Gwendolyn Taylor

Hist-6304

Best Practices Essay

There is always a question on how to make an exhibit more engaging towards the visitors.

Should the objects be rotated out? Should we add more technology? Are the labels too hard to

understand for a general visitor? There is always something being inquired about when it comes to the

interpretation and presentation of an exhibit. All these questions lead up to a network of connections

both within and out of the museum in search for answers.

When looking for a way to interpret an exhibit there should always be some thought of all

possible voices that will be needed. Not only should your Collections Manager and Exhibit Designer be

part of the conversation, but your Education Department, Guest Relations, and Maintenance should

have a say in the plan being made. There is likely to be more people to consult than those listed here.

However, with most planning there will always be some troubleshooting in the very beginning and

there will be things that will be missed at first or just in total. People may not know to speak up, or that

they are needed in the conversation. And of course, there will be people who just do not see the point in

certain parties thus do not let them into the conversation.

But the conversation needs as many voices as possible in order to possibly gain the most out of

the exhibit’s interpretation.1 This is especially true when you have the wonderful opportunity to build

the exhibit and plan out the space at the same time. When you have the freedom to start from scratch

ideas tend to get out of hand or fall short. This situation while hard to work with due to the amount of

planning and creative liberties expected from it, is actually preferred when making exhibits for a few

reasons. The main one being that the space will be designed around the exhibit and its needs.

The other reasons for designing the space with the exhibit is such a lovely thing, fall into the

ease of flow that comes from these two things being made at the same time. The challenge of working

1 Tessa Bridal, “Effective Exhibit Interpretation and Design”, pp. 1-5

interpretation into a preexisting exhibit easily can be summed up as “there is no space”. Existing

exhibits were designed with a certain message in mind.2 That message has likely changed over time,

thus an update is needed to the exhibit. There has been new ways of giving that information to the

visitor that was not in place when the exhibit was built. So there is now the challenge of working with

the space present.

Interpretation has changed to something a bit more interactive than simple descriptive text on a

few panels. There is a need for interpretation on the objects or information presented in the exhibit, so

labels are still needed. But there should be more information than “Object, Date, Donated by/Loaned

by”. Interpretive labels should have a view on the object and its history which it shares with the visitor.

This view on the information should also have other ways of being shown outside of text.

Such as video or audio that the visitor can engage with. There are also interactive activities, be

it being able to handle an object or pressing a button to turn on a light, that can help give the visitor

insight on what you are trying to tell them. Will these things always tell the same story to every person

who comes? Absolutely not, even if the material was in black and white with crystal clear intent and

purpose it would not give the same message to everyone. But these things will have your visitor

thinking about the exhibit and what is being shown in it a lot more than if you merely had labels here

and there.

Before you go about laying out ideas about the newest technologies and all the bells and

whistles to grab to entertain yourselves and your visitors. Stop and look at not only the price and your

budget, but the skills needed to maintain those things. What good is fancy screens and light projections

if nothing works most of the time? Not much really. So always discuss the work needed to make sure

that the exhibit’s interactive components will work as plan as often as possible, and how to make it so it

will not be obtrusive to other visitors.3

2 Bride, “Effective Exhibit Interpretation and Design”, pp. 6-11

3 Bride, “Effective Exhibit Interpretation and Design”, p. 18
 The whole idea of communicating with a whole team to make and design an exhibit and the

interpretive programs that go with it, is all well and good. But that is not always the case. There are

times that every part of the exhibit planning processes is one person who reports occasionally to their

boss about how it is going. Even if this single person team scenario is not as likely as others it does

have overlap with the other more common situation. That being a team of about two to three people

who work in multiple parts of the museum.

Small museums are more likely to have an exhibit that is in dire need of an update in order to be

engaging. They are also highly likely to have only a few people working in the whole museum. Thus

there are only a few people who have to go about planning and figuring out how to change and modify

the exhibit they have to be more engaging or at least up to date. Small museums also have the challenge

of having a much smaller budget to work with and the decision of either remaining open while

reservations are being made to the exhibit or closing down until everything is ready.

The choices which are presented when designing an exhibit require communication and

forethought.4 They also require money in some form or fashion thus fundraising or sponsors are

something that might be looked into at the start of the planning. Exhibits might have a need to be

interpreted more and to be more engaging to the visitor, but that does not mean that paying for it will

not be a challenge. Corporations are looking for more ways to make money, and museums do not make

much in comparison to other avenues. Especially when your museum is hidden away from public view,

causing a need for outreach in order to lure in visitors in the first place.

Interpretation is a lovely goal which to reach for, but to achieve is a challenging song and dance.

A music number that many people have try to go through with a troupe who may or may not know the

steps or the lyrics. Causing a need for careful planning and a lot of communication between all parties.

If everyone can figure out what is needed and how to pay for it in a timely manner, then interpretation

can be added to an exhibit with only a few issues.

4 Bride, “Effective Exhibit Interpretation and Design”, pp. 12-26