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  • 1.  Exhibit Master Plan

    Posted 03-04-2015 03:32 PM

    I have been tasked in updating our museum's Exhibit Master Plan since it has not been updated since 2010 and I want to make sure that I am doing this correctly. There seems to be some question around here about what needs to be in the exhibit master plan. I work for a children's museum, in case that makes a difference. This is what is in our current one: museum history, exhibit design (scale, color, acoustics, etc.), Play & learning, design direction, permanent exhibits, complementary exhibits, future exhibit ideas, traveling exhibits, accessibility, donor recognition, and a museum floor plan. Is this all correct? Also we are looking into doing an expansion of our facility so would it be better to wait till that is finalized before moving forward with a new Master Exhibit Plan? I realize that this is kind of a big to question to ask so any help would be appreciated


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    Nicole Morelli
    Florida
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    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 2.  RE:Exhibit Master Plan

    Posted 03-05-2015 07:49 AM
    Thanks Valerie, will inquire.

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    Valerie King
    Museum Account Executive
    1220 Exhibits
    Nashville TN
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    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 3.  RE: Exhibit Master Plan

    Posted 03-05-2015 11:14 AM
    Hi Nicole--

    I write from a developer's not a designer's point of view, but in such a master plan I would find the following useful, at the risk of making it much larger:

    Interpretive goals and themes
    Evaluation plans (and summaries of past evaluations)
    Audience:  past, current and either projected or goals for new audiences

    and I'm sure there's many more possibilities.

    Best,

    Linda


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    Linda Norris
    Independent Museum Professional
    Treadwell NY
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    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 4.  RE: Exhibit Master Plan

    Posted 03-05-2015 11:23 AM
    Hi Nicole,  You ask a curious and complex question, but I applaud you for asking.  From where I sit (as an Interpretive Planner), one of the things missing from your list of items in your current plan, is anything about audiences/visitors.  I realize you are a Children's Museum and your audiences are probably primarily children and their families, but in order to update exhibits, particularly in light of a new expansion, you might want to consider consulting the interpretive planning literature, which, increasingly is being referred to as the visitor experience planning.  This may seem a subtle twist for your intentions, but a broader look at the visitor experiences with your institution (and in your community) may help inform your future exhibit and program planning.  In other words, planning for exhibits without concurrently planning for people may result in a mis-match eventually.  Best of luck!  

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    Marcella Wells
    Interpretive Planning and Evaluation Consultant
    Wells Resources, Inc.
    Fort Collins CO
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    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 5.  RE: Exhibit Master Plan

    Posted 03-06-2015 12:08 PM
    Thank you everyone for your input. I've been looking through our documents and we have alot of this stuff already in place it just needs to be refined and put together.This will definitely be helpful in moving forward!
    -Nicole 

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    Nicole Morelli
    Saint Petersburg FL
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    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more