drawn to the intersections: where design meets care, where storytelling meets responsibility, and where visitor experience is shaped not only by what is visible, but by the systems behind it.

Building meaningful museum experiences is not only about what we create. It is about understanding (and contributing to) the structures that sustain them. And perhaps this is not a final answer, but a starting point.

What comes next? Let’s see...or better yet, let’s build something together.

Big Thanks to:

Sara Cronan, Advancement Specialist | Smithsonian NMNH
Anne McDonough, Deputy Director | Smithsonian NMNH
Autumn Kalikan, Collections Manager | DC History Center
Karen Wizevich, Instructor | Johns Hopkins University
Greg Stevens, Instructor | Johns Hopkins University

Designing Access: What Museums Reveal in Practice

From Interaction to Intention: Planet Word Museum

At Planet Word Museum, our conversation with Jennifer (Jen) Gambione, Senior Manager of Curatorial Affairs, revealed a museum shaped by deep research, modular design, and constant evaluation.

As we moved through the galleries, what at first felt playful (voice activation, storytelling, immersive language experiences) quickly revealed itself as something much more carefully constructed. The interactives are engaging and often delightful, but they are not there just for novelty. They are built to support literacy across ages, interests, and different learning styles. Diversity and inclusion were cleverly marked by experiences with different languages around the world, or by the ways American English was shaped by those influences.

An interactive journey through global languages at Planet Word, where sound, meaning, and connection come to life.

What I found especially meaningful was Jen’s openness about the museum’s ongoing evaluation process. She spoke about questions that continue to shape the work: What are visitors actually using? Where do they linger, and where do they move on? How can content be updated or expanded without redesigning the entire museum?

This made me think about accessibility not as a finished feature, but as something active, observed, tested, and continuously refined. Planet Word clearly operates with that mindset. Still, gaps remain: limited Braille, evolving audio description, and moments where discovery-based interactives may leave some visitors unsure how to engage.

Interactivity alone does not guarantee inclusion. A museum can be immersive and visually compelling, and still require intentional access planning.

Accessibility as Culture, Not Just Compliance

That idea deepened at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, where Vanessa Jones, from the museum's Access Programs, reframed accessibility as part of institutional culture, not just compliance.

Rather than a binary approach (accessible or not), she described a spectrum. Accessibility is not only about accommodation but also about representation: who is visible, who is considered, and how people move, learn, and experience space.

This includes practical decisions (clear labels, readable typography, and thoughtful spatial layout), but also deeper ones: ensuring disability is present within collections and narratives.

One idea resonated strongly: accessibility should not be the sole responsibility of one department. It should be carried out across the museum as a shared responsibility. As a designer, this aligns deeply with my thinking. Accessibility is not an add-on; it is a way of designing from the beginning.

Vanessa also clarified an important distinction. Universal design often suggests one solution for all, while inclusive design allows for multiple entry points. A tactile installation, for example, may support visitors with low vision while also engaging children and tactile learners. Accessibility, in this sense, expands how everyone connects.

Planning as an Institutional Practice

Another key thread throughout the day was planning.

At Planet Word, planning allows exhibitions to remain somewhat “flexible,” revisable, and responsive. At the Portrait Gallery, accessibility must be considered early, otherwise it becomes reactive rather than embedded.

This idea continued in our conversation with Im Chan, conservator at the Portrait Gallery. Conservation may seem like a different conversation at first (as a very specialized practice), but that work is also tied to institutional planning. Conservation follows curatorial priorities, exhibition schedules, and long-term preparation. Work often happens years before the public sees the result.

Open Storage and Creative Access

At the Luce Foundation Center, part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, we encountered a different kind of access.

Through open storage and a scavenger-hunt activity, visitors navigate the collection independently. The experience is less guided, less fixed, and more self-directed.

I wouldn’t define this as accessibility in the same direct sense as earlier conversations, but it offers another form of access, one based on curiosity, autonomy, and approachability. The collection feels less distant, less controlled, and more open to personal discovery.

A Personal Lens: Accessibility as Horizontal Practice

As someone interested in exhibition design, interpretation, and visitor experience, I also see accessibility as a horizontal practice, embedded across the entire process.

It shapes how spaces are organized, how stories are framed, and how visitors move and engage. Once you begin to see through this lens, inclusion becomes impossible to ignore. It does not limit a museum; it expands its reach, strengthens its mission, and deepens its connection with the public.

Accessibility, then, is not an added responsibility. It is part of the institution’s core purpose.

Big thanks to:

Jennifer (Jen) Gambione, Senior Manager of Curatorial Affairs | Planet Word
Sarah Ross, Tour Coordination | Planet Word
Vanessa Jones, Access Programs | National Portrait Gallery
Im Chan, Conservator | National Portrait Gallery
Jessica McFadden, Program Coordinator | Smithsonian American Art Museum

Carrying Culture Across Borders

Today’s visits across Washington, DC, to the Korean Cultural Center, Tudor Place Historic House & Garden, and Mt. Zion Cemetery, led me somewhere I was not expecting. What began as an exploration of cultural programming, historic interpretation, and preservation gradually unfolded into a more personal reflection on what it means to carry culture, memory, and professional identity across borders.

This tension, between what is maintained and what is nearly lost, shaped my understanding of cultural work across these sites. Each, in very different ways, revealed that culture does not move forward on its own. It is carried through institutions, through communities, and through people.

Cultural Diplomacy and Recognition

“Transcending Boundaries” at the Korean Cultural Center; featuring works by Kim Min Jeong, Park Jae Young, and Hwang Nam Kyu

At the Korean Cultural Center, conversations around programming and outreach revealed a form of cultural work that felt unexpectedly familiar. Listening to Ji-eun Yun, External Affairs Specialist at the Korean Cultural Center, and guest speaker Nicole Dowd, Head of Public Programs at the National Museum of Asian Art, and observing how partnerships and public engagement were structured, I recognized a professional language I had already learned to navigate. The coordination, the attention to diplomacy, the ability to connect audiences across cultures; these were not abstract concepts. They were practices I had once navigated daily.

For a moment, the distance between my past experience in Venezuela and my present academic path appeared smaller, almost continuous.

Reinterpreting the Historic House

Tudor Place Historic House & Garden, Washington, DC.

That sense of recognition shifted at Tudor Place, where we were guided by Amy Durbin (Director of Education), Shelby Stevenson (Visitor Services Manager), and Justice Finnett (Collections Manager). Their work made something immediately clear: this house is no longer simply about the Washington family legacy; it is about who built, sustained, and experienced that legacy, often without recognition.

Through the most recent exhibition, the narrative expands, centering enslaved persons like Hannah Pope, free Black communities, and immigrant workers alongside the Peter family. The house no longer tells a single story; it reveals a network of lives defined by power, labor, and inequality.

What stayed with me most was how objects were reframed. A punch bowl was no longer only decorative; it became evidence of global trade and systems of exploitation. A garment was not only preserved fabric, but a material trace of inheritance, memory, and even fragmentation. As Justice explained, these objects are not static; they carry histories of use, care, and labor, often by those whose names were not recorded.

Details of Tudor Place: objects, spaces, and traces of everyday life that reveal the unseen labor, care, and lives that shaped the house beyond its walls.

Memory as Resistance

At Mt. Zion Cemetery, that idea became even more direct. There, we met Lisa Fager, whose work reframes the site not simply as a burial ground, but as an active space of memory and resistance. She described cemeteries as “libraries,” places where stories are held, even when they are not immediately visible...That metaphor stayed with me.

Unlike the structured narratives of museums, this “library” requires effort to read. Many of its stories, of enslaved and free Black individuals, have been overlooked or erased over time. Yet through advocacy, preservation, and community engagement, they have been recovered and are becoming legible again.

Standing there, looking over the hill at the well-organized Oak Hill “white” Cemetery, it became clear that memory does not survive automatically. It survives because someone insists on it.

Mt. Zion Cemetery, a “library of memory,” where each gravestone is a book to be read, some with intact covers, others with broken pages, yet all holding histories that refuse to be forgotten. — Lisa Fager, Executive Director, Black Georgetown Foundation

Carrying Knowledge Across Contexts

What began as a series of visits evolved, unexpectedly, into a reflection on professional identity. Migration often creates the impression of discontinuity, of having to rebuild, to reposition, to adapt. But what I encountered across these sites suggested something more precise: not a loss of knowledge, but a shift in its visibility.

Cultural institutions rely on more than collections and exhibitions. They depend on people who can connect contexts, navigate differences, and make meaning accessible across boundaries. In that sense, carrying culture is not only what these institutions do; it is also what we, as individuals moving across contexts, learn to do.

Big Thanks to:

Nicole Dowd, Head of Public Programs | National Museum of Asian Art
Ji-eun Yun, External Affairs Specialist | Korean Cultural Center
Amy Durbin, Director of Education | Tudor Place Historic House & Garden,
Shelby Stevenson, Visitor Services Manager | Tudor Place Historic House & Garden,
Justice Finnett, Collections Manager | Tudor Place Historic House & Garden,
Lisa Fager, Executive Director | Black Georgetown Foundation

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