Innovative museum responses to COVID-19

Abstract

In early 2020, museums across the globe were forced to close their doors due to the outbreak of COVID-19, a coronavirus disease that has affected millions of individuals to date. Governments responded by instituting shelter-in-place orders requiring all those deemed “non-essential” workers to stay home, including most of the museum workforce. In these unprecedented times, museums were forced to innovate both their work processes and the products they provide to their constituents. Digital initiatives produced by museums prior to the outbreak, including digitized collections and social media channels, proved to be a vital connection between institutions and their audiences. However, the devastating effects of the pandemic, both economic and social, opened the door for museums to engage more deeply with their communities by providing support, social services, and community resources. In particular, while many individuals are isolated and/or quarantined, museums are able to provide a social outlet and connections to human creativity and the wider world. This chapter considers how museums are uniquely suited to strengthen communities and serve their pressing needs despite social distancing, and in doing so to reconceive museums as agents for social change.