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Wednesday, November 19, 2025
Opening Worlds, Opening Doors: MoMI Is Redefining What a Museum Can Be
Playbill: When Executive Director Aziz Isham joined the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) in October 2023, he saw opportunity in what wasn’t happening. The museum’s ground-floor spaces and courtyard were being underutilized, and he wanted to open them up—literally—to the community.
What they are talking about in this article is something that I really do think is important for the change of museum culture and a consumption of the arts to a more general public. As an art nerd, I really enjoy awkwardly quiet rooms where you shuffle around to admire art pieces, though that's not always for everyone, and having new ways to draw people into the arts is one of my favorite things to be hearing about right now. Not only does this initiative remove some of the mental barriers that come with fine arts and viewing of them in museums, but also the financial strain that comes with the viewing of artwork. Even more so with the MoMI, it is highlighted that not only are all of the previous things that I have mentioned true, but there is also this sense of community being built among visitors of the museum. As someone interested in art, museum work, and the interest of the general public about artwork, I really love seeing this kind of stuff.
I love when museums use their spaces for interactive and free exhibits. As a kid, one of my favorite things was going to museums to see new exhibits. To have museum attendance almost double in two seasons is a very impressive feat. Media is constantly changing and growing so to be able to have exhibits that highlight new forms of media for free is a fantastic concept. I have only used a VR headset once and that was when one of my friend’s parents bought a set. My younger self would have loved to go to a museum where that is not only part of the exhibit but is encouraged for people to try. I am very happy that this idea has become so successful and they are going to now make it a year round thing. I am excited to keep up with the MoMI and this journey that they are on to make media more accessible.
I think that encouraging engagement with the arts in this way is becoming increasingly necessary. Traditional museums serve their purpose, but incorporating hands on learning and getting people to create their own art with others instead of just looking at older art. I think we still need both types of museums - some for historical preservation and some for innovation. I’m very glad to see more museums for innovation opening and getting good traction. Interactive museums like MoMI also allow for museum curators to create more rotating exhibits and highlight more local artists. I think its so important to get communities involved in museums like this and provide new experiences often so that museums stay relevant, impactful, and funded. I’m happy that the museum industry is one that has been able to embrace and use new technologies to enhance what they already do. I think the quality of museums has consistently gone up over recent years, and I hope this continues.
What stood out to me most in this article was how Open Worlds changes the way people interact with museums. Instead of being a place where visitors quietly observe, MoMI opens its doors for people to create, experiment, and connect with others. I really like how the initiative removes both financial and emotional barriers, making media and technology feel accessible rather than intimidating. The idea that visitors can try VR, explore game-design tools, or collaborate with artists makes the museum feel more like a creative playground than a traditional exhibition. I also appreciate how much emphasis is placed on community, like bringing together people with different interests, from anime fans to Jim Henson enthusiasts, and giving them a space to share what they love. It’s exciting to see museums embracing interactive, hands on experiences, and it makes me want to see how Open Worlds continues to grow and inspire new forms of creativity.
One of the things that draws me to New York City is the community engagement activities available. I frequently remember learning about new community centers that individuals can go to to explore and engage with new topics and ideas. What I really like about this idea and solves one of my issues with museums is that some people don't want to just look at the artifacts and learn about this history, they want to do the thing they are learning about. Corning Museum of Glass does this perfectly offering workshops that allow you to learn first hand at how hard crafting glass can be developing a deeper appreciation for the exhibits and the community around glass making. Opening Worlds seems to be creating a similar atmosphere but more focused on human connection through experiences and we need more of that in our daily lives that is for sure. Initiatives like this remind me of times when libraries where being constructed for the use of the community. Allowing for greater literacy and access to knowledge in our communities.
This museum seems like a really cool idea, and I hope that it dose well. Since it feel like the perfect birthplace for new and aspiring artists that may not be exposed to art and creative processes if not for a place like this museum. I completely agree with the article that this is not your traditional museum, and I am glad that this is the case. It is a reality that the current generation of grade school students have an extremely low attention span that could make a traditional museum extremely boring, and not engaging at all. This fact is especially true for any purpose with ADHD or similar neurological disorders. Walking through a room and staring at seemingly random objects and descriptions can be the most boring and not engaging activity for some young people. So having an environment like this museum would be perfect, as it seems like this museum is focused on interaction and learning. Instead of the classic format of observation and respect.
7 comments:
What they are talking about in this article is something that I really do think is important for the change of museum culture and a consumption of the arts to a more general public. As an art nerd, I really enjoy awkwardly quiet rooms where you shuffle around to admire art pieces, though that's not always for everyone, and having new ways to draw people into the arts is one of my favorite things to be hearing about right now. Not only does this initiative remove some of the mental barriers that come with fine arts and viewing of them in museums, but also the financial strain that comes with the viewing of artwork. Even more so with the MoMI, it is highlighted that not only are all of the previous things that I have mentioned true, but there is also this sense of community being built among visitors of the museum. As someone interested in art, museum work, and the interest of the general public about artwork, I really love seeing this kind of stuff.
I love when museums use their spaces for interactive and free exhibits. As a kid, one of my favorite things was going to museums to see new exhibits. To have museum attendance almost double in two seasons is a very impressive feat. Media is constantly changing and growing so to be able to have exhibits that highlight new forms of media for free is a fantastic concept. I have only used a VR headset once and that was when one of my friend’s parents bought a set. My younger self would have loved to go to a museum where that is not only part of the exhibit but is encouraged for people to try. I am very happy that this idea has become so successful and they are going to now make it a year round thing. I am excited to keep up with the MoMI and this journey that they are on to make media more accessible.
Emma L
I think that encouraging engagement with the arts in this way is becoming increasingly necessary. Traditional museums serve their purpose, but incorporating hands on learning and getting people to create their own art with others instead of just looking at older art. I think we still need both types of museums - some for historical preservation and some for innovation. I’m very glad to see more museums for innovation opening and getting good traction. Interactive museums like MoMI also allow for museum curators to create more rotating exhibits and highlight more local artists. I think its so important to get communities involved in museums like this and provide new experiences often so that museums stay relevant, impactful, and funded. I’m happy that the museum industry is one that has been able to embrace and use new technologies to enhance what they already do. I think the quality of museums has consistently gone up over recent years, and I hope this continues.
What stood out to me most in this article was how Open Worlds changes the way people interact with museums. Instead of being a place where visitors quietly observe, MoMI opens its doors for people to create, experiment, and connect with others. I really like how the initiative removes both financial and emotional barriers, making media and technology feel accessible rather than intimidating. The idea that visitors can try VR, explore game-design tools, or collaborate with artists makes the museum feel more like a creative playground than a traditional exhibition. I also appreciate how much emphasis is placed on community, like bringing together people with different interests, from anime fans to Jim Henson enthusiasts, and giving them a space to share what they love. It’s exciting to see museums embracing interactive, hands on experiences, and it makes me want to see how Open Worlds continues to grow and inspire new forms of creativity.
One of the things that draws me to New York City is the community engagement activities available. I frequently remember learning about new community centers that individuals can go to to explore and engage with new topics and ideas. What I really like about this idea and solves one of my issues with museums is that some people don't want to just look at the artifacts and learn about this history, they want to do the thing they are learning about. Corning Museum of Glass does this perfectly offering workshops that allow you to learn first hand at how hard crafting glass can be developing a deeper appreciation for the exhibits and the community around glass making. Opening Worlds seems to be creating a similar atmosphere but more focused on human connection through experiences and we need more of that in our daily lives that is for sure. Initiatives like this remind me of times when libraries where being constructed for the use of the community. Allowing for greater literacy and access to knowledge in our communities.
This museum seems like a really cool idea, and I hope that it dose well. Since it feel like the perfect birthplace for new and aspiring artists that may not be exposed to art and creative processes if not for a place like this museum. I completely agree with the article that this is not your traditional museum, and I am glad that this is the case. It is a reality that the current generation of grade school students have an extremely low attention span that could make a traditional museum extremely boring, and not engaging at all. This fact is especially true for any purpose with ADHD or similar neurological disorders. Walking through a room and staring at seemingly random objects and descriptions can be the most boring and not engaging activity for some young people. So having an environment like this museum would be perfect, as it seems like this museum is focused on interaction and learning. Instead of the classic format of observation and respect.
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