Houston’s Health Museum becomes a Smithsonian affiliate
The John P. McGovern Museum of Health and Medical Science took a step toward building its national profile and resources Thursday, announcing it has become the latest affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.
Smithsonian Secretary David Skorton joined Mayor Sylvester Turner, Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis and other local dignitaries for the occasion.
As a cardiologist
and educator, Skorton has a soft spot for the Health Museum. He called it “an exemplar of a modern museum, using technology to bring science and medicine to life.”
The Smithsonian partners with about 200 smaller institutions across the U.S., Puerto Rico and Panama to share its vast collections and resources that range from expert speakers
and professional development to promotions. Texas now has 44 affiliates, including Space Center Houston.
The Health Museum is essentially formalizing an existing relationship: One of its current temporary displays — “Genome: Unlocking the Code” — originated as a Smithsonian project.
Melanie Johnson, the museum’s president and CEO, said the partnership has both “intellectual and material” benefits.
Since arriving two years ago, she also has amped up offerings in other ways. One gallery currently contains a community-centered art project, “Humanae.”
The Health Museum, which is tucked away on Hermann Park Drive behind Hermann Park’s McGovern Centennial Gardens, opened in 1996 and sees about 180,000 visitors a year.