How do museums differ from classrooms, publications, and other learning media? What do museum people want their visitors to learn and feel—and what preconceptions help or hinder visitors from meeting those expectations? Eric Sandweiss, Thomas and Kathryn Miller Professor of History, offers an insider’s look at two exciting new IU exhibitions that allows us to hear how museum people think—and to respond for ourselves. We’ll take a historical tour of campus on our way between the museums, and we’ll wind up our afternoon with an informal chat at the McCalla School—home to IU’s wonderful University Collections.

The structure of this event is unusual (and exciting) for the Traveling University.

Participants will meet at the IU Art Museum atrium at 1 pm on Apr. 24 where they will be greeted by curators and shown the new Mulyana: Vital Ecosystems show.

That visit to the IU Art Museum will be followed by a short historical campus tour (c. 2-230 pm) en route to the IU Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Participants will meet with curators before viewing their new Shipwrecks: Living Museums show.

The event will finish up (c. 3:30) at the McCalla School where participants will learn more about University Collections and half hour or so debriefing on the day. Estimated finish: 4 or 4:30.

We will ask participants to preregister as this event is limited to 25 participants. Details to follow!