Interpretive Exhibits Studio
AAD 410/510, 3 credits, Pass/Fail
October 23 and November 13, 2004 (Saturdays), 9:00 a.m.–4:50 p.m., Lane County Historical Museum, 740 W. 13th Avenue, Eugene. Attendance at these two sessions is required for a Pass grade.
The course runs October 23–December 3, with class business conducted on-line and in team meetings TBA.

Instructors: Alice Parman, Ph.D., Museum Consultant • Organizational Coach
(541) 342-3464 aparman@darkwing.uoregon.edu
Jeffrey Jane Flowers, M.S., Exhibit and Graphic Designer
(541) 484-5968

Course Description
Under the direction of an interpretive planner (Parman) and exhibit designer (Flowers), class members will function as a design team, working with an actual client. Director Bob Hart has agreed that the Lane County Historical Museum will be our first client. Students will have a guided hands-on experience of exhibit planning, research and writing, project management, estimating and budgeting, working with a client, and exhibit design. If time permits, we will also fabricate and install the exhibit.

Prerequisite
Course prerequisite: Planning Interpretive Exhibits course, or consent of (either) instructor. Those who have not taken the PIE course would be required to read the text for that course as background (Kathleen McLean, Planning for People in Museum Exhibitions). Please note that you must request preauthorization, even if you are enrolled for Planning Interpretive Exhibits.
Contact Alice Parman for preauthorization at the e mail address shown above.

Course Activities
• Saturday,
October 23 Daylong class meeting at Lane County Historical Museum

Morning: Startup meeting with museum staff, facilitated by Alice and Jeffrey. Establish scope of work, main messages, important concepts and facts to be conveyed, must-display objects and images, collections resources, availability of staff for consultation.
Afternoon: Organize class into teams, identify action steps to be taken, set deadlines, and begin work.

• October 25-November 10

Work in teams, share results with class on line, get feedback from other teams and from Alice and Jeffrey. Submit first draft documentation to museum staff by November 11.

• Saturday, November 13

Daylong Class meeting at Lane County Historical Museum
Morning: critique and discussion of documentation by museum staff
Afternoon: Develop a game plan for responding to client critique and improving/finalizing documentation. Identify action steps to be taken, set deadlines, and begin work.

• November 15–December 3

Work in teams, share results with class on line, get feedback from other teams and from Alice and Jeffrey. Submit revised documentation to museum staff (and if scope of work and time permit, produce and install exhibit) by December 3. Grading: Pass/Fail based on mandatory attendance at class sessions and completion of assignments. This is a 3-credit course, because of the amount of time devoted to team meetings, research, and writing/designing, in addition to two full-day class meetings.

Instructor Qualifications

Alice Parman, Ph.D. has more than 30 years’ experience in interpretive planning and exhibit development. Clients have included The Museum at Warm Springs, National Steinbeck Center, The Hermitage, and many others. Alice also consults with nonprofits on fundraising, board development, and organizational planning.

Jeffrey Jane Flowers, M.S. has over 20 years of experience in design, event planning, and administration. She published her first book, Pioneers, Scholars & Rogues, with the UO Press, and is an independent designer of print materials and exhibits for regional clients.