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!

Happy Holidays and Happy 2009!

We'll be taking a little break until January, so here's wishing a happy Holiday season as well as a healthy and prosperous New Year to all our ExhibiTricks readers!

Happy 1000 ExhibitFiles!

ExhibitFiles now has 1000+ members, as reported on the ExhibitFiles Blog today!

ExhibitFiles is a great site that lets anyone post reviews or case studies of exhibitions. This is especially important for exhibitions that may only be on view for a short period of time, or are displayed in a far-flung part of the world, and then "disappear" forever. Thanks to partial funding from the National Science Foundation, ExhibitFiles provides a forum for people to share their insights about exhibitions and museums from around the globe (including Antarctica!)

In this happy holiday season, why not give a "gift" to the museum business by posting your own exhibition review or case study? (That's a New Year's Resolution that's easy to keep.)

Don't miss out on any ExhibiTricks posts! It's easy to subscribe right now via email (or your favorite news reader) with the tools on the right side of the blog.

The Darkest Evening of The Year

The Winter Solstice always reminds me of two people, one you probably know, Robert Frost, and another you may not, David Taylor.

Dave Taylor was the long-time Director of Exhibits at the Pacific Science Center. David was always filled with good humor and great ideas, and he was always willing to share with colleagues. One small legacy left behind is Dave Taylor's collection of museum and exhibit photos from his travels, still hosted on the Pacific Science Center's servers.

I was lucky enough to receive David's annual "Winter Solstice card" for many years before he passed away. David's card always reminded us about another year passing and the promise of the new year upon us. These seem like "dark evenings" for the economy and the museum business, but we do all have "promises to keep" as well.

And with that, I leave you with the word's of Mr. Frost:

Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Museum Design Toolbox: Picnik

Picnik is a great free on-line photo editing tool. See my quick (and geeky) neon filter effect above.

Picnik is perfect for museums on a budget, or for volunteers or staff that can't afford a software program like Photoshop on their home computers.

Check out the Picnik website to give the tools a spin, and jazz up your next label or newsletter.

Don't miss out on any ExhibiTricks posts! It's easy to subscribe right now via email (or your favorite news reader) with the tools on the right side of the blog.

"Book" That Exhibition! (But Only if There's a Movie or TV Tie-In.)

When I saw the recent notice that a 10,000 square foot exhibition containing the "iconic" props and costumes from the Harry Potter films will premiere at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

I'm not sure how much "science" is in the exhibition, but I have to admit that Warner Brothers is very "industrious" in getting major museums to shill for their films and licensed merchandise. As far as I can tell, this exhibition is nothing more than a gigantic three-dimensional ad for the Harry Potter franchise.

So what is The Harry Potter exhibition doing gracing the halls of MSI? To quote from the exhibition's press release, “The Harry Potter series has captivated the imaginations of children and adults throughout the world,” said David Mosena, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Museum of Science and Industry. “We are delighted to be working with Exhibitgroup/Giltspur and Warner Bros. Consumer Products to bring this wonderful exhibition to life as it embodies our Museum’s mission of inspiring the inventive genius in everyone.”

No news yet on all the items available to "inspire" visitors in the inevitable Harry Potter themed gift shop(s).

This is just the continuation of a trend for museums turning popular books into exhibitions --- but only after the books have been turned into a movie or kids' TV show with major marketing machines behind them. (In the children's museum world, Arthur, Clifford, and Magic School Bus are a few examples of book properties that have been given the traveling exhibition "treatment" even though the books themselves may have been around for decades before their TV shows, and exhibitions, emerged. But they're all on PBS, so they must be educational, right?)

On one hand, it is incredibly shrewd for museums to piggy-back (piggy-bank?) onto big-money advertising campaigns that come attached to movies and TV shows. But it would be much more satisfying if the resulting exhibitions were better, and the reasons for museums hosting the shows were more honest --- "It doesn't really have anything much to do with our core mission, we just want to boost admissions numbers and revenue with a "name" that will draw visitors in."

A current example of the pretzel-logic that museums will employ to justify mounting certain exhibitions is the Teacher's Guide for "Narnia The Exhibition" based upon the C.S. Lewis books, but more importantly, the Disney movie franchise based upon Lewis' books. Who would have thought that "Narnia" is actually an exhibition about science, including "climate science"? You might as well claim that the Curious George exhibition is about saving the rainforests.

Are there museums able to present books as the subject for temporary exhibitions without sacrificing artistic quality or institutional integrity? Definitely! Recent examples of familiar children's books characters and/or authors being turned into very popular exhibitions include "From The New Yorker to Shrek: The Art of William Steig" at the Jewish Museum, which also included interactive elements and immersive environments based on several of Steig's award-winning books. "Drawing Babar: Early Drafts and Watercolors" at the Morgan Library has also been an extremely successful exhibition, in addition to racking up jumbo admissions and attendance numbers.

What do you think? Should temporary exhibitions directly relate to a museum's mission, or in these tricky economic times, is any topic that spins the turnstiles fair game? Sound off in the "Comments" section below!

Don't miss out on any ExhibiTricks posts! It's easy to subscribe right now via email (or your favorite news reader) with the tools on the right side of the blog.