Telling it like it is: The Calgary Police Service Interpretive Centre

In this chapter, author Janet Pieschel explores how museums can change their perception by highlighting and addressing current issues that are important to their respective surrounding communities. Pieschel uses the example of the Calgary Police Service Interpretive Centre (CPSIC) to demonstrate how and exhibit being tied to present issues allows the museum to be a stage for education as well as an agent of social responsibility.

I completely agree with museums being socially responsible and connecting to their community by addressing relevant issues, but I was a little worried by the connection that the author made between reevaluating the role of the museum in the community (p. 176) and receiving funding from corporations. In this chapter, Pieschel quotes Stephen Weil who states that “…museums need to re-evaluate their relevancy to their communities…,” which may be the reason that government and corporate funding is becoming scarce for institutions such as museums and historical sites.

As the author discussed the role of the CPSIC, she explained that the exhibit located within the administration building was set up to give visitors some perspective on the social basis of criminal activity versus displaying weapons, uniforms, and photographs from Calgary’s law enforcement history. The three displays reviewed were: domestic abuse, family violence, and healthy relationships; substance abuse; and juvenile prostitution.

Although there was some discussion on the challenges surrounding museums and social responsibility, Pieschel only discussed issues surrounding fundraising and the role of docents. One this this chapter did make me ponder was: How often do museums tie the content of their exhibits to the present cares and concerns of their surrounding communities? Do they do it because they feel it’s a foundational responsibility that the museum has to the community or because the present economic environment has made it a challenge to function without fitting “social responsibility” into the mission of the museum?