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Monica M. Smith

  • What I do, where I work

  • I am the Exhibition Program Manager at the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation, National Museum of American History (NMAH). I am currently working on the development of a 3,500 SF family-friendly, interactive exhibition tentatively titled “Places of Invention.” Previously I was the project historian and second PI for the Lemelson Center’s “Invention at Play” (IAP) traveling exhibition project – ASTC is still managing the small version’s tour. Other activities during my 14 years at the Lemelson Center include co-curating an exhibition titled “From Frying Pan to Flying V: The Rise of the Electric Guitar,” serving on several other exhibit curatorial teams, and acting as the educator for the small “Muppets and Mechanisms: Jim Henson’s Legacy” exhibition at NMAH.

    I served as the editor of the Journal of Museum Education, co-published by the Museum Education Roundtable and Left Coast Press, from 2005-2008.

Positions

  • Former Editor at Journal of Museum Education

  • Lead Project Coordinator at Lemelson Center, National Museum of American History

  • Project Historian/Exhibits Specialist at Lemelson Center, National Museum of American History

Website(s)

Recent publications & presentations

  • "Sound Revolution: The Electric Guitar."   Smithsonian Networks film [air date TBA]

     2007

  • "Behind Every Invention There's A Story: Documenting Inventors at the Smithsonian's Lemelson Center."   American Association of Museums conference

    May 2007

  • "Invention at Work, Inventors at Play."   Organization of American Historians conference

    April 2006

  • "Invention at Play."   Parents' Choice Foundation web site

     2005

  • "The Electric Guitar: How We Got from Andres Segovia to Kurt Cobain."   Invention and Technology magazine

    Summer 2004