Creatively collaborating with artists, educators, and curators at museums and cultural spaces
to create dynamic and engaging learning experiences
ABOUT
MUSED is led by Principal Consultant Denise A. Gray, who has 25 years of professional experience in museums and arts education. Gray earned an M.S.Ed. from Bank Street College through the Leadership Program in Museum Education (2004), and a B.A. in Art History from Smith College (1997).
Gray consults in art, museum learning, and management with expertise in professional development training (conversational interpretation of art and objects, teaching adolescent audiences and contemporary art), diversifying museum audiences, strengthening community partnerships, and collaborating with artists and audiences to produce exhibitions and socially-engaged art and events.
For 12 years (1997-2009), she was a member of the Education Department at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA) where she developed and led programs for teens, communities, youth, and families. One major program she directed was MOCA's long-running now defunct community outreach program, First Visit & Beyond, which engaged audiences at schools, libraries, hospitals, low-income housing developments, and other community organizations. Her interest in adolescent audiences led to mentoring and leading museum-school partnerships at artworxLA (2011-2017).
Vital to her work as a practitioner is Gray’s study of and service to the field of museums, always considering equity, access, and inclusion. She served on the Executive Board of the Committee of Education of the American Alliance of Museums (2002-2010), and was Associate Director of the Summer Institute of Art Museum Studies at Smith College (2012). She has presented and published on the subjects of contemporary art, adolescent audiences, interpretive learning, and leadership. A recent publication (2017) includes “Art Empowering At-Risk and Opportunity Youth,” a chapter in the Handbook of Research on the Facilitation of Civic Engagement through Community Art.
SELECT CLIENT LIST
Gary Baseman Studio
Chi K11 Art Museum
Contemporary Craft
Hong Kong Times Square Living Room Museum
Hope Street Family Center
Mildred Kemper Art Museum
Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
MOCA Taipei
Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego
Orange County Museum of Art
Palm Springs Art Museum
Skirball Cultural Center
Smith College Museum of Art
Tauranga Art Gallery (through Baseman Studio)
Vero Beach Art Museum
Consultation Services
Professional Development Training - Curatorial Services - Community Partnerships
DESIGNING EXPERIENCES – EXHIBITIONS, EVENTS, PERFORMANCES
MUSED designs experiences that encourage wonder, sustain attention, and ultimately leave audiences with the desire to learn more. Specializing in artist collaborations, from individual art projects to large-scale exhibitions and events, MUSED helps create visually impactful spaces and engaging events that honor artists’ ideas while encouraging audiences to think, feel and connect.
ENGAGING COMMUNITIES – SOCIAL PRACTICE
Contemporary art practice includes dialogue and actions with communities to call attention to political issues and move toward social change. MUSED consults in project management of social and public practice endeavors, from planning to implementation.
LEARNING IN MUSEUMS
With the educational guideposts of engagement, experience, and relevance, MUSED specializes in leading audiences through concept- and inquiry-based learning in museums. MUSED offers curriculum development and training to museum staff, docents, and teachers in how to teach in gallery and workshop settings – focusing on how audiences construct their own meaning of exhibitions and ideas.
