Hi Cindy,
You have asked the million dollar question. Let me ask you a question.
If this was going to be an exhibit on some other topic (besides
celebrities) how would you develop your criteria for inclusion? That is
what you need to do with this also. Set the criteria first and then
select the people for inclusion. There is no way to include everyone so
don't try to. Use your "Arts and Entertainment" as the topic and the
"famous" to illustrate Mississippi's impact on the US rather than making
it just about people who are famous. Also, let visitors know that this
is only a sample of your "famous" people otherwise they will continually
let you know that you have forgotten someone.
As for the Hall of Fame idea, I advise caution. There is nothing wrong
with a Hall of Fame, per say, but they can be very problematic once
established. A Hall of Fame MUST have set criteria, nomination and
selection process, and a way to "immortalize" those folks before you
pick the very first person. Otherwise, you will have a nightmare.
Also, know why you want a Hall of Fame, what will it do for your
institution. What will happen if it doesn't work? Claudia is right in
that most HOFS do not include many if any artifacts or information about
the inductees.
We have five Halls of Fame here in Waco. All but ours are sports
related and most are used as both exhibit tools and as fundraisers. The
induction ceremony for the Texas Sports Hall of Fame is their largest
fundraiser of the year and require the athlete (if still alive) to be
present at the induction ceremony. They are also a museum and struggle
with the balance of museum vs. mausoleum of "famous" people. Our Hall
of Fame was set up in the 1970s to "honor the lives of exemplary Texas
Rangers" but was really a fundraiser gone wrong! The intention was
good, but the implementation was poor. Today, we don't control the
nomination or selection process and the criteria are vague at best.
This has resulted in the Texas Rangers not nominating anyone in years
and people who are questionable being included in the HOF.
For some institutions, Hall of Fame can be very useful and helpful, but
use caution and really think about how you will deal with issues in the
future. Remember it is difficult to remove a Hall of Fame inductee once
inducted and how will politics play into the selection process. Will
some not want an inductee who should be included because they work or
live "outside the norm values" of the selection committee/community?
As to your question...who to include? That will depend on your criteria,
but all of those you asked about can be a celebrity at the local, state,
national and international level. You institution must create the
definition and stick to it.
Good Luck
Tracie Evans
Collections Manager
Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum
-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Cindy Gardner
Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2007 2:14 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Criteria for exhibit inclusion
We are in the planning stages for the new Museum of Mississippi History
and we are looking for criteria used when doing an exhibit on
"celebrities" from the state. We plan to have an exhibit on "Arts and
Entertainment" that will tell about some of Mississippi's authors,
artists, and actors and a "Music Emporium" where Mississippi's
contributions to music will be discussed.
We are concerned about who to include in these exhibits--do we include
every published author from Mississippi or only those that have reached
a certain level in their career? Do you have a similar exhibit? If so,
what, if any, criteria was set to determine inclusion in the exhibit?
Also, who is included in the exhibit--actors, athletes, artists,
authors, musicians, et.?
Thank you in advance for your time.
--
Cindy Gardner, Field Services Curator
Museum of Mississippi History
Mississippi Department of Archives and History
P.O. Box 571
Jackson, MS 39205-0571
Telephone: 601/576-6901
Facsimile: 601/576-6981
Email: [log in to unmask]
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