Class Exercises: Exhibit Development
Children's Museum of Indianapolis
Directions:
- You are the exhibit development team for the new "Mysteries in History" exhibit (new title TBA). One of the goals of the gallery is to promote shared memories among generations. What issues, events, or objects would you envision in the gallery that would serve as a catalyst for sharing among visitors of all ages? Present your ideas to the class.
- The new "Mysteries" exhibit will obviously use objects from the Children's Museum collections. These may include many objects, such as brand name toys (ex. Barbie, GI Joe, Hot Wheels), that visitors are familiar with in a consumer context (i.e. stuff to buy in a store or ad). What ideas can you come up with, as members of the exhibit development team, for presenting the objects in a way that does not merely replicate that relationship ("objects of desire" or "consumer goods"), but instead challenges visitors (adults and kids) to think about their relationship to consumer goods itself? Present your ideas and exhibit concepts to the class itself.
- You are the exhibit development team for the new "Mysteries in History" exhibit. Considering the mission of the museum and the goals for the new exhibit presented in class, develop at least three ideas for incorporating the log cabin into the new 20th century exhibit. Present your ideas to the class.
- As members of the exhibit development team for the new "Mysteries" exhibit, you have been asked to come up with ideas for interpreting the atomic bomb. Given the museum's mission as well as the goals, skills, and target audience for the exhibit, develop a proposal for this segment of the exhibit and present it to the class.
- The Children's Museum is looking for ways to create changing exhibits within their "permanent galleries". Given the exhibit concepts presented in class for the new "Mysteries" exhibit, for the consumerism theme section develop at least three ideas for a "module" that could be broken out and replaced sequentially to create opportunities for changing interpretations and varied visitor experiences.