The Museums of 2035: Innovation Hub Interview

Check out the Innovation Hub interview with our Founder & CEO Brendan Ciecko! He and Elizabeth Merritt, the founding director of the Center for the Future of Museums, discuss technology in museums. They explore new ways museums may engage Generation Y in the museum community. To read the article click here or you can listen to the podcast here.

The conversation between Brendan and Elizabeth Merritt centers on a question that's only become more urgent in the years since: what will museums look like a decade or two from now, and who will they be for? Both speakers push back on the idea that museums are static institutions destined to lose relevance. Instead, they describe a future where physical galleries, mobile technology, and personalized digital experiences blend together to meet visitors where they already are.

A recurring theme is generational change. Younger audiences expect cultural institutions to be interactive, mobile-first, and socially connected. That doesn't mean replacing the contemplative experience of standing in front of a great work of art — it means giving people new ways to discover, share, and return to that experience long after they've left the building.

The interview also touches on the economic pressures facing museums and the role technology can play in opening up new revenue streams, deepening member relationships, and reducing the friction of everyday operations. The institutions that thrive in 2035 will likely be the ones that started experimenting today.

If you care about the future of museums and the role technology will play in it, both the article and podcast are worth your time. The ideas raised in 2015 read as a remarkably accurate preview of where the sector is heading now.