This IMLS-funded project focused on building capacities that will allow the Crocker Art Museum to better serve families and other audiences. We began by exploring the field to identify three art museums that have raised the bar in creating exemplary experiences for families. Interestingly, it was after we selected the Denver Art Museum, the Dallas Museum of Art, and the Columbus Museum of Art that we realized that cultivating creativity for all ages is an overarching goal for all three museums. This deeply held value is manifested in different ways at each institution.

Groups of eight to ten staff and board members travelled to Denver, Dallas, and Columbus between November 2011 and January 2012, touring exhibits, observing programs, and meeting with peers at each museum.