Open Forum

Hi all,

My museum has an exhibit case, currently in our gift shop, that we have been using to highlight small objects from the collection that otherwise don't normally make it into our bigger exhibits. We are considering changing how we use this case and opening it up as a space that individuals and groups from our community can use to display their own items. Does anyone have any experience with this type of thing? In particular, we are interested in the types of guidelines you might provide or if you utilize an application process.

We have tried community cases a few different times over the years and they have never really worked out. We have never had much if any interest in outside groups using the case. This time around, we only had a few people and they were from our volunteer group and not really from the outside. IMO a community case is great in theory but pointless in reality. We are again moving away from this case because it has never gotten any traction. That said we created a specific temporary receipt that we use for that case. When used they are very short term exhibits, so the modified TR covers us without having to do a full blown loan. 

Good luck!

At the University of Iowa Pentacrest Museums, we run a successful MY COLLECTIONS program, inviting community members to display their collections in two small exhibit cases. People are encouraged to apply to showcase things they collect, and their collections are also featured on our website. We swap the cases out each semester and also hold virtual forums about the collections and what sparked peoples' interest in collecting.

Community displays are a lot of work, but well worth it. They engage your community and help give them a sense of ownership in your museum. You need to set very clear and detailed guidelines for who is eligible, what the procedures are, and who is responsible for what. Attached is a document with my procedures from some years ago.  

Attachment(s)

Community Display Letter MASTER.docx   23 KB 1 version

Thank you to everyone who answered my question. All of your comments, both pro and con, have been very helpful as we figure out how to proceed with this project.