Learning Journeys: Museum Exhibit Design Roadmaps

This is the start of a set of "Road Trip" posts, since there are lots of professional treks coming up for me.  I'll make a point of reporting back what I've observed and found out along the way for ExhibiTricks readers, but in the interim, here's just my May itinerary with some related resource links.  Think of these resources and links as Museum Exhibit Design "Roadmaps."

I'll actually start my trips tomorrow in Philadelphia with an exhibitSEED workshop, considering: What Makes a Sustainable Exhibit?   This is a great topic, and certainly one that museum folks should be thinking about, but it's a bit abstract isn't it? The nice thing about the exhibitSEED Website is that it provides resources for specific, actionable ways to become more green in your exhibit practice.

That's a nice segue to Baltimore, where I'll be next week for the annual AAM Conference. It will be a bit of a Manic Monday for me, as I'll be presenting in three sessions on May 20th (and going to the NAME party that night!)  I'll certainly be referencing one of exhibitSEED's aforementioned resources, The Green Exhibit Checklist in two of those sessions.

The first session, Small(er) and green(er): Sustainability on a Limited Budget, will provide practical information on expanding sustainability for all museums, but especially smaller institutions.
This session will take place in Room 314 starting at 8:45 a.m.

The second AAM session, The Green Exhibit Checklist: Incorporating Sustainability into Exhibit Development, will be a "deep dive" into the Checklist itself and how to apply it to your own particular situation(s).  This session will take place in Room 336 starting at 1:45 p.m.

And last, but not least,  I'll be teaming up with the incredible Rachel Hellenga to take control of one of the tables at the NAME-sponsored session, Trending Topics in Exhibit Development and Design: Speed Networking Style.  There will be a series of topical tables set up for groups to rotate through at ten-minute intervals.  Sounds like fun!   Rachel and I will cover the topic "Creating Exhibits on a Shoestring Budget."   The session is scheduled to start at 2:45 p.m. locale: TBD.

So come join any of these sessions if you'll be in Baltimore for AAM!

I'll close out my travels (and the green-related theme!) in May by attending the Leahy Center Environmental Summit at ECHO in Burlington, Vermont.   The Summit, entitled Blue Water in Green Mountains, will focus on issues related to water and how best to increase awareness, inspire new behaviors, and encourage collaboration to promote positive environmental practices related to this essential resource.  The Summit Website is a wealth of links and resources on broad environmental topics.

So off I go!  As I mentioned above, I'll be posting about cool stuff that pops up at each of these events here on ExhibiTricks, so stay tuned!


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ExhibitSEED: Beyond Green Exhibits Workshop

Heads up exhibit folks!  I've posted before about working on The Green Exhibit Checklist project with the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI.) 

Now there is an opportunity to participate in some amazing one-day workshops around the country centered around "green design" topics, called "ExhibitSEED: Beyond Green Exhibits Workshop."

OMSI is presenting five regional workshops this spring on sustainable exhibit development. At each one-day hands-on workshop, exhibit developers, designers, and fabricators will discuss practical skills for creating more sustainable interactive exhibits. Each workshop will focus on case studies and concrete tools that allow exhibit teams to make more environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable choices throughout the exhibit development process. 

OMSI is currently registering for the first workshop which will take place on February 25, 2012, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (1945 SE Water Ave, Portland, OR). The other workshops will be hosted by the Children's Museum of Houston, the Miami Science Museum, the Science Museum of Minnesota, and The Franklin Institute.

To register, or for more information, visit www.exhibitseed.org.

Each one-day workshop is free for selected participants. Participants may also request travel funding. ExhibitSEED and the ExhibitSEED workshops are funded by the National Science Foundation and developed by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) with input from local and national museum industry and design advisors.

What are you waiting for?  Click on over to www.exhibitseed.org to find out how you can participate in one of the workshops!



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!)