Graverson 1 Emilee Graverson HAVC 141M 20 February 2013 Re-Designing Where the Redwoods Meet the Sea The

MAH has been in constant motion for the past two years. While Ive been interning there, Ive gotten to see and experience the important changes, and hear a constant flow of praise for the good the MAH is doing in the Santa Cruz community. I think it is so important for the history gallery to become a part of what makes the MAH so loved in our community. From what I understand of the prompt and Ninas talk in class, the renovation of the history gallery Where the Redwoods Meet the Sea should include some rotating elements, as well as interactive design. Including new participation stations and different photograph displays, I think that the history gallery could become a new space for learning and discussion. I also propose a great decluttering of the space, by tidying up labels, and creating a more stream-lined look by modernizing the color schemes. I think a major problem of the gallery is that it is more geared for adults willing to read labels and look at small photographs than for school children who are looking for the quick learn. By quick learn I mean that kids are always looking for that one trivia fact that they can tell their parents when they get home, or that one cool artifact that they got to touch, that they normally wouldnt be allowed to. Because school tours are such a big part of the gallery, I think de-emphasizing the textual information, and switching to more visual information is key. Tours are based heavily in docent lead instruction, so the kids have little chance to read supplemental information.

Graverson 2 Despite the importance of the gallery to school tours, it is also very important to engage all other visitors in the history gallery. Adults, teens, and families not on a docent lead tour should get the same information and enjoyment from their experience. I believe that getting all visitors to participate in the gallery is the one way we can reach and connect with both audiences. I propose installing participatory stations across the gallery that poses a question, engages in a game or activity with every visitor. Inspired form the first-person engagement at the Oakland Museum of California, I think getting visitors to think about themselves in relation to the times presented in the gallery is of great importance. If You Lived Back Then stations would be positioned throughout the gallery, perhaps one in every era of time. For example, I would divide the eras as Native Americans, Explorers, Pioneers, early 1900s, 1930s/40s, 1950s/60s, 1970s/80s. So estimated about 7 stations throughout the gallery. (See Diagram 1) These stations could vary in size and content based on the era of time. In general the station would be a shallow box about 3 feet high and less than a foot deep. Each station would have the same design elements: font, coloring, logo or decorations in order to connect them visually. I think having each station looking self-contained gives the viewer something to look for, something identifiable at the next part of their tour around the gallery. Even though each could have slightly different activities, the visitor knows to expect something participatory or interactive to happen. Another key facet of these stations is visitor input. The Participatory Museum emphasizes the importance of visitor input, but also the necessity of a reward for that input. Visitors should get to see, in a timely fashion, the affects of their input or participation in the museum. Therefore, I propose that in response to the prompt in each station, visitors answer directly at the station, posting their answers alongside other visitor responses. My goal for this addition to the gallery is to get the visitor more personally involved

Graverson 3 in the times represented. It is easy to walk through a gallery, not fully comprehending how different life is across time. The visitor becomes detached from the information if not prompted to think critically about their own connection to the objects presented. This is specifically pertinent because the MAHs history gallery is so explicit to Santa Cruz history. Creating a place of dialogue between the exhibition and the visitors, and between visitors themselves really makes the museum experience more personal. I have developed a design that would fit well in the section of the gallery displaying the lumber miners of Santa Cruz. An example station would look like the diagram attached. The station would pose a question to the visitor: Santa Cruz lumber miners spent weeks away from their families. Their only form of communication was hand-written letters. Who would you write most of your letters to? Accompanying other visitor responses, I would also include in this station a postcard they could take home with them, and write a letter to someone they are thinking of. The post card could say something like I visited the MAH history gallery or Today I learned about Santa Cruz history. This would be inexpensive, yet also something material to take away. I think this both reminds the visitor of their positive experience, and provides a secondary reward for participating at the MAH. The second element of these participation stations is that they are rotational. I would like for the prompts to be easily switched out, so that visitor experiences and dialogues vary I would advise that if the board gets too full, that answers get removed to make room for new ones. If the MAH is interested in documenting responses, it could easily be done by taking a photograph of the answers, before they are rotated out. The label that would have the question prompt on it, could be designed to be rotational by putting Velcro on the back, so the label is exchangeable.

Graverson 4 Questions could vary, so that if the next time a visitor comes, they have the chance to contribute again. I am also very interested in changing the way photographs are displayed in the history gallery. For my second project I want to make the viewing of historical photographs engaging and fun. I think the way photographs are presented make them supplementary information, when they really should be an important part of the learning process. The MAH has an amazing archive of photographs, most not even on display. My idea is to take a set of photographs from each era or section of the gallery and make them viewable in viewmaster-style toys (see Diagram 2). This form of engagement would attract adults and children, because kids are familiar with these types of toys, and adults too, can reminisce on playing with them. The photographs inside the viewer would be pertinent to the part of the exhibit they are located, and there can be multiple viewers with the same pictures so people dont have to take turns. I believe that this would get people to spend more time looking at the photographs, as well as interacting with other visitors. Attached to the bank of Viewmasters could be as pamphlet with more information on the photographs, such as labels, dates, or thinking questions. Not only will more people see the photographs, but realize their importance in relation to the other objects presented in the gallery. The focus on one image at a time being presented right before your eyes is much more effective form of information delivery than the images being placed on a wall with little organization. It is also a fun, new way to look at historical images, something unexpected. The last and final item I think should be changed is simply the colors of walls. I think the wallpaper look is a little dated, and adds to the cluttered look of the gallery. A simple shift to a more subtle color palette would totally change the ambiance. Neutral brown and earthy tones

Graverson 5 could still be used, but in solid colors, and maybe lighter in shade to take emphasis away form the walls and more on the objects. The ceiling is also slightly distracting, so perhaps a fauxceiling could enclose the space more. Hanging signs with specific dates for each section of the gallery could be helpful in showing people where to start their tour, as well as creating an overhead closure. Creating an inviting space is absolutely key to giving the visitor a positive experience. Changes to the history gallery must take place for it to be a space that visitors deem inviting, yet aesthetically pleasing. As of now, I think the history gallery does its job as an educational exhibit, but it has potential to be a creative, collaborative space for visitor and museum to interact. Santa Cruz history should be important to everyone living in Santa Cruz County. People should take pride in the stories, people and objects that have lasted to tell their stories. I hope that with the right improvements, people visiting the MAHs history gallery will connect with the information in a new way, and come to understand how the past and present intersect in many ways.