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The Art EngagerMaster the art of meaningful engagement in museums and cultural spaces Author: Claire Bown
The Art Engager Podcast with Claire Bown is your go-to resource for creating engaging experiences in museums and cultural spaces. Explore practices that deepen connections with art, objects, people and ideas. Learn techniques to spark curiosity, foster dialogue, and transform how you engage with your audience. Each episode offers practical insights to enhance your skills and bring your museum experiences to life. Language: en Genres: Arts, Education, Visual Arts Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Reimagining Guided Experiences at Historic Sites
Episode 164
Wednesday, 1 April, 2026
What does it take to guide visitors through histories that are genuinely contested and emotionally charged? In this episode, I'm joined by Brandon Dillard, Director of Historic Interpretation and Audience Engagement at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, and Kelsie Paul, Director of Learning and Visitor Experience at the Frick Pittsburgh, to explore how both institutions have reimagined their guided experiences in response to the complicated legacies of their central historical figures.We talk about the long evolution of interpretation at Monticello, from the site's earliest tours to the integration of slavery and the story of Sally Hemings into the core narrative. Kelsie shares the process behind the Frick's "Gilded, Not Golden" tour - a ground-up redesign of Clayton's 30-year-old house tour that involved consultants, an advisory board, difficult internal conversations and a willingness to start from scratch.We also dig into what it means to support guides doing this work: hiring for empathy, investing in training, facilitating ongoing dialogue, and empowering guides to be facilitators rather than lecturers. And we reflect on the civic role of historic sites in a polarised moment, including how Monticello is approaching the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.Whether you're working at a historic house, leading tours in any kind of museum or cultural space, or thinking about how to hold space for complexity in your guided programmes, I think you'll find a great deal to take away from this conversation.The Art Engager is written and presented by Claire Bown. Editing is by Matt Jacobs and Claire Bown. Music by Richard Bown. Support on PatreonEpisode Links:LinkedIn Kelsie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelsie-paul-39561b199/Frick website: www.thefrickpittsburgh.orgFrick Instagram: @frickpittsburghRecent article on Clayton: https://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/places-we-love-clayton/LinkedIn Brandon: www.linkedin.com/in/brandonmdillardMonticello website: https://www.monticello.org/Monticello Instagram: @tjmonticelloShow Links:✨ If you've enjoyed this episode, please consider supporting The Art Engager on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheArtEngagerOr pick up a copy of my book, The Art Engager, for step-by-step guidance on creating meaningful, interactive guided experiences https://www.theartengager.com/Buy it here on Amazon.com: https://tinyurl.com/buytheartengager
