Many clients and communities are eager to bring their unfolding stories to a wider public, building vibrant networks along the way. Brocade supports all stages of this work, guiding projects with curiosity and caring, metrics and methodology.

Our community focused processes help organizations examine the social histories of their sites, their collections, and their resources. Finding new ways of sharing these resources can challenge people to think differently about what’s possible in the present. Our plans create strong supports for artistic and cultural practices that enliven communities.

Whether for an entire state or a single neighborhood, our interpretive planning and design work is focused, respectful, and visitor-centered.

Testimonials

“We return to Brocade again and again for guidance on our most important initiatives; their professionals engage with deep intellect, sophisticated listening, and innovative thinking, tailoring their services and research to our particular needs.”

— Betsy Bradley, Director, Mississippi Museum of Art

“Brocade brings high emotional intelligence coupled with quick situational analysis. They can read a room well and move stakeholders to consensus, or tease out unseen consensus.”

— Adam Kenney, Managing Director of Programs, Bridgeway Capital

“With Brocade’s facilitation and with good input from the Board, the result was a focused and realistic, but challenging, long-range plan. The whole process was executed with efficiency, humor, and excellent insights into our long-term hopes.”

— Jay Johnston, Jr., Board Chair, Polegreen Foundation

Selected Work

Dorothea Dix Park

One of the largest new parks in the country, Dix Park is an emerging 308-acre public space in the heart of Raleigh with a complex history involving Native land, plantation slavery, and the state psychiatric hospital. Brocade and a partner experience design firm developed a cultural interpretation plan focused on sharing the site’s history with visitors and connecting the past to what Raleighites find meaningful today. This significant project involved extensive research and engagement.

Mississippi Museum of Art

Through a process of organizational introspection, Brocade led a strategic planning process for the Museum focused on how its values of promoting dialogue around equity might inform the work of the museum as a whole. The plan helped catalyze over $4M in grants from the Ford Foundation and other national funders. Brocade later returned to develop a data strategy for the Museum and lead a master planning process.

Lewis Latimer House Museum

Despite minimal formal education, Lewis Latimer would open access to electric lighting by helping to make it safer, more practical, and affordable. Brocade developed an interpretive plan for the Latimer House Museum that spanned eras of political, industrial, and social upheaval, and enabled the Museum to secure a $750k Mellon Foundation grant to support new permanent exhibitions. We also helped the Museum select an exhibition design firm and supported the exhibition script writing.

Interpretive
Planning

Our clients include museums, historic sites, arts and culture nonprofits, local governments, and park conservancies.

Our interpretive planning work has taken these forms:

“We return to Brocade again and again for guidance on our most important initiatives; their professionals engage with deep intellect, sophisticated listening, and innovative thinking, tailoring their services and research to our particular needs.”

“Brocade brings high emotional intelligence coupled with quick situational analysis. They can read a room well and move stakeholders to consensus, or tease out unseen consensus.”

“With Brocade’s facilitation and with good input from the Board, the result was a focused and realistic, but challenging, long-range plan. The whole process was executed with efficiency, humor, and excellent insights into our long-term hopes.”

Dorothea Dix Park

Mississippi Museum of Art

Lewis Latimer House Museum

Let's Talk.

Interpretive Planning

Our clients include museums, historic sites, arts and culture nonprofits, local governments, and park conservancies.

Our interpretive planning work has taken these forms:

“We return to Brocade again and again for guidance on our most important initiatives; their professionals engage with deep intellect, sophisticated listening, and innovative thinking, tailoring their services and research to our particular needs.”

“Brocade brings high emotional intelligence coupled with quick situational analysis. They can read a room well and move stakeholders to consensus, or tease out unseen consensus.”

“With Brocade’s facilitation and with good input from the Board, the result was a focused and realistic, but challenging, long-range plan. The whole process was executed with efficiency, humor, and excellent insights into our long-term hopes.”

Dorothea Dix Park

Mississippi Museum of Art

Lewis Latimer House Museum

Let's Talk.

Interpretive
Planning