On July 1st, 2017 the Canadian Museum of History inaugurated The Canadian History Hall, with Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall as the first of hundreds of visitors to walk through the revamped exhibit, which tells the history of Canada and its people from the dawn of human habitation to the present. Through authentic artifacts and compelling stories, the Hall explores the events, personalities and historical currents that have shaped and continue to shape this country.

The newly opened Canadian History Hall covers the expanse of the country’s history, affirming links from past narratives to future hopes. Read the Globe and Mail's article about the Canadian History Hall. 

In 2012, Lord Cultural Resources developed an innovative public engagement and consultation process for the Canadian Museum of History’s cross-Canada tour that sought input from the public on what they would like from their national history museum. Through a dynamic and interactive website, a survey, hands-on activities set up at kiosks in malls, airports and markets around the country as well as a series of panel discussions and roundtables, Canadians were asked to share their thoughts on the major themes, stories, events, and people who have shaped the country’s history. Read about our work with the Canadian Museum of History.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Trudeau was at Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg to announce a $35 million investment by the Canadian Government to build Canada’s Diversity Gardens. Telling the stories of all Canadians, Canada’s Diversity Gardens will showcase our nation’s extraordinary multicultural heritage and allow visitors to discover how plants have shaped the life and identity of their own culture, community and their country – past, present and future. 

The Canadian Government’s contribution will cover approximately 50% of the cost of the Gardens and will be further supported by a commitment of $15 million from the province of Manitoba and $10 million from the City of Winnipeg, with private donors providing an additional $15 million.

Lord Cultural Resources is currently working with the Assiniboine Park Conservancy and the consultant team to develop the visitor experience and program elements for the proposed new conservatory and to help guide further design and implementation. A cohesive narrative has been developed to tie all the elements together in order to tell a complete and captivating story that will appeal to local visitors and tourists alike, encouraging understanding, exploration and discovery, as well as generating repeat visitation.

The third annual Soft Power 30 index has been released by Portland Communications in partnership with Facebook. The Index is the world’s most comprehensive comparative assessment of global soft power, it combines objective data and international polling to build the clearest picture of global soft power to date. This year’s index features the article “The soft power of museums” by Gail Lord, President and co-founder of Lord Cultural Resources, in which she emphasizes how cultural institutions leave their mark. Gail also discusses the rise of museums as prominent soft power platforms through the amplification of civic discourse, accelerating of cultural change and contribution to cultural intelligence.

In 2016, Lord Cultural Resources was invited to be a part of an international team tasked with re-imagining the iconic Perlan in Reykjavik. Once completed, the Perlan will be transformed into an area where tourists and fellow Icelanders will be able to explore the unique natural history of Iceland in a highly interactive and entertaining museum environment — in addition to enjoying the wonderful architecture of the Perlan itself. The Perlan is set to become and even more exciting attraction in 2017.

What is the nature of the relationship between embracing the arts and participating in the life of a community? When and under what circumstances do the arts bind people and places together—and when do they divide us? And what do we need from the arts at a moment when many people are more isolated, and our civic life more polarized? Middle East Institute Arts & Culture Program director Lyne Sneige, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Lerma Arts and Humanities chair Luz María Sánchez, global arts consultant Gail Dexter Lord, and cultural historian and chair of Theatre at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Lynne Conner examine how having the arts in our lives can draw us closer to our own societies.

Read Senior Consultant Priya Sircar's piece "Spin the Wheel and Land on Community" recently published online by Zócalo Public Square. A dynamic article on the topic of arts engagement. "All arts engagement should be community engagement, because arts organizations should exist to benefit—or serve—their communities, however those communities are defined and whatever form that service takes".

Watch Gail Dexter Lord give the keynote lecture Los Angeles, Museums and Soft Power, discussing ways to accelerate Soft Power to address some of the most important issues of our time. Listen as she discusses how museums world-wide activate Soft Power to shape attitudes and influence change.

Gail Lord spoke to a crowd at the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec. She discussed how artistic excellence, citizen engagement and soft power can re-position cities as international destinations.