The Art Engager: Reimagining Guided Experiences in Museums

by Claire Bown

“A game changer for those looking to elevate their teaching practice, or for anyone interested in creating a more meaningful connection with art."
- Mike Murawski, Consultant, Educator and author of 'Museums as Agents of Change: A Guide to Becoming a Changemaker'

“Claire is leading the engagement movement in museums. Mandatory reading for anyone wanting to nurture spaces of deep thinking, reflection and joy”
- Trevor Mackenzie, Teacher, Author, Inquiry Consultant

Imagine leading lively museum discussions with confidence, knowing exactly which questions to ask and when, engaging your audience effortlessly in the process.

The Art Engager is your comprehensive guide for designing and facilitating meaningful, interactive museum experiences. Through the innovative Thinking Museum® Approach, you'll discover how to create inquiry-led discussions that are both structured and flexible, using tools like the 10 Questioning Practices, the CHOOSE framework, and the Discussion Cycle.

Full of well-researched insights and easy-to-apply strategies, this book is an invaluable resource for educators working in a wide variety of museums and heritage settings.

Whether you're new to the field or a seasoned professional looking to refine your approach, The Art Engager will empower you to foster deep engagement, share knowledge intentionally and build collaborative communities through effective facilitation techniques.

This go-to guidebook offers the tools to enhance your practice and transform your participants’ experience, bringing art and objects to life.

414 pages, Paperback

Published October 11, 2024

About the author

Claire Bown is a museum educator, facilitator, trainer and consultant with over 25 years of experience in museum and heritage settings. With a strong background in designing and facilitating guided experiences, she founded Thinking Museum® in 2013. Claire specialises in developing and leading professional learning opportunities for museum educators and their teams worldwide. Originally from the UK and now based in the Netherlands, Claire also hosts The Art Engager podcast.

Reviews

[Jeroen Vantorre · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Designing guided experiences in museums involves creating the right conditions, environment, and structure to facilitate meaningful and engaging experiences for participants." Claire Bown is an experienced museum educator, coach at ‘The Thinking Museum,’(https://thinkingmuseum.com/) and host of the podcast "The art engager". (https://thinkingmuseum.com/podcast/) In her new book with the same name, she shares her knowledge and experience in a practical manual for museum guides, educators, and others who facilitate collective art and object discovery.

It all starts with group observation of the artwork and a visual inquiry leading to personal discovery for participants. Claire focuses on the skills and methods needed by the facilitator to bring participants to this point. She provides a rich and multifocal view on this role, sharing questioning and reflective practices, focusing on facilitation skills, and describing how to create a community of collaboration and reflection. She also explains how to share information thoughtfully. In the last chapter, she designs a complete guided experience from introduction to final reflections.

The Art Engager offers a wealth of structural elements that museum hosts can use to enhance their own tours and art classes. It's possible to focus on just one element and gradually increase the others, making it a book to use repeatedly and work towards a general improvement of guided expériences. Great work!

[Jeroen Vantorre · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Designing guided experiences in museums involves creating the right conditions, environment, and structure to facilitate meaningful and engaging experiences for participants." Claire Bown is an experienced museum educator, coach at ‘The Thinking Museum,’(https://thinkingmuseum.com/) and host of the podcast "The art engager". (https://thinkingmuseum.com/podcast/) In her new book with the same name, she shares her knowledge and experience in a practical manual for museum guides, educators, and others who facilitate collective art and object discovery.

It all starts with group observation of the artwork and a visual inquiry leading to personal discovery for participants. Claire focuses on the skills and methods needed by the facilitator to bring participants to this point. She provides a rich and multifocal view on this role, sharing questioning and reflective practices, focusing on facilitation skills, and describing how to create a community of collaboration and reflection. She also explains how to share information thoughtfully. In the last chapter, she designs a complete guided experience from introduction to final reflections.

The Art Engager offers a wealth of structural elements that museum hosts can use to enhance their own tours and art classes. It's possible to focus on just one element and gradually increase the others, making it a book to use repeatedly and work towards a general improvement of guided expériences. Great work!

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good summaries and ideas for someone new to the field. It is definitely published like a compilation of blog posts - the font seems to be size 16 so it isn't that long of a book and you can read chapters with long periods of time in-between. I have recommended it to our new docents since it is easily digestible.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an educator at both public and university level, many concepts in the book are well known, however, applying them to a museum setting (where I am now a volunteer) is a good refresher and there are may great ideas, points and processes described. While geared to art museums, the ideas are easily applicable to other types of museums.

[Hannah Huber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent guide for all facilitators, full of practical tips and advice.

[Sarah Grebinoski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is packed with great ideas for improving participant focused guided museum experiences.