Exhibit Development Process Employed in EIU’s History Museum Exhibit Course – Part II
Exhibit Development Process Employed in EIU’s History Museum Exhibit Course – Part II
January 26, 2011 by Taylor Studios
Today’s blog post comes from Rick Riccio. It is Part II of the blog he wrote for us on of this year.
In the last blog, I discussed the exhibit development process through the preparation of the Design Brief, which marks the end of the Planning Phase. Once the client signs off on the design brief, the next projects focus on aspects of design. I won’t go into detail for every project for the rest of the semester, but a simplified list includes: preliminary labels, schematic design, first draft of label copy, preliminary materials list and budget, final selection of artifacts, floor plan and elevation drawings, and exhibit walk through.
The preliminary labels project is a three-column document with a detailed outline of exhibit themes in the left hand column, a list of artifacts, graphics and supportive material in the middle column, and the exhibit technique or communication delivery system in the right hand column. Every museum would benefit from preparing a similar document when creating their own exhibits.
The schematic design project serves to provide information about the various exhibit elements. It is a kind of template to coordinate all the parts and give a sense of unity to the overall exhibit. It should include items like aspects of the labeling system, the exhibit color scheme, wall, case interior, and other surface treatments, etc. Schematic design choices should include product samples whenever appropriate.
Every artifact and graphic in the exhibit has its own object data sheet. Besides a photograph of the object, each sheet contains information that includes, but is not limited to the accession number, date, medium, dimensions, description, provenance, condition, and any mounting instructions or special conditions. The object data sheet should also contain a number that refers to its location on the floor plan or elevation drawings. These documents, along with the rest of the projects, get placed in the exhibit binder. The students learn that the more detail they put into the planning documents like the object data sheets and elevation drawings, the easier the exhibit installation process will be and the greater likelihood of a successful exhibition.
At the end of the 16 weeks of fall semester, the students have completed the design phase of the process. Over Christmas break the client and faculty review the label copy and design drawings, and revisions take place in the spring semester. Our graphics production is provided by Media Services for just the cost of materials, and the Art Department allows us to use space in the Sculpture Studio for exhibit fabrication. The students are given one full week to work on the exhibit installation, and we try to schedule it several weeks in advance of finals and other final project due dates. Of course, the skills that each class develops depend on the nature of that year’s exhibit, but they all get immersed in the process and the experience of working on a team toward a common goal. It’s a process that we continually refine, but one that we feel gives the aspiring museum professional a balanced share of both exhibit principles and practice.
One of the highlights of the spring semester is our class trip to Taylor Studios. Each department is so accommodating in explaining the dynamics of the client-contractor relationship. The students come away with a better understanding that even if exhibit work is outsourced, the museum staff needs to be just as involved in the exhibit development process to produce successful exhibitions. It’s all about communication.