My opinion:
If we hope to give the trainee the most valuable learning experience in the shortest period of time, then we would need to do a lot of advance planning -- for example, the trainee may "shadow" at one museum while marketing work is done, she would move on to another museum for experience in research and label-writing, and another while fabrication is being done, another while design planning is done, and another for installation and lighting, etc.  At the Yakima Valley Museum, there is no guarantee that a trainee could walk in at any time and experience the tasks that best suit her needs, and we certainly can't change our work schedule to suit such a program.
Maybe other museums are different, but at this museum a trainee would need to be here for several months to experience the diverse tasks involved in exhibit production (and this called "internship"), and only with advance planning could the trainee step in and experience a specific task that is needed for her training (for example, a trainee can visit our museum for the first 2 weeks of February to experience exhibit installation and lighting).
 
All in all, I'd rather encourage lengthy internships.  I think that they are better for both the museum and the student.
 
If we are talking about a "working professional" gaining new skills from "senior professionals", then all he/she need do is call and make an appointment to visit, tour, talk, shadow, whatever.  Maybe a database of the museums and individuals where certain skills "reside" is the best way to deal with this need?
 
-Andy Granitto
----- Original Message -----
From: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">greta Brunschwyler
To: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]
Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2007 12:04 PM
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] exhibit design training?

We are looking for condensed exhibition design training opportunities,(or perhaps shadowing opportunities) where we can send someone who is learning on the job. Not full blown college/university programs.

Any ideas?

Thank you,

Greta Brunschwyler, Vice President, High Desert Museum, Bend, Oregon  541/382-4754 [log in to unmask]

 

 

========================================================= 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] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).

========================================================= 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] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).