Northern States Conservation Center announces a new on-line training
course in exhibit fundamentals.
MS106: Exhibit Fundamentals: Ideas to Installation
Instructor: Lin Nelson-Mayson
Dates: October 3 - 28, 2005
Location: Over the Internet
Nearly every museum develops exhibits, but how can we improve
communication with our visitors while presenting our objects to their
best advantage? This course explores museum exhibits from initial idea to
final installation in a variety of museum settings. Topics covered
include exhibit theory, the role of the museum's mission, creating a time
line, intellectual and physical accessibility, writing the exhibit script
and other interpretive texts, the role of design elements (sequencing,
color, graphics, lighting, audio-visual), basic installation techniques
(including placement guides and hanging framed artwork), object safety
and security (including mount-making), visitor safety, and types of
exhibit evaluations. Each student will develop an exhibit plan based on
their museum's own exhibit goals.
The course will last for four weeks. The course format is self-paced
through 6 sections. The instructor will be available at predetermined
intervals throughout the course. This course will include on-line
literature, slide lectures, and student-teacher/group-teacher dialog. The
course is limited to 20 participants.
If you are interested in the course, please sign up at
www.museumclasses.org
and pay for the course at http://www.collectioncare.org/tas/tas.html. If you have trouble completing an on-line order, please contact Helen Alten at [log in to unmask] or Eric Swanson at [log in to unmask]
Course Outline
1. Introduction: Exhibition Theory and the Museums Mission
- 1. Introduction What is an Exhibition?
- 2. Mission and Exhibitions
- 3. What makes a good exhibition?
- 4. Types of exhibitions
- 5. Finding ideas for exhibitions
2. Intellectual and Physical Accessibility & Exhibition Evaluations
- 1. Intellectual Accessibility
- 2. Physical Accessibility
- 3. Types of Evaluations
3. Creating a Timeline and Writing Texts
- 1. Developing and exhibition concept
- 2. “Team” exhibition development
- 3. Developing an exhibition timeline
- 4. Budgeting for an exhibition
- 5. Writing labels
4. The Role of Design Elements and Basic Installation Techniques
- 1. Light
- 2. Color
- 3. Sequencing and Floor Plan
- 4. Graphics
- 5. Audio-visual
- 6. Fabrication
- 7. Specific Installation Techniques
5. Object and Visitor Safety
- 1. Mount making and handling
- 2. Potential hazards to exhibited objects
- 3. Object security
- 4. Visitor safety and security
- 5. Exhibition maintenance
6. Conclusion
Museum Exhibition Standards of Excellence
Current Issues in Museum Exhibitions
Complete Exhibit Plan
Lin Nelson-Mayson, with over 25 years of museum experience at small and large institutions, recently joined us as a museumclasses.org instructor after being the Director of ExhibitsUSA, a nonprofit exhibition touring organization that annually tours over 30 art and humanities exhibitions across the country. For five years she was a coordinator or judge (two years) for the American Association of Museums’ Excellence in Exhibitions Competition. She currently serves on the Exhibition Committee for the National Sculpture Society. Ms Nelson-Mayson has extensive experience with the planning, preparation, research and installation of exhibitions and the decision-making processes each museum must go through to ensure that the exhibition aids in the fulfillment of the museum’s mission. Ms Nelson-Mayson’s experience includes teaching museum studies and museology courses. Her particular interest is the needs of small museums.
Her credentials include the following;
Ÿ An MFA from The Ohio State University in sculpture and critical writing
Ÿ A BFA from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in painting.
Ÿ Work as a curator for the Ross County Historic Society (Chillicothe, OH), the Art Museum of South Texas (Corpus Christi), the Columbia Museum of Art (SC), and the Minnesota Museum of American Art (St. Paul).
Ÿ An active member of the American Association of Museums, the Association of Midwest Museums, and past chair of the Minnesota Association of Museums.