I guess I was sort of a nerdy kid. I was also a very lucky kid, for having parents who took me to a wide variety of cultural and educational institutions when I was growing up. My favorite, by far, was the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. I still vividly remember the whole experience of going to the Omnimax domed theater for the first time. I recall the wait in line being of minimal concern thanks to the large windows allowing me to peer in on the giant projector room. I remember the disorienting feeling when first walking into the theater, even the soothing David Lanz-ish music that floated through the theater is seared into my memory.
Far and away my favorite part of the experience was the brief introductory period when they dimmed the house lights and turned on spots behind the screen that illuminated the speakers and support structures. I was captivated.
Years later, I now understand that there is a lot more going on “behind the screen” than the subwoofers and support beams. And just like any industry’s technology, it seems to be changing and evolving steadily. The biggest shift, of course, is the move from film to digital. This issue explores that change, along with some of the other issues pertinent to today’s museum operator.


-MARTIN PALICKI