It's that time of year again; the school holidays are over - a relief perhaps to parents and museum staff alike, after a frantic summer of special events to draw in the family audiences - and now it's time to knuckle down to the autumn programme of exhibitions.
And there are several major events to look forward to. Without a doubt, the First Emperor exhibition at the British Museum will dominate the end-of-year cultural calendar.
The exhibition of 20 of the terracotta warriors begins this month, but had already racked up advance ticket sales of 58,000 in the weeks before it opened. It will be interesting to see how the 12 warriors and eight courtiers are presented in the round reading room, which has been specifically fitted out for the purpose.
This month also marks the opening of the Lightbox in Woking. The £7m gallery has been a long time coming and residents must be keen to see whether its bold exterior of gold and silver aluminium tiles is matched by its collection and display.
In October, the Art Treasures in Manchester show opens at the Manchester Art Gallery. The event marks the 150th anniversary of the Art Treasures of the United Kingdom exhibition, which brought together great private art collections in one place and was a runaway success with more than 1.3 million people visiting during the 142 days that it was open.
The new exhibition will reunite some of the original pieces from the show and will be one of the must-sees of the year. For the trainspotters among you, London's Transport Museum finally reopens its doors to the pubic in November after a £20m revamp.
A sneak preview of the shop and cafe showed that the museum is as strong as ever on its famous brand, but will its new display succeed in engaging enthusiasts and those of us who fail to get excited by things with wheels?
At the end of October, the Museums Association's conference in Glasgow will provide the opportunity to look back over the past year. Which exhibitions and openings worked - and which didn't? Who made an interesting move and who was forced out? And, most importantly, what does the future hold?
There aren't many chances for the whole of the sector, from the great and the good to the people who actually get the job done, to come together and hammer out the issues of the day. And the fact that it is taking place in Glasgow makes it all the more attractive.
Oh, and the other thing to watch out for is that your October edition of Museums Journal will look very different, with a new design and content, hopefully giving it an updated and contemporary feel. But I'll let you be the judge of that.
Sharon Heal, editor
sharon@museumsassociation
And there are several major events to look forward to. Without a doubt, the First Emperor exhibition at the British Museum will dominate the end-of-year cultural calendar.
The exhibition of 20 of the terracotta warriors begins this month, but had already racked up advance ticket sales of 58,000 in the weeks before it opened. It will be interesting to see how the 12 warriors and eight courtiers are presented in the round reading room, which has been specifically fitted out for the purpose.
This month also marks the opening of the Lightbox in Woking. The £7m gallery has been a long time coming and residents must be keen to see whether its bold exterior of gold and silver aluminium tiles is matched by its collection and display.
In October, the Art Treasures in Manchester show opens at the Manchester Art Gallery. The event marks the 150th anniversary of the Art Treasures of the United Kingdom exhibition, which brought together great private art collections in one place and was a runaway success with more than 1.3 million people visiting during the 142 days that it was open.
The new exhibition will reunite some of the original pieces from the show and will be one of the must-sees of the year. For the trainspotters among you, London's Transport Museum finally reopens its doors to the pubic in November after a £20m revamp.
A sneak preview of the shop and cafe showed that the museum is as strong as ever on its famous brand, but will its new display succeed in engaging enthusiasts and those of us who fail to get excited by things with wheels?
At the end of October, the Museums Association's conference in Glasgow will provide the opportunity to look back over the past year. Which exhibitions and openings worked - and which didn't? Who made an interesting move and who was forced out? And, most importantly, what does the future hold?
There aren't many chances for the whole of the sector, from the great and the good to the people who actually get the job done, to come together and hammer out the issues of the day. And the fact that it is taking place in Glasgow makes it all the more attractive.
Oh, and the other thing to watch out for is that your October edition of Museums Journal will look very different, with a new design and content, hopefully giving it an updated and contemporary feel. But I'll let you be the judge of that.
Sharon Heal, editor
sharon@museumsassociation
