Museums and Societal Collapse: The Museum as Lifeboat

This webinar will be a lively conversation between Avi Decter, Robert Janes, and Marsha Semmel focusing on Janes' just-published volume, Museums and Societal Collapse: The Museum as Lifeboat--which argues that humankind is on the brink of societal collapse and that museums, irrespective of their disciplinary focus, need to help our society bridge the divide between nature and culture.  

Janes, based in Calgary, has written several previous books on museums, including three editions of Museums and the Paradox of Change and Museums in a Troubled World. His latest volume synthesizes all of his previous work in a broad critique of contemporary society and ideas and provocations about the role that museums can play in our roles as "key civic resources." Bob believes that "museums are civic and intellectual resources that are accountable to both the human and non-human worlds, and this book is a call to action." Bob believes that museums have a "unique role and potential in stewarding a more intelligent, altruistic, and conscious future for themselves and their communities."   

Marsha Semmel and Avi Decter are two of the co-editors of Change Is Required: Preparing for the Post-Pandemic Museum, containing more than 48 short essays by museum professionals across the disciplinary spectrum offering reflections and perspectives on changes museums need to consider as we face our current social, cultural, and environmental challenges.