Happy New Year! We hope that you are feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and ready for a successful 2017…we know we are!

Of course, there’s no better way to ring in a new year than in the company of people you admire and respect. Although the Ball has long since dropped and many of us are now settling back into our normal (or extraordinary) routines, that’s no reason for the fellowship-fueled excitement to end!

Taylor Studios has the distinct privilege and pleasure of working in stimulating spaces such as museums, nature centers and cultural sites alongside very talented and hardworking people whose expertise and dedication endlessly inspire us.

In a spirit of continued celebration for the promising year ahead, TSI brings you a series of interviews with leaders and luminaries in the interpretive field, chock-full of insights on the latest exhibit trends, strategies for audience growth and visitor engagement, innovations in technology, and advice for working with small budgets – peppered with helpful hints, anecdotes, and fun for good measure.

First, we’ll hear from Henry Sweets, Executive Director of the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum located in Hannibal, MO, about lessons learned in the field.

We’ll then talk with our good friend Jay Miller, President of the National Association for Interpretation, about the unique challenges facing today’s natural and cultural centers and his advice on interpreting their powerful truths.

Next, we’ll pick the brain of Dr. Jennifer Snyder of the Art Institute of Chicago on museums’ major pain points and prime opportunities in this unprecedented digital age.

Then, we’ll turn to Dr. Kym Rice of George Washington University for a discussion on museum studies and how educational institutions are working to cultivate the next generation of industry professionals.

Stay tuned to The Field Journal throughout this month as we present a new Q & A each week for your inspirational and motivational reading pleasure.

Finally, we’d like to raise one last toast (coffee, this time) to all of our esteemed interviewees as well as our readers: here’s to doing great work in 2017.