By Jennifer Caleshu, James Leventhal, Amparo Leyman Pino, Stacey Swigart This session from American Association of Museums 2012 annual conference explores how Generation X brings new perspectives to museum leadership. Learn how this generation will find its place as traditional structures and curatorial authority shift.

1. generation x transforming:
new paths, new perspectives
aam 2012
jennifer caleshu, james g.
leventhal, amparo leyman
pino, stacey swigart
endorsed by public relations & marketing committee

2. how soon is now?
jennifer caleshu
b. 1976

3. who are we talking about?
U.S. Live Births
5,000,000
4,500,000
4,000,000
3,500,000
3,000,000
2,500,000
2,000,000 Births
1,500,000
1,000,000
500,000
0
1910
1915
1920
1925
1930
1935
1940
1945
1950
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1986
1991
1996
2001
2006
Sources: Department of Health and Human Services, National Center for Health Statistics, web: www.dhhs.gov

4. boomers: 68,000,000
U.S. Live Births
5,000,000
4,500,000
4,000,000
3,500,000
3,000,000
2,500,000
2,000,000 Births
1,500,000
1,000,000
500,000
0
1910
1915
1920
1925
1930
1935
1940
1945
1950
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1986
1991
1996
2001
2006
Sources: Department of Health and Human Services, National Center for Health Statistics, web: www.dhhs.gov

5. generation x: 59,000,000
U.S. Live Births
5,000,000
4,500,000
4,000,000
3,500,000
3,000,000
2,500,000
2,000,000 Births
1,500,000
1,000,000
500,000
0
1910
1915
1920
1925
1930
1935
1940
1945
1950
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1986
1991
1996
2001
2006
Sources: Department of Health and Human Services, National Center for Health Statistics, web: www.dhhs.gov

6. generation y: 73,000,000
U.S. Live Births
5,000,000
4,500,000
4,000,000 `
3,500,000
3,000,000
2,500,000
2,000,000 Births
1,500,000
1,000,000
500,000
0
1910
1915
1920
1925
1930
1935
1940
1945
1950
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1986
1991
1996
2001
2006
Sources: Department of Health and Human Services, National Center for Health Statistics, web: www.dhhs.gov

7. don’t you forget about me
2010 US Population (in thousands)
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
0
Under 5 15 to 19 30 to 34 45 to 49 60 to 64 75 to 79
years years years years years years
Sources: U.S. Census

8. welcome to paradise
or welcome to the jungle?
retired
even
grad
better job
married
house
kids
?
better job
job school
college
born
?

10. Stacey Swigart
(the one on the left)
b. 1970

11. “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in
a while, you could miss it. ”
--Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
(1986)

12. “Look, I know you're hurtin' now, but in time you'll realize what
you've achieved.”
--The Commitments
(1991)

13. “All we want is to be treated like human beings, not to be
experimented on like guinea pigs or patronized like bunny rabbits. ”
“I say we just grow up, be adults and die.”
--Heathers
(1988)

14. “I am looking for a dare to be great situation.”
--Say Anything
(1989)

16. Lessons from a
Mexican Gen Xer
Amparo Leyman Pino
b. 1972
…how do I feel today…

17. …I have my niece’s pimples and my mother’s wrinkles…
When doves cry
Prince

18. …crisis, crisis, crisis…
Run to the Hills
Iron Maiden

19. …learning to do things by myself…
Dancing with myself
Billy Idol

20. …work to live…
Girls Just Want to Have Fun
Cyndi Lauper

21. …making my mark as a generation…
Love is a Battlefield
Pat Benatar

23. James G. Leventhal
Deputy Director for Development
Contemporary Jewish Museum
San Francisco, CA
b. 1969

24. Gen X?

26. A. dystopic

27. beyond 1984…
…mid 2012

29. But aside from the absence of phone cameras, the people
and streets of September 2001 looked pretty much identical to
those of September 2011: the clothes, the hair, the cars. I
mention this because it has been only in the past decade that
we appear to have entered an aura-free universe in which all
eras coexist at once — a state of possibly permanent
atemporality given to us courtesy of the Internet. No particular
era now dominates. We live in a post-era era without forms of
its own powerful enough to brand the times. The zeitgeist of
2012 is that we have a lot of zeit but not much geist. I can’t
believe I just wrote that last sentence, but it’s true; there is
something psychically sparse about the present era, and
artists of all stripes are responding with fresh strategies.
-Douglas Coupland
NYTimes March 11, 2012
Review Gods without Men by Hari Kunzru

30. B. retail safety

31. Target in Cali at Night

32. C. Utter belief in new
media, even as a form of
transcendentalism

33. D. Enjoy noise

34. E. Who’s driving the bus?

36. F. Personal Strategies

37. Read. Read. Read. Burgelman’s
On-subject and Off- Emergent Strategy
subject. On-line and the Intel Model:
and Off. “Let Chaos Reign…
…Rein in Chaos”
Believe You Are
Great and Act it! Impact and
Accountability
Horizontalization of
the Organization The Challenge of
Discipline (Collins)

38. Do Unto Others,
as you would have done unto you

40. right here, right now
jesus jones
the new normal

41. what’s so funny ‘bout peace love &
understanding
elvis costello
collaboration

42. conduit for sale
pavement
new business models

43. ball & chain
social distortion
mentorship & apprenticeship

44. should i stay or should i go
the clash
grad school, private sector,
social entrepreneurship

45. asking for it
hole
leadership

46. it’s the end of the world
as we know it
r.e.m.
what do you want to talk about?