Northern States Conservation Center announces the launching of an on-line training course in exhibit fundamentals at the end of June.

MS106: Exhibit Fundamentals: Ideas to Installation
Instructor: Lin Nelson-Mayson
Dates: June 26 through July 21, 2006
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. This is a basic overview course on museum exhibits. 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;
ź       An MFA from The Ohio State University in sculpture and critical writing
ź       A BFA from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in painting.
ź       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).
ź       An active member of the American Association of Museums, the Association of Midwest Museums, and past chair of the Minnesota Association of Museums.

Student Comments:
“I liked how Lin’s lectures were interesting, easy to follow, and written from experience.”

“I thought the chats were valuable.  That interaction made this class more than just a correspondence course.”

“One of the most important strengths of this class was the enthusiasm and knowledge of Lin.  During chats it was apparent that she wanted to include all participants so she made great efforts to address everyone who was there and her comments to me personally were always positive and upbeat.  She made you want to do as much as you could.  I also appreciated and recognized the expertise of Helen and Eric.  Their input was always valuable.”

“Lin was very helpful with her suggestions and feedback to my assignments and journal. She also had a way of remembering her students during the chats. Impressive.”


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