As cultural institutions see declining participation, how can we become more relevant in today’s society? And how can we reach underserved communities, learn from them and from our failures, and entice non-traditional audiences to embrace participation in the arts, ultimately visiting our, sometimes distant, museums?

This presentation will provide examples of an Art and Film lab that traveled to nine cities throughout Los Angeles and two adjacent counties serving primarily low-income families with filmmaking workshops, opportunities to record their oral histories, and weekend evening screenings. A review of the successes and challenges of the project, as well as its transition into a current program successfully serving returning veterans in Los Angeles, will be highlighted. This project will be contrasted with a current endeavor that is using research into motivations for participating in the arts coupled with community input to bring works from the museum’s collection to new audiences and interpret them through an education –curatorial partnership.