Cultural Resource Management Program
Fall 1996 at the University of Victoria
=======================================

Following is further information on our upcoming course,
"Communicating Through Exhibitions", September 18-27, 1996, with John
Coppola. If you have not yet seen the course description posted to
the list last month, please contact us and we will forward you the
information.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
"Communicating through Exhibitions" provides a critical framework
within which museum profesionals can explore how to let exhibits and
their contents speak intelligibly to visitors through texts, labels,
design, and other media, in order to promote communication and
informal learning. Methodology used in the course includes a review
of appropriate literature, hands-on exercises, critiques of local
museums, and as a final project, the design and implementation of a
communications strategy for an exhibition at the University's museum.
Working as a team, participants will research the exhibition subject
and devise an interpretive strategy; plan its realization; develop a
project budget; assign tasks; and implement a communications program
of labels, text panels, signage, and other interpretative materials
by the end of the course.

OUTLINE SUMMARY

WEDNESDAY, September 18:  Object Versus Context
- Introductions & course overview
- Establishment of individual/group goals for course
- Object vs. context
- Team building/exhibit development exercise
- Discussion of Readings

THURSDAY, September 19: Creating a Conceptural Framework for
Cummunicating Through Exhibitions
- Field Trip: Meet at the Maritime Museum Of British Columbia - View
exhibitions and interpretation; Discussion with Guy Mathias, Director
and Chief Curator
- Discussion of conceptural and practical issues raised by the
Maritime Museum
- Participants' presentations (on an exhibition they have worked on
or seen and how communications issues were solved or not. Slides,
videos, or photos--if available-- should be used to illustrate the
presentations)
- Planning Exhibition Interpretation for the Maltwood Art Museum &
Gallery, University of Victoria:  Guest Speaker: Martin Segger,
Director
(As a course project, participants will develop and implement a
communications strategy for current exhibition at the Maltwood Art
Museum & Gallery)

FRIDAY, September 20: Labels: Building Blocks of Communication
- Helping Objects Speak for Themselves
- Label-writing exercises
- Maltwood Interpretation Project Review
- Participants' Presentations

MONDAY, September 23:  Reviewing the Exhibition Process
- Reviewing the Exhibition Proces
- Case Study: Produce for Victory, designed, edited, and produced by
the Office of Exhibits Central for the Smithsonian Institution
Traveling Exhibition Service
(Instructor will provide exhibit script, blueprints, and installation
photos)
- Mid-course evaluation
- Maltwood Interpretation Project Review
- Participants' Presentations

TUESDAY, September 24:  Critiquing Exhibitions / Evaluating Museums
- Field Trip: Meet at the Royal British Columbia Museum for
exhibition critiques
- Critiques of RBCM exhibitions and discussion of readings

WEDNESDAY, September 25: Putting Ideas into Practice
- Accessibility - reconciling exhibits with audience needs
- Participants' Presentations
- Maltwood Interpretation Project Review

THURSDAY, September 26  Some other Points of View
- Points of View - non-traditional ways of looking at exhibits
- Participants' Presentations
- Maltwood interpretative project review

FRIDAY, September 27: The course is over. Now what do we do?
- Presentation of Maltwood interpretation project
- Taking it all back home
- Compilation of Priority "to do" Lists
- Next Learning
- What else needs to be done

Instructor: John Coppola is a consultant and former Director of the
Office of Exhibits Central with the Smithsonial Institution
Please register by: August 21 - late registrations will be accepted
if space permits
Fee: $589 Canadian - credit, transfer credit & non-credit alternatives
Accommodation: on-campus bed & breakfast ($61 Canadian/night) Program
staff can advise on off-campus alternatives

For more information, please contact:

Brenda Weatherston, Program Coordinator
Cultural Resource Management Program
Continuing Studies, University of Victoria
PO Box 3030 Victoria, BC V8W 3N6 CANADA
Tel: 604 721-6119  Fax: 604 721-8774
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Visit our Website!  http://www.uvcs.uvic.ca/crmp/