“Museums are at their best when they surprise, awe, and delight.” People go to see in real life what a screen cannot provide. They collectively experience the museum as a space and deepen and broaden their knowledge.1 The Averbook Magic Art Museum & Library will increase a visitor’s sense of wellbeing, help them feel proud of where our ancestors have come from, inspire, challenge, and stimulate them, and make them feel healthier. With society facing many thought-provoking topics in all walks of life, The Averbook Museum can help people understand, debate, and challenge these issues. Magic transcends all cultures, all societies, and all races. The diversity in magic has been ever present and seeks to unite us. The Averbook Museum will educate, entertain, and inspire. It will provide an enjoyable space for social interaction and reflection. The Averbook Museum cannot claim to provide a complete picture of magic history; however, the lessons learned from past events, wonders and tragedies are invaluable. This is especially true in times of turmoil. Museums in general can increase critical thinking skills, historical empathy, and tolerance that endures. For students, art and artifacts help with human development in terms of learning and understanding difficult concepts. Art accesses different parts of the human brain and allows students to problem solve by making more complex concepts easier to understand. Art and artifacts provide visual formats instead of just words or numbers. The magic apparatus, posters, broadsides, historical photos, ephemera, memorabilia, and general imagery at The Averbook Magic Art Museum will engage people’s imagination and intellect.
1 O’Flaherty, Nick. International Council ofMuseums (ICOM), Österreich, News Publication, “What Visitors want. The way to meet museum visitors’ expectations is by defying them.” Wein, Austria, No. 4,Dec. 2014 (10-11).
