Built To Last
Creating exhibits that won’t fade with time
By Julia Freeman
Photos: Dennis Pilaske
It’s been 19 years since the installation of the Ecosystem Gallery at Chippewa Nature Center in Midland, Mich. According to the Executive Director, Dennis Pilaske, the exhibit has seen “all of the expected use and then some, by a wide variety of visitors.” Yet, there is no plan in the works for a major exhibit overhaul. This is because the Ecosystem Gallery was built to last. Physically durable, thematically relevant, and well cared for, this long-standing exhibit that shows little sign of its age is a nature center’s dream.
The funding opportunities for designing and building a new exhibit for a nature center, visitor center, or small historical site are few and far between. At the same time, as anyone who has worked at one of these sites knows, exhibits tend to be not just used, but abused. Therefore, exhibit longevity is a major concern for anyone thinking about a new exhibit.
Plan Twice, Build Once
The first step for creating a long-lasting exhibit is understanding how it will be used by visitors and cared for by staff members. Ask plenty of questions:
How many visitors typically pass through in a year?
Is there always a staff member on hand, or do kids play unsupervised in the exhibit area?
What level of routine maintenance or IT troubleshooting are staff members prepared to do?
Answering these types of questions ahead of time ensures an exhibit will last in its particular environment.
Tips And Tricks For Physical Durability
Once all of the potential problems are on the table, finding solutions is often straightforward. When coming up with an exhibit design for their visitor center, staff members from Goose Pond Fish & Wildlife Area in Linton, Ind., knew they wanted a diorama that included plant and animal models too delicate to be touched, but also didn’t want a diorama trapped behind glass. They were able to solve this problem with a couple of techniques. Placing reader rails in front of the display keeps a comfortable space between the visitor and the diorama, without closing it off. Rather than create a perfectly realistic scene, the staff chose to place the most fragile plant and animal models in the back—too far for a rambunctious kid to reach. These precautions won’t keep the diorama safe in every situation, but they will protect it from day-to-day bumps and scrapes, while at the same time keeping the exhibit friendly and open.
Like most exhibit elements, dioramas can vary in sturdiness, depending on the needs of the site. Interactives, on the other hand, will almost always need extra attention. Interactives specialist Michael Hall at Taylor Studios in Rantoul, Ill., says that, when building interactives, he has to “think beyond the proper use and think about the kid who is exploring their world … anything that looks like a button is going to get slapped.” A popular interactive at many nature centers is a flip-door set into a tree trunk and themed to make the door look like bark. When built using a hinge that screws into the wooden flip-door, the interactions between the metal hinge and the wood will wear out the door over time. If instead, the wooden door contains a heavy-duty metal frame welded to a hinge, the door will last much longer. At first glance this technique might seem like overkill, but it means this interactive is now not only low maintenance, but virtually no-maintenance.
Also, keep a close eye on any electronics in the exhibit. Be wary of using technology for its own sake, as tech tends to break easily and fade fast. According to Hall, “A year is forever in the electronics world.” Rather than trying to “wow” visitors with the latest and greatest audio-visual innovation, it’s better to use electronics that have proven their worth. Make sure that the technology will keep working for years to come and components will be easy to order, upgrade, and switch out.
Content Matters, Too
Physical durability is crucial to longevity, but so is an exhibit’s relevance to visitors over time. Have you ever been to an exhibit filled with photos of “modern-day” people that were meant to make the exhibit more relatable? Maybe that strategy worked at first, but now those people are wearing clothing that is 15 years out of date. It’s hard for an exhibit to feel relevant if it is constantly reminding visitors of how old it is.
There are a few different ways to make content continue to feel fresh and relatable. One method is to focus on a primary resource. What is the story or mission that the site is built around? Pilaske says that one reason the Ecosystem Gallery exhibit has remained relevant over time is that it focuses on connecting visitors to what they will see outside. Visitors can look at an underwater diorama of a smallmouth bass inside the nature center, and then venture outdoors to see a fish that looks just like the model swimming in the river. This was true 19 years ago, and it continues to be true today.
Another technique is to build flexibility into exhibit design. At the Anita Purves Nature Center in Urbana, Ill., the Field Station exhibit is completely flexible. Every part of the exhibit can be moved around to keep it fresh. Drawers and cabinets are easy to fill with new natural objects like pine cones or feathers. The counters are coated with polyurethane so tanks for living snakes and frogs can be placed anywhere on top without doing damage. This flexibility allows staff to quickly and easily make a “new” exhibit that better fits current needs.
Durable Doesn’t Mean Maintenance-Free
Sometimes, despite all the careful planning in the world, an exhibit can’t last forever on its own. And that’s okay. However, by keeping that expectation in mind during the design process, maintenance can become much easier. At the Indiana State Museum, lightbulbs placed in the ceiling of an ice cave give off a gentle glow. Of course, no lightbulb will last forever, so the ice cave will eventually require some necessary maintenance. A ladder and platform built into the ice cave make it easy for museum staff to change the lightbulbs. By working the need for upkeep into the design, the museum has ensured the exhibit will last.
Creating a new exhibit requires a major investment of time, energy, and resources for all involved. No one wants to look at an exhibit in five years and see it filled with faded photographs and out-of-order signs. Luckily, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel to figure how to make a museum durable. Begin with knowing the site and the audience. What will an exhibit need to succeed in a particular environment? Take an extra look at interactives and any technology to be incorporated. Consider content: will key messages still be getting through in a decade? Finally, acknowledge that some change is inevitable. Think about how to make an exhibit flexible, and build with maintenance in mind. You will be rewarded with a long-lasting exhibit that continues to educate, entertain, and inspire for years to come.
Julia Freeman is an Interpretive Planner at Taylor Studios in Rantoul, Ill., an exhibit design-build firm with over 27 years of experience. Reach her at jfreeman@taylorstudios.com.