George (and others): I have worked with
exhibit committees, and when they are firing on all cylinders, the results can
be wonderful.
Part of it depends entirely upon what type of
committee you are trying to set up. It is highly likely that one committee
will not suit all of your exhibits projects. The most common committee is
an "advisory" committee, made up of historians, experts, or other interested
people from the community. They do not generally advise on design
(although they will have opinions that sometimes bear listening to) but help out
more with the broad interpretive message, issues of language and culture, and
community sensitivities. You develop such a committee by talking to
people, looking at what has been written about your subject, and asking folks if
they would be interested.
The key to working with this kind of committee is
that you make sure they understand their role, and yours, from the outset.
They provide advice, but they do not have veto power over any aspects of the
exhibit project. You should, however, listen to them carefully and give
all of their comments serious consideration. They need to understand the
nature of museum exhibitions, particularly how they differ significantly from
written scholarly discourse. (I've always had more problems working with
academics than community members. Academics tend to say, "you have
oversimplified this." If they do, I figure I've done my
work.)
If you have a board member who is interested in
your museum's exhibits in a big way, make this person your board liaison--they
may be the only constant on your committees.
You might also want to consider a, for lack of a
better name, disability awareness committee. This committee could be
useful to your organization for more than just exhibits. However, it would
be worth it to have this group look over your plans for exhibit and make their
comments. It is easy to overlook accessibility needs when you're designing
something, and it is good to be reminded of these communities' needs. This
group would be much more likely not to vary from exhibit to
exhibit.
You said you were looking for people to mentor you
as you develop your craft. For that, I would look to your colleagues in
other museums, rather than board/community members. Exhibit design is a
very specific field--the practitioners are few, and the good ones are even
fewer. Only other exhibit designers can mentor you in such a
way.
However, always listen carefully, and
respectfully, to your advisors. Your work as a designer will improve
as you incorporate community and cultural sensibilities into your consciousness
and allow them to seep into your work. As you go along, you will find
yourself reworking less and less, and you begin to get it much closer to right
the first time.
Glad to see you are doing what you've wanted to
do.
Best wishes,
Claudia Nicholson