Roberta Adams Director of Education and Public Programs Delaware Art Museum 2301 Kentmere Parkway Wilmington, DE 19896 [log in to unmask] www.delart.org 302-571-9590 ext 549 Fax 302-571-0220 >>> Leslie Brown <[log in to unmask]> Friday, June 23, 2000 10:58:21 AM >>> Greetings Museum-L People- We need your help! The subject of hands-on children*s discovery rooms has come up often on Museum-L. I am interested in gathering information concerning these ventures. Below you will find a * short * questionnaire that can be responded to, either to me or as a post to Museum-L. The questions deal with general issues, but below you can find a description of my specific project. I know by the popularity of this subject that this will prove to be useful information for many. If would like to see the results of this (besides seeing it on Museum-L and the archives), I would be happy to send you a copy. 1.) Realistically, what was the time frame for the whole project*from initial idea to implementation? >> 2 years first time. 1 year renovation project. 2.) Was you room funded by your museum? An Outside Source? A Grant? An individual? >> first time, museum-funded. Renovation: Corporate funding. 3.) What was the general cost range of the whole project? >> first time $10,000 Renovation $50,000 4.) Did you seek the help of (or did you use) an outside designer? If so, what were the advantages or disadvantages of outside assistance? >> first time, no. Renovation: A design team: Visual Artist, Lighting Designer, Exhibition Designer as Project Manager, Technical/AV Designer and Director of Education. 5.) Do you have any specific recommendations from your experience concerning security and/or stocking of supplies? For example, do you have a staff member or volunteer present at all times? >>first time, none specifically, except that the manufacturer of the foam pieces went out of business. Had to locate another vendor for the renovation. Look towards the future and the perishable qualities of the room! We posted "guidelines" for the use of the room, such as no climbing up the walls, no food or drink, etc. 6.) I have seen many discovery rooms that use one work (or item) as jumping off points to address larger issues. (For example: using a piece in your collection, such as an Andy Warhol, to explain what POP art is.) If this is how you have structured your room, how, specifically, do you direct children to the actual object? >> Not applicable. The whole room is the activity itself! We are adding ceiling art and a central kiosk this time around that will physically connect with different parts of the room. 7.) Is your room *High tech* or *Low tech* and what are the benefits of each? >> first time, very low tech. Renovation: Adding several high tech elements to complement the low tech. The major benefit if that kids will be able to talk a video image of their work on the walls, and print it on a hidden printer within a paper frame that says they made art at the Delaware Art Museum. 8.) Did you have an activity that looked fabulous on paper, but was not successful in reality? In retrospect, what would you have done differently? >> We've done activities that flopped, such as kids making prints and not having a place for them to dry. But so far, no entire rooms have flopped! P.S. Visit Winterthur Museum and Garden's Touch-It Room. It is considered one of the best, and other museum's have based their children's rooms on. Contact Beth Twiss-Garrity at [log in to unmask] Looking forward to seeing the results on line. If it's not posted, please send me a copy of the results. Many thanks! Thank you so much for your time and expertise. Cheekwood is located in Nashville, TN and is both a museum and a botanical garden. We have a relatively small room in which we would like to create 4-5 *stations* centered around a painting from our collection, a decorative art, an outdoor sculpture, and a garden. We would also like to have a *make-it take-it* table for children to do art projects. Leslie Brown Assistant Curator of Education Cheekwood Museum of Art 1200 Forrest Park Drive Nashville, TN 37205 www.cheekwood.org [log in to unmask] 615.356.3519 ========================================================Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . 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