Abstract

Museum participation has been discussed by many professionals from the perspective of museum education, education curation, visitor-centered curation, etc. While these perspectives offer valuable insights, only a few studies have focused on the digital or hybrid collaboration perspectives, with most attention focused on traditional onsite museum programming. As virtual museums, digital exhibition platforms, and technological advancements have emerged, the need for formal studies on museum collaboration from a multiple-perspective approach has increased—especially when the COVID-19 pandemic and advancements in digital technology have become two accelerators of the pivot to digital and hybrid exhibition programming. This study introduces three exhibitions and a program at the Florida State University’s Museum of Fine Arts that transcended the passive observer model and empowered visitors to become active collaborators by leveraging the museum as a hybrid third place for the community. Co-curation and co-creation practices emphasize the collective construction of the museum place as a platform for community contribution. Drawing upon the conceptual framework of third place theory, this study examines the reflections on these collaboration practices and shares the successes and challenges from the museum educator’s perspective.