Hello Linda,
Our situation is a little different than that at an exhibition gallery as we
are a historic house museum, but when it comes to the third floor
restoration project, we incorporated some changes in the plan to interest
visitors - and repeat visitors.
1) Alternate objects and accessories are in the furnishing plan. This
satisfies the need to rotate things like textiles, but it also identifies
substitute objects that were appropriate for the period of interpretation
but were not included due to space.
In general...
2) The museum rotates exhibits in the main house on a regular schedule.
While the basic plan remains the same, we use extra objects and props
specifically to focus on our annual theme. e.g. when we focused on "Home
Abroad and Back Again," I installed a 1941 Philco radio in the library.
Space meant that the desk that is ALWAYS there... had to removed
temporarily.
3) Other ways we try to engage the public with slight changes in emphasis in
the 12,800 sq ft mansion is through public lectures related to the theme.
So effectively what we do, as a historic house museum, is primarily add or
exchange specific objects both for visitor interest and for the preservation
of objects. We also change out music, flowers and at times scents.
Stimulating visitors senses - hearing, smell, touch - are very evocative and
seem to have a very positive response.
Hope this helps.
Best,
Ware
L.W.S. Petznick, Ph.D.
McFaddin-Ward House
Curator of Collections
725 Third St.
Beaumont, TX 77701
[log in to unmask]
www.mcfaddin-ward.org
409.832.1906 p
409.832.3483 f
The McFaddin-Ward House features three floors of original furnishings,
including a newly restored third floor. Learn how the First World War
affected the McFaddin family as we explore "Foxtrots and Foxholes"
throughout 2007. Call 409-832-2134 for tour information.
-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of Linda Norris
Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2007 12:45 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Changing but permanent exhibitions
Hello--
I'm a team member for an exhibition project where we're contemplating
different ways to keep a permanent exhibition fresh by the use of
changing elements. I'd be very interesting in hearing from anyone
who has tried any of the below changes regularly in an otherwise
permanent exhibition gallery. We're particularly interested in
observations you may have made about return visitor behavior and/or
any actual surveys or other evaluations that have been done. Do
visitors notice those changes? Does it make them want to revisit
the exhibition? How do you let them know things have changed? Is
there one kind of change that matters more than another?
And, from the never enough time point of view, how practical all
these plans are--in other words, did any of you think it was a great
idea and then find it difficult to find time to accomplish it?
The possibilities for changing elements include:
physically re-arranging text/graphic panels to different spaces
installing new prompts or reflective questions
changing simple hands-on interactives
rotating objects
changing installations of visitor-created projects
Thanks for any help you can provide.
Linda Norris
Riverhill
www.riverhillpartners.com
blog: uncatalogedmuseum.blogspot.com
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