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Hi Bruce,

As you are considering the technical details (I'd suggest at least  
10' clear ceiling height, and a combination of tracks and fixed  
fluorescent lighting, for example. Also,  the books "On the Road  
Again: Developing and Managing Traveling Exhibitions" by Rebecca A.  
Buck and Jean Allman Gilmore, published by AAM, and "Good Show a  
Practical Guide for Temporary Exhibitions" by Lothar P. Wittenborg,  
published by The Smithsonian,  address logistical details in great  
depth. )

But, more importantly, I'd also urge you to consider a slight shift  
in institutional focus as well.

Could you rename/rethink of your proposed new space as a  
"temporary" (or changing, or experimental, etc.etc.) rather than a  
"traveling" exhibit gallery?

This really is more than a nomenclature issue.  Once you get into a  
"traveling show" mindset (and climb onto that unending traveling  
exhibit treadmill) you cede some part of your institutional identity,  
and institutional capacity for creating and implementing exhibit  
ideas, to outsiders.
You also at some point become a slave to the calendar and are often  
willing to take shows you might not otherwise consider just to "fill  
the slot."  In addition, traveling shows are often not a very  
efficient or sustainable use of resources. Can a museum be "green"  
and still host traveling exhibitions? (Just asking!)

One alternative approach that several ASTC museums are taking is  
spending the same amount of total resources (rental, shipping,  
promotion) they  might normally spend during a particular three or  
four month exhibit rental period to develop permanent exhibits  
internally (using local designers, artists, and fabricators.)  After  
the show closes they have several options for reutilizing the  
exhibits they created, but the idea that appeals to me most is to use  
the new components throughout your facility and/or community to  
"refresh" your ENTIRE museum presence, not just  the same 5000 square  
foot chunk every few months.

Sorry to get wound up, but I just think the notion of automatically  
inserting a "traveling exhibits gallery" into every museum expansion  
plan is outmoded.


On Apr 22, 2008, at Tuesday, Apr 22     3:32 PM, bruce quast wrote:
>
> As part of our museum's expansion, we are planning a new 5000 sq. ft.
> traveling exhibits hall. I am interested in what other museums have  
> done
> when creating a new space for traveling exhibits.
>

----------------------------------------------------------

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Paul Orselli Workshop (POW!)
1684 Victoria Street
Baldwin, NY  11510

<http://www.orselli.net>

(516) 223-1043  voice
(516) 238-2797  mobile

Do you know about ExhibiTricks?
<http://blog.orselli.net>








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