Interdisciplinary Collections Learning Center — Institutional Strategy
Graduate capstone proposal developed through the Johns Hopkins University Museum Studies DC Onsite Seminar.
Organization: Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, University of Oklahoma — Norman, Oklahoma
Project Type: Graduate Capstone | Institutional Strategy & Collections Learning Proposal
Framework developed from themes discussed during John Wetenhall’s seminar presentation at the George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum, March 11, 2026.
Challenge:
How might the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art activate more of its collection as a resource for teaching, research, student development, and public learning?
FJJMA already supports object-based teaching; the opportunity identified through this project was to expand collection access and activation through more structured pathways for learning, research, and public engagement.
Research & Benchmarking:
Institutional analysis, professional literature, conversations with museum professionals during the DC seminar, and benchmarking of university-museum models, including the George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum, the Smart Museum of Art, and the Blanton Museum of Art.
Strategy | From Existing Model to Proposed Infrastructure:
Proposed a scalable learning infrastructure connecting collection access, object-based teaching, research, public engagement, digital access, partnerships, and mission-aligned philanthropic opportunities.
Public Value & Regional Opportunity:
Limited access to arts education in parts of Oklahoma creates an opportunity for the proposed Learning Center to extend FJJMA’s educational role beyond the university. Partnerships with schools, rural communities, and community organizations could connect museum collections and learning resources with audiences who may have fewer opportunities for arts engagement. In this way, collection activation becomes not only an institutional strategy, but also a pathway toward broader educational access and public value.
Regional Context for Public Value — The framework connects gaps in arts-education access with potential partnerships that could expand learning opportunities, cultural participation, and the museum’s role as a regional educational resource. Diagram developed by Beatriz Mayorca.
Implementation & Evaluation:
The proposal follows a phased Pilot → Evaluate → Refine → Expand model. Front-end and formative evaluation are built into the implementation so that findings can guide operational adjustments, program refinement, and longer-term decisions.
Where It Could Grow:
The Learning Center was conceived as a scalable framework. Colored pathways represent components included in the initial proposal, while gray pathways show longer-term possibilities that could be tested and developed as the initiative evolves.
What this project demonstrates:
Institutional analysis · strategic synthesis · stakeholder thinking · collections activation · learning strategy · public value · accessibility/DEAI · funding considerations · evaluation · phased implementation