Description

Book Synopsis
This is a must-read for the nervous novice as well as the world-weary veteran. The book guides you through every aspect of exhibit making, from concept to completion. The say the devil is in the details, but so is the divine.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vi

Foreword vii

Introduction ix

Chapter 1: Collaboration 1

Collaboration Unpacked 2

Why Collaborate? 4

Why Collaborate in Museums? 5

How to Collaborate 7

A Case Study: Science Gallery, Dublin 16

An Intrinsic Imperative 19

Chapter 2: Advocacies and Action Steps 21

Advocacy Positions as a Team Creation Strategy 21

Five Advocacies Needed for Every Team 22

Action Steps 34

Dangers and Pitfalls 35

Chapter 3: Advocacy for the Institution 39

Creating the Landscape for Exemplary Exhibitions 39

Laying the Foundation 40

Planning Major Change 43

Plan Ahead, Leslie Swartz 47

Reflecting Institutional Identity, Charlie Walter 50

Review, Critique, and Approval 60

Institutional Culture and Risk 64

Assessing Results and Learning from Them 65

Chapter 4: Advocacy for the Subject Matter 69

It’s about Something Too! 69

Approach and Philosophy 70

Object or Idea Driven 74

Dangers for the Subject Matter Expert 78

History through Objects, Jessica Neuwirth 80

An Art Historian’s Perspective, Rachel McGarry 83

Chapter 5: Advocacy for Visitor Experiences 89

Developing Exhibition Content for Visitors 89

Getting Started: Developing the Concepts 100

Strategies for Organizing Information 103

Synthesizing and Presenting Initial Concepts 107

Organizing the Concepts into a Cohesive Narrative 108

The Story on Storyelling, Leslie Bedford 113

Documentation and Presentation 115

Getting the Details Ironed Out: How Does This Thing Really Work? 119

Educator as Advocate, Shari Rosenstein Werb 120

Strategies for Ironing Out the Details 124

Chapter 6: Advocacy for Design 131

Advocating for the Physical and Sensory Experience 131

Design Advocacy: Working within the Collaboration 134

Primary Exhibition Design Principles 141

The Launch of Design 143

Spatial Planning and Visitor Flow 146

Gestalt—Sensory Perception Forming a Whole 153

The Impact of Lighting, Lauren Helpern and Traci Klainer Polimeni 154

The Medium Is the Message: Modes of Display 161

Wheel of Dependent Implementation, Jeff Hoke 162

Environmental Graphic Design, Richard Cress 165

Multimedia Integration, Richard Lewis 169

Magic and Illusion in Exhibition, Diane Perlov 172

Theater and Immersive Environments, Donna Lawrence 174

Object Theater, Paul Martin 174

Accessible and Universal Design 180

Accessible Design, Lath Carlson 181

Environmentally Sound Practice 184

Sustainable Exhibitions, Lath Carlson 186

Conclusion 189

Chapter 7: Advocacy for Project and Team 193

Managing the Project and Team 193

Creating a Schedule 195

Creating a Budget 201

Managing a Team 208

Chapter 8: Methods and Techniques 213

Getting the Most out of the Process 213

Process Documentation 214

Ways to Produce and Shape Ideas 215

Concept Organization and Visual Documentation 220

Sketching as Team visualization, Dottie Miles 222

Making Decisions and Conducting Evaluation 232

Evaluation, Jeff Hayward 236

Pilot Testing, Dana Schloss & Katherine Ziff 246

Prototyping to Test Ideas, Erika Kiessner 249

Visitors’ Bill of Rights, Judy Rand 254

Writing a Successful RFP, George Mayer 258

Chapter 9: Process and Phases 263

How Do We Set Up Our Process? 263

Process Outline 266

Process Phases 270

The Postpartum: Evaluating, Maintaining, Evolving, and Documenting 295

Exhibition Closing 300

Index 301

Creating Exhibitions

    Product form

    £51.25

    Includes FREE delivery

    RRP £53.95 – you save £2.70 (5%)

    Order before 4pm today for delivery by Wed 1 Jul 2026.

    A Paperback / softback by Polly McKenna-Cress, Janet Kamien

    15 in stock

      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

      View other formats and editions of Creating Exhibitions by Polly McKenna-Cress

      Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc
      Publication Date: 19/11/2013
      ISBN13: 9781118306345, 978-1118306345
      ISBN10: 1118306341

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      This is a must-read for the nervous novice as well as the world-weary veteran. The book guides you through every aspect of exhibit making, from concept to completion. The say the devil is in the details, but so is the divine.

      Table of Contents

      Acknowledgments vi

      Foreword vii

      Introduction ix

      Chapter 1: Collaboration 1

      Collaboration Unpacked 2

      Why Collaborate? 4

      Why Collaborate in Museums? 5

      How to Collaborate 7

      A Case Study: Science Gallery, Dublin 16

      An Intrinsic Imperative 19

      Chapter 2: Advocacies and Action Steps 21

      Advocacy Positions as a Team Creation Strategy 21

      Five Advocacies Needed for Every Team 22

      Action Steps 34

      Dangers and Pitfalls 35

      Chapter 3: Advocacy for the Institution 39

      Creating the Landscape for Exemplary Exhibitions 39

      Laying the Foundation 40

      Planning Major Change 43

      Plan Ahead, Leslie Swartz 47

      Reflecting Institutional Identity, Charlie Walter 50

      Review, Critique, and Approval 60

      Institutional Culture and Risk 64

      Assessing Results and Learning from Them 65

      Chapter 4: Advocacy for the Subject Matter 69

      It’s about Something Too! 69

      Approach and Philosophy 70

      Object or Idea Driven 74

      Dangers for the Subject Matter Expert 78

      History through Objects, Jessica Neuwirth 80

      An Art Historian’s Perspective, Rachel McGarry 83

      Chapter 5: Advocacy for Visitor Experiences 89

      Developing Exhibition Content for Visitors 89

      Getting Started: Developing the Concepts 100

      Strategies for Organizing Information 103

      Synthesizing and Presenting Initial Concepts 107

      Organizing the Concepts into a Cohesive Narrative 108

      The Story on Storyelling, Leslie Bedford 113

      Documentation and Presentation 115

      Getting the Details Ironed Out: How Does This Thing Really Work? 119

      Educator as Advocate, Shari Rosenstein Werb 120

      Strategies for Ironing Out the Details 124

      Chapter 6: Advocacy for Design 131

      Advocating for the Physical and Sensory Experience 131

      Design Advocacy: Working within the Collaboration 134

      Primary Exhibition Design Principles 141

      The Launch of Design 143

      Spatial Planning and Visitor Flow 146

      Gestalt—Sensory Perception Forming a Whole 153

      The Impact of Lighting, Lauren Helpern and Traci Klainer Polimeni 154

      The Medium Is the Message: Modes of Display 161

      Wheel of Dependent Implementation, Jeff Hoke 162

      Environmental Graphic Design, Richard Cress 165

      Multimedia Integration, Richard Lewis 169

      Magic and Illusion in Exhibition, Diane Perlov 172

      Theater and Immersive Environments, Donna Lawrence 174

      Object Theater, Paul Martin 174

      Accessible and Universal Design 180

      Accessible Design, Lath Carlson 181

      Environmentally Sound Practice 184

      Sustainable Exhibitions, Lath Carlson 186

      Conclusion 189

      Chapter 7: Advocacy for Project and Team 193

      Managing the Project and Team 193

      Creating a Schedule 195

      Creating a Budget 201

      Managing a Team 208

      Chapter 8: Methods and Techniques 213

      Getting the Most out of the Process 213

      Process Documentation 214

      Ways to Produce and Shape Ideas 215

      Concept Organization and Visual Documentation 220

      Sketching as Team visualization, Dottie Miles 222

      Making Decisions and Conducting Evaluation 232

      Evaluation, Jeff Hayward 236

      Pilot Testing, Dana Schloss & Katherine Ziff 246

      Prototyping to Test Ideas, Erika Kiessner 249

      Visitors’ Bill of Rights, Judy Rand 254

      Writing a Successful RFP, George Mayer 258

      Chapter 9: Process and Phases 263

      How Do We Set Up Our Process? 263

      Process Outline 266

      Process Phases 270

      The Postpartum: Evaluating, Maintaining, Evolving, and Documenting 295

      Exhibition Closing 300

      Index 301

      Recently viewed products

      © 2026 Book Curl

        • American Express
        • Apple Pay
        • Diners Club
        • Discover
        • Google Pay
        • Maestro
        • Mastercard
        • PayPal
        • Shop Pay
        • Union Pay
        • Visa

        Login

        Forgot your password?

        Don't have an account yet?
        Create account