A Conversation on the Future of Teaching Museums

What does it mean for a museum to truly teach? Join Flaten Art Museum Director Jane Becker Nelson in conversation with two leading voices in contemporary museum practice — a practitioner with decades of institutional experience and a scholar-educator exploring how museums matter today. Together, they’ll examine the evolving challenges and possibilities facing teaching museums.

David E. Little is the founder of David E. Little Art Consulting, LLC, and brings over 25 years of senior leadership at some of the country’s most prominent institutions — including the International Center of Photography, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art — to questions of museum strategy, education, and the public role of art.

Christina M. Spiker is an Assistant Professor of Art and Art History and Asian Studies at St. Olaf College. Her research examines modern Japanese art and visual culture, with a focus on representations of and by the Indigenous Ainu. Her work extends into museum studies and pedagogy, exploring how exhibitions shape public understandings of Indigenous cultures and how museums can more critically engage with issues of representation, interpretation, and cultural heritage. 

Free and open to the public. Light refreshments provided.

Following the talk, guests are welcome to explore the Flaten Art Museum. Galleries will remain open until 6 p.m.