Jan 2000 Volume 22 Number 2

A Collaborative Effort to Create Exhibit Guideline

Resolving the Conflict between Museum Exhibition and Conservation

EXPLORING THE CONFLICT

The museum field has long been confronted with an ongoing challenge -- polarization between its museum exhibition and conservation specialists. Unfortunately, as a result of this conflict, cooperation and collaboration between these specialists has been missing over the last decade.

It is equally true that the conventional exhibition process itself, as practiced by most museums:

• is not conducive to collaboration and cooperation or obtaining appropriate, balanced solutions; and
• the process rarely achieves fully successful exhibits that take full advantage of both the most current design possibilities and state-of the-art preservation features.

For exhibit planners, designers, and fabricators the preservation requirements and conservation features necessary to produce responsible exhibits appear complex and even elusive. There is no single resource where guidelines can be found, no source where alternative techniques or applications can be studied. Inaccess to this body of knowledge has taken its toll in both professional working relationships and the final product -- the museum exhibit itself.

The problems resulting from this conflict have manifested themselves in:

• an unwillingness to be a team player
• a lack of solidarity and harmony within projects
• a resistance to compromise and to finding balanced solutions.

Many conservators believe that their institutions' exhibit process does not adequately or systematically incorporate the preservation needs of the collections going onto display.

Preservation specialists often believe they see the long-term picture in contrast to the exhibit specialists who focus on a short-term use. Many exhibit designers believe, however, the manner in which conservation is introduced often compromises exhibit design and effectiveness, and disregards the impact on a project's budget.

When polled, exhibit designers readily point to several problems with many conservation recommendations:

Communication Form and Content

• inconsistent information
• variation between different conservators
• information offered at inopportune times
• limited use and familiarity with design language.

Setting of Impractical Requirements

• unrealistic performance expectations
• vague recommendations
• untested solutions
• limited regard for financial consequences.

When polled, conservators readily point to several problems associated with working with exhibit designers:

Insensitivity and Self-interest

• tendency not to design an exhibit around the objects
• redesign of the wheel for each new project
• unwillingness to learn from previous conservation lessons
• weak drawings without sufficient detail
• reluctance to producing mockups and prototypes
• frequent requirement simply to "trust" them.

FOCUSING ON THE CAUSES

A myriad of factors has contributed to this conflict. The dilemma, however, is clearly rooted in the central debate over "preservation" versus "use" of collections.

Museum exhibition is where the conflicting responsibilities of these professions collide: the museum's obligation not only to "preserve" collections but to "use" them as well.

This conflict is perpetuated by several factors, including:

• Lack of cross training

Just as there is little focus on the exhibit process with in conservation training programs, there is no conservation training available for museum specialists such as exhibit designers. In fact there is a dearth of training altogether.

• A tradition of poor communication

Collection staff often lack the experience and technical understanding to be able to communicate their needs in ways that fabricators can understand. Conservators rarely learn how to read blue print drawings or feel comfortable using the design/fabrication language of specifications.

• The evolution of a flawed exhibit development process

An accepted method or approach for developing an exhibit involving museum objects does not exist. Commercial firms and institutions alike are left to define their own critical paths. This often results in an ineffective or chaotic process which adversely affects the end-product.

Throughout this decade it has become increasingly clear that a systematic resource was needed to assist museums and their exhibit contractors incorporate conservation into the exhibit process. A set of guidelines should work to:

• integrate conservation early
• share responsibility among team members
• unify and consolidate preservation recommendations
• promote practical and balanced conservation criteria
• explain alternative strategies and options
• encourage appropriate levels of conservation response
• promote buildable and maintainable designs
• find solutions within budget and timetable.

SHORT AND LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS

To address this exhibit problem the Division of Conservation of the National Park Service embarked on a major preventive conservation project to create a preservation framework and tool for both its personnel and the exhibit specialists from whom the NPS procures services. The objective was to develop a set of practical exhibit guidelines that would systematically incorporate preservation criteria into the exhibition development process.

The fact is that safe and appropriate display of collections does not have to compromise good design or effective interpretation. The challenge is to design and produce preservation-responsible exhibits that also attract and inform the public.

The long-term goal was to create a program that would ensure preservation-responsible exhibits by:

• organizing and giving access to the existing technical information
• improving interdisciplinary communication
• facilitating access to recent developments in the field.

Years of producing exhibits have taught us that preservation- responsible exhibits require a close, constructive working relationship between exhibit and conservation specialists.

Trust and a sense of shared responsibility for collection preservation are invaluable parts of the equation. Only by involving conservation early and systematically throughout the process, can a museum ensure responsible planning, design, and production.

The NPS chose an interdisciplinary approach, working closely with exhibit designers and fabricators. The Park Service used its own exhibit design staff and a design contractor, Nash Brookes Inc. Exhibit conservator Nancy Davis also made a major contribution.

The first generation of our guidelines has been completed and is entitled Exhibit Conservation Guidelines: Incorporating Conservation into Exhibit Planning, Design and Production.

It does not attempt to create a set of definitive standards. Instead, it presents principles and techniques illustrating how conservation criteria can be successfully met in exhibits.

The Guidelines include:

• critical areas of involvement for conservation specialists
• baseline information known in the field, but rarely found in print
• accumulated exhibit experience and lessons learned at the NPS exhibit facility
• connection to a NPS web site where updates to the Guidelines and current exhibit information can be easily found.

Due to its diverse audience the Guidelines enlisted several different communication formats: a narrative format provides the framework for introducing each individual guideline and its discussion points; technical notes are intended to supplement the guidelines with examples; and technical drawings are included to illustrate conservation details regarding exhibit case design.

(The figures on these pages are from the technical drawings section.)

For ease of use the Guidelines has been produced as an electronic publication, presented in a CD-ROM format. The viewer can easily access previously difficult-to-find information in the narrative section and move directly through hyperlinks to pertinent technical references.

Feedback from our conservation staff and exhibit specialists (including planners, curators, designers, and exhibit fabricators) has been extremely positive. By clarifying conservation concerns, presenting tangible guidelines with supplemental examples, and identifying a methodical process for incorporating conservation, we have greatly enhanced the ability of exhibit specialists to prevent needless damage to objects going onto exhibit.

Collaboratively, we have taken the first step towards resolving a significant exhibit conflict.