Museum Methods

Freetown Village Exhibit Projects

Learning Objectives:

This exhibit development and design project is a prime vehicle for you to integrate and apply the skills and material presented in this class. It also forms the basis of your evaluation in this course (see relative weighting of assignments below and in the syllabus). Your assignment is to conceptualize, research, develop, and design an exhibit in the temporary exhibit space of the Freetown Village in the new Indiana State Museum. The components of the project to be submitted are detailed below. This topic may be drawn from the list of exhibit topics proposed by the Freetown staff or you may come up with another topic provided it relates to Freetown's mission. You will submit documents and drawings at various points in the exhibit development process and you will also submit supporting documents related to larger organizational context of the exhibit (ex. SWOT analysis, condition reports, etc.).

Resources:

You are being provided with a packet containing background material on Freetown, details of the physical setting of the space, forms for some of the required documents, and general information on exhibit development and design. Your course readings, lectures, and exercises in class also present relevant information. There are also some key exhibit design texts and reference works on reserve in the University Library (these are originals and therefore not on the Errol electronic reserve system). We will also be taking a tour of the exhibit space while it is under construction (Jan. 31st). In addition, you have access to a "coach", Wendy Hatch, who will serve as an exhibit development consultant throughout the process. She will provide detailed instructions on model building, and other fabrication techniques such as dry mounting, mat cutting, etc., and she is also available to answer specific questions on any aspect of your project. Ms. Hatch may be reached via e-mail at wendy@iquest.net and during class breaks or for a short time following class. Foam core for the model building part of the project will be provided, but you are responsible for any other materials required.

The emphasis of this project is on the application of museum methods and skills, not on historical research techniques, but you will need to do a certain amount of "content development" to be able to conceptualize and organize the information and to write the exhibit script. Your research may draw on secondary sources as well as primary, but be sure to cite all sources used in your bibliography.

Sources On Reserve:

Mullins, Paul R. Race and affluence: an archaeology of African America and consumer culture. (New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, c1999).

Witteborg, Lothar P., "Fabrication", Chapter 3 in Good Show: A Practical Guide for Temporary Exhibitions (second edition) (Washington: Smithsonian Institution, 1991).

Mitton, Maureen "Scale Models" Ch. 6 in Interior design visual presentation: A guide to graphics, models, and presentation techniques. (New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1999).

Packet Contents:

I. Background Information

Freetown Village General Information

Mission statement

History of Freetown Village

Freetown Village Character Profiles

"Did you know that in 1870..."

Freetown Village Programs and Events

Freetown Village Script Synopsis of Touring Programs

Freetown Village Exhibit at the Indiana State Museum

Case Statement: "A Story of Lives & Courage..."

Museum Floor Plan

Freetown Exhibit Overall Floor plan

Exhibit Goals and Themes

Resource Center: goals and themes

Exhibit Development Schedule (March 1, 2001)

Exhibit Project Detailed Schedule (3 pp.)

Exhibit Summary

Freetown Exhibit proposed educational programs

Temporary Exhibit proposed topics

Temporary Exhibit case elevation and blueprints

Resource Center floor plan

Freetown Village Temporary Exhibit "Do You See Race in the Case" [tentative title]

Preliminary Outline and Script

Exhibit Development Schedule

II. Exhibit Development Materials

Outline of Exhibition Development

Phases of TCM Exhibit Development (and Administrative Perspective list)

Museum of Art Exhibition Planning

Phase I: Proposal

Phase II: Concept Development

Exhibit Request Form

Exhibit budget worksheet sample

Sample Task Procedure Schedule

Sample Exhibit Preparation and Installation Schedule

Exhibit request form

Sample Plan and elevation views

Checklist for Exhibition Development

Gallery Check list

Sample Task Procedure Schedule

Required Components of the Project:

The components of the exhibit project	Due date
Supporting documents (30 points total)
SWOT analysis and organizational plan	1-31-02
Condition reports	2-28-02
Education program plan	4-4-02
Web site evaluation	4-11-02
Marketing plan	4-25-02
Press release	4-25-02
Exhibit Project (50 points total)
Exhibition Proposal Form or Request Form	2-7-02
Timetable	2-7-02
Front end evaluation (done in class)	3-7-02
Concept development document
Exhibit goals and learning objectives	3-21-02
Exhibit budget ($1500 limit)	3-21-02
Object/image list, preliminary	3-21-02
Bibliography	3-21-02
Preliminary design sketches/plans	3-21-02
Preliminary outline	3-21-02
Design development document
Final outline	4-25-02
Design (plan and elevation)	4-25-02
Final object/image list	4-25-02
Exhibit script (text and object labels)	4-25-02
Exhibit model presentations	4-18 & 4-25
Exhibit project notebooks (compilation of all exhibit components except the model)	4-25-02

Freetown Village

(exhibit under development for the new Indiana State Museum and scheduled programs at various other sites)

Office and museum store at:
Madam Walker Urban Life Center
625 Indiana Avenue, Suite 200
Indianapolis, IN 46202
(317) 631-1870

http://www.freetown.org/
http://www.freetownvillage.org

Evaluation Criteria For INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENTS

Criteria

Evaluation

Multiplier

Points

Poor, needs work

Good

Excellent

Total possible=30

Content

Application of museum "best practices" presented in readings, lectures, and demonstration

Little or no application of methods or skills

Basic skills and methods applied to task

Thorough application of skills

Evaluation Criteria For EXHIBIT PROJECTS

Criteria	Evaluation					Multiplier	Points
	Poor, needs work 1	2	Good 3	4	Excellent 5		Total possible=50
Content
Application of museum "best practices" presented in readings, lectures, and demonstrations	Little or no application of methods or skills		Basic skills and methods applied to task in most areas		Thorough application of skills and excellent integration of concepts	6
Creative and well-developed design and interpretive solutions	Little or no development of ideas or original design solutions		Minimal development of design and interpretation		Well-developed, highly imaginative solutions to design and interpretive tasks	4

Guidelines for Exhibit Presentations on April 25, 2002

Schedule:

5:45 - 6:00 set-up of models and project displays (class members)

6:00 - 6:05 welcome, introductions, and opening remarks (Dr. Kryder-Reid)

6:05 - 6:15 general viewing of exhibit projects (with refreshments)

6:15 – 8:25 students will present their projects by turn (5 min. presentation with 2-3 minutes of comments and questions following)

Project displays:

Each project display should include:

exhibit model (with elevation pasted on window opening and any three dimensional treatment of floor area indicated

an exhibit summary (statement of objectives, target audience, and summary paragraph of the content/message)

plan view and elevation (note, this need not be on the same scale as your model – a larger scale may be easier to work with)

complete exhibit script (i.e. all exhibit text including title, headings, introductory text, other text panels, object and image labels)

educational program plan (please feel free to include any associated materials, images, etc. to help communicate the idea. For example, if you propose a craft activity, you might include a sample)

object and image list with illustrations as available

Project presentations:

Each presenter has 5 minutes to present their exhibit project orally. Each presentation should include the following:

exhibit title

exhibit goals

target audience

main message

summary of exhibit organization (outline/structure of ideas)

summary of design concept and any notable design details

summary of educational program plan
There will be a short question and comment period following each presentation. Time limits will be strictly kept in order to allow for every student to have the same opportunity to convey his or her ideas and work.

Students should submit their entire projects at the end of class with the exception of the models which they may take home.

Note: members of the Freetown Village staff will be present to see the presentations, ask questions, and offer comments