Museums and Communities: The Politics of Public Culture [Paperback]

Ivan Karp (Editor), Christine Mullen Kreamer (Editor), Steven Levine (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 17, 1992

Contributors to this volume examine and illustrate struggles and collaborations among museums, festivals, tourism, and historic preservation projects and the communities they represent and serve. Essays include the role of museums in civil society, the history of African-American collections, and experiments with museum-community dialogue about the design of a multicultural society.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This companion volume to Exhibiting Culture (Smithsonian Pr., 1991) contains a series of essays that illustrate both the struggles and the collaborations between museums and the communities they aim to serve. Despite the essay format, common themes emerge. As America makes the transition from an industrial age to an information age, museums must review and revamp philosophy, mission, practices, and services; attempt to reconcile frequently incompatible aims; and alter programming to accommodate more diverse constituencies. In this context, forming a strong communicative circle linking exhibits and viewers is seen as vital to restoring wholeness to our pluralistic cultural arena. The range of voices heard to great effect in the preceding book continue to speak out here. Strongly recommended.
- Vicki Gadberry, Harris Media Ctr., Mars Hill Coll., N.C.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“This companion volume to Exhibiting Cultures contains a series of essays that illustrate both the struggles and the collaborations between museums and the communities they aim to serve. . . . The range of voices heard to great effect in the preceding book continue to speak out here. Strongly recommended.”—Library Journal

“[The editors] present a rich variety of thought-provoking ideas about the condition and possibilities of museums. The book challenges museum specialists to reassess their practices to ensure the relevance of museums in a changing world and offers valuable case studies of the kinds of problems and successes involved in making such changes.”—Journal of American History

“With a variety of case studies and perspectives in the spirit of interdisciplinary study, Museums and Communities is a provocative and fascinating collection, at once profound and concrete.”—American Book Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 624 pages
• Publisher: Smithsonian Books (May 17, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156098189X
• ISBN-13: 978-1560981893
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.2 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #365,075 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Gem of a book, September 26, 2010

By 

Doris Ash - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Museums and Communities: The Politics of Public Culture (Paperback)

Excellent Gem of a book

Written in 92 but very relevant to us now--
the theory is forward thinking--
and moves us from older stodgy ideas to new
ways of working with/in community

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good essays, May 30, 2008

By 

A. Montiel (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Museums and Communities: The Politics of Public Culture (Paperback)

I had to buy this book for a graduate museum studies course but it was well worth it. I still have the book. Although some essays are outdated, it is a good look at issues in museums.