Exhibit Expo-ration

Marcie, David, and me discovering a shadowbox in Phoenix, built by a company out of Germany, showing a video from Imperial Valley

One of the most impactful parts of my experience at AAM's convention this year came not from professional sessions (although I went to many very good presentations) but on the Expo Floor.

If you've never been to a museum conference before, it is probably similar to any other professional conference in that one large area is given over to vendors so professionals can wander their booths and discover new trends and topics.  We all secretly go there the first time to see if any vendors are giving away good swag, but there is a quiet hope- unexpressed, like a wish, so that it might come true- that we will see one new idea that we can bring back to our museum.  This year's conference did not send me home with one new idea.  No, it was more a case of- what can we do first because there are so many ideas!

Marcie explores a VR world

The big trend being pushed this year by vendors was clearly AR and VR.  Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality technology have been around for awhile, but are now becoming less expensive (comparatively) and are something that even smaller museums can begin to realistically experiment with.  Marcie and David tried out some of the VR, flying over New York City and walking on the moon.  Those experiences got us brainstorming on how to bring VR to our museum.  Would our visitors want to 'fly' over the Coyote Mountains or the Salton Sea?  Virtually walk Painted Gorge with the bighorn sheep?

Touchscreen graphic rail for exhibits- I want this!

It was exciting to see some technologies that we've been trying to incorporate and get to be very hands-on with them.  One of my personal favorites was a touchscreen tabletop computer that allows people to overlay maps, watch videos, and anything else you can think to upload onto it! The company now even has smaller touchscreens that would work as highly interactive rail panels in future exhibits.  One of the hardest things about building new exhibits is editing down text for a panel- imagine a setup that let people access as much or as little information as they wanted on a part of the exhibit they were looking at!

Walking on the moon- in Phoenix

People always tell you not to let yourself be limited- that if you can imagine it, it can happen.  The Expo Floor this year reminded me that if I can imagine it, someone can build it.  Never say 'can't'.  There is no 'can't'; there is only the limits of the human imagination. And even those boundaries are forever being pushed.  After all, 100 years ago, people said 'can't' to the idea of walking on the moon.

Virtual Reality: What you see vs what they experience

Presenting AAM 2018

(As is usual for me, it takes me a few days to decompress from going full blast at a conference and then I can start organizing my thoughts into blogs and ideas.  Not sure why, but it's how my brain seems to work- which is why this blog and the next few are coming to you a week after the conference!) 

Heritage Square, Phoenix AZ

May 6-9 was the annual American Alliance of Museums conference, held this year in Phoenix, Arizona.  I've been to many other conferences and presented at conferences over the years (I actually connected with the IVDM at my first Society of American Archivists conference just after grad school) but this was my first AAM convention.  I met some great people, attended some good sessions, got blown away every time I walked onto the Expo floor, and am now trying to piece it all together in 'real' life.





I was honored to be included on  a panel where I got to share my experience developing field trips from scratch alongside other small museums.

"Small Museums/Large Classrooms: Three Solutions for expanding field trips at your institution"

This session was moderated by Jennifer Hance, the Director of Education at Heritage Square in Phoenix.  She put out an email last year about the topic because she was looking for ideas on how to expand her field trip programs and wanted to see what other places had done.  Megan Murphy, Visitor Services and Interpretation Coordinator at Golden History Museum & Park, and Tiffani Egnor, Curator of Education at Chandler Museum, presented as well.  Unlike other conference presentations I've done, this one was more of a 'talk show' format instead of each person getting up and talking about their institution by themselves.  We didn't stand in front of a podium but took the mike and stood at the front of the stage to talk-granted, a little awkward when you're looking at notes to remind you of something you wanted to mention, but much more conducive to spontaneous thoughts and (I think) it encouraged the sense of connectedness we were trying to make with the audience. We probably had about 60 people attend out session and it was really encouraging the number of questions and feedback we got towards the end, and the number of people who stayed after the session to talk with us.  I loved getting to meet these incredible women, share ideas with them, and present with them!

Tiffani Egnor, Me, Jennifer Hance, & Megan Murphy- AAM Presenters!

I'm not going to repeat the entire session here, I don't think that's what people want from me at this blog. Though if you want the slides or more details, feel free to email me (ivdmuseum@gmail.com). Each of us presented on what I think were good ideas at our institutions, but the main messages we wanted to send were:

Hands-on, interactive- and in nature! 

• Don't be afraid to try new things.  Experiment.  If one idea doesn't work, get feedback from co-workers and teachers about how to turn it into something that does work. 
•  Don't talk at kids, talk to them.  Be interactive.  
• If you think it's boring, guaranteed the kids do to.  Don't be boring.  Learning is fun, and the more fun it is the more you learn and remember. 
• Start out with your grade learning objectives, but as you go along listen to what the kids are asking.  Be flexible.  As long as they are asking questions and being engaged, they are learning and you are succeeding in your field trip.

  

  Interactive is the key to a successful field trip!

  
  
  
  

Interpretive Planning & Roadrunners

One challenge every museum, gallery, visitor center, park, etc. has is: what do people want vs what do we think they want? Sometimes they are similar, but sometimes surprisingly different!

Over the last few months we've been working on our next 5 year strategic plan.  Everyone we've talked to wants to see walking trails, outdoor exhibits, art, interpretive panels, and learn about the geology, fauna, and flora of the region.  They want to know what they are looking at when they go out exploring on their own.  That connection between people and the desert has been at the heart of the new permanent exhibits we've designed.  Through different mediums, visitors interact with the desert inside the museum and learn more about what they see in their day to day lives.  Taking this theme outdoors is a perfect next step.

But what does that mean in practical terms? We know we want to develop easy walking trails that people can wander and explore on their own.  What do they want to learn about when they are outside? Is it the same as what we want them to take away from the experience?  Among the many plans are interpretive signs to identify native plants, their desert adaptations, and their cultural uses.  But what about local animals?

Local Greater Roadrunner

A roadrunner has recently moved into the museum neighborhood and become a big favorite on our Facebook page.  So it made sense to me to start thinking about animal signs inspired by our roadrunner.

Same info, 4 ways of presenting it. What do visitors want?

I have no illusions about my abilities as a graphic designer- I don't have any.  But that doesn't mean I can't start testing ideas to see what information our visitors want.  In fact, that's exactly what I should do before bringing in the graphic designers.

 A little roadrunner research later and I made 4 different versions of a sign.  All had most of the same information, with small changes. Two had a map of the Greater Roadrunner's range in North America, two didn't. Two were single panels, two were flip panels.   Which would people prefer?

Single panel with tracks. So far everyone likes the tracks idea

I invite all our visitors to look at the 'panels' and write their opinions on paper around the panel.  What do people like about each sign? After getting a decent visitor sample I'll be able to take these comments and adjust the panels accordingly.

 For example, only one of the panels includes pictures of roadrunner tracks.  That was something I was sure I wanted in the final interpretive panel, but would visitors want it too? So far the tracks have gotten the best response.

Single panel, no tracks. So far the least popular

What's been very interesting is how divided people are on the idea of single panel vs flip panel.










Some like the flip because it allows hands-on interaction as well as more space for more information.  Others hate the flip idea and just want a single panel they can glance at to see if they are interested.

Flip sign version 1- open to see what animal we're talking about

Which idea will win out? That's up to the visitors!

Flip sign version 2- picture on cover let's you decide if you want more info

Experiments with Beads and Ceramics

Visible Storage Cases, with ollas

Visible Storage Cases, before ollas

When designing an exhibit, there are innumerable details, concerns, and concepts to keep in mind. These range from what is best for the artifact to how best to convey the exhibit's message to the general public.   The Imperial Valley Desert Museum acts as the steward to a collection of over 200 ceramic artifacts, locally called ollas, from Imperial and eastern San Diego Counties.  An entire blog post can be devoted to the conversations on how the ollas should be displayed for cultural sensitivity and education purposes(and hopefully I will write that post soon).  This blog looks at the purely physical and conservation aspect of creating an exhibit for breakable ceramics in an earthquake prone area.  

From the beginning of the design phase, we knew we wanted to mount the ollas in a sand-like material that would absorb movement instead of placing them on any kind of stand or shelf. While that would allow a larger number to be put on display and create interesting visuals, the threat of earthquakes ensured that we wanted to keep the ceramics all on one level.  We knew we wanted the olla display to remind people of seeing them out in the desert, with a large photographic mural by Michael Field as the background to help create that illusion.  

Thanks to a Preservation Assistance Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, we were able to have Dr. Nancy Odegaard from the Arizona State Museum act as a consultant on this project.  The original idea of putting the ollas in sand, as they had been found in archaeological sites and would have most likely been placed while in use, was vetoed.  Sand posed a number of problems from a preservation standpoint. It's abrasive, and would over time interact with the ceramics, leaching minerals from the clay.  Eventually, Dr. Odegaard suggested smooth, non-reactive glass beads roughly the size of grains of sand.  Dr. Odegaard and Jessica Brody worked with Swarco Industries, which manufactures "reflective glass beads for reflective highway safety applications."  After seeing several samples, one variety of glass bead (FP96 Ty-III glass beads) was selected to be used as the base for the ollas.  A grant from the local Bureau of Land Management, the NEH Preservation Assistance grant, and a generous donation of materials from Swarco meant that the museum was able to get 120 square feet of beads to stand 1.5-2 inches deep (180 gallons of beads!) to become the olla base.

The case was built and installed by Weldon Exhibits, with a panoramic photograph by Michael Field in sepia tones as the background.  Director Neal Hitch built the individual plinths that would create slightly different heights for some ollas without placing them in danger from earthquakes.  Then came the careful and nerve-wracking process of moving ollas from the museum's storage room to their new home in the permanent exhibit- which Dr Hitch and I spent over a week doing after the museum was closed for the day.  The beads cushion the ollas well, and can be moved almost as easily as sand in order to create small depressions for individual ceramics to rest.  

The end result was that over 100 intact or nearly intact ollas were able to be moved from backroom storage to being on display for the first time in almost 40 years.  While I'm hoping we won't have to test the theory anytime soon, they are in the most earthquake safe display we could develop.  The surprising result was how amazing the cases look.  The beads reflect display lighting and seem to glow and sparkle, making the ollas look as if they are jewelry on display.  The beads manage to look similar to sand, creating the desired "natural" desert look. They also, in the words of one Kumeyaay elder, "sparkle like quartz.  Those of us that are old believe in magic and we see that in the sparkles." 

Close up of glass beads and small olla

Ollas on display with glass bead base.

 

Exploring Cleveland's Museum of Natural History

Cleveland Museum of Natural History

I'm in Cleveland for the Society of American Archivist's annual convention this week (and presenting on Friday! more about that later in the week).  In between sessions and workshops I actually managed a whole day with nothing scheduled.  So, after a little research online, I planned to spend the day at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.  I'm probably not the person an average museum browser wants to go to the museum with.  I'm there looking at text panels and artifact mounting choices as much as the exhibits themselves- looking at what works, what choices I'd make in designing a similar exhibit, etc.  It means I take way longer looking at stuff than others want to, and I'm boring in what I focus on.  But I was going by myself, so I didn't have to feel guilty about being boring today.


The first room I went in consisted of dioramas of artifacts and animals - heavy on the taxidermy- similar to what you'd see in most museums.  I get it. You want to show the entire culture, history, archaeology, flora, and fauna of North America and you've got one room to do it.  There are limited ways that's going to happen.  There were a surprisingly large number of small children there today and the animals clearly grabbed their attention the most.  I enjoyed listening to the chatter between kids and parents- so very similar no matter what museum you're in! My favorite was a little girl asking if an animal was an alligator or a crocodile and her dad telling her to read what the card said, because when we read, we learn things.  She was very proud to discover all on her own that it was an alligator.



This museum has Balto.  The actual dog.  There was a very nice little explanation of who he was and why he was in Cleveland as well as a more modern (and I thought very well done), hands-on touch screen that let you watch silent film clips
from the news on Balto and the Serum Run; as well as a game where you got to pick your team of animals to pull a sled and see if you'd make it to Nome.  With an explanation of why you'd win the race when you picked the right sled animals or why you'd lose the race when you picked a team of chihuahuas or cats to pull the sled (yes, cats. Who wouldn't pick that team once just to see what would happen?).

Smilodon, a.k.a. Saber-tooth Cat

 The dinosaurs included interesting information and I got to see a mammoth and saber-toothed cat. There was a special, temporary exhibit looking at the "Largest Dinosaurs on Earth" which had some amazing science and hands-on activities to look at how giant dinosaurs might have lived. It went "beyond the bones" into the science of how animals so large could breathe, eat, move, etc.  Incredible, and well worth going to the museum just for this while its there.  And there was a table where kids got to put on their scientist hat and dig with a little tool kit. Very similar to what we keep trying to figure out how to fund with archaeology.

Be a paleontologist!

I was particularly interested in the geology, Earth sciences, and Gems & Minerals section since that's what we'll be designing next.  Cleveland has the coveted "shake table" we're cutting from our design. It was cool, well done, and the kids I watched really liked it- which means I'm going to have to come up with something interactive that's even better (well, equally cool. You can't really do better than an earthquake simulator) so I'm not disappointed in myself. That eternal challenge of limited funds and limited space!  But I'm working on a few cool possibilities. 

See volcanoes and earthquakes that have 'recently' been active? Those are plates for you

 Last, but by no means least, there was the outdoor Live Animals section.  Who'd expect that in a museum? It was great- otters, foxes, a bobcat, and a very tame coyote who was showing off some of her tricks for a photographer while I was there.  The information on each species included why these particular animals were there.  They made sure to explain that these particular animals were too tame to be set into the wild, but not good pets in general! I thought that was very well done. I can't wait to see the new habitats that are being planned!

Charcoal the Coyote shows off for a photographer

A little female red fox

Otters Linus & Lucy enjoyed a fishy snack and some play

Like any good museum staff, I was both thrilled and insanely jealous to see all of the plans the museum has for its renovations.  Added space! New exhibits! Fancy new animal enclosures! More hands-on interactive for kids and adults! Everything you want to see, they are working on.  I wasn't overly impressed with my first look at Cleveland, now I want to move here and design exhibits for the Natural History Museum.  It combines the personality and warmth of a small museum with the collection scale of a large museum into a wonderful learning experience for kids and adults alike.  I can't wait to come back and see the finished renovations in 2020 (unless they do hire me and I'm back sooner? I'll be watching their website for job openings!)