Museum of Broken Relationships Indianapolis (MBRI) project started as a unique multi-year partnership between the IU Indianapolis Museum studies program and our museum. MBRI included a 3,200-square-foot, crowd-sourced exhibition built around objects and memories attached to them and seven educational public programs on the Indiana University Indianapolis campus and around the city. The project reflected the substantial contributions of IUPUI students enrolled in the Curatorial Practices, Museum Education, and Museums and Audiences courses during the 2022-23 academic year. Led by professors Drs Lois H. Silverman and Laura M. Holzman, the students worked also on the in-depth study that explored how visitors engaged with the exhibition. Their goal was to describe patterns of engagement, assess the outcomes and explore additional areas of meaning and benefit for visitors and program participants.

We are happy and proud to share this study (downloadable for free) and are so grateful to the IUPUI professors and students and also Randi Korn (Randi Korn and Associates), who served as external evaluation advisor on this study. Collectively, the data gathered and analyzed revealed key findings that can inform not only our future projects but also museum practice in general.

A drawing of us made by a stranger in the train

He Loved His Comfort More Than Me