Organizing Museum Exhibitions

An accomplished museum executive with more than four decades of industry experience, Joel Bartsch has since 2004 served as the president and CEO of Houston Museum of Natural Science. An alumnus of Concordia University, Joel Bartsch oversees key administration duties, including coordinating museum staff, managing growing membership, and organizing successful exhibitions.

Exhibitions are an excellent way for museums to gain exposure and create connections with customers/visitors. Successful exhibitions should be memorable, dynamic, and visually compelling, meaning they require a lot of preparation. Being a creative event or process that involves multiple stakeholders, there are a few issues organizers need to keep in mind.

Identify Goals

Identifying goals and expectations is a key process when organizing an exhibition. Issues to consider include, what is being exhibited, and the message the exhibition is trying to convey. This way, it’s simpler to set measurable goals such as the return on investment, level of attendance, new contacts or connections created, promotional materials distributed, and social media conversions. An exhibition can focus on one goal or multiple goals, but they should be kept realistic to set the pace for the entire event.

Focus on Creation of a Linear Flow

Good stories are often best narrated using a linear and chronological approach, which also applies to museum exhibitions. The experience should be designed to usher visitors into the past, meaning it’s vital to incorporate a sense of time in each display. For instance, captivating exhibitions about inventions, history, or evolution, should be based on a clear historical timeline that can be achieved using sounds, graphics, labels, and visual cues.

Establish a Legacy

After an exhibition has closed, the effort used to organize the event needs to be felt long after the main event. Organizers can consider creating a website, catalog, or app to create a lasting impact. Additionally, workshops and partnerships are an excellent way to keep engaging after exhibit items have been returned to the owners.