USA
Consultant
The Museum Group
Elaine H. Gurian
Elaine Heumann Gurian is a consultant and advisor to museums and visitor centers that are beginning, building, or reinventing themselves. She specializes in coaching government museums —large and small, local, national and international— that are undergoing significant change. In 2004 she received the Distinguished Service to Museums Award, America’s most important museum honor, presented by the American Federation of Museums. In 2006 Elaine Heumann Gurian was designated one of the 100 Centennial Honor Roll members by the American Federation of Museums. Over the past 45 years, in addition to consulting, Elaine has served as acting director, Cranbrook Institute of Science; deputy director, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum; deputy director for public program planning, National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, among others. Elaine’s collected writings, Civilizing the Museum, was published by Routledge in 2006, and her publications are used in many museum studies programs.