REPLY TO 10/23/96 21:51 FROM [log in to unmask]: Fwd: Re: Children's Guide

Melanie:  Regarding a children's sheet:  Aside from content, have
you thought about the feasibility of "crayoning" etc. in the
galleries?  If you're inviting people to write, crayon, etc., in the
museum, what surfaces are available for them to lean upon?  Are you
providing writing/coloring implements?  How will their residue
affect housekeeping?
Otherwise:  Keep the sheet's layout simple and spacious.  Be
generous with illustrations and/or places to draw upon.  Choose
legible typeface/s, and place text imaginatively.  Who is the
reader--child, adult, or both? What is the "voice" of the piece?
Pose questions
that invite thought and discussion rather than those which ask for
single and obvious answers.  Consider the interests of your target
audience and avoid shoving extraneous information at them (such as
dynastic dates for young children).  Be clear about what can be
seen/done while in the exhibition and what can be explored, talked
about, done later/at home or elsewhere.
Good luck with your project!
-Patience Young, Curator for Education, Stanford University Museum
of Art

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