Cynthia Brown is a museum expert with extensive experience curating and developing exhibits. She is principal at Museum EXP, a firm specialising in developing engaging, content-rich museum experiences. She started her career with fine art collections before creating interactive, inquiry-based displays, frequently with historical and scientific themes. Brown’s work focuses on telling captivating stories and using various hands-on components to pique museum visitors’ interest.
Throughout her career, she has held positions at prestigious organisations, including the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science and the Science Museum of Minnesota, where she oversaw initiatives like the Power of Science display. This exhibit featured interactive STEM activities and state-of-the-art scientific research. Cynthia Brown has also worked with popular travelling exhibitions, such as Ultimate Dinosaurs and MythBusters.
She has a Master’s degree in Museum Studies from Harvard University. She has served on industry boards such as the Traveling Exhibits Network of the American Alliance of Museums and the Themed Entertainment Association.
One nominee said: “Her focus is primarily on smaller or regional museums, helping these museums elevate their product and create truly impactful experiences for guests. She has worked on 50 exhibitions across 40 museums around the world, ranging from Crayola to the Amelia Earhart Museum to a number of Holocaust museums.
“Cynthia is one of the industry’s experts in Children’s and Science museums and has helped these museums create and launch compelling exhibitions for millions of visitors. She is a frequent speaker at industry events, an advocate and evangelist for museums, and a mentor to many. She is a true Influencer in every sense.”
Museum EXP’s services cover all stages of exhibit development, such as project management, content research, experience design, and interactive development. In addition to exhibit development, Museum EXP took over the Traveling Exhibits Database (now called TREX), which provides a comprehensive list of touring exhibitions across North America.