Dear Harry, Actually, my solution almost backfired. I had to sit through a couple of very emotional sessions during which members mostly voiced their greivances about the Museum. I just listened, made notes of them on a blackboard and got people to agree that those grievances should serve as a basis for what would be done during the next few months. In other words, the Museum was providing its members with a chance to make it what they wanted it to be. But I was worried for a moment there. Hervé Harry Needham (Tel 776-8612) a écrit: > Both Hervé Gagnon and Deanna Kerrigan have both raised interesting approaches. > > There was a most interesting exhibition which the Woodlands Museum near > Brantford Ontario circulated some years ago. "Fuff and Feathers" depicted > virtually every stereotype in the arts, advertising, etc., that anyone could > associate with North American Indians. It was VERY effective in making visitors > realize just how demeaning stereotypes usually are and I think it playes a part > in sensitizing visitors to exhibits elsewhere in the museum in which I saw it. > > I really like Hervé's creative solution to his problem. That took guts, as it > could easily have backfired. > > I'm looking forward to a small exhibition we are planning with a large > veterans' hospital in Ottawa. The 400 or so veterans in the hospital are all > there for the duration. I was struck by the fact that, outside the door of each > room (they are mainly single rooms, if not all) there is a lighted floor to > ceiling display case, with shelves, where the room resident is encouraged to > display things that are meaningful to him/her. Some people fill these with > photos and reminders of their grandchildren; others with memorabilia of their > military service. Some craftsmen display carvings, etc. > > In cooperation with the residents' committee, we will work with them to develop > a changing exhibition to be located in their dining room area. They will supply > the cases, we the mannequins and we will both work together to design the > exhibitions and contribute artifacts. It is not quite what Hervé did but I > think it will be interesting process and anything we can do for our veterans is > worth doing, in any case. > > Harry Needham > Canadian War Museum