Theres a certain magic in museums
22/08/2024
By Hilary Hughes
There is a magic to museums, and this one in particular.
I don’t just say that because I worked there; I never imagined myself working in a museum. I didn’t grow up with any aspirations or fabulous ideas about working in the museum sector. Many of the rules and protocols of museums were foreign to me, and I was not a regular visitor to museums at home or abroad (what did I know about museums?!).
Cuando surgió la oportunidad de postularme para el puesto de Coordinadora del Programa Público en el Museo del Canal, ni siquiera lo consideré. Mi primer pensamiento fue: ¿qué sé yo de programas públicos y de comunidades? ¿Y cómo se involucra un museo con sus comunidades? No sabía mucho sobre lo específico, pero hacerme estas preguntas me hizo darme cuenta de que sí conocía y tenía mucha experiencia en espacios culturales compartidos y en la creación de comunidades a través del arte, la cultura, el teatro y la música, especialmente gracias a mis años de trabajo voluntario en el Theatre Guild of Ancon y en el Festival de Cine IFF. Cuando leí más detalladamente la descripción del puesto, me di cuenta de que esta oportunidad abarcaba temas que me fascinaban, mezclados con un sinfín de audiencias por ver, conocer y atraer. Cambié mi mentalidad de «no sé de esto» a «no conozco esto aún, pero puedo hacerlo y quiero aprender».
I applied for the position, and when I was hired, I was overflowing with excitement (and nerves!). A little light lit up inside me; a flame that came to life when I interacted with visitors who were seeing the permanent exhibitions for the first time, at the end of an interesting art workshop, or at the conclusion of a discussion with archaeologists, historians, activists, ethnomusicologists (among the hundreds of activities and events I had the opportunity to organize). That flame grew when people wrote to me about the impact of the museum on their lives, or about how they and I connected with dialogues and stories that seemed to come to life before our eyes.
Museums are magic, and stories are the spark within it. In Panama we have endless stories to tell, and in the museum they find the place to unfold and connect with the public. And who is the public?, you will ask me. Who are those who come to the museum to walk through its halls, to sit in the auditorium and listen to presentations on history, art and culture? The audience is diverse: retirees, children, foreigners, students, families, tourists, sponsors, museum members… and they all converge under the same glass roof, a kaleidoscope of people connecting with the stories we host, sharing theirs, creating connections and generating memories.
What do these audiences look for in a history museum? They all look for (and find) something different in the halls, in the auditoriums and in our open spaces. They look for their family history, to know in depth the history of Panama, to learn about the Canal and its global impact, to connect with artists, historians, archaeologists, authors, cultural managers, journalists, and with their national identity.
The Public Program is the place where all these characters concentrate, and everything (everything!) connects and communicates. Storytelling is of utmost importance in this regard: breaking down our content and putting it back together, highlighting themes, choosing common threads and making sure that the information reaches all the communities and audiences we serve… Everything connects, everything communicates.
Through the Public Program and the activities at the Canal Museum, education about the history of Panama and its canal, and the importance of the Panama Canal for our country, is strengthened and promoted, thus strengthening our identity as Panamanians.
In October, I will celebrate three years at the Canal Museum. A magical, inspiring, challenging, renovated museum, with a dedicated, creative and disciplined team. Three years of challenges, opportunities, growth and a lot of creativity, creating spaces, programs, events and activities of all kinds to attract and entertain a broad audience that confirms that there is a thirst for the magic of museums and that, although we still have a lot to do, we are on the right path and we leave our mark on it.
There is magic in museums, and in this one in particular. In the work of our team, in the creation of its exhibitions, in the research produced, in the smiles of the visitors who are found in our walls, in the roots that we weave and in the dialogues that we propose; in the play that a contemporary art intervention brings about as a result of our artistic residencies, in the sparkle in the eyes of school groups visiting us for the first time.
The doors are open. Come and discover the magic of this museum with us.
