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  • 1.  Community-Curated Exhibit Case

    Posted 02-07-2025 04:10 PM

    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.



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    Stephanie Lee
    Curator
    Arlington Heights Historical Museum
    Arlington Heights, Illinois
    slee@ahpd.org
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Community-Curated Exhibit Case

    Posted 02-07-2025 04:35 PM

    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!



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    Mandy Langfald
    Curator of Collections
    Wyoming State Museum
    mandy.langfald@wyo.gov
    (307) 630-0063
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Community-Curated Exhibit Case

    Posted 02-10-2025 09:26 AM

    Hello Stephanie,

     

    My experience was similar to Mandy's. At the last institution I worked at we tried to introduce a community case when we opened a new facility but there had not been much interest and, more troubling, by the time I left, the first collection was still at the museum because the owners had failed to retrieve it (even though it had already been taken out of the case and a new temporary display installed). If you decide to pursue this idea, make sure you have contingencies for that kind of issue – i.e. do you ship or deliver the items back to the owner yourselves, do you have verbiage in your loan or temporary custody agreement that makes it museum property/subject to disposal after a certain time, etc.

     

    We thought the concept would be well received because there was a precedent in the community at the public library but perhaps that's why there was so little traction at the museum – that need was already being met. If they are still doing it, you could try reaching out to the Coos Bay Public Library and ask about their application process, if they have one, and what they do about things that are not retrieved.

     

    emailMichelle Nash
    Curator of Collections
    Elkhart County Historical Museum
    Facebook28803-200

     

    "Museum collection storage is both a physical space and an ongoing process."- NPS

     




    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Community-Curated Exhibit Case

    Posted 02-10-2025 10:02 AM

    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.



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    Cindy Opitz
    Director of Research Collections
    University of Iowa Museum of Natural History and Old Capitol Museum
    Iowa City IA
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Community-Curated Exhibit Case

    Posted 02-10-2025 02:19 PM
      |   view attached

    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.  



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    Peter Williams
    V.P., Exhibits & Building Opera
    Chicago Children's Museum
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    Attachment(s)

    docx
    Community Display Letter MASTER.docx   23 KB 1 version
    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Community-Curated Exhibit Case

    Posted 02-10-2025 09:52 PM
    Our local museum is being re-established some years after a devastating fire. My organization is working to inventory the surviving collection and supports the effort to create a new museum. In the meantime, we keep history alive by mounting temporary exhibits in our offices, using historic photographs from local archives along with artifacts from local collectors and other nearby museums. Each person/entity that loans items for exhibits completes a temporary loan form, listing each item and providing a signature and date, countersigned by staff. The duration of the loan is usually 30-60 days, after which time, the donor retrieves the items, which are checked off the list by staff, and the donor signs again to acknowledge receipt. Our community members love participating in these revolving displays and we get to share interesting stories. 

    Ruth Hamilton
    History98520
    Aberdeen, WA

    Sent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE Device
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Community-Curated Exhibit Case

    Posted 02-11-2025 10:38 AM

    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.



    ------------------------------
    Stephanie Lee
    Curator
    Arlington Heights Historical Museum
    Arlington Heights, Illinois
    slee@ahpd.org
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Community-Curated Exhibit Case

    Posted 02-11-2025 12:09 PM
    In follow-up to my prior email, I should note that our team selects the topic for each exhibit and reaches out to folks who have pertinent material. We don't just make a community display case available. It is labor intensive and requires good prep and follow-up. Fortunately, we have a volunteer who loves taking the lead and who has great contacts. Other volunteers assist as they are able. When our new museum opens, we plan to include a space for community displays. One day, those borrowed artifacts may come back to us as donations to the permanent collection.

    Ruth Hamilton
    History98520

    Sent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE Device
    Get Outlook for Android



    Original Message


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