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.
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Industry Expertise (4)
Writing and Editing
Museums and Institutions
Education/Learning
Research
Areas of Expertise (7)
Interactive Exhibits
User-Centered Design
Design Thinking
Exhibition Design
Museum Master Planning
Museum Strategic Planning
Educational Immersive Experiences
Education (2)
Skidmore College: BS, Fine Arts 1985
Pratt Institute: MS, Industrial Design 1992
Affiliations (3)
- Association of Academic Museums and Galleries (AAMG)
- Association of Science Museum Directors (ASMD)
- Natural Science Collections Alliance (NSCA)
Links (4)
Media Appearances (2)
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 (1)
Museum 4.0 as the Future of STEAM in Museums
The STEAM Journal2016 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.
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