ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

Scott,

I developed an exhibit at the Franklin Institute called Sir Isaac's Loft:
Where Art and Physics Collide that was about the beauty of natural phenomena
and how some artists take advantage of that to make their work.

Here are my top ten lessons learned.

#10 Keep good records. This might help prevent art from going in the garbage
when exhibits are changed.

#9 If an artist has unreasonable demands find another artist.  There are
lots of folks making interesting art.  There is no need to work with a jerk.

#8 Have the artist do a machette or a portion of the device to demonstrate
how it will work before committing to do the whole work.  This should be a
separate contract so if it doesn't work out you have an easy out.  This way
the artist is also not working for free during the conceptual phase.

#7 Progress videos were very helpful when working with folks far away.  You
could get a good sense of how the piece would function even if the video
quality wasn't always that great.

#6 Look for locals.  It can make the process much more collaborative and you
can check on progress much easier. Advertise in your local art publications
and internet sites.  Talk to the folks who manage local venues about who is
doing interesting work.

#5 If you are working with artists to make interactives make CERTAIN that
they understand the reliability requirements of a science center
environment. One piece we sort of had to accept because it came with a large
donation.  The piece was so mechanically complex that it rarely worked and
was eventually taken off the floor. Another piece we rejected even though it
was a perfect thematic fit because it would not have stood up to the rigors
of the audience.  The artist assured me that he had tested it for 10,000
cycles.  10,000 cycles is a probably 5-10 years in an art gallery or an art
patron's home.  In a museum that sees a million people a year 10,000 cycles
is a week and a half.  We eventually did a great piece with the same artist.
Remember, one should never underestimate the destructive power of a skinny
seven year old girl.

#4 Working with scientists who make amazing images is cheaper than working
with artists that use science.  Scientists generally have real jobs and
don't rely on selling art for income.  This isn't always possible.

#3 Be prepared for failures.  One of the pieces we collaborated with an
artist on needed some serious reworking after it was installed.  We all
underestimated the amount of physical stress it would be under. The artist
and the institution were both committed to making it work and it eventually
did.  Here is a link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_TS4dqQS7c

#2 If you can, keep the lawyers at bay and let the artist keep their
intellectual property.  It seems like since you are commissioning a work for
hire you should keep the rights to it incase every other museum in the
country wants one of whatever you had them do.  In my experience this hasn't
been the case and the time and money spent on lawyers could be put to much
better use in developing great exhibits.

#1 You should know going in that working with an artists to create a work
that illuminates the natural world in a unique way can be a difficult and
time consuming process.  It can also be one of the most creative and
rewarding things an exhibit professional can ever have the chance to do.

One great guy to talk with about this issue is Joe Ansel at Ansel inc. He
was on a panel I organized for ASTC a few years ago. He was one the pioneers
at the Exploratorium during its early days and he did a huge project in
Germany that involved lots of different artists. I learned most of these
lessons the hard way and a couple from Joe, that were then confirmed by my
own experience. 

Mike


Mike Levad
Lead Exhibit Developer
651-789-4735 (direct)
651-631-2211 xt.735
651-631-0707fax    
Toll free: 800-433-9599
[log in to unmask]
www.splitrockstudios.com


 


On 10/3/08 2:22 PM, "Scott Pattison" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
> *****************************************************************************
> 
> Hello all,
> 
> What experience have people had working with artists to create displays
> and interactives for exhibits? What worked? What didn't?
> 
> We are considering both temporary installations, that would only be on
> display at one venue, and displays or interactives that would be a
> permanent part of a traveling exhibit.
> 
> Thanks for your help,
> 
> Scott
> 
> Scott Pattison
> Senior Exhibit Developer
> Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
> 1945 SE Water Avenue
> Portland, OR 97214
> 503.797.4673
> [log in to unmask]
> www.omsi.edu
> 
> Unlock the puzzles in the Mindbender Mansion-A brain teasing new exhibit
> now open at OMSI
> 
> 
> 
> ***********************************************************************
> For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the
> Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.
> 
> Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at
> www.exhibitfiles.org.
> 
> The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft. To
> learn more, visit
> http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html.
> 
> To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
> message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
> [log in to unmask]
> 

***********************************************************************
For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.

Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org.

The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft. To learn more, visit
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html.

To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]