I’ve been following a fantastic thread on Twitter for the past two days. Tagged #MuseumMemory, the project is the brainchild of the aptly-named museumnerd.
[Yes, I am completely jealous he/she selected the username before I could.]
By simply asking a question, museumnerd tapped into something elusive and nearly unquantifiable–what makes museums memorable.
Whether the memory is good or bad, it is to be celebrated. I would imagine that the worst thing for a museum is to be regarded with apathy. Even if they hate you, at least they are talking about you!
I have so far managed to resist boring the Twitterverse telling my entire museum history in 140 character vignettes, but it has opened a subconscious floodgate. Thinking back, it is apparent that a great number of my most memorable moments have museums tied to them. I led off a recent blog post with just such a recollection.
I can’t think of a vacation that I have taken as an adult that didn’t include a visit to at least one museum. In fact, some trips were just to see particular museum exhibitions. Luckily, my frequent travel partner is a willing accomplice, and his interests have led me to wonderful places. Following this conversation has invigorated me and I’m using the memories to add to my list of must-see museums!
What are your museum memories? Share them here or on Twitter.
EDIT: It occurred to me that I don’t know museumnerd’s gender, so to avoid bias (and making a fool out of myself) I removed the gender references! 😀
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