New York: Creativity Incubator

Creativity Incubator participants reengineer the museum experience at a Hudson Valley workshop held at Boscobel House and Gardens. Photo by the Greater Hudson Heritage Network

In an era of changing audiences, tight budgets, increased competition and exponential technology growth, cultural institutions must seek new ways to keep their offerings fresh and engaging. To tackle this challenge, the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) is collaborating with the Greater Hudson Heritage Network (GHHN) on a Creativity Incubator initiative. The Creativity Incubator is a two-year pilot program helping museums to think more imaginatively about the interpretation of their collections. The hands-on curriculum challenges participants’ assumptions about the museum experience while leading them to reconsider the relevance of museums to the community and to explore new approaches to interactivity and engagement. A public social media vote will be held to select one museum as a special demonstration site. In addition to encouraging community support for local museums, this social media campaign raises public awareness of all participating sites statewide and builds excitement about new programs. The demonstration site will have its collection reimagined by field experts in collaboration with Creativity Incubator participants. For more information, contact NYSCA Program Director for Architecture, Design & Museums Kristin Herron.