Museum Consultant, 1987 - Present          

I provide services for all aspects of museum exhibition development and design, including interpretive planning and project management. Collaborating with museum staff, consultants, trustees, and community representatives, we create engaging visitor experiences for various types of museums throughout the country.

Selected Projects:

• Museum of Tolerance, Los Angeles, CA For All the Children / Para Todos Los Niños Interpretive planning, development and design for exhibition about the Latino fight for school desegregation in CA in the 1940s shown in conjunction with the traveling version of Courage from the Levine Museum of the New South, Charlotte, NC, 2010
• Levine Museum of the New South, Charlotte, NC Changing Places: From Black and White to TechnicolorInterpretive planning, development and design of immersive, interactive exhibition as a catalyst for year long community building project, 2009; and Courage: The Carolina Story that Changed America Interpretive planning and exhibition design to create this award winning traveling exhibition about commitment of the community which filed the first case to become the Brown v Board of Education Supreme Court Case, 2004.
• California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA Interpretive planning and exhibition development to create the new natural history exhibits in Golden Gate Park, 2008
• Oakland Museum of California, Peer review and concept brainstorming for the new history and science galleries, 2008 and 2009; This Is Our Land! Teens Speak Out on Nature and Community in the City Interpretive planning and exhibition design facilitating community teen interns for this Lila Wallis Foundation Funded Urban Spaces Project, 1996.
• Return to the Sea of Cortez Planning and design of traveling exhibition documenting the 2004 voyage to recreate Steinbeck and Rickett’s 1941 trip, 2006.
• Family Violence Prevention Fund, San Francisco, CA Interpretive planning and exhibition development for the proposed International Center to End Violence that will include environments and interactive exhibits to facilitate social change, 2005.
• Cantor Arts Center, the Stanford University Museum, Stanford, CA QUESTION Collaborating with and coaching all the curators to create an innovative, interactive art museum experience, which responds to visitors’ questions about art, 2004.
• Yeshiva University Museum, New York, NY A Portion of the People: 300 Years of Southern Jewish Life Design and installation supervision for the NY installation of this NEH funded traveling exhibition, 2003.
• The Exploratorium, San Francisco, CA Revealing Bodies Co-Director of interpretive planning and design for this art, artifact and interactive temporary exhibition, winner of the 2001 American Association of Museums Exhibition Competition; and Frogs Designer of this extended temporary exhibition which included live animals, cultural artifacts, immersive environments and interactive exhibits, 1999. Included in Beyond Best Practices, edited by McLean and McEver, published 2004.
• J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA Interpretive planning and critique of their planning document for reconfiguring the existing Art Information Rooms, 2001. 
• Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles, CA Romance & Ritual: Celebrating the Jewish Wedding Interpretive planning and design of this temporary costume exhibition, 2001; and Henry Mosler Rediscovered, a temporary exhibition (traveled), 1997. 
• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, DC Daniel's Story: Remember the Children National Park Service contract award, for interpretive planning, design, and project management of this award winning, permanent interactive children’s exhibition, 1992. Also designed the traveling version.
• Port Discovery: The Children's Museum of Baltimore, MD Girls Development of an interpretive plan for a traveling interactive exhibition celebrating girlhood, 1998.
• Monterey County Planning Department, Salinas, CA Made in Spreckels Interpretive planning and design of a traveling exhibition about the history of this company town and the Spreckels Sugar Company, 1998.
• Judah L. Magnes Museum, Berkeley, CA Souvenirs from Israel 1948-1998, interpretive planning and design of this temporary exhibition, 1998.
• Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital, Salinas, CA Museum of Medical History Planning and design of a permanent medical history museum, 1998.
• Bay Area Discovery Museum, Sausalito, CA In the Heart of the Home Development, design and installation supervision of interactive ethnic kitchens, 1995; and interpretive planning for a Youth Museum Exhibit Consortium interactive traveling exhibition, Gumby's World: Adventures into Books, 1997
• California Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco CA Wild Salmon:
• The Upstream Struggle Concept development for traveling NSF funded interactive exhibition, 1997.
• Presidio of San Francisco, Golden Gate National Recreation Area Education and Visitor Center, research and concept planning of an Interpretive Plan, 1996.
• Museum of San Diego History, Balboa Park, CA From Bustles to Bikinis: A Century of Changing Beach Fashion Interpretive planning and design of this interactive costume exhibition on public appearances and hidden values, 1996. In a case study (Serrell, AAM 1998) this was one of four most thoroughly used exhibitions.
• Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield, IL, Penguin Coast Planning and concept design of interpretive components of live animal habitat for a new building, 1994.
• Skirball Museum, Hebrew Union College, Los Angeles, CA Development and design of the exhibitions: Hooray for Yiddish Theater in America, 1996; Tradition & Revolution: Jewish Renaissance in Russian Avant-Garde Art, 1993; Project Americana Sampler, 1992; Memories of Alsace: Folk Art and Jewish Tradition, 1991; The Torah, 1988.
• Point Lobos State Reserve, Carmel, CA The Whalers Cabin Annex Interpretive plan, design, production, and installation of permanent whaling exhibition, 1993.
• California State Parks & Recreation, Monterey State Historic Park First Brick House Interpretive planning and design of permanent interpretive exhibition and recreation of period kitchen for historic building, 1990.
• De Saisset Museum, Santa Clara University, San Jose, CA Interpretive planning and redesign of History galleries, 1989.
• Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA The Modern Spirit in Chinese Painting Design and installation supervision of temporary exhibition; and the Harold Wing Gallery, design proposal for renovation of temporary exhibition gallery, 1988.
• Pacific Heritage Museum, San Francisco, CA The Opening Door: American Presence in China and Japan 1840-1890 Concept development and project management for temporary exhibition, 1987.
• Wilshire Boulevard Temple, Los Angeles, CA, History of the Jews of Los Angeles Interpretive planning and design of permanent exhibition, 1989.

Director of Exhibitions, San Diego Museum of Art, 1979 –1987

As a member of the senior staff of this major city museum in Balboa Park, I prepared and administered the annual budget and schedule and supervised full-time and temporary employees and contractors. I initiated the collaborative approach to interpretive exhibition development, designed and coordinated installation of 12-18 special exhibitions per year in 14,000 sq.ft. gallery space, designed and supervised reinterpretation and renovation of 15 permanent galleries, and managed the renovation five temporary exhibition galleries.

Selected Major Exhibitions Planning and Design at SDMA: Modern German Masterpieces from The St. Louis Art Museum / Oskar Schlemmer /Dr. Seuss from Then to Now (traveled) /  Ansel Adams: Classic Images / Master Drawings by Gericault / American Masters: The Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection / Lautrec /Art of the European Goldsmith: Silver from the Schroder Collection / British Art Now / Fortissimo! Thirty Years from the Richard Brown Baker Collection of Contemporary Art / Homage to Amanda: Two Hundred Years of American Quilts from the Collection of Edwin Binney III and Gail Binney-Winslow (traveled through SITES) / Dutch and Flemish Masters: Paintings from the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts / The Precious Legacy: Judaic Treasures from the Czechoslovakia State Collections / Morris Graves: Vision of the Inner Eye / Fifty Years of Babar / The Art of the Muppets / The Art of Chivalry: Arms and Armor from the Metropolitan Museum of Art / Of Time and Place: American Figurative Art from The Corcoran Gallery / Leonardo da Vinci: Leonardo's Return to Vinci / Sculpture in California Modern Masters: 20th c. Paintings from the Collection of the New York Museum of Modern Art / Renaissance of Islam: Art of the Mamluks / The Golden Treasures of Peru / Five Thousand Years of Art from the Metropolitan Museum of Art / Turkish Treasures from the Collection of Edwin Binney III 

Director of Exhibitions, Spertus Museum of Judaica, Chicago 1971 – 1979

I was responsible for project supervision and management, exhibition planning, design, production, and installation of over forty temporary art, history and ethnography exhibitions. I co-developed and designed a permanent Holocaust exhibition, coordinated outside contractors on permanent gallery installation, and designed and produced all graphics and publications.

Community Projects

• Arts Habitat, Board of Directors, 2000-present. Creating a place for creating art, non profit live-work artist housing and studios at the historic East Garrison at former Fort Ord, Monterey, CA.
• Monterey Museum of Art, co-coordinator of the Art Ambassadors Youth Program, working with high school interns planning an exhibition over the school year, 1998-2003
• Lyceum of Monterey County, Board Member, coordinator of First Night Monterey middle school art project bring artists into the schools, 1998-2001

Lectures and Seminars on Exhibition Planning and Design

• National Association for Museum Exhibition (NAME), Organizer and Coordinator of Advanced Professional Retreat Insights: Exploring Diverse Models of the Creative Process, Boulder, CO 1991; Western Museums Conference, Tucson, AR, 2002; Creativity and Collaboration co-coordinator with NAME and AAM, Monterey, CA upcoming June 2009.
• ASTC, Association of Science-Technology Centers, 2007
• SEGD, Society for Environmental Graphic Design, Retreat at Cranbrook, MI, 2006
• Visitor Studies Association, 2006
• American Association of Museums Annual Meetings, on panels in 1983, 86, 89, 95, 96, 97, 2001, 03, 05, 06, 08 
• Western Museums Associations Annual Meeting, 2001, 02, 03
• 27^th Annual Southern Jewish Historical Society Conference, 2002
• John F. Kennedy University, Department of Museum Studies, 2000, 01
• Monterey Youth Museum, Monterey, CA, 1996
• Alumnae Resources, San Francisco, 1993
• New York State Museum, Albany, NY, 1989
• George Washington University, Museum Studies Dept., Washington, DC, 1986
• Western /Mountain Plains Museums Associations Annual Mtg., 1985
• Mountain Plains Museum Association Exhibit Workshop, 1985
• Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, SITES seminar on Interpretive Exhibition Design, co-organizer, 1982
• University of California, San Diego, Museum Studies class, 1981 and 1982
• San Diego State University, Museum Studies class, 1980 through 1986
• University of San Diego, Museum Studies class, 1982 through 1986      
• Southwest Museum Educators’ Committee Meeting, Los Angeles, 1982
• School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Environmental Design Dept., 1979

Professional Associations

• The Museum Group, The Museum Group is a consortium of senior museum consultants that was founded in 1995 by independent museum professionals who had held senior positions in museums. Our mission is to work with museums to help them achieve their greatest potential in an ever-changing world.
• National Association for Museum Exhibition, NAME, Founding Member 1980; Vice President / AAM Program Chair 1983-1993, Education Advisor 1993-2008; Journal Editorial Board 2008-present
• American Association of Museums, member 1975-present
• Art Table, Inc. A national membership organization for women leaders in the visual arts, 1983-present.
• Monterey Cultural Council, Arts Granting Panel, 1995
• Pacific Grove Natural History Museum, Board of Trustees, 1993-1996
• Visitor Studies Association, member
• Museum Education Roundtable, member
• Western Museum Association, member
• California Association of Museums, member
• Muse-X, Museum Association, San Diego, Founding Member/Chair, 1980-86
• Save Our Heritage Organization, Preservations Awards, Juror, 1985
• Am. Institute of Architects, San Diego, Orchids and Onions Awards, Juror

Included in Publications

• McLean, Kathleen and Wendy Pollock. Visitor Voices in Museum Exhibitions, ASTC, 2007. Question at the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University as an example of Expressing and Co-Creating.
• Fohrman, Darcie. Exhibition Reviews, Curator: The Museum Journal, Volume 44 Number 2, 2001 and Volume 51 Number 1, 2008.
• McLean, Kathleen and McEver, Catherine. Are We There Yet? Conversations about Best Practices in Science Exhibition Development, 2004.
• Serrell, Beverly. Paying Attention: Visitors and Museum Exhibitions. AAM, 1998.
  • In this case study From Bustles to Bikinis at the Museum of San Diego History was one of four most thoroughly used exhibitions.
• McLean, Kathleen. Planning for People in Museums. ASTC, 1993.
• Pearce, Susan. Objects of Knowledge. The Athlone Press Ltd, 1990. A review of the Holocaust Memorial exhibition at Spertus Museum of Judaica by Helen Coxall
• Klein, Larry. Exhibits: Planning and Design. Madison Square Press, 1986.
• Fohrman, Darcie. National Association for Museum Exhibition, Exhibitionist, 1986.
• Fohrman, Darcie. Western Museum Conference Newsletter, 1981.

Faculty Positions and Formal Education

• JFK University, Department of Museum Studies, Graduate Program, Adjunct Professor, Exhibition Development, 1989-1997; member of Department Chair search committee, 1998
• Santa Catalina School, Monterey, CA, Gallery Director 1991 – Present, and Art History Faculty, Humanities Department, 1989-1995 
• Chicago Board of Education, Marshall Upper Grade Center, Art Faculty
• School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Post Graduate Courses, Photography and Video
• University of the Americas, Mexico City, study abroad program
• Ohio State University, Bachelor of Science Degree in Art Education