The Inner Workings: The beginnings of an exhibit

Medicine Hat’s War: 1914-1919.

As the museum technician, people sometimes ask me how we choose our exhibits and how we choose the artifacts. Developing an exhibit is a complex task. The exhibit theme may focus on an event, a topic, or on a collection we have. We do our research and examine both the museum and archive collections for artifacts and images. When we have enough material we will tell the story with photographs, text, and perhaps even video footage. Sometimes we look to other museums, too, which means working with their staff and making formal requests to borrow from their collections. Sometimes we curate shows with members of the community. For each exhibit we develop educational programming as well as marketing and advertising plans.

A good exhibit design must also be mindful of the needs of our visitors. We keep the text easy to read, both in content and quantity. No one wants to read a book standing up! We use very specific, legible fonts and carefully chosen colour combinations. All of the text and photos are placed at a height that everyone can easily see, including children, adults and the mobility challenged. We design the layout of the gallery with wheelchair access in mind, and include a resting place for those who need it. We keep lines of sight for fire escapes and try not to box the visitor in — no one enjoys feeling like they are trapped in a maze.

We design and construct our exhibits using both the oldest analog techniques such as blacksmithed mounts for heavy artifacts to the newest digital techniques such as graphic modelling and image production. All the factors and decisions require clear and effective communication between the team members. It takes more than one person to create an exhibit and it requires many people to do it well. The Esplanade Museum staff communicates and works closely with the archives, art gallery, and other city staff. We all contribute in developing the exhibits. When people ask how long it takes to develop an exhibit in-house, they are surprised to find out it can take years of cooperation, dedication, and hard work!

Tom Hulit is a museum technician at the Esplanade.