Manual of Museum Exhibitions

Second Edition

Edited by Barry Lord and Maria Piacente

All museum activities converge in the public forum of the exhibition – regardless of whether the exhibit is held in the physical museum or is on the Web. Since the first edition of this book in 2002, there has been a world-wide explosion of new galleries and exhibition halls, and new ideas about how exhibitions should look and communicate. The definition of what an exhibition is has changed as exhibitions can now be virtual; non-traditional migratory and pop-up spaces play host to temporary displays; social media has created amazing opportunities for participatory engagement and shifted authority away from experts to the public; and as time-constrained audiences demand more dynamic, interactive, and mobile applications, museum leadership, managers, staff, and designers are rising to these challenges in innovative ways.

Drawing on years of experience and top-flight expertise, Barry Lord and Maria Piacente detail the exhibition process in a straightforward way that can be easily adapted by institutions of any size. They explore the exhibition development process in greater detail, providing the technical and practical methodologies museum professionals need today. They’ve added new features and expanded chapters on project management, financial planning and interactive multimedia while retaining the essential content related to interpretive planning, curatorship, and roles and responsibilities.

This second edition of the standby Manual of Museum Exhibitions is arranged in four parts:

Why – Covering the purpose of exhibits, where exhibit ideas come from, and how to measure success
Where – Covering facilities and spaces, going into details including security, and interactive spaces
What – A look at both permanent collection displays, and non-collection displays, as well as virtual, participatory, temporary, travelling displays, and retail sales
How – Who is involved, planning, curatorship, and content development, design, multimedia, fabrication and installation, financial planning, and project management

Over 130 figures and photographs illustrate every step of the exhibit process. No museum can be without this critical, detailed guide to an essential function.

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 456 • Trim: 7 x 10

978-0-7591-2269-7 • Hardback • April 2014 • $169.00 • (£131.00)

978-0-7591-2270-3 • Paperback • April 2014 • $101.00 • (£78.00)

978-0-7591-2271-0 • eBook • April 2014 • $96.00 • (£74.00)

Subjects: Business & Economics / Museum Administration & Museology

Manual of Museum Exhibitions

Second Edition

Hardback

Paperback

eBook

Summary

All museum activities converge in the public forum of the exhibition – regardless of whether the exhibit is held in the physical museum or is on the Web. Since the first edition of this book in 2002, there has been a world-wide explosion of new galleries and exhibition halls, and new ideas about how exhibitions should look and communicate. The definition of what an exhibition is has changed as exhibitions can now be virtual; non-traditional migratory and pop-up spaces play host to temporary displays; social media has created amazing opportunities for participatory engagement and shifted authority away from experts to the public; and as time-constrained audiences demand more dynamic, interactive, and mobile applications, museum leadership, managers, staff, and designers are rising to these challenges in innovative ways.

Drawing on years of experience and top-flight expertise, Barry Lord and Maria Piacente detail the exhibition process in a straightforward way that can be easily adapted by institutions of any size. They explore the exhibition development process in greater detail, providing the technical and practical methodologies museum professionals need today. They’ve added new features and expanded chapters on project management, financial planning and interactive multimedia while retaining the essential content related to interpretive planning, curatorship, and roles and responsibilities.

This second edition of the standby Manual of Museum Exhibitions is arranged in four parts:
- Why – Covering the purpose of exhibits, where exhibit ideas come from, and how to measure success
- Where – Covering facilities and spaces, going into details including security, and interactive spaces
- What – A look at both permanent collection displays, and non-collection displays, as well as virtual, participatory, temporary, travelling displays, and retail sales
- How – Who is involved, planning, curatorship, and content development, design, multimedia, fabrication and installation, financial planning, and project management
Over 130 figures and photographs illustrate every step of the exhibit process. No museum can be without this critical, detailed guide to an essential function.

Details

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 456 • Trim: 7 x 10

978-0-7591-2269-7 • Hardback • April 2014 • $169.00 • (£131.00)

978-0-7591-2270-3 • Paperback • April 2014 • $101.00 • (£78.00)

978-0-7591-2271-0 • eBook • April 2014 • $96.00 • (£74.00)

Subjects: Business & Economics / Museum Administration & Museology

Author

Barry Lord, Co-Founder and Co-President of LORD Cultural Resources, is internationally known as one of the world’s leading museum planners. Based in Toronto but working globally, Barry brings over fifty years of planning experience in the management and planning of museums, galleries, and historic sites. Barry also co-edited The Manual of Museum Planning (1991, 1999, and 2012); wrote The Manual of Museum Management (1997 and 2009); and edited The Manual of Museum Learning (2007). A former curator, art critic, art historian and museum educator, he has organized and curated many exhibitions and has planned exhibition galleries and facilities for hundreds of museums on four continents. Barry graduated in Philosophy from McMaster University and after graduate work at Harvard University took the National Gallery of Canada Museum Training Program.

Maria Piacente, Vice President of Exhibitions and Events at Lord Cultural Resources, specializes in interpretive planning, exhibition development and project management for cultural projects of all sizes, ranging in scope from art to science to history. Grounded in current museological theory, Maria’s global experience enables her to incorporate both conceptual and curatorial aspects with leading-edge technological applications, ensuring an exciting and enriching visitor experience within operational realities. Maria holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Archaeology and Near Eastern History and a Master’s degree in Museum Studies, both from the University of Toronto.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: The Exhibition Planning Process
By Gail Dexter Lord and Maria Piacente
1.1 The Exhibition Development Process
Part I: Why?
2. The Purpose of Museum Exhibitions
By Barry Lord

2.1 Exhibitions as a Function of Museums
2.2 Museum Exhibitions as the Communication of Meaning
2.3 Modes of Exhibition Apprehension
Case Study: Cleveland Museum of Art, by Nicole Dawkins

3. Where Do Exhibition Ideas Come From?
By Barry Lord

3.1 Research-Based and Market-Driven Exhibitions
3.2 Planning for Exhibition Research

4. Measuring Success
By Gail Dexter Lord

4.1 Museum Specific Evaluation Criteria
4.2 Who is the Exhibit for—and Why?, by Kate Markert and Gail Dexter Lord
4.3Before, During, and After: Front-End, Formative and Summative Evaluation, by Duncan Grewcock
4.4Qualitative and Quantitative Audience Research, by Babara Soren and Jackie Armstrong

Part 2: Where?
5. Exhibition Facilities
By Heather Maximea

5.1 Developing Design Criteria for Exhibition Space
5.2 Exhibition Environments for Collections
5.3 Exhibition Space Characteristics
5.4 Exhibition Security
5.5 Accessibility, Adjacency, and Circulation

6. A World of Exhibitions Spaces
By Heather Maximea

6.1 Permanent vs.Changing Exhibitions Spaces
6.2 Exhibition Spaces for Art or Archives
6.3 Exhibition Spaces for Artifacts or Specimens
6.4 Interactive Exhibition Spaces
6.5 Study Spaces within the Exhibition
6.6 Temporary Exhibition and Multipurpose Spaces
Case Study: The Reach: A Mixed-Use Facility

Part 3: What?
7. Permanent Collection Displays
By Katherine Molineux

7.1 Planning for Permanent Collection Exhibitions
7.2 Collection Display
7.3 Interpretive Collections
7.4 Modes of Display

8. Exhibitions Not Based on Collections
By Katherine Molineux

8.1 Idea Exhibitions
8.2 Children’s Exhibitions
8.3 Living History Exhibitions
8.4 Science Exhibitions
Case Study: Weston Innovation Centre, by Lesley Lewis and Kevin von Appen

9. Virtual Experiences
By Ngaire Blankenberg
9.1 Web 148
9.2 Mobile Technology 149
9.3 Developing Virtual Web and Mobile Experiences 150
9.4 Options for Web Experiences 153
9.5 Options for Mobile Experiences 159
9.6 Conclusion

10. Participatory Exhibitions
By Ngaire Blankenberg

10.1 Participatory Exhibitions: Enhancing the Museum’s Value for New Publics
10.2 The Paradox of Participation
10.3 Why Have Participatory Exhibitions? Goals and Success Indicators
10.4 From Visitors to Participants: The Participant Continuum
10.5 Types of Participatory Exhibits
10.6 Ingredients for Participation
10.7 Conclusion

11. Temporary Exhibitions
By Katherine Molineux and Maria Piacente

11.1 Managing a Temporary Exhibition Program
11.2 Making Space for Temporary Exhibitions
11.3 Public and Educational Programming
11.4 Funding a Temporary Exhibition Program
11.5 Generating Revenue

12. Travelling Exhibitions
By Maria Piacente

12.1 Staff and Professional Resources
12.2 Loan Agreement
12.3 Preparing an Exhibition for Travel
12.4 Manager the Tour
12.5 Borrowers and Organizers

13. Exhibition Retail
By Susan Dunlop

22.1 Key Trends and Principles
22.2 Retail Research
22.3 Merchandise Mix
22.4 Beyond the Museum Shop
22.5 Products Related to Temporary Exhibitions
Case Study: Harry Potter^TM: The Exhibition

Part 4: How?
14. Who Is Involved In the Exhibition Process?
By Maria Piacente

13.1 Roles and Responsibilities
13.2 Teams and Committees
13.3 Contracting Expertise
13.4 Decision Making

15. Preparing the Exhibition Brief
By John Nicks and Maria Piacente

14.1 Formulating the Exhibition Concept
14.2 Exhibition Brief
Case Study: Canada Day 1

16. Interpretive Planning
By Maria Piacente

15.1 Addressing Learning Styles in the Interpretive Plan, by Christina Sjoberg
15.2 Interpretive Planning Process
Case Study: National Archaeological Museum Aruba

17. Curatorship and Content Development
By Lisa Dillon Wright

16.1 Research Planning
16.2 Collections Research and Selection
16.3 Exhibition Text
16.4 Image Research and Procurement
16.5 Researching Hands-On Exhibits, Models, and Dioramas
16.6 Researching Audiovisual and Multimedia Exhibits

18. Design
By Yvonne Tang and Yves Mayrand

17.1 The Design Process
17.2 Designing Interactivity
17.3 Lighting design, by Kevin Shaw
17.4 Exhibition Display Cases, by Jim Stewart
17.5 Graphic Design, by Jacqueline Tang
17.6 Universal Design and Diversity, by Craig Thompson and Phillip Thompson
17.7 Green Design, by Yvonne Tang

19. Multimedia
By Ken Reddick and Milica Stefancic

19.1 What Is It?
19.2 Where and How Is Multimedia Incorporated into the Exhibition?
19.3 Hardware and Software
19.4 Centralized Control or Not?
19.5 Where Does the Content Live?
19.6 Visitor Technology
19.7 Social Media
19.8 Operations and Maintenance
19.9 From Concept to Delivery and Beyond: Developing a Multimedia Exhibit
Case Study: Developing Multimedia Experiences for the Royal Ontario
Museum’s “Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants from Gondwana”

20. Fabrication and Installation
By Erich Zuern

20.1 Design-Build or Design-Bid - What’s the Difference?
20.2 Getting Started
20.3 Fabrication Process
20.4 Tracking and Scheduling
20.5 Warranty

21. Financial Planning
By Erich Zuern

21.1 Creating an Exhibition Budget
21.2 Direct Exhibition Costs
21.3 Related Exhibition Costs
21.4 Managing the Budget

22. Effective Exhibition Project Management
By Robert LaMarre

22.1 What is Project Management and Why is it Needed?
22.2 A Team Effort
22.3 Applying Project Management Methodology
22.4 Certifications and Continuous Learning
22.5 Completing the Tasks

23. Conclusion: Making Meaning through Museum Exhibitions
By Gail Dexter Lord

Glossary
Annotated Bibliography
List of Contributors
Index

Reviews

Well written, practical suggestions and helpful tools; it is easy to see that Maria has decades of experience in the museum milieu. Her insight and common sense suggestions are born of years of assisting clients the world over develop award-winning exhibits. This is a must-read for every museum professional.
— Marie Chapman, Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21

As a producer and fabricator of museum exhibitions, I have tremendous appreciation of the numerous and sometimes daunting task and processes necessary in the development, production and installation of any successful exhibition project. This manual provides a wealth of knowledge for anyone in unfamiliar waters in terms of creating planning and producing a major exhibit – an excellent guide sharing proven museum practices.
— James Hungerford, Chief Executive Officer, Xibitz Inc.

This Manual provides clear, concise, well-organized analysis of the museum program, the museum as a constantly evolving building type, and transformative design opportunities. With it, innovative concepts can be developed, precisely focused on the client needs and the evolution of the museum as an institution.
— Michael Leckman, Principal, Diamond Schmitt Architects, Toronto, Canada

A library or archive with special collections may be interested in enhancing the visitor’s experience by applying the guidance in Manual of Museum Exhibitions.
— American Libraries

Features

• Provides greater detail in order to provide museum professionals, students, and the interested public the ability to understand and/or practically plan an exhibition.

• The second edition includes new and expanded chapters on project management, financial planning, and interactive multimedia while retaining the essential content related to interpretive planning, curatorship, and roles and responsibilities

Contributions by Jackie Armstrong, Ngaire Blankenberg, Nicole Dawkins, Susan Dunlop, Duncan Grewcock, Robert LaMarre, Leslie Lewis, Barry Lord, Gail Dexter Lord, Kate Markert, Heather Maximea, Yves Mayrand, Katherine Molineux, John Nicks, Maria Piacente, Ken Reddick, Kevan Shaw, Christina Sjoberg, Barbara Soren, Milica Stefancic, Jim Stewart, Jacqueline Tang, Yvonne Tang, Craig Thompson, Phillip Thompson, Kevin von Appen, Lisa Dillon Wright, and Erich Zuern.

Awards