WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU COULD DISPLAY – BUT CAN’T???
I’m a radio producer working on a national series titled The Hidden Treasures Radio Project. The series goal is to profile intriguing objects and collections in museums nationwide that are never or rarely displayed and which have both great stories attached to them about WHY they’re not displayed AND which allow us to then discuss larger issues. These stories are airing on National Public Radio (All Things Considered, mostly) and on Studio 360 (an arts and culture program aired on about 200 public radio stations and available on-line.
If you’ve got ideas, ‘nominations’, leads (confidentiality honored), or some places and issues to point me to, please e-mail me
Harriet Baskas
Project Director
Hidden Treasures Radio Project
THANKS!
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Some examples of stories aired and ‘hoped for”:
*Objects too dangerous to display. Has anyone recently found some radioactive, explosive, arsenic-preserved or otherwise ‘too hot to handle’ stuff and had to (or better yet – is about to) call the bomb squad or some other outside experts?
*Insurance. Has the rising cost of general insurance or terrorism insurance caused your museum to pass on an opportunity to mount a planned exhibition or cancel something that was in the works? Have you asked folks who have loaned items to take them home so you don’t have to insure them?
*Budget problems: with states and universities experiencing budget cuts, are some museums getting pressured to close galleries, reduce hours, sell objects, or send them away?
Some examples of stories already produced for the series:
*Bing Crosby’s toupees. These were put on display for a short while but then put away at the request of a family member. Issue: who decides???
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Got something great??? Please let me know!
Harriet Baskas