 For over four decades, Museum executive Joel Bartsch has served the museum industry in several key roles. For close to two decades, he has served as the president/chief executive officer of the Houston Museum of Natural Science. As part of his leadership role, Joel Bartsch raises museum awareness and increases attendance.
Increasing museum attendance is a top priority for managers, considering they are pillars of culture where people can learn and explore various unique art masterpieces, traditions, and ideas. Without a proper strategy, museums sometimes cannot maintain high visitor numbers, including repeat guests. To improve visitor attendance, consider these: Create an Interactive Museum Experience To effectively connect with their communities, museums need to make their visits immersive and interactive. Areas to focus on include utilizing storytelling, games, and other fun activities to enable visitors have a memorable experience. Additionally, displayed exhibits should traverse various times in history, allowing visitors to understand and appreciate how things have evolved. Museums should also consider introducing guided tours whereby visitors can interact with museum staff and ask questions. Live theatre performances that reenact events associated with exhibits should be organized and showcased at specified times across the week. The Power of Guest Speakers Inviting guest speakers who can share interesting stories, backgrounds, and perspectives is a creative way of improving museum attendance. Speakers whose insights connect with a museum’s mission can offer useful knowledge that many people aren’t familiar with. For maximum impact, guest speaker sessions should be well marketed on email and social media ahead of time to notify and invite attendees. Embrace Technology As technology evolves, top museums have transformed from a physical exhibition approach to a digital-based system. The use of smartphones, apps, and mobile-friendly websites makes it easier for visitors to attend online exhibitions. For instance, attendees can use their smartphones to view the gallery and discover similar works.
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 Joel A. Bartsch is the president and CEO of the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences. He enjoys traveling internationally and has visited about 30 regions around the world. Joel Bartsch has served in various museums as a curator, including Lyman Museum and Mission House.
The Lyman Museum and Mission House is located in Hilo, Hawaii. It was established in 1931. The Museum building, which stands beside the Mission House, was constructed in 1971. The Lyman Mission House is the oldest structure on Hawaii Island. The building features tools, artifacts, and household items that the Lymans and other missionary families used. The museum was first known as the Lyman Mission House and was built for David and Sarah Lyman, New England missionaries, in 1839. In 1832, David and Sarah Lynn traveled from New England to Hawaii as a newly-married couple. They built the Lyman Mission House as a family house. Over time, the family house became a place to host guests, including Hawaiian royalty and notable people such as Isabella Bird and Mark Twain. The Lymans eventually settled in Hilo and never moved back to New England.  Before his extensive career in natural science and history, Joel A. Bartsch attended Concordia University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree, and Rice University, where he earned a master’s degree. As a part of his education, Joel Bartsch was a Bay Foundation Scholar at the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles (NHM).
Beginning November 2021, the NHM will launch an exhibit celebrating the life of famed animal behavior researcher Jane Goodall. Titled Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Dr. Jane Goodall, the Jane Goodall Institute and the National Geographic Society sponsored the exhibit featuring the researcher’s early life, her years as a renowned researcher in Africa, and her present role as an activist. Goodall became well-known for her work at Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park, where she immersed herself in the culture of chimpanzees. She learned about the primates by observing their personalities and individuals with emotions. Before her revolutionary research, notions of personality, emotion, and individuality were never discussed as it relates to chimpanzees. Upon entering the exhibit, visitors will see a multiscreen display, featuring Goodall’s work with digitally created chimpanzees. The exhibit includes a recreation of the researcher’s tent where visitors get hands-on experience of notetaking and other parts of Goodall’s research. The exhibit will feature interviews with Goodall, and visitors will see a projection of Gombe Stream National Park, among other interesting articles. The exhibit launches on November 7, 2021, and ends on April 17, 2022. |
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