Resisting the Internet is Futile

I admit that I was reluctant to open myself up to the concept of online exhibitions being as good as or better than a physical exhibit in a museum (or anywhere else, for that matter). When I started reading for this week, I was particularly defensive when I opened Creating a Winning Online Exhibition.

The author, Martin R. Kalfatovic, made the point that 3D objects in online exhibits did not come across as well as they did in a physical exhibit. I thought, Well of course not! Physical exhibits give visitors a chance to be with an object of significance! You can’t mimic that online.

As I kept reading, however, my opinion shifted. I remembered the struggles that I faced during my internship this past summer. My boss, Annmarie, and I planned for and then set up a small fashion exhibit at the Cleveland County Mall. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, it was hard to adjust to such a limited space on a budget.

Our text was limited to one panel. The items we chose for display paired with labels had to tell the rest of the story. We were very proud of the exhibit we created, especially considering the limited budget and space. The downfall was that the items we chose were disconnected from one another and constructing a chronology of fashion for men and women from the late 19^th century into the mid 20^th century with four outfits and a dozen-odd accessories is just shy of impossible.

This reading opened my eyes to the limitless possibilities of this fashion exhibit on the Internet. Not only would we not be hindered by space, but we also could have chosen a lot more outfits to represent changing fashion into the 20^th century. We could have separated female fashions from male fashions in order for the audience to choose which fashion evolution to follow. The accessories might have been a category of their own as well. In addition, the story of changing fashion could have been constructed better and followed the various trends throughout the chronology. The possibilities are truly endless!

So while I still prefer to explore and create physical exhibits, I will remember this revelation years from now when I am making exhibits for a museum. Physical exhibits in museums and elsewhere do not have to be limited to exhibit spaces any longer. Visitors can see more, know more, explore more if Curators translate and expand their exhibits online.

This will bring an exhibit to people who cannot visit the museum, or become available to students. That’s the real purpose of museums: to reach and impact as many people as possible.