Writing for Public Audiences in the Museum

A writing workshop, titled “Writing for Public Audiences in the Museum,” was conducted by Rosalie Hooper, PMA interim head of interpretation, and Nisa Qazi, PMA director of content. Both shared their expertise in various museum writing practices, including writing for publications, for interactive digital platforms, for gallery walls, and for web pages. They also discussed the considerations that shape museum-wide style guidelines (including new discussions around inclusivity and representation). Personal experiences and real-world case studies informed the presentations and discussions. Writing for the broad and diverse general audiences that visit museums and use their online resources is an increasingly important and subtle art, as this discussion of the communication strategies developed at the Philadelphia Museum of Art revealed.