Lists, Ideas, and Petticoats
The HA exhibit team continues to make steady progress in our exhibit planning. Between stacks of reading and quizzes on the material analysis of spice boxes we trudge forward. In this week’s meeting we continued to discuss topics and tasks carried over from the previous week.
This week the curators team put the final touches on the exhibit's object list. The list frames the major components of our public history theme within the model of who, where, when, why, and how with potential objects to be loaned from our partnering institutions. The seven institutions we plan to feature in our exhibit include:
Each location will loan a 2D, 3D (or both!) object(s) to be featured within our exhibit narrative. Upon the finalization of this list our registrars Amanda and Cayla will reach out to each organization to receive confirmation of which objects we will receive approval for.
Introductory section of finalized objects list
A very difficult deliberation on our “big idea” statement followed the successful completion of our objects list. As it stood last week our statement read, “A question of history explores history in Illinois showing how history is everywhere, everyone, and everything.” Our exhibits professor Mr. Rick Riccio showed us some tough love and cited our “big idea” as a too vague. The art of succinct writing is difficult even for the best authors. After a very lively discussion, however, we revised our statement to read:
“A Question of History” traces the role of the public and the historical institutions of Illinois to show that history was and continues to be vital to our cultural heritage and identity.
As we continue to engross ourselves in the development of our exhibit we become more familiar and comfortable with the information we plan to convey. With this familiarity an understanding matures that will encourage us to continue to revamp and improve our ideas.
In other news, the HA program has recently decided to submit a poster proposal for the National Council on Public History’s conference in Indianapolis in April 2017. The conference will be held a month after our exhibit opening in March and will provide an excellent platform for us to showcase our exhibit, as well as create networks within the museum community. To quote our historical research professor Dr. Terry Barnhart, “Do not keep your light under a bushel.” Indeed, we shall not. Our design team is hard at work to draft a proposal entry by the fast approaching deadline of October 1st.
Aaron and Meagan instructing on the process of food preservation at Harvest Frolic
In unrelated exhibit news the HA program participated in the Lincoln Log Cabin Historic Site’s annual Harvest Frolic Celebration this past weekend. Dressed in traditional pioneer garments, the group volunteered with various events. While sweaty and uncomfortable physically, the weekend proved to lift our spirits mentally. It allowed us a much-appreciated opportunity to crawl out of our dusky lab and enjoy the sunlight, as well as horn our visitor service and historic interpretation skills. And of course a well deserved thanks and applause must go to Claire and Elizabeth for doing an amazing job at organizing both us and the majority of the event.
We're one month in and still surviving. Keep it up everyone!
