Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service's Blog

Finding Photographic Content for Your Next Exhibition: Part II

We're back . . . after what seems like eons. In any case, you're probably wondering about the nitty-gritty of this subject, particularly about costs.

There are a number of variables with the cost scenarios: Tiffany Ruhl, our image guru, suggests that art museums are usually a bit more expensive and that securing images from AP Press or Corbis is the most costly of all--sometimes running in the hundreds for a single use. On the other end of the spectrum, many universities, historical societies, and archives charge anywhere from $20-$100--managble for most institutions. Generally, this price is for an image that's about 300 dpi, but larger, higher-resolution versions can usually be secured for a few extra dollars.

Once you've located the images that you'd like to use, you'll need to fill out the request forms in their entirety. At this point, you must specific how you'll be using the image(s): whether for display, educational purposes, print, or web. Sometimes, there's an "all media" usage fee that covers everything. Once you've submitted the forms, the waiting begins. Turn around times can be as long as four weeks (so plan accordingly). If, however, collections are all digital, and there's somebody whose job it is to receive requests, you may be dealing with a matter of days rather than weeks. The Golden Rule, especially with a tight deadline, is to follow up with a phone call. Even though many of the request forms are available online, talking to a human being can certainly expedite the process.

If you're still wondering where to begin in the first place, Tiffany recommends launching with a simple Google search, and don't underestimate Flickr as a possible source for contemporary images. To date, we've used several Flickr images, without cost, on exhibition panels. We simply asked permission from the publisher and provided a complete credit under the photo. Bottom line is, there are ample resources out there so that your next exhibition can be that much richer . . .

Finding Photographic Content for Your Next Exhibition: Part I

Let's say that your exhibition planning process is going along swimmingly and, whoa, your collection has a serious dearth of supplemental materials--the images and reproduction documents that often give history/culture exhibitions credibility and variety. Where do you turn for contextual information on your labels or panels?

Well, this is something we know a thing or two about. I sat down yesterday with Tiffany Ruhl, resident image expert for the Museum on Main Street (MoMS) program at the Smithsonian. Tiffany has spent hundreds of hours trolling the Internet for images to use in their upcoming exhibition Journey Stories, which will begin its national tour next year.

Q. Let's say a small historical society is developing an exhibition about American lighthouses. Where would they start?
A. One good place to begin is the prints and photographs division at the Library of Congress (LOC). The library has myriad searchable databases with fairly complete tags for all of the records. Most of the time, an image pops right up. And, the great thing about LOC is that many of the images are public domain, so you don't actually have to pay for rights or usage, you just pay for the reproduction or scan. One of the library's most all-encompassing databases is American Memory (showing results from many different libraries and archives). There's so much information here, it will make your head spin. Just a basic search of the word "lighthouse" yields more than 900 records--everything from paintings, to prints, to newspaper articles.

Q. Are there other good digital resources available?
A. It may depend on the topic that's being researched, but think about region. (Tiffany says that this may be the absolute best way to get started). What states/counties might have the most information about your subject, lighthouses? It might be a good idea to check with the Maine State Library or any other state that seems to fit the bill. If you're researching Spanish missions, for example, check state libraries in Texas, New Mexico, and California. And, don't underestimate the breadth of college and university holdings either. There's some great stuff in little-known special collections out there. The National Archives is also a gem, although the website is a bit dense. Remember, that you can always call a reference librarian. In fact, I think picking up the telephone--as old-fashioned as it may seem--often delivers the best results. The folks working behind-the-scenes know 200 percent more than what appears in the records' metadata. Call, call, call!

Want to know about costs and the process of securing image rights? Check out next week's post!

Best Smithsonian Research Sites

Even to Smithsonian employees, this can be a daunting place--some 6,000 employees, 19 museums, 9 research centers, and 130 million collections. There's a lot of information at SI, and much of it can't be found anywhere else. Opportunities for true discoveries abound here, but how do you scratch through all the layers and find the resources that you need?

First, approach your computer with a plan. Are you looking for general information or are you hunkering down to do hard research?

For the basics, a good place to start is a museum's website. If, for example, you'd like to find out about Woodrow Wilson's presidential administration, go to the National Museum of American History, and type his name into the search box. Or, maybe, you'd like to know about butterflies. The National Museum of Natural History offers a delicious smorgasbord of butterfly facts.

On the other hand, if you're looking for 19th-century trade catalogues or are doing other research-oriented searches, you need to go directly to the Smithsonian's information hot spots:

Start here!

• Guide to the Smithsonian's Archives, Library, and Special Collections
• Smithsonian's general research catalogue

Great for historians and art historians:

• Archives of American Art's collections online
• American portraits catalogue from the National Portrait Gallery
• SI's photography holdings
• Museum conservation of objects
• National anthropological archives

Resources for teachers and students:

• Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies

Scientific research sites:

• Center for Astrophysics
• Smithsonian Tropical Research Center's species database
• Encyclopedia of Life
• Directory of Airplanes

Exhibitions and Accessibility: Part II

In our last segment, I chatted with Laurie Trippett, SITES' resident expert on government ADA guidelines. She has been working with accessibility issues for nearly 25 years and has a few tips for museums large and small.

1. Be sure to provide large-print versions of the object labels, available for patrons at the information desk.The large-print copy needs to be at least 16-point type or preferably bigger. The most important thing in this scenario is that people know that they can get the alternate version. Make it a point to include "Large-print exhibition text available" on all of your publicity materials and on your standard rack cards.

2. Make your general exhibition panels easy to read. Use legible typefaces. (Please, destroy the Blackadder and Curlz fonts!) And then think about contrast. Use a dark typeface on a light background and vice-versa. You wouldn't believe how many red letters on blue backgrounds I've seen out there. The general rule is to use a minimum of 24-point type on your main panels.

3. Now for the exhibition cases. Ideally, you'd want to have cases moved away from the walls to allow people to see objects on all sides. If this your goal, create enough room on the wall-side for a wheelchair to access the space (at least 30"). If you have wall-hung cases, they shouldn't extend more than 4" off the wall itself (Ever been clipped the corner of the plexiglass case? Ouch!)

4. And, yes, exhibitions filled with multi-media experiences ARE cool, but don't let the cacophony of exploding cannons in one room and shouting soldiers in another overwhelm your Civil War exhibit. Some people have a hard time processing sounds if they're coming from too many places. If you're using sound to add a sensory experience, try to contain it to one area, and PLEASE, turn it down! Laurie even suggests getting inexpensive headphones--the kind language labs use sell for about $20.00. And, she adds, they won't get stolen!

5. Be sure the people who actually build your exhibits have a working knowledge of accessibility guidelines. This will save you an infinite amount of time in the long run.

5. If all else fails, make your exhibition (in its complete form) available on the web and do outreach in your community.

FOR MORE, SEE http://www.si.edu/opa/accessibility/exdesign/start.him

Exhibitions and Accessibility

I was so excited to visit a mystery museum in Montreal a few months ago. I put it on the top of my list--the time period was fascinating, and the subject matter of great personal interest to me. Imagine my chagrin when, after all that anticipation (and travel), I walk into the gallery and have to purse my lips, squint my eyes, and otherwise distort my face just to read the labels. The exhibition was a laundry list of why accessibility matters. Visitors, without or without visible disabilities, are truly put off by the museum that doesn't at least try to make things accessible for every body.

I recently sat down with Laurie Trippett, SITES' assistant director of exhibitions and our resident accessibility advisor to find out where this mystery museum went wrong and why every library, historic house, art museum, and civic center should make accessibility a top priority.

"The interesting thing about this," Laurie muses, "is that it will--at some point--affect everybody in the population. Best to start planning now," she continues. What to do? So much work and so little time? In this two-part series, we will examine some simple and not-so-simple steps you can take to help your institution "do the right thing."

First and foremost, do a thorough walk-through to assess your site's accessibility weaknesses. This is a baseline from which to work. Laurie suggests asking folks with disabilities to help you gauge the reality of your space, creating a community advisory committee, or partnering with a local university or college to do an official study of the property. She warns, however, that if you go down this road, you need to be prepared to implement a good portion of the recommendations your committee hands down. Otherwise, your efforts will appear hollow.

From here, begin with the most obvious question: Can people get into the building? Are there ramps or handrails? If you're in a situation where building a ramp into the main building is impossible, how about constructing one at a secondary site or alternate building. The point being, as long as you can get visitors in your doors, you can educate and entertain them, and above all, give them an equal opportunity to experience the spectacular things your institution has to offer.

Now, once they're inside, let the learning begin. Even if nothing else in your entire museum is wheelchair accessible, for example, you can provide a video presentation, offer an enhanced podcast, or even a hands-on Q&A with a special docent. Laurie also notes that there are plenty of companies out there that will create interesting and engaging pre-recorded tours of your site. Best practice: Create at least one space in your museum that IS wheelchair, walker, or stroller navigable. (Minimum clearance for an average wheelchair is 30" x 48"). 

For general information on the Americans with Disabilities Act

Stayed tuned for part II of this series with detailed design instructions and more helpful websites . . .

Marketing your Next Exhibition

There is, perhaps, no worse feeling. After putting hundreds of hours into the conception, fabrication, and promotion of an exhibition, you discover that the visitation numbers are abysmal. People meander through the gallery here and there, but they aren't lining up outside the doors; they aren't calling for tickets; they just don't seem all that interested--much to your utter chagrin. What happened? You went through all of the proper PR channels; you navigated those waters with ease, but still the rooms were silent--no buzz at all.

If you've ever found yourself in this situation, read on. Here are a few tips from our Scheduling and Exhibitor Relations (marketing) team that might help you avoid the exhibition bust blues:

Q. What's the best way to market an exhibition?
A. First, you need to know your audience. Will your core group of visitors care about this topic? Conversely, are you trying to reach out to a totally new group? What might appeal to them? Try testing the waters through your website, written survey materials, or an exhibition prospectus. Sometimes, it's most effective just to talk to people.

Q. What shows usually bring in the most visitors?
A. For us, the exhibitions that are the easiest to book are those that deal with diversity and culture. This is very relevant to every community because the world is changing. You can no longer present things from just one side. Science exhibitions, that can successfully speak to students, are also hot right now. No matter what the age, people just can't get enough of highly interactive exhibits (like our new science show DIG IT!)

Q. Movies, theater, concerts, folks have so many entertainment options. What do you think people are really looking for in an exhibition?
A. There's a lot of exhibitions out there about the same old thing, but we believe people want to learn about topics that haven't been addressed in the mainstream--exhibitions about immigration, Native Americans, or African American history. On the other hand, it doesn't have to lofty to be interesting. Some of our most desired exhibitions have been about popular culture. Lunch Box Memories was a show of, you guessed it, vintage lunch boxes (Star Trek fans rejoice). Another option is to tap into a prominent anniversary. We tied 381 Days: The Montgomery Bus Boycott Story to the 50th anniversary of Rosa Parks historic decision not to give up her seat. Still, whatever you decide to pitch to your board/senior management or to the public, it needs to have broad-base appeal.

Q. Are there some topics that are still too hot to handle?
A. Definitely. You can easily offend or slight someone, especially in religious matters. What we have found is that museums in large metropolitan areas (with diverse communities) are a bit more open to tough issues. But, there is certainly an untapped market out there for anybody who is brave enough to go there.

Michelle Torres-Carmona, Ed Liskey, and Minnie Micu make up SITES' hard-working marketing staff. Like many folks at the Smithsonian and at your museums, their behind-the-scenes efforts make things possible for the rest of us!

The New Standard Facility Report Unveiled

Whether digitizing collections, developing conservation techniques, or discovering previously unknown astral bodies, folks here at the Smithsonian are always on the cusp of the next big thing. SITES' head registrar Christina Schwartz is no exception.

Leading the American Association of Museum's (AAM) registrars' committee, Chris recently finished updating the "standard facility report," the often-maligned document so crucial for museums wanting to borrow objects. The report is a technical look at your building from the ground up: How safe is it? Is the HVAC system working properly? Does the site have a secure loading dock? Are the galleries flooded with afternoon light? Indeed, 95% of lenders won't give you that much-desired painting or sculpture if you DON'T have a current facilities report (within the last three years).

Because of limited resources or aging facilities, small museums (and even some mid-sized museums) may have difficulty with some of the questions in the report. Fear not. Local fire departments, security companies, and HVAC operators will have answers. If you're in the market for free services, peruse your rolodex for colleagues at larger museums who might be willing to offer advice and/or unused equipment (hygrothermometers, for example, to measure temperature and humidity). No matter what your situation, you should strive to complete the report. (Don't forget, having a current and complete document is also necessary for museum accreditation.)

Chris acknowledges that first-timers may find the questions a bit intimidating, and that's okay. What most lenders want to see is that an institution took the report seriously and worked diligently to fill in the gaps. Transparency is important. This is not the place where "I don't recall" is an appropriate response. If you're truly unable to come up with answers, there is help out there. The AAM hosts a great list-serv, where folks can ask just about any question and receive a number of varied, erudite solutions from registrar's who know what's what. Chris also cites a fantastic AAM-sponsored mentoring program that matches museum neophytes with seasoned professionals willing to lend a hand.

For larger institutions that have already completed a standard facilities report, you'll notice a few additional questions in the new version, helping to increase the level of understanding between lenders and borrowers. Don't roll your eyes. The minutia is important. The ultimate goal is to raise the level of professionalism and provide the best care for our treasured objects. When all the gray areas become black-and-white, there's much less room for errors and misunderstandings.

Want to get a copy of the new "General Facility Report"? Visit Chris at her AAM session this Sunday in Denver at 2:15 p.m. The report will also be available from the AAM's bookstore.   

From the Development Department: Part II

If you read last week's post--an interview with two of our development mavens--you'll know that there's a great deal to consider when approaching a potential donor/sponsor. This week, Jennifer and Marissa offer more practical advice on how to reel in the big fish.

1. Don't know whom to contact or how to find the right person with whom to speak? Start with basics, like the the company's website. Find some contacts in the marketing department and start those phone calls. Don't get too discouraged. You'll eventually find someone who can help. PERSEVERE!

2. If blind calling is not your gig, go to your chamber of commerce. Start on the local level. Perhaps there's a company/business that would like to do outreach or tap into a different market.

3. Talk to other organizations in your area. Who sponsors them? Have they gotten results from x,y, or z business? Sometimes, competing organizations can be reluctant to relinquish those details, but printed programs and brochures speak for themselves. Was the name of an area car dealership on the cover of museum X's exhibition brochure? They should be #1 on your list to approach.

4. Make connections. There's nothing wrong with requesting an informational interview with someone in a business. Ask them what kind of programs/projects they'd be interested in sponsoring. This is not to say you're putting the cart before the horse: it's all about gathering data.

5. Put your institution out there. Rent out your facilities for seminars, professional meetings, and even weddings. You'll be creating valuable name recognition as well as letting people know that you're already well-known in the community.

Looking for another way to fund a SITES-related exhibition? Apply for a community grant!

Tips from SITES Development Department

We're lucky enough to have three very talented and resourceful people in our development department, but alas, many small and mid-range museums aren't quite so lucky. With at least 50% of the museums out there, the director is the chief financial officer, and the curator may be the volunteer coordinator, the education specialist, and the registrar. What this means for most museums is that staffers wear many hats, some which are flattering and fit perfectly, others of which just don't fit at all. So, for those of you out there sporting multiple hats, here's part one of our series on fund raising with development specialists Marissa Hoechstetter and Jennifer O'Keefe:

1. Create a development policy that all of your staffers understand and can reference at events or when talking to potential donors. This is a kind of collective agreement about what you can and can't do to woo your potential sponsors. For example, if it isn't feasible that your institution rename part of the building after a big donor, make sure that that prospect is never on the table. Anyone who is going to be soliciting funds should know that for a certain dollar amount, sponsors can get x,y, and z, and for a larger amount x,y,z, and q are possible.

2. Think outside the box and be creative about who you approach for money. This requires looking at all dimensions of your program/project. What does the program/project have to offer the sponsor? Are there less obvious elements of the program that might be of interest to donors?

3. Come up with a comprehensive list of people/businesses that you'd like to approach and refine this list with your colleagues. This is where personal relationships come into play. Does your colleague's husband know potential donor Mr. Smith? Perhaps, he might help pave the way and introduce you. A different approach is to invite potential sponsors/donors to events and exhibitions when you don't need anything from them. This just puts you on their radar screens and lets them know that you have a strong presence in the community.

2. What can you offer a donor/sponsor? Of course, the rules vary on this depending on institution, but the sponsor's name in print is always attractive--on brochures, banners, or in press releases. Perhaps the donor has a chance to speak at press previews or at the exhibition's opening reception. Start small. When you make an offer, chances are the donor/sponsor will come back with a counter offer that you can negotiate. Be as up front as possible and specify a dollar amount that you'd like the donor/sponsor to contribute.

Find this information helpful? Part two of the interview will appear next week.

Writing Copy for Your Next Exhibition

Let's face it. We've all gone to exhibitions where we moved from object to object, image to image without taking the time to read the labels or text panels. All too often, I see Smithsonian visitors perform this ritual museum dance, flying from one thing to another like toddlers in a room full of exciting, new toys. Yes, it's true. Seeing the ruby slippers in person is much more compelling than reading a 300-word essay about them. Oh wait, isn't that Archie Bunker's chair over there? In a flash, your visitor has darted off to another fabulous treasure and still doesn't understand the significance of that artifact.

So, how do you get people to stay in one place long enough to actually read about the items in your exhibition?

1. In most cases, less is more. We generally keep our text panels to 150-200 words. That's just enough space to say what you need to say without boring your visitor. This is often the toughest job of all, having compiled hundreds and hundreds of pages of fascinating facts about your subject matter. Save it for a companion book. Or if you're small institution, gather your data, convert it to .pdf document, and post it online--quick, easy, and free. You can always provide your visitors with a web address for further information. This will usually appease your most knowledge-hungry museum-goers.

2. Know your audience! This is perhaps the most important advice of all. Who will come to see this show? Families? The art crowd? Regular Joes and Janes? At the Smithsonian, we cater to everyone, even visitors who don't speak English at all. We, therefore, write exhibition copy for those on a middle-school reading level. That's not to say we "dumb things down." If it's a sophisticated topic, chances are the concepts you're covering are also lofty, warranting a deeper, more complicated treatment (but not necessarily any harder to read or digest). After all, it's very frustrating to visitors if they come to an unfamiliar word in the text. Most people will skip it, get frustrated, or simply stop reading altogether. That's the last thing you want to happen. 

It all gets back to knowing your audience: Exhibition text about contemporary medical arts (for a show called Visionary Anatomies  that just came off the road) was very different than copy drafted for the historical exhibition called 381 Days: The Montgomery Bus Boycott Story. We knew immediately that the contemporary art show would pull in a select audience, while 381 Days would bring in people from all backgrounds, especially school children studying American history.

3. Give it time. You need to let your copy sit for a while. Don't just go get a cup of coffee. Let it cool on your desk for a week or even a month. When you come back to it, you'll immediately recognize the shortcomings of your work (or how brilliant it was in the first place).

Need more advice? Let us know!