A Simple Museum Visit That Turned Into a Seed of Inspiration

I am constantly grateful to have one of the coolest jobs in the world - designing educational programs and exhibits for children’s museums. As I cross over a decade of museum experience, and enter my new role at kidSTREAM as the Director of Guest Experience, I find myself reflecting on three main questions:

1. What helped me find my path of passion and success?

2. How can I create experiences that welcome, support, and inspire?

3. What can I offer children and their parents now that would have helped me as a child?
   

As early as I can remember, I carried a little lined notebook and scribbled small drawings wherever I went. I would spend hours on end with my six-color palette of watercolors filling any paper I could get my hands on. As I grew up my enthusiasm to create grew too and I jumped at any opportunity to learn different techniques and mediums to find new ways to bring my ideas into a tangible form.

"One of my main drivers is to create that experience for children of any background and age to pursue their curiosities and offer a space where they can be the agent of their own path and challenge themselves to learn and grow in the areas they are interested in."

Calvin Seibert, assistant to the artist David Altmejd, works on installing Altmeid's art.

When I was 16, I boarded a bus with my high school art club for a tour of the brand-new Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver. Throughout the hour-long drive downtown I remember my friends talking about the different exhibitions, museums, and gallery walks they had visited. A small panic set in as I had never been to an art museum. A sinking feeling overcame me sounding an inner alarm that I didn’t belong. Walking a couple of blocks to the museum I remember stumbling upon the outdoor installations that switched my emotions to curiosity, wonder, and excitement. Once I stepped inside the museum my entire perspective changed and I felt like I had entered a new dimension as I absorbed the artwork from contemporary international artists. But the most inspiring part of the trip, was a special behind-the-scenes tour to watch the installation for the inaugural show, Star Power: Museum as Body Electric. Part of the roof was off the second story of the museum as a crane was lifting a giant sculpture by David Altmejd into the museum. As I stood admiring every form, a rush of thoughts and emotions overcame me and any residual doubt was replaced with pure inspiration.

On reflection, I had no idea what a lasting impact that visit would make. Standing from my perspective now, it was such a pivotal inspiration to follow my interests and passions and forge an authentic path in support of things that I believe in. One of my main drivers is to create that experience for children of any background and age to pursue their curiosities and offer a space where they can be the agent of their own path and challenge themselves to learn and grow in the areas they are interested in.

Growing up just outside of Denver, there were several museums available that my family never considered visiting as it was so out of sync with our daily lives. Not only that, but factoring in the commute times, admission costs, and schedule constraints it would have been a massive imposition. At kidSTREAM, I hope to eliminate as many barriers as possible to make a center for education, exploration, and play equally as approachable and accessible for every family.

kidSTREAM is my fourth children’s museum project internationally and I am eager to bring a children’s museum to the center of Ventura County. I know that like my family, driving at least an hour one-way to visit a children’s museum is nearly impossible and more of a strain than a support. I look forward to welcoming our guests in ways that fit into their lives and interests through daily visits, classes, field trips, and events.

I know that where I am today is thanks to not only my education, but also the hands-on experiences and the care of people around me. My first hero will always be my dad who raised my twin and me as a single father. I recognize now what an incredible responsibility that was and the tremendous strain it must have been. Taking a step beyond that, I am filled with gratitude as I recognize the impact of the support I received from teachers, friends, my larger family, and the community. At kidSTREAM I am committed to support all of the parents, caregivers, educators the resources and support in the most important roles in humanity.

Today, as museums in general face an existential crisis to be more accessible, relevant, and ethical it brings my reflections full circle on how I got here and what I will work on next. Children’s Museums fiercely pursue ways to encourage every child to follow their inherent interests, strengths, and curiosities. They offer a safe space to play, learn and explore. My vision for kidSTREAM is that it will be a hub for the community to connect and showcase the incredible values, traditions, and attributes that make Ventura County an incredible place to live. It will be a resource to support parents, caregivers, and educators in their multi-faceted responsibilities with cutting-edge research and tools. Above all, I want it to be a space that fuels every child's imagination, curiosity, and love of learning.

I often think of that fearful bus ride and it serves as such a such a compass in my approach to designing experiences. I hope that every child feels welcome and inherently worthy to visit kidSTREAM. I hope that every child finds something that sparks a love of learning. And I hope every child has the inspiration and resources to make a little progress on their authentic path. I strive to be that curator who made the extra effort to include me in the process that turned a simple museum visit into a seed of inspiration for my future.