Harley Spiller, aka INSPECTOR COLLECTOR (IC), is a professional museum educator whose courses work in tandem with the standard curriculum by focusing on the pedagogical value of collecting. IC shares his award-winning collections of everyday objects, such as flags, maps, international restaurant menus, and more, to help students develop their multiple intelligences, exceed benchmarks, and achieve high standards.

Through the hands-on processes of creating, studying, and exhibiting collections, MUSEUM STUDIES participants develop their sense of wonderment and self esteem; explore culture and identity; and build a sense of community through open intellectual exchange. Students are taught to think on their feet; to appraise and evaluate cultural artifacts so as to understand their context and purpose; and to identify the links between their school curriculum and the world around them. IC's innovative approach develops characteristics of good citizenship and can "turn on the light" for students who may not always feel confident in traditional classroom settings. The ultimate goal of
MUSEUM STUDIES with INSPECTOR COLLECTOR is to stimulate the crucial life skill of persistence in the pursuit of knowledge.

Museum and Collections Studies helps students:



Harley Spiller a.k.a. INSPECTOR COLLECTOR ™ is a professional museum educator who presents his international collections to inspire the lifelong love of learning. His award-winning collections of restaurant menus, flags, maps, spoons, and more have been exhibited around the world, from The Smithsonian Institution to El Museo de Bellas Artes in Caracas, Venezuela. His work has been featured The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The New Yorker, and numerous television credits include appearances as host, guest, and announcer for The Learning Channel, The Maury Povich Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, MTV, VH1, and National Public Radio. Named by Art & Antiques magazine as one of the nation's "Top 100 Collectors," Harley has twice been cited by Art in America for curating "Exhibitions of the Year", and a permanent exhibition featuring his newsstand paperweight collection is on view at The New York State Museum.

Inspector Collector's passion for collecting everyday objects was sparked when he handled George Washington's porridge spoon during a high school internship at The White House in Washington, D.C. He has taught in the SEQARTKIDS program for over a decade and presented similar museum studies courses for over thirty years in public and private schools and universities across the globe. Harley's book about collecting, Keep the Change: A Collector's Tales of Lucky Pennies, Counterfeit C-Notes, and Other Curious Currencies, was published by Princeton Architectural Press in 2015. He holds a BA in English Literature from Northwestern University, an MA in Liberal Studies with Honors from The New School for Social Research, and The Guinness World Record for the world's largest collection of restaurant menus.