Museology Master's Theses

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://digital.lib.washington.edu/handle/1773/49496

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Expanding Shoreline Historical Museum, the Archives Project
(2025-06) James, Jasmine L.; Luke, Jessica
My project, "Expanding Shoreline Historical Museum, the Archives Project" examines one-way museums can become relatable and more accessible with their local communities. Additionally, the museum archives are undergoing development so this archival project can foster new trysts of accession programs for the museum to encourage while up lifting the project creators. For the duration of this project I worked alongside Shoreline Historical Museum, a history museum based in Shoreline WA, to create a public program in collaboration with a local community group sourced from the general area of Shoreline. The target audience who we worked with resulted were teenagers, a commonly underrepresented group not seen within museum programs. Teenagers were the chosen target audience to work with as an inclusive way to portray how Shoreline intends to expand their social outreach methods using models that address the public in a far more relatable and expressive manner. Over a period of two months this project was weekly facilitated by said students, their facilitator from Shorewood High School, and the director of Shoreline Museum. As a BIPOC facilitator myself, the work and effort placed in the wellbeing of these students allowed this project to become a public programming which uplifts and encourages its participants rather than restraining their creativity for stricter guidelines and practices. Additionally, the project went on to demonstrate how crucial the need is for museums to invest in their communities beyond their familiarity to earn authentic partnerships kindred with unrepresented and BIPOC communities who deserve more recognition within museums.
Children's Engagement in New and Old Exhibits Summative Evaluation Report
(2025-06) Guan, Yanyue; Luke, Jessica
This evaluation project explored how children aged 3 to 12 engaged with five key exhibits at Imagine Children's Museum—three from the original building and two from a recent expansion. Using structured observation tools, I tracked 250 children's dwell time, behavior patterns, and depth of engagement to assess which exhibit features best support learning through play. Results showed that longer and deeper engagement was associated with exhibits offering clear goals, collaborative opportunities, and appropriate challenge levels. Older exhibits like the Piccolo Restaurant performed just as well as newer ones like the Distribution Center, suggesting that interactivity, not age, drives impact. Key recommendations include improving signage, refining prop management, and aligning activity design with children's developmental stages. This research provides evidence-based insights to guide future exhibit planning and enhance educational value in playful, inclusive ways.
Wing Luke Museum: Collections Maintenance Plan and Housekeeping Schedule for Historic Immersion Spaces
(2025-06) Fontana, Jamie; Lam, Wai Wilson; Eagles, Lane
This project was undertaken in collaboration with the Wing Luke Museum, to create a collections maintenance plan for the preservation of their historic immersion spaces. This document aims to provide accessible directions on caring for the diverse object types housed in historic spaces of the East Kong Yick Building, including the Yick Fung Storefront, Freeman Hotel and family association rooms, and Apartment 6. To develop this document, we first referenced a Conservation Assessment Report commissioned by the museum in late 2024. In February 2025 we visited the museum and conducted a survey of collections items and materials displayed in each immersion space. This document is structured to start with general collections care guidelines for historic buildings, then moving into each immersion space and addressing their individual needs, with specific instructions for certain unique items. It also provides worksheets detailing maintenance tasks to be conducted on regular bases, such as weekly, quarterly, and semi-annually, and ends on a list of suppliers to obtain cleaning and collections protection products. We created this document with approachable language for staff and volunteers beyond the Collections department, and suggest relatively inexpensive + noninvasive interventions. We hope this document can shift some of the burden from the Wing's one-person collections department and provide a standardized collections maintenance protocol for spaces that are especially vulnerable to degradation, thereby protecting and preserving these pieces of Asian American history for future generations.
Addressing white supremacy in exhibitions of Greek and Roman antiquities at two United States museums
(2025-06) Gingery, Ash; Eagles, Lane
The United States has witnessed a resurgence in white supremacy and white nationalism in mainstream politics. In addition to the foundational belief in a racial hierarchy, white supremacy is ideologically reliant on notions of gender/sex essentialism, national identity and xenophobia. White supremacists routinely appropriate Greek and Roman art and history in support of their ideology and these appropriations are made possible by an academic tradition, and public perception, of Greek and Roman antiquities as white, both literally and figuratively, with all of its associations with racial superiority, civilization, beauty and purity. The purpose of this study was to better understand how United States art and archaeology museums, in their exhibitions, interpret Greek and Roman antiquities especially in relation to issues of imperialism, slavery, race, gender and sexuality, both historically and contemporarily. The Museum of Fine Arts Boston and the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology served as case studies for the exhibition of ancient Greek and Roman art in the United States. The results of this study indicate that imperialism, race, slavery, gender and sexuality are topics which are addressed, to greater and lesser extents, in exhibitions of ancient Greek and Roman art. The museums often differed in the language they used to address these topics and in the content they chose to emphasize; this is likely due to the different curatorial strategies of the museums, and the time at which the exhibitions were installed. More than anything this study has demonstrated that it is possible to create exhibitions of Greek and Roman art which challenge white supremacist myths, but that this work is not complete nor universal.
Physical Accessibility Guide for LeMay - America's Car Museum
(2025-06) Duran-Rios, Adrienne; Selvakumar, Meena
Disabled people are just as worthy of access to information as any other group of people, including at museums. And for museums, fulfilling their mission should mean ensuring genuine opportunities for engagement for visitors of all abilities. LeMay - America's Car Museum (ACM) attracts local and national visitors and seeks to understand how it can improve physical access to its exhibits and galleries for current and future visitors. The purpose of this project was to create an implementation guide that aids the museum in their journey towards accessibility. This guide delineates the access issues and solutions specific to ACM and provides information, resources, and background. In this project, accessibility is focused on the following physical disabilities: limited mobility, visual impairment, and auditory impairment. The use of existing literature and best practices on accessibility within the museum field helped to inform the initial approach. Importantly, the implementation of a focus group composed of individuals with physical disabilities was critical and highlights the importance of including disabled people in any process that is related to them. Since making museum-wide changes can be a lengthy and expensive process, this guide takes a phased approach to implementing these changes, organizing them into categories and then breaking those categories down further into what are “low-hanging fruit” or more lengthy processes. The audience for the guide are staff at ACM who will implement the change. Ultimately, the outcomes are for visitors with disabilities to feel engaged in a space that is designed for universal access.
Artists First
(2025-06) Gousman, Grace; Lees, Mariel; Mattix-Wand, Emma; Eagles, Lane
Artists First was an exhibition of eight animators and video game artists' personal work at the Kirkland Arts Center. At its core, the project celebrated the hand of the artist and was a place for people to experience the process of art creation. The project was driven by the concept of museums' ability to provide ‘good care' to their communities, and developed in response to the issues being faced by the digital entertainment industry in Seattle, namely post-pandemic job decline and the rise of generative AI. Although the exhibit was a response to pressing issues, the focal point of the exhibit and programs was the artists. Our interpretative texts highlighted the knowledge and skills artists possess and interactive stations allowed visitors the opportunity to practice their artistry. The goal of Artists First was to bring awareness, provide economic opportunities, and help build community support. In lieu of an exhibit catalog, we provided a zine with information on generative AI and union resources. The exhibit also featured an in-gallery Print Shop, where each participating artist sold at least one of their prints. We connected with community members through a collaboration with the UW Songwriters club for our opening celebration and our “Art is Fun” program. This project showcased the impact that a small, local gallery can have by listening to their community and diverging from business-as-usual to address their needs. Especially now, it is important for museums to put their communities, and their artists, first.
Interpretation of Visible Labs: The Benefits and Drawbacks
(2025-06) Fry, Makayla Rose; Selvakumar, Meena
Natural history museums (NHMs) face a conundrum: they appeal broadly to audiences yet struggle to compete with other informal science venues such as science centers, aquariums, zoos, and botanical gardens (Steiner & Crowley, 2013). NHMs are unique in that they hold collections, and many are also sites of active research. More recently, some of these NHMs have begun to showcase their research to the public via visible lab spaces. These attributes can position NHMs as distinctive sites for public engagement. Despite their potential, relatively few studies have examined the unique role of visible labs in informal learning venues such as NHMS. This study investigated the interpretative strategies used within visible labs and examined how these strategies aligned with educational frameworks. A case study approach including interviews with museum professionals engaged in interpretive planning and interpretation for visible labs and supplemented with document analysis was employed. Findings show that the unique features of visible labs include the process of science as a learning outcome, the demystification of scientists and science, and personalization and connection between the public and scientists. However, to leverage these benefits, scientists in visible labs need more support and validation. These findings demonstrate that visible labs are a unique resource for NHMs, adding to their value and separating them from other informal science venues.
Ahlan wa Sahlan: Exploring the ways that visitors engage in cultural intelligence through exhibits at the Arab American National Museum
(2025-06) Youssef, Layla; Luke, Jessica
The purpose of this research study was to understand how cultural museum exhibits depicting Arab-American history and cultures can encourage the development and experience of cultural intelligence through objects. The study was framed by two research questions: To what extent and in what ways do non-Arab visitors engage in cultural intelligence while visiting museum exhibits about Arab-American cultural practices and experiences? What specific aspects of these museum exhibits encourage the development of cultural intelligence? This study used an exploratory case study design to identify which components of cultural intelligence visitors developed and/or experienced during their visit and what aspects of the museum encouraged that development/experience. All participants experienced some form of cultural intelligence during their visit to the museum, namely metacognition, cognition, and motivation. Exhibits depicting history of the Arab world and Arab immigration to the United States encouraged these forms of cultural intelligence in visitors. Additionally, exhibits that included Arab-Americans' personal stories and interactive elements encouraged the experience of cultural intelligence in visitors. This article contributes to research on cultural intelligence and its use in understanding visitor interpretation, specifically culturally-specific and community-based museums.
Collect, Curate, Cultivate: Designing an Integrated Collection Space and Framework for Art Galleries
(2025-06) Zamudio, Michael; Eagles, Lane
This project delivers a comprehensive, practice-oriented framework for the care, documentation, and long-term stewardship of museum collections at small institutions. Designed for non-professionals, the initiative integrates best practices in preventive conservation with pragmatic tools for daily operations and strategic planning. Core components include guidance on environmental monitoring and management—covering temperature, humidity, and light/lux controls—to protect objects from physical and chemical deterioration. Detailed protocols for integrated pest management (IPM) empower institutions to proactively address biological threats through preventive, non-chemical approaches. A full spectrum of hazards is considered, extending beyond fire and water to include physical forces, pollutants, security risks, and custodial neglect. Central to the project are robust systems for documentation and access. This includes standardized imaging protocols at the point of acquisition, structured metadata, and digital workflows for object tracking and condition reporting. The development and refinement of floor plans, object storage solutions, and spatial layouts are integrated with the deployment of modern databases and collections management systems (CMS), ensuring physical and digital infrastructures work in concert to support access, accountability, and risk mitigation. The project emphasizes an inclusive, systems-based approach—bridging theoretical foundations with hands-on application, and aligning workflows with national and international standards. By foregrounding collaboration, adaptability, and sustainability, this resource equips institutions of small sizes to enhance the care, accessibility, and resilience of their collections, advancing the field of museum practice for the challenges of the present and future.
Consejos: A Process Guide for Centering Decolonization in the Translation of Burke Boxes from English to Spanish
(2025-06) Villagomez, Michelle Alejandra; Luke, Jessica
This thesis presents Consejos, a community-rooted process guide developed to support culturally responsive translation of educational materials at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. Focusing on the Spanish-language adaptation of Burke Boxes—curriculum kits used by educators—this project centered decolonization and Latine epistemologies in translation work. Inspired by the author's lived experience as a second-generation Mexicana and native Spanish speaker, this guide challenged dominant, English-centric translation practices that often disregard cultural nuance and community agency. The project drew on oral histories and consejos (cultural narratives and relational advice) from ten Latine educators and community leaders in the Seattle area, and identified three guiding principles: Relaciones y Comunidad (Relationships and Community), Cultura y Lenguaje (Culture and Language), and Identidad (Identity). These principles emphasize co-creation, linguistic diversity, and the importance of representation in educational resources. The project highlights translation as a relational process, advocating for practices that reflect the complexity and richness of the Latine community. Specific recommendations for the Burke Box program include prioritizing student-facing materials, integrating cultural context, and supporting Spanish as a language of origin. Equitable translation is not only a matter of access but a form of cultural affirmation, and museums have a responsibility to engage multilingual communities with care, integrity, and respect for their knowledge systems.
Cataloging Culture: Critical Approaches for Museum Collections
(2025-06) Young, Holly; Luke, Jessica
Museum documentation practices have long privileged Eurocentric and Anglo-American biases and perspectives, resulting in Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) source and descendent communities being excluded or erased from the records. The purpose of this study was to understand how anthropological collections departments in museums are currently attempting to engage in critical cataloging practices. A case study approach was used involving semi-structured interviews and document analysis at three university museums: the Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture at the University of Washington, Indiana University's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (IUMAA), and Harvard's Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. Study results revealed that ongoing critical cataloging work at these museums has focused primarily on being mindful about language choices and collaborating with communities in equitable ways. Key challenges faced by the museums are limited resources, database constraints, priorities of the broader university, and current models of museum education and training. This study demonstrates the potential for collections departments to transform their documentation practices in order to make them more inclusive and equitable, while highlighting the inherently collaborative nature of critical cataloging work. It raises further questions about the nature of critical cataloging work in different types of collections and institutions, including both university museums and non-university museums.
Decolonizing museums: collaborative curation and Indigenous representation in museums
(2025-06) Velandia Pirazan, Claudia Marcela; Selvakumar, Meena
This article discusses a multi-site case study focused on understanding how curators at non-Tribal museums work with Indigenous communities in developing exhibits that show expressions of Indigenous systems of knowledge. The researcher examines collaborative practices implemented by curators who worked with different Indigenous communities to create and develop exhibitions that center Indigenous voices. The researcher utilizes a semi structured interview approach to analyze three research questions: 1. what are the motivations for curators and museums to develop these exhibits. 2. In what ways do curators engage with Native Artists and communities during exhibit development and 3. what are the outcomes and reflections of curators as a result of this process? The article starts to provide a brief context about decolonization and participatory practices implemented in museums Then, it focuses on the analysis of the roles of four curators who bring their different perspectives while working with Indigenous communities and individuals to develop exhibits and finally focuses on the findings and limitations of the study by offering new opportunities to museums and curators to improve collaborative practices and create long-term relationships that benefits Indigenous communities.
Preserving the Past: Evaluating Conservation and Accuracy in Paleontological Microwear Analysis
(2025-06) Salgado Smith, Marley A.; Selvakumar, Meena
This research evaluates the reliability of dental microwear analysis through repeated molding and casting procedures on perissodactyl fossils. Statistically significant differences in scratch measurements were found across Brontotheriidae (UWBM #75645) casts (F (9, 203.79) = 2.01, p = 0.039), particularly between Generation 2 and Generation 8 (mean difference = 0.0334, 95% CI [0.0014, 0.0654], p_adj = 0.0330). Non- parametric analysis further revealed significant distributional differences between Generation 1 and Generations 2 (p = 0.0018), 5 (p = 0.0045), 9 (p = 0.0129), and 10 (p = 0.0129). In contrast, no significant differences were found among Subhyracodon (UWBM #35783) casts for either scratch (F (9, 88.40) = 1.17, p = 0.327) or pit measurements (F (11, 54.10) = 1.740, p = 0.089). These findings suggest that the molding and casting process can introduce both mean-level changes and distributional shifts in microwear features after multiple replication cycles, potentially affecting dietary interpretations. The observed differences between Generation 2 and 8 indicate that surface fidelity remains relatively stable for several replications before detectable changes emerge. Given the importance of microwear in reconstructing short-term feeding behavior and ecological change, even subtl distortions may compromise analytical accuracy. This research emphasizes the need for standardized molding and casting protocols and recommends best practices to reduce error and improve consistency in paleodietary studies.
Social acceleration, alienation, and the museum as remedy: how museum visits impact visitors' sense of connectedness to self, others, and world
(2025-06) Terry, Lucas; Eagles, Lane
This study investigated the extent to which museum experiences enhance visitors' sense of connectedness to self, others, and the world. Using a mixed-methods approach combining Likert scale ratings and open-ended questions, museum visitors were surveyed to identify key dimensions of connectedness fostered through museum engagement. Emergent coding revealed that self-connection primarily manifested through self-reflection and learning experiences, as well as through personal history and memory activation. Connection to others was predominantly facilitated through social interactions within the museum space and through historical and intergenerational connections sparked by exhibits. Worldly connection emerged most strongly through historical and cultural perspectives in exhibits, particularly in helping visitors contextualize historical events such as the Japanese internment during WWII within global frameworks of power and human rights. The findings suggest that museums serve as multidimensional connective spaces that not only preserve artifacts but also actively facilitate meaningful connections across personal, social, and global domains. This research contributes to understanding museums as institutions that foster connectedness, with implications for exhibit design, visitor engagement strategies, and the broader social role of cultural institutions.
Evoking the muses: Exploring the nature of inspiration in art museums
(2025-06) Shields, Emily; Luke, Jessica
Art museums have a unique capacity to elicit positive emotions, with inspiration emerging as a particularly meaningful yet underexplored emotion. This quantitative study investigated whether and how adults experience inspiration during art museum visits. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 54 adults at three U.S. art museums. Results indicate that inspiration is a common emotional response during art museum visits, often characterized by shifts in perspective, feelings of motivation, and admiration. Participants attributed their inspiration to various aspects of the art museum experience, including personal relevance, the formal qualities of artworks, the perceived intent of artists, and the juxtaposition of different artistic ideas. While inspiration was strongly reported, participants also experienced related emotions such as joy and excitement. Findings support the belief that inspiration correlates with perspective shifts and motivation. The study contributes to the growing body of research highlighting the emotional impacts of museum visits and underscores the potential of inspiration to support visitor well-being. Implications for museum practice include enhancing interpretative strategies to foster personal meaning-making and promoting continued engagement beyond the museum visit. Further research is recommended to explore the long-term impacts of museum-inspired motivation and to diversify participant demographics.
Evaluation Inception
(2025-06) Chesnut, Kami; Selvakumar, Meena
This thesis presents an evaluative study of the Evaluation Specialization within the University of Washington's Master of Arts in Museology program. Introduced in 2014, the Specialization was designed to prepare students for careers in museum evaluation through a sequence of five courses culminating in a yearlong capstone project with a museum partner. After more than a decade in practice, this study was initiated to assess how well the Specialization aligns with field expectations and supports professional readiness. The evaluation draws on mixed qualitative methods, including focus groups and one-on-one interviews with evaluation professionals, as well as an online survey completed by program alumni. Findings were triangulated with established evaluator competency frameworks from the American Evaluation Association (AEA) and the Visitor Studies Association (VSA). The study surfaced key themes related to professional preparation, including the importance of interpersonal skills, reflective practice, and adaptability—traits strongly emphasized by field experts. Alumni feedback affirmed the value of the Specialization's applied focus, especially the capstone experience, while also identifying gaps in technical training, qualitative methods, and stakeholder communication. Despite the relatively small number of alumni currently working in dedicated evaluation roles, most reported using their evaluation training frequently across diverse professional contexts. The report concludes with actionable recommendations for strengthening the Specialization, including expanded opportunities for applied practice, enhanced mentorship, and stronger professional networks. Ultimately, this project not only supports program improvement, but contributes to broader conversations about how graduate education can more effectively prepare the next generation of evaluators.
Acid Preparation of Vertebrate Fossils at The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
(2025-06) Rotenberg, Benjamin; Selvakumar, Meena
The purpose of this thesis project was to expedite the process of removing rock from the many marine concretions found in the Burke's paleontology collection, through the implementation of chemical preparation techniques. These techniques utilizes acetic acid which eats through the rock surrounding the fossils, drastically cutting down on time spent preparing these specimens. Until now, The Burke has lacked an efficient and regulated acid preparation lab. This thesis implements these practices and make these specimens available to researchers, curators, volunteers and the general museum public. The specimens uncovered as a result of this project will greatly add to our understanding of this ancient ecosystem, as well as provide many new incredible specimens for the museum to utilize in their displays, collections and research. This project has resulted in a new methodology of acid preparation, an SOP, numerous safety protocols, volunteer training workshops over 200 hours of fossil preparation and a comprehensive technical workflow document.
Curating clicks: how museums leverage social media to inspire and attract gen Z
(2025-06) McCormick, Ginger; Eagles, Lane
This study investigates how museums leverage social media to engage Generation Z (Gen Z), a digitally native and culturally influential demographic. The research addresses a pressing challenge in the cultural sector: how to remain relevant and accessible to younger audiences in a rapidly evolving digital environment. Using a mixed-methods approach that includes surveys of museum professionals and content analysis of Instagram posts, the study examines the strategies institutions employ to reach Gen Z and the challenges they face in doing so. Key findings reveal that Gen Z prefers visually engaging, trend-aligned, and interactive content, with short-form videos and posts incorporating humor, slang, and pop culture references driving the highest engagement. Despite these insights, many museums struggle due to limited resources, algorithmic unpredictability, and institutional hesitation to embrace emerging norms fully. Professionals emphasize the importance of dedicated staffing, collaboration with Gen Z creators, and an authentic voice in fostering meaningful connections. This research highlights the urgent need for museums to treat social media not merely as a promotional tool, but as a transformative space for co-creation, dialogue, and sustained relevance. It offers practical implications for developing platform-specific, culturally resonant strategies and outlines opportunities for future inquiry into long-term Gen Z engagement across different types of museums.
Actionable Inspiration: Visitor Experiences of Creative Impulse in Art Museums
(2025-06) Rodgers, Amanda; Wheeler, Shylee; Luke, Jessica
The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of an art museum experience on an adults' creative impulse through an analysis of two key questions: 1) To what extent and in what ways do people feel an art museum exhibit inspires them in general? And 2) To what extent and in what ways do people feel an art museum exhibit inspires them to create specifically? Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 182 participants at Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), Detroit, MI; The Walters Art Museum (The Walters), Baltimore, MD; and the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA), Cleveland, OH. Results show that participants did feel a sense of general inspiration, as well as inspiration/motivation to create or make something specifically. Explanations of participants' feelings of inspiration fell into several categories including a) their interest in creating something themselves, b) their interest in the artistic process, c) inspiration that was unrelated to creativity, and in some cases, d) their barriers to transforming inspiration into creative outputs. We believe that this study could benefit other researchers who are trying to solidify the link between inspiration, creativity, and self-actualization in museum settings.
Creative Aging at the Tacoma Art Museum.
(2025-06) Minor, Elisabeth Keri; Selvakumar, Meena
My thesis is a guideline of what is needed to plan and implement creative aging programs at the Tacoma art museum. It was created for the use by staff and volunteers involved in creative aging programs. It was developed using community input, pre existing guidelines for creative aging programs, and research on the outcomes of creative aging programs.

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