Joel Bartsch: Feature Presentations at the Burke Baker Planetarium

Monday, August 3, 2020

Feature Presentations at the Burke Baker Planetarium

As the CEO and president of the Houston Museum of Natural Science, Joel A. Bartsch oversees a diverse collection of objects, ranging from rare gems to pre-Columbian artifacts. One of the most popular destinations at Joel Bartsch’s institution is the Burke Baker Planetarium, which has been presenting state-of-the-art astronomical programs since the mid-1960s.

With Digistar 6 software and projection technologies, the recently upgraded planetarium features presentations that delve into both the legacy of space exploration and recent discoveries.

The “Unseen Universe” presentation shows how we rely on everything from observatories to airborne telescopes to collect data from the cosmos. It also covers massive radio ears that can detect light at its lowest frequencies and space instruments that are able to detect phenomena throughout the solar system and beyond.

Another popular feature, “Apollo and Beyond: Conquering Gravity,” tells the story of the 24 Apollo astronauts who were pioneers in reaching the surface of the Earth’s moon. For music lovers, Pink Floyd’s classic “Dark Side of the Moon” is presented as a cosmic concept album with specially synched visuals.

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About Joel Bartsch

Since 2004, Joel A. Bartsch has led the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) as president and CEO. In this capacity, he coordinates and leads museum staff and curators in the creation and maintenance of immersive exhibits, implements renovation strategies, and promoting museum-wide leadership. Through these efforts and many others, Joel A. Bartsch has nearly doubled both the institution’s annual attendance and membership base. He also oversaw two major expansions at the museum that added more than 250,000 square feet of space.

Mr. Bartsch began gaining experience in museum leadership more than three decades ago, when he joined the Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum as a curatorial assistant and assistant to the director. He held this role during his last years as a mining engineering student at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden. From there, Mr. Bartsch took on staff roles at the Texas Memorial Museum and HMNS, curator of earth sciences at Lyman House Memorial Museum in Hawaii, and director and curator of the California State Mining & Mineral Museum.

Through these positions, Joel Bartsch gained extensive experience in everything from managing daily operations and directing fundraising efforts to writing corporate grant requests. He drew on this experience when he returned to HMNS as a curator, project manager, and director of earth sciences, the positions he held immediately prior to his current role as the president and CEO.