I just found this blog, which asks this interesting question by way of introducing an upcoming conference on the “future of museums” on December 9 in Los Angeles:
When we talk about the CFM forecasting report Museums & Society 2034, this figure always makes museum folk sit up and take notice.
Changing composition of America (U.S. Census Bureau/Reach Advisors)
It dramatizes the growing disconnect between the population of the U.S., which is becoming increasingly diverse culturally and ethnically, and the core audience of museums, which continues to be mostly Caucasian. In only a few decades, our society will be “majority minority.” California, Texas, Hawaii ,New Mexico and the District of Columbia have already achieved this status. What does this presage for museums? Can we continue to go about our business, hoping that new audiences will come to know and love us? Do we need to change the way we think, talk, hire and plan in order to establish our relevant to diverse audiences? Or are we evolving towards a post-racial America in which the major challenge will be reaching the tech-savvy, highly engaged “myCulture” generation, whatever their ethnic and cultural heritage?
Read more about the conference and check out author Elizabeth Merritt’s good work at Center for the Future of Museums
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Elizabeth Merritt
on Dec 1st, 2009
@ 9:20 am:
Thanks for the shout out, John! Please note that the lecture will be in Washington, DC, not LA. (We are, alas, burning carbon to bring Gregory to the East Coast. We hope to make up the bad climate karma with a webcast of the lecture, as well as an online Q&A with Gregory, on January 27th 2010, enabling people to participate, sans travel, from around the world.)