The Project: Future Museum for the Milwaukee Public Museum, Thinc Design (Opening 2027)

Tracing its roots back to 1884, the Milwaukee Public Museum is among the nation’s oldest and most beloved natural history museums. It is also Wisconsin’s most visited museum. Beginning in 2021, Thinc Design joined with Ennead Architects to reimagine a new building and exhibit experience that would replace the institution’s aging downtown Milwaukee facility. Over the last three+ years, we have worked closely with Museum staff and community members to produce a one-of-kind, immersive museum experience that will transform how people engage with local, regional, and global history.

My Role: Head of Content and Senior Curator, Thinc Design

I have been responsible for leading all aspects of content development for this tremendous project, from Concept Design, through Schematic Design, Detailed Design, Control Documentation, and now fabrications and install. This role requires a demanding balance between big-picture thinking and unwavering attention to detail. Through monthly visits in and around Milwaukee and Wisconsin, I have helped to foster crucial relationships between the Museum and members of the public, the press, and existing and prospective donors. I have worked with a robust curatorial team and other subjects specialists to identify thousands of objects for display out of a collection of four million artifacts and specimens, and conducted in depth scholarly research to support objects’ and specimens’ interpretation. In addition, I have worked with Thinc’s multidisciplinary team to develop an exciting menu of media and interactive experiences that meet universal design standards, while also leading staff and community workshops, and tracking project goals and timelines. Finally, I am responsible for developing exhibit scripts for all permanent galleries, including interpretive graphic panels and hundreds of unique object labels.

Critical to any 21st museum, I have championed accessible and inclusive design standards across the project, and pushed ethically-responsible approaches to the display and interpretation of material culture belonging to Indigenous communities worldwide.

Learn more here.