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  • 1.  Changing collection-based exhibits at visitor centers

    Posted 01-10-2019 02:58 PM
    Greetings AAM community, I am working on the master plan of a significant federal historic site and have a question for you to consider.

    Do any of your historical or natural history site visitor centers have a changing exhibit gallery in which to rotate their collection?

    This example can be a single artifact case that is refreshed once a year at a historic house or a 500 sf gallery with many artifact cases that mount a new exhibit every six months.

    What is important is that the institution prepares visitors to visit a site and has a collection on which to draw on.

    Thank you for your input!

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    Edward Malouf
    Exhibit Developer/Designer
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    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 2.  RE: Changing collection-based exhibits at visitor centers

    Posted 01-11-2019 08:46 AM
    Hello Edward,

    I think you may find some helpful examples in the spring 2015 issue of the journal Exhibition, "The Nimble and Responsive Exhibition." You can access all of the articles in the issue at: https://www.name-aam.org/exhibition_spring2015

    Best of luck with your project!

    Ellen Snyder-Grenier
    Editor, Exhibition
    Published by the NAME/AAM
    www.name-aam.org

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    Ellen Snyder-Grenier
    Editor, Exhibition/Independent Exhibition Developer and Writer
    Rutherford NJ
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    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 3.  RE: Changing collection-based exhibits at visitor centers

    Posted 01-11-2019 10:50 AM

    Hello Edward,

     

    We at the George Ranch Historical Park have a small exhibit gallery in our Visitors Center. Initially, the gallery had a more or less permanent orientation exhibit in it with a couple of smaller changing cases. However, after a few floods in the building over the last few years the gallery has had a series of temporary exhibits focusing either on a portion of the Park collection or on an aspect of the Park interpretation. We only change exhibits once or twice a year in there so it isn't a heavy rotation.

     

    Best,

    Chris

     

    Chris Godbold

    Chief Curator of Collections

    Fort Bend History Association

    p. 281.343.0218 x237 | f. 281.342.3782

    fbhistory.org

     

    FORT BEND MUSEUM & DOCENTS | DECKER HERITAGE PARK | GEORGE RANCH HISTORICAL PARK

    FORT BEND ARCHEOLOGICAL SOCIETY | DeWALT HERITAGE CENTER | TEXIAN TIME MACHINE

     




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


  • 4.  RE: Changing collection-based exhibits at visitor centers

    Posted 01-11-2019 01:56 PM
    For many years we had temporary exhibits of varying sizes in a small room re-tasked for that purpose. It housed collections-based or photography exhibits. We gave it up when our roof-top HVAC kept sending water into the room. Now that problem is fixed, but the space is used for another purpose. > If you plan to convert space to temporary exhibits - don't do it under an HVAC! Or in a space with poor lighting... or if it is out-of-sight (security issues), etc.

    On a smaller scale, we dedicated two cases in a hall that changed once or (at most) twice a year. Displays included items from our collections and/or loaned from outside sources.  When we renovated our building and exhibit gallery, the decision was made not to do more small temporary exhibits, because the display cases didn't 'fit in' with the new look. > Make sure your display case doesn't look out of place (or time).

    The temporary exhibits (with a single exception - dinosaurs) didn't increase our attendance enough to be statistically significant. Our building design wasn't made to have space for typical traveling / changing exhibits. > Rotating items from the storeroom to a temporary display works best if there is a theme. > Displays should have a theme, not just random items from the collections storeroom. (A random collection can be a theme "Treasures from our storeroom.") > Permanent exhibit cases can be made to swap out artifacts.

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    Alan Goldstein
    Interpretive Naturalist, CIP
    Falls of the Ohio State Park / Interpretive Center
    Clarksville IN
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    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 5.  RE: Changing collection-based exhibits at visitor centers

    Posted 01-13-2019 12:13 PM
    You might want to talk to Jennifer Carlquist, executive director of Boscobel Restoration, Inc. in Garrison, NY.  It has a nice gallery on the lower level of the historic house (about 1,000 s.f.) and organizes one exhibit a year for its season.  (It is closed Jan., Feb. and March.)  The themes relate to the Hudson River School of artists as well as highly crafted furniture and decorative arts, be they contemporary or related to the Federal period which the house is about.  Most exhibits have catalogs.  The program was in place when I came on as director in 2013.  When I hired Jennifer as curator she organized several really creative and even novel exhibits.  To animate the existing period rooms of the mansion, many of the exhibits were what I referred to as integrative presentations.  Not only were pieces shown in the gallery but examples were placed in the rooms.  The public was especially pleased with this interpretive approach.

    Regards,

    Steve

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    Steven Miller
    Doylestown, PA

    Executive Director Retired
    Boscobel Restoration, Inc.
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    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 6.  RE: Changing collection-based exhibits at visitor centers

    Posted 01-14-2019 08:26 AM
    At The House of the Seven Gables, we have offered an annual exhibition in our Visitor Center since 2015. This is NOT an introductory or orientation-based exhibit, but one that is meant to add more to the visitor experience. These exhibits have allowed our staff the opportunity to study some lesser-known topics in our history and add to the overall interpretive experience. This has also given us another perk to share with visitors and has been a member benefit as an opening party. We've gotten some great mileage and information out of these experiences!

    That said, we have recently gone through an interpretive planning process and our consultants are recommending a permanent introductory/orientation exhibit in our Visitor Center which does make sense overall.

    All of our exhibits have been put online: https://7gables.org/online-exhibitions

    In 2019, our exhibit will be called POP! Goes The Gables and will explore how our site and its visitors and inhabitants have been influential over the past 150 years. This will be paired with a speaker series and film series. We're very excited!

    Would be happy to chat more if you want to reach out!




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    Julie Arrison-Bishop
    Special Projects Manger
    The House of the Seven Gables
    Salem, Mass.
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    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 7.  RE: Changing collection-based exhibits at visitor centers

    Posted 01-14-2019 12:22 PM
    Hello, Edward

    Here at the Lubbock Lake National Historic Landmark, we have just over 37,000 square feet of exhibition space.  The majority of it is long-term exhibits that chronicle research done here since the site was discovered in 1936, its natural history, and the 12,000 years of cultural history contained in our archaeological record.  Just over 600 square feet of our gallery space is used for exhibits​ that change annually.  As our space changing space is too small for most traveling exhibits, the majority are produced in house.  Having the ability to change exhibits on a regular calendar keeps our information fresh, provides a basis for programming, and additional interest for the public.

    In recent years, our changing exhibit space has been a laboratory for trying new interpretive techniques to expand accessibility including augmented reality, audio interpretation, 3D printing of artifacts, and Braille labeling.  In addition, as each exhibit closes, it is repurposed as a virtual exhibit available on our website.  If I may be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

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    Deborah Bigness
    Manager of Site Operations, Lubbock Lake National Historic Landmark
    Museum of Texas Tech University
    Lubbock TX
    deborah.bigness@ttu.edu
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    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 8.  RE: Changing collection-based exhibits at visitor centers

    Posted 01-14-2019 02:39 PM
    Thank you all for your informed and detailed replies, I have much to process! Some of you have received individual replies seeking more information.

    Regards,

    Ed

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    Edward Malouf
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    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 9.  RE: Changing collection-based exhibits at visitor centers

    Posted 01-15-2019 10:27 AM
    Hi Edward,

    I've worked on a few NPS projects over the years that accommodate changing out artifacts from their collections. Grand Teton and Mesa Verde are two that have large collections that have been undergoing conservation and NPS needed to be able to rotate in artifacts coming back from conservation and allowing the artifacts on display to rotate out for preservation.

    Sadly, with the government shutdown you wouldn't be able to contact anyone from NPS to hear what they have to say. But I would be happy to tell you how things went from my side of the project. Feel free to contact me.

    Best,
    Suzanne

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    Suzanne McGarraugh
    Exhibit Design Specialist
    Mountmaking & Installation
    San Antonio, TX
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    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more