Mark Walhimer

Museum Manager Southern Utah University

Cedar City UT

Wealth of experience in museum management and a deep commitment to fostering enriching cultural institutions.

Biography

Mark Walhimer is a museum professional with twenty-five years of experience as Vice President of Exhibits at Discovery Science Center, Chief Operating Officer at Academy Studios, and Director of Special Projects at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. As the managing partner of Museum Planning LLC and a part-time industrial design professor, he has consulted for prominent museums worldwide. Mark is also the author of "Museums 101" and "Designing Museum Experiences," and serves as a peer reviewer for the AAM and IMLS, as well as a Fulbright Specialist. Additionally, he continues to create artwork, including blockchain-based digital sculptures.

Social

Media

Industry Expertise

Writing and Editing

Museums and Institutions

Education/Learning

Research

Areas of Expertise

Interactive Exhibits

User-Centered Design

Design Thinking

Exhibition Design

Museum Master Planning

Museum Strategic Planning

Educational Immersive Experiences

Education

Skidmore College

Fine Arts

1985

Pratt Institute

Industrial Design

1992

Affiliations

Association of Academic Museums and Galleries (AAMG)
Association of Science Museum Directors (ASMD)
Natural Science Collections Alliance (NSCA)

Media Appearances

A Collector’s Dream: Creating Your Own Museum as a Legacy

The New York Times online

2017-09-29

Mark Walhimer, a consultant on museum planning who also helps accredit institutions for the American Alliance of Museums, said entrepreneurs who had created their own fortunes sometimes had trouble making the mental leap involved in giving their collections to the public.
“It’s the community’s collection,” he said. “That’s tough for some founders. ‘What do you mean it’s no longer mine? It’s the public’s?’ You can put your name on the museum. You can get credit for it. But it belongs to the public.”

Start-Up Success Isn’t Enough to Found a Museum

The New York Times online

2014-03-19

“Getting people behind what I think of as a serious museum is very difficult right now,” said Mark Walhimer, managing partner of Museum Planning in San Francisco. For start-ups to flourish, museum founders must think big but start small. “You are building a culture — not a building,” Mr. Walhimer added.

Articles

Museum 4.0 as the Future of STEAM in Museums

The STEAM Journal

2016

Informal STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) activities (programs) and exhibits are common in science centers, children’s museums and natural history museums. As museums change to Museum 4.0 models (1), the STEAM exhibits and programs in museums also change. Museums 4.0 is the transformation of museums from a monolithic fixed location institution to a nimble community driven event driven organization.