Feasibility Study & Program Charrette, 2017–2018

Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C.

What we did: Planning

ArtRise Projects principal Marnie Burke de Guzman worked with several Smithsonian museums and cultural organizations to consider the feasibility of a pop-up exhibition and community programming series to take place in variety of national venues. Collaborating with a project team made up of leaders from the National Portrait Gallery, The Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, and the Provost’s Office, ArtRise developed a range of exhibition program scenarios as well as operational models. The purpose of the Feasibility Study was to guide and build consensus among project leads as they considered the strategic relevance of this effort in the context of profound cultural changes driven largely by rapid shifts in technology, social demographics, and related audience expectations.

To test the program models, ArtRise facilitated several design charrettes for the Smithsonian in San Francisco, convening potential project partners and arts and design leaders to consider resonance and impact, opportunities for growth, and increased competition in the nation’s cultural sector.

Project Team

ArtRise Projects
Marnie Burke de Guzman, Principal

Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center
Lisa Sasaki, Director

The Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum
Cara McCarty, Curatorial Director

National Portrait Gallery
Kim Sajet, Director
Brandon Fortune, Chief Curator
Amy Parker, Associate Director, Advancement & Strategic Planning

Image Credits

Top: Nimbus II, designed by Berndnaut Smilde (The Netherlands), Nature – Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial, The Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum
Bottom, clockwise from top left: Structures of Landscape for Tippet Rise Art Center, Montana, designed by Ensamble Studio (Spain), Nature – Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial, The Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum; Crosslines: A Culture Lab on Intersectionality – People’s Kitchen Collective story collecting around recipes and food, Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center; Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Portraiture Now: Families, National Portrait Gallery; Scraps: Fashion, Textiles and Creative Reuse, The Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum