Marking a Cheapbooks Milestone

Today I thought it was important to mark a meaningful personal/professional milestone -- The Exhibit Cheapbooks became available for FREE one year ago, and the very first volume of Cheapbook exhibit ideas got turned loose nearly 27 years ago!

That's right -- nearly 100 free exhibit "recipes" contributed by museum colleagues from all over the world are available to download as PDFs from the POW! website.  (Did I mention that they're FREE?)

A little history --the idea for the Exhibit Cheapbooks started during sessions at the annual Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) Conference with the purpose of sharing "cheap" exhibit ideas and creating a written record of how to replicate these simple and successful exhibit components.

The very first "Cheapbook" was compiled and published by ASTC in 1995. Subsequent volumes appeared in 1999, 2004, and 2014.

The Exhibit Cheapbooks have always celebrated the "sharing" nature of museums. You will find varied exhibit ideas from museum colleagues from around the world inside each volume. 

Sincere thanks to everyone who has shared their ideas and expertise by contributing ideas over the years! And special thanks to ASTC for allowing all the Exhibit Cheapbooks material to now be shared freely online.

Think of all these Exhibit Cheapbooks entries not as detailed shop drawings, but rather as creative jumping-off points for your own exhibit building.

So what are you waiting for?  Click on over to the Exhibits Cheapbooks Download Page and start making cheap exhibits!

Have fun!

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!

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2021 in the Rearview

I don't know about you, but I'm happy to put 2021 in the rearview mirror.  Yet, despite the many challenges that came over the past 12 months, some recurring positive aspects of my work and professional practice continued to poke through the gloom.

Here are some good things I'll be carrying with me and considering some more in 2022.  (Each title link below brings you to a related 2021 ExhibiTricks post.)

Design Inspiration

I always enjoy being inspired by and sharing the work of creative folks.  I especially enjoyed the wonderful cable tie sculptures made by Sui Park.

Prototyping (and TAPE!)

Taking a little time to prototype and test ideas is such an important part of making great exhibits, but so often overlooked or "rationalized" away.  Make a New Year's resolution to use more TAPE!

Museum Spirit

Some museums have it, and some don't.  What can you do in 2022 to imbue your work, and the places where you work, with authentic museum spirit?

FREE STUFF!

I think one of the major strengths of museum workers is their willingness to share -- their ideas, their time, their hard-won lessons learned. So I was delighted this year to work with ASTC to release all four volumes of the Exhibit Cheapbooks out into the wild for FREE! (Of course, you can always check out the "Free Exhibit Resources" section of the POW! website for articles, videos, and other cool stuff!)

Here's wishing ExhibiTricks readers and subscribers a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2022!

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"

The Exhibit Cheapbooks are now FREE!

The four Exhibit Cheapbooks are now available for FREE online!  

That's right -- nearly 100 free exhibit "recipes" contributed by museum colleagues from all over the world are now available to download as PDFs from the POW! website.  (Did I mention that they're FREE?)

A little history --the idea for the Exhibit Cheapbooks started during sessions at the annual Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) Conference with the purpose of sharing "cheap" exhibit ideas and creating a written record of how to replicate these simple and successful exhibit components.

The very first "Cheapbook" was compiled and edited by Paul Orselli and published by ASTC in 1995. Subsequent volumes appeared in 1999, 2004, and 2014.

The Exhibit Cheapbooks have always celebrated the "sharing" nature of museums. You will find varied exhibit ideas from museum colleagues from around the world inside each volume. 

Sincere thanks to everyone who has shared their ideas and expertise by contributing ideas over the years! And special thanks to ASTC for allowing all the Exhibit Cheapbooks material to now be shared freely online.

Think of all these Exhibit Cheapbooks entries not as detailed shop drawings, but rather as creative jumping-off points for your own exhibit building.

So what are you waiting for?  Click on over to the Exhibits Cheapbooks Download Page and start making cheap exhibits!

Have fun!

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"

Cheapbooks Greatest Hits AND a CONTEST!

The fourth volume of the Exhibit Cheapbooks entitled "Cheapbooks Greatest Hits" published by ASTC is now available!

If you're not already familiar with the Cheapbooks, they are collections of floor-tested, easily reproducible (and inexpensive!) exhibit ideas contributed by museum colleagues from around the world.  Starting with the original Cheapbook published in (gasp!) 1995, each ridiculously low-priced volume has contained approximately 30 exhibit ideas.

I've been so proud to have edited each of the four volumes of the Exhibit Cheapbooks for ASTC, and to share such great ideas with the rest of the museum field.

This latest volume contains 10 of the most popular exhibit ideas from each of the first three volumes and 12 brand new exhibit ideas for a total of 42 great exhibits that you can replicate (or modify) for your own museum!

ASTC has decided to release Cheapbooks Greatest Hits in electronic format (as a PDF) to keep the price low, stay eco-friendly, and to eliminate shipping costs.  Cheapbook ideas cover many topics and formats --- we've completely got STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) covered!

You really can't find a bigger and better bargain for your exhibit development dollars than Cheapbooks Greatest Hits! So head over to ASTC's Publications Page to order your own copy right now!


BUT WAIT!  There's also a chance to win a FREE copy of Cheapbooks Greatest Hits in our CONTEST!

If you email me or leave a Comment below explaining why you'd like to win a copy of the latest Cheapbook before May 30th 2014,  I'll choose two lucky winners and send them each their own digital copy of Cheapbooks Greatest Hits!



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.

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Producing Great Exhibits on a (Not So Great) Budget

Producing exhibits on a shoestring budget is a challenge, but there are definitely tips and tricks to do good stuff on the cheap.

Speaking of which, I am so happy to be able to share an article that I wrote entitled, "Producing Great Exhibits on a (Not So Great) Budget" for the latest (January/February 2014) issue of Dimensions Magazine. 

Dimensions is the award-winning bimonthly magazine of ASTC (The Association of Science-Technology Centers.) If you're not already a subscriber, you can check out past issues and other features such as podcasts and extended on-line articles by clicking over to the Dimensions webpages. 

If you'd like to download a PDF of my article, just head over to Free Resources section of my website.  (Please note: one of the photos in the article had an incorrect attribution.  It should have been attributed to Sean Duran.  That error has been corrected in the PDF.)  After you download the "Producing Great Exhibits on a (Not So Great) Budget" article there, check out the other free articles and resources available there, too.

Here's to a creative (and economical) start to 2014!



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.

P.S. If you receive ExhibiTricks via email (or Facebook or LinkedIn) you will need to click HERE to go to the main ExhibiTricks page to make comments or view multimedia features (like videos!)

Be In The Next Cheapbook!

Over the years, I've been happy to have started and edited three volumes of the Cheapbooks (collections of inexpensive exhibit ideas from museum folks from around the world ) for ASTC --- the Association of Science-Technology Centers. 

If you don't already have or know about the Cheapbooks, the ASTC Publications Department is running a special three volume "bundle deal" right now on their website.  Get the Cheapbooks even cheaper!

I'm excited that ASTC has asked me to work on a fourth Cheapbook volume, which will be a little different from the previous editions, and I'd like to start gathering submissions for new exhibit "how-tos" for Cheapbook 4. 

So if you have a great (inexpensive) exhibit that you'd like to share with the rest of the museum world, just send me an email so I can give you more details.

And stay tuned to ExhibiTricks for more details about Cheapbook 4!


P.S. If you receive ExhibiTricks via email (or Facebook or LinkedIn) you will need to click HERE to go to the main ExhibiTricks page to make comments or view multimedia features (like videos!)

NEW Cheapbook in the Works!

Exciting news!  I've been talking with the fine folks from The Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) and I can confirm that a new volume of the Exhibit Cheapbooks is in the works!  (It will be a "special"edition including new material, edited by me, but that's all I can say for right now, so stay tuned!)

The current ASTC Exhibit Cheapbooks are three separate collections of inexpensive exhibit ideas contributed from colleagues around the world.  They are a must for any exhibit developer's reference shelf, and have continued to be popular "best sellers" for ASTC Publications over the years.

If you don't already own one (or all!) of the Exhibit Cheapbooks, ASTC is now offering a special "bundle deal" for a limited time to get all three volumes for a special price.  So click on over to the ASTC Publications website for more details.

Last but not least, I'm on the lookout for folks who would like to contribute their own inexpensive exhibit ideas to the next Cheapbook edition.  If you're interested, or would like more details, just send me an email.



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.

P.S. If you receive ExhibiTricks via email (or Facebook or LinkedIn) you will need to click HERE to go to the main ExhibiTricks page to make comments or view multimedia features (like videos!)

Exhibit Design Inspiration: Mining The Dollar Store

I find a special pleasure in putting things (especially inexpensive or unexpected things!) to creative use for projects.  (There's a good reason I edited the three ASTC Exhibit Cheapbooks ...)  I love going through "mom and pop" hardware stores, or Home Depot, or the Dollar Store, or even Staples, to find interesting materials for current or future exhibit projects.  Online cruising for materials (like the McMaster-Carr catalog) is great, but it's a different experience than being able to actually pick up stuff and give it a good look in the "real" (non-digital ) world.

This is Exhibit Design 101 as far as I'm concerned.  It's much better to have a good sense of materials and suppliers ahead of time, before trying to find specific parts or widgets for a project in a last-minute panic.

So imagine my delight in finding the videos and blog from the XRobot folks from the UK.  Here are enthusiastic makers who are dedicated to making awesome things (like the "Terminator" endoskull pictured at the top of this post) with material from the Dollar Store (or as James from XRobots says "The Pound Shop" or "The 99p Shop.")

So why not do two things to nurture your inner "thrifty designer" today? 

1) Check out the XRobots site, and

2) Visit your local Dollar Store or hardware store and see what cool stuff you can turn up.

Let us know what you find, or share your own favorite "creative design on the cheap" tips, in the Comments" Section below.


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.

P.S. If you receive ExhibiTricks via email (or Facebook or LinkedIn) you will need to click HERE to go to the main ExhibiTricks page to make comments or view multimedia features (like videos!)

POW! in the NY Times

Here's a review of the "Babar's Museum of Art" exhibition at the Nassau County Museum of Art that will officially open at the museum on January 18, 2009.

If you're in the Long Island area, please stop in and see Babar!

The Envelope, Please ... On another note, I'd like to congratulate our two winners from the recent Exhibit Cheapbooks contest. They are Christine Farris, from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and Joyce Cheney, from Focus Communications.

Both Christine and Joyce will each receive a three-volume set of the ASTC Exhibit Cheapbooks.


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Doing More With Less, and Our First 2009 Contest!

Given the uncertain economy, and its equally uncertain effect on museums, one theme we expect to be revisiting throughout 2009 here at ExhibiTricks is "doing more with less."

In that spirit, here are are some of our favorite inexpensive (or free!) exhibit resources that we've posted about on ExhibiTricks this past year:

• Spoonflower gives individuals the power to print their own designs on fabric. The idea is that you upload a digital image to the Spoonflower web site and the company prints the design as a pattern on 100% cotton fabric.

• The fine folks at RWC Digital in Fort Worth, Texas produce lenticular graphics, and are willing to sell small quantities (even one or two!) RWC was easy to work with and delivered on time at a very reasonable price.

• Ponoko is a cool company that allows you to upload designs that are then fabricated using laser cutters and materials (like various types of plastic and wood.) It would be excellent if we all had access to tools like laser cutters, but until then, companies like Ponoko help fill the void.

• Think Anatomy has assembled a great collection of web-based resources for learning about, as well as gathering content information on, all things anatomical.

• Picnik is a free online photo-editing tool. If you, or your museum, can't afford software programs like Photoshop, try Picnik.


And now the contest! Two lucky ExhibiTricks readers will each win a complete 3 volume set of the ASTC Exhibit Cheapbooks (edited by yours truly!) Each Cheapbook volume contains approximately thirty inexpensive exhibit ideas contributed by museum colleagues from around the world --- each volume a perfect resource for doing more with less!

Here's how to enter: Between now and January 12th, just share your favorite money-saving exhibits tip in the "Comments" section below this posting OR subscribe to ExhibiTricks via email (just click on the link at the top right side of the blog.)

After the 12th, we'll choose the author of our favorite money-saving exhibits tip, and randomly choose a new email subscriber. Both winners will receive a complete 3 volume set of the ASTC Exhibit Cheapbooks.

Good luck!

London (Exhibits) Calling

A recent report of a mention of the Exhibit Cheapbooks by Ian Russell during the recent ECSITE Conference in Lisbon, Portugal got me thinking about the differences between museums and exhibit development, here in the US, and "across the pond" in the UK.

"Boffins" are greatly appreciated in the UK. Museum and exhibits people, like the chaps at Science Projects in London, really love to tinker and prototype, and it shows in their exhibitions. Here in the US, many museum folks talk about prototyping, but I'm not sure how much of it actually occurs.

Exhibit meetings, just for the sake of having a meeting, seem to be disdained in the UK. Unlike the US Exhibit Development process, which seems to thrive on meetings. In the UK, BIG, The British Interactive Group, runs regular Fabricators' Weeks where exhibit folks crash around with each other in workshops filled with materials to create as many working prototypes as they can before a big public showing on Friday. Sort of like a Science Fair for adults. (Except with pubs and pints thrown in.)

Many museums in the UK tend to approach things in a simpler, more playful way than US Museums. (except the Science Museum, with its bridges made of glass, looking like the NYC Apple Store. Although even there, the older exhibits like Tim Hunkin's exhibition called "The Secret Life of the Home" are excellent. I guess they have more twee designers in charge, and less boffins, there now.)

Perhaps museum visitors are more "polite" in the UK than their US counterparts. There seems to be a less obvious presence of guards and protective barriers in all types of museums in the UK, even surrounding "valuable" objects. It makes me wonder if environmental cues in museums don't help reinforce expectations of visitor behavior. (It is always comical to see how visitors delight in "foiling" the protective barriers around exhibits by shoving bits of trash, oft-times printed material provided by the museum, inside. It's almost as if each piece shoved inside is saying "HA! you tried to keep me out, but I got in anyway!" Unfortunately, the protective barriers are often such a pain to remove that the poor museum staff must leave the junk inside for long periods at a time, detracting from the exhibit objects.)

The UK Interactive Museum Community has had the advantage of learning from the triumphs (and failures!) of the older US Interactive Museum Community. Rather than trying to recreate models formed in the US, museum folks in the UK have put their own distinctive twist on things, gathering things to use from colleagues around the world, and creating their own distinctively UK museum and exhibit models. One example in the Science Center field is Techniquest , located in Cardiff. For a US visitor familiar with Science Centers, poking around TQ is a strange and wonderful experience, both like and unlike a US Science Center at the same time.

So I say "Cheers!" to our museum colleagues in the UK. You all have a reason to be "chuffed" about your work.