Reflections from a #Museummaverick on COVID-19

Rainey Tisdale was our #museummaverick for the Northern NY session of the CI. Here, she shares her thoughts on the COVID-19 pandemic, and what it means for museums and cultural institutions.
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We are all reeling from the profound changes this pandemic is causing to our personal lives, our work lives, our communities, and to society at large.

I have been talking with colleagues at cultural organizations across the country, and it’s clear that for the majority of us, the work we all thought was the right work two weeks ago is no longer the right work—we are being called to pivot and adjust as best we can. Indeed, most if not all of you may find you need to alter your work plan substantially to adapt to these new circumstances. The good news is that creative problem solving is a powerful tool for uncertain times, intense change is just as much an opportunity as it is a threat, and a pandemic can serve as a powerful creative constraint.

What do the people you serve need from your organization in the months ahead? Distraction? Reflection? Inspiration? Ways to connect socially while remaining distant physically? Ways to express themselves? Ways to mourn? Tools to stay focused on what matters? Keep your mind and heart on them and you can do amazing things.
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Be well, #FlattenTheCurve, and remember we’re all in this together,
Rainey