What Makes A Great Nature Center Exhibit?

March 27, 2014 by Taylor Studios in Other

I was asked this question last week by our . I, however, do not differentiate between what makes a great nature center exhibit, and say, what makes a great science center or art exhibit. A great exhibit always manifests the same characteristic regardless of its topic, budget, housing, designer, or popularity. A great exhibit presents a concept and imposes it upon my active consciousness.

When this happens, suddenly the concept opens a door, increasing my level of understanding or wonder, which was non-existent a moment earlier. I ruminate over this fresh concept…my mind revisits it over-and-over. I tell others about it, hoping that they grasp its worth, its truth. I look for connections to the concept in my daily goings on. The concept becomes part of my active vocabulary. I may try to use it in analogies—usually forced and awkward—but nonetheless rewarding because I was able to bring it to the forefront, bring it into being again.

Some great exhibits have remained part of my active consciousness since childhood. Other great exhibits have settled into passive consciousness, waiting for a cue to rouse and regain its rightful place in my active consciousness.

To me, this is what makes a great nature center exhibit.

I will never forget these small dioramas which I came across as a child in (unfortunately, they were removed a long time ago). These exhibits set my imagination ablaze. They were the root cause of my lifelong interest in early man and human evolution. I think about them every time I hear the words “Field Museum.” Around here, we seem to have the same appreciation for The Field as evidenced in Betty’s blog about as few weeks ago. Has anyone else out there been impacted by these as I have?