An Investment That Stood the Test of Time
An Investment That Stood the Test of Time
May 3, 2019 by Taylor Studios
Do you have, or are you expecting, funding for an exhibit project? How exciting! Here at Taylor Studios we know this can be a once-in-a-career opportunity and want to help you make the most of it. Researching, designing, building and installing an exhibit requires a significant investment in , resources, and and the whole team at Taylor Studios wants to support your work and assure your investment stands the test of time.
How long can you expect your exhibit to last? That depends
on the , your ,
and visitor volume, along with your maintenance schedule and budget. The life expectancy
can be extended with a good plan for when components might break. We even wrote
an article about .
We’re proud to showcase one of our ten year old exhibits as a testament to the quality and care we put into all our exhibits. It’s hard to tell which of the images below are from 2009 and which are from 2019. Installed in 2009, the “Dig Into the Past” exhibit at in Herndon, Virginia looks practically new. The panels, cases and interactives still look fresh, clean and inviting. Park Manager, Yvonne Johnson explains, “On the interactive cow exhibit, the squares lift up and there is information underneath. It’s old school but get lots of, not so gentle, use from families and and they still look awesome. The styling, colors, fonts, etc. have stood the test of time and give the visitors a new-exhibit feel even after a decade”. The exhibit style fits the parks’ theme and is as relevant and modern as it was when it was installed. The adaptable design lets the site easily replace electronic elements as technology advances.
Yvonne also shared with us some of her background and expertise. It is impressive to see her career path and how it has evolved over the past 30 years.
How did you get to where you are today in your career?
I started in my current career, 30 years ago, as a volunteer and developed a passion for parks. I went from volunteer to part time interpreter, to full time interpreter and worked my way up the management track. I now run the 1930s farm park that I started volunteering at and have grown the interpretive programs and diversified operations. The Park now has over 600,000 visitors each year.
Due to the typical government operation, it took patience, positivity, perseverance and creativity in working through complex government processes.
What is the most challenging issue your organization faces?
Finances – Local government and parks seem to have ongoing funding shortages. There are so many wonderful people and wonderful ideas for programs, exhibits and events but many have to be delayed or not done at all due to funding issues.
Process – A Government agency has many checks and balances on expenditures and program change is can seem daunting and time consuming to move projects forward.
How do you determine what’s important to your visitors?
We rely on our agency’s strategic plans, agency and site mission statements and direct visitor feedback to direct long term planning and project prioritization.
What natural site or museum (anywhere, anytime) has made the greatest impression on you? Why?
I must admit, I like shiny new things so sites with nice new exhibits get my attention. But then I look at message and “not having a book on the wall”. The WWII Museum in New Orleans made a big impression on me. The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge was also outstanding. I’ve seen some very small museums do excellent interpretation on very small budgets.
What’s your best advice for someone starting out in this field?
What is the most challenging aspect of your job?
Finances and Process – see above responses from Question #2.
Which feature of your site has been the most popular among your visitors? Why?
Frying Pan is a working farm so the baby animals are a huge draw for obvious reasons. Frying Pan Farm Park is different every day so we get many happy return visitors.
It’s the diversity at Frying Pan that draws such a large audience.
How do you find out more about Frying Pan State Park? Plan your visit by checking out their website. You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
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