If you’re heading to AAM in Philadelphia in May, Isabella Bruno is organizing a field trip to the Ministry of Awe during the conference. Ministry of Awe is an example of an institution that has baked a well-being outcome into its name. Its entire identity is arguably anchored in the outcome we identify as feeling a sense of awe and amazement — a Personal outcome that cultural institutions can and do support (full list).
Your institution may be hesitant to commit resources to supporting a single outcome. It can feel risky to communicate and create with such specificity. But consider the bet an organization like MoA is making: the promise is in its name, which makes the choice easy for the visitor. Do I want to do something that might make me feel a sense of awe or wonder?
And that kind of clarity has benefits for the organization, too. Presumably, every decision they make needs to live up to the name. When the outcome is baked into the name of your organization, you can’t help but ask Will this program live up to our name? And when you’re trying to understand if you’re having the impact you intend, it’s clear where to look. They need to measure the degree to which they are providing that outcome — that specific feeling for their participants. Of course, that’s not all they can measure, and it’s not like that’s all they can do, but they are in the enviable position of having a very clear anchor.
There are still some spots left: Details and registration.