Looking Back to Move Forward

A retired school superintendent named George was one of my all-time favorite Board Members, and he would often remind us of something during tense meetings when we would be talking (or arguing!) about things that needed to be improved in, or added to, our museum.  

George would say, "Yes, these are things we need to improve or programs we need to add, but let's stop and take a look back at some of the things we have accomplished in the past few months or the past year.  What can we take away from looking at how we made those things happen?"

It was a very wise strategy because it shifted the focus away from the often contentious present and the uncertain future.  We would be reminded that in the past few months or past year, we had accomplished many positive things together. And that we could add and improve more new things together if we used our past experiences to guide us forward.

Years later, I realized that George's approach was very much in the spirit of Sankofa.  

As mentioned in this Wikipedia article about Sankofa, the notion of "looking back to move forward" is used by the Akan people of Ghana. They often use an adinkra symbol of a bird with its head turned backward to symbolically capture an egg depicted above its back to represent the same concept. It symbolizes taking from the past what is good and bringing it into the present to make positive progress. 

So, as we come to the end of another year,  I hope you will be able to look back at 2024 to move forward with learnings for the New Year and beyond.

P.S. You know that tricky project you finished this year? It is AWESOME!

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Paul Orselli writes the posts on ExhibiTricks. Paul likes to combine interesting people, ideas, and materials to make exhibits (and entire museums!) with his company POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.) Let's work on a project together!

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Museum/Exhibit/Design Inspiration: The American Visionary Art Museum's Seven Education Goals

What inspires you?  What pushes you to think about your work in new and different ways?

Given that my previous post about Hayao Miyazaki's Museum Manifesto seemed to resonate with and inspire so many ExhibiTricks readers, I thought I would share a similar "manifesto" of sorts, courtesy of the American Vision Art Museum (AVAM) --- one of my very favorite places to visit!

If you have yet to become familiar with AVAM, it is an art museum located near the Inner Harbor of Baltimore.  The buildings and exhibits pulse with energy and excitement that is infectious and the majority of the pieces on display were made not by formally trained artists but rather by an eclectic group of very creative people. To quote from the AVAM website:

"Visionary art as defined for the purposes of the American Visionary Art Museum refers to art produced by self-taught individuals, usually without formal training, whose works arise from an innate personal vision that revels foremost in the creative act itself." 

But what I'm interested in sharing today are the Seven Education Goals that guide AVAM.  They strike me as admirable goals for any museum or any creative person (which really means everybody, doesn't it?)

AVAM's Seven Education Goals

• Expand the definition of a worthwhile life.

• Engender respect for and delight in the gifts of others.

• Increase awareness of the wide variety of choices available in life for all ... particularly students.

• Encourage each individual to build upon his or her own special knowledge and inner strengths.

• Promote the use of innate intelligence, intuition, self-exploration, and creative self-reliance.

• Confirm the great hunger for finding out just what each of us can do best, in our own voice, at any age.

• Empower the individual to choose to do that something really, really well.

I hope you continue this month choosing to do something really, really, well!

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Paul Orselli writes the posts on ExhibiTricks. Paul likes to combine interesting people, ideas, and materials to make exhibits (and entire museums!) with his company POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.) Let's work on a project together!

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Design Inspiration -- The Alternative Limb Project

I had previously thought about prosthetics as primarily functional objects until I learned about the Alternative Limb Project. 

Founded by Sophie de Oliveira Barata, the Alternative Limb Project uses prosthetics to create wearable art pieces, which you can see on their website.

Working with specialists from various fields, the Project creates prosthetics that bridge art, fashion, technology, and engineering.

Check out the Alternative Limb Project website for more details and images.  The website says they are always on the lookout for "future collaborators and ways of engaging new audiences."

Seems like a perfect opportunity for museums!

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Paul Orselli writes the posts on ExhibiTricks. Paul likes to combine interesting people, ideas, and materials to make exhibits (and entire museums!) with his company POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.) Let's work on a project together!

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Giving Thanks and a FREE Book Giveaway!

As we approach the Thanksgiving Holiday here in the United States, I'd like to say: 

THANKS ExhibiTricks Readers and Subscribers!  

I really appreciate the thousands (!) of you who read and follow this blog each and every week.  If you have ideas or suggestions for ExhibiTricks, feel free to email me.

In the "thankful" spirit, I'll share this perenially popular post featuring lots of photos and examples of novel ways to recognize and thank funders and supporters of your museum.

Last but not least, to continue the thankful vibe, I'm giving away four copies of Seth Godin's new book, "This Is Strategy."  All you have to do to be eligible to win one of the books is to either:

1) Send me an email <info@orselli.net> with the word THANKS in the subject line,  OR 

2) Become a new subscriber to the ExhibiTricks blog by clicking that handy link on the top on the right

side of the ExhibiTricks blog home page.

Send your email or become a new ExhibiTricks subscriber by or before December 15, 2024, to be eligible to win a book!

I will randomly choose two winners from the emails I receive and two additional winners from the new subscriber list.

Good luck!

Don't miss out on any ExhibiTricks posts! It's easy to get updates via email or your favorite news reader. Just click the "Sign up for Free ExhibiTricks Blog Updates" link on the upper right side of the blog.

Paul Orselli writes the posts on ExhibiTricks. Paul likes to combine interesting people, ideas, and materials to make exhibits (and entire museums!) with his company POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.) Let's work on a project together!

If you enjoy the blog, you can help keep it free to read and free from ads by supporting ExhibiTricks through our PayPal "Tip Jar"

Playing at Scale

Is "Bigger" really "Better"? It could be when you are talking about some types of interactive exhibit experiences and immersive spaces.

Scaling up familiar experiences like tabletop games and toys often provides an interesting design twist and can add new kinds of visitor opportunities -- especially those that foster multi-user engagement.

For example, the photo at the top of this post shows a giant board game about different types of birds featured in ancient Roman mosaics at a historic Basilica in Bulgaria. Not only does scaling up this game create a large attraction, but it also encourages multiple people to participate in playing the game.

Similarly, giant chess sets are often seen at various outdoor venues, including parks and botanical gardens. It's fun to encounter an unexpected change in scale -- and to play a quick match with someone!

Tapping into nostalgia while changing the scale of a classic game or toy can even serve as an attraction at a trade show, as evidenced by the giant "Operation" game shown below.

Keeping things large-scale but changing contexts can also be an interesting design approach.  Subway hopscotch, anyone?

Lastly, maybe the successful Meow Wolf installations around the country could be considered funky, life-sized dollhouses?

If your smaller design ideas fail, maybe it's worth playing at scale!

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link on the upper right side of the blog.

Paul Orselli writes the posts on ExhibiTricks. Paul likes to combine interesting people, ideas, and materials to make exhibits (and entire museums!) with his company POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.) Let's work on a project together!

If you enjoy the blog, you can help keep it free to read and free from ads by supporting ExhibiTricks through our PayPal "Tip Jar"

The Future of Museums (Funding) in the Next Trump Administration?

I've been wondering about the support that museums and other cultural organizations may or may not receive in the next Trump administration. Given that the previous Trump administration actively tried to eliminate funding for IMLS, NEH, NEA, PBS, and the NASA Office of Education, among other agencies, who knows what might happen?

This poem by Wendell Barry helps me reflect on the uncertainties of my museum work.

“The Real Work” by Wendell Berry

It may be that when we no longer know what to do

we have come to our real work,

and that when we no longer know which way to go

we have come to our real journey.

The mind that is not baffled is not employed.

The impeded stream is the one that sings.

Don't miss out on any ExhibiTricks posts! It's easy to get updates via email or your favorite news reader. Just click the "Sign up for Free ExhibiTricks Blog Updates" link on the upper right side of the blog.

Paul Orselli writes the posts on ExhibiTricks. Paul likes to combine interesting people, ideas, and materials to make exhibits (and entire museums!) with his company POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.) Let's work on a project together!

If you enjoy the blog, you can help keep it free to read and free from ads by supporting ExhibiTricks through our PayPal "Tip Jar"