Meeting Update: November 23, 2010

This was the final Concept Design meeting. The Concept Design document will be completed and ready for distribution first week of December. Sub group meetings begin after Thanksgiving and include "Programming" and "Schematic" and "Gift Shop."

Lots of time was spent visiting with Jenny's updated design sketches. We are sure she spent loads of time processing feedback from the team, finalizing her thoughts, drawing, and coloring ... but after seeing the design sketches ... she has made it seem so easy and so obvious. Everyone was pleased and excited. In fact I was jumping up and down like a little boy.

Remembering that in this phase of planning, all things are still changeable, here are beginning looks at Michael's Museum at The Chicago Children's Museum on Navy Pier.

Happy Thanksgiving

Meeting Update: November 16, 2010

This was the next to last meeting for "Concept Design" and before Thanksgiving. The majority of the meeting was spent looking at and talking about Jenny's colorful elevation drawings and sketches with sample furniture in place.


After what looked like much thought about design possibilities, Jenny really captured what the inside of MM@CCM might look like but wanted suggestions for the entrance/outside which she considered a difficult element of the design that was not quite right, in mid-stream, but having promise. 


It is always EASY to suggest corrections once the ROUGH DRAFT has been written by someone else. So it was with Jenny's presentation. Hopefully the group's feedback has helped Jenny as she returns to the drawing board to pull out more wonderful ideas from her creative supply!

Quotes

A few quotes from Michael that came up during previous MM@CCM Team Meetings:

"Sometimes I like to pretend that I am real."

"I never meant for this to happen."

Marketing and Development Meeting: November 9, 2010

After the Team Meeting (1:30-3:30) a meeting with the Marketing Representative (Jennifer J) and Development Representative (Amy C) took place (3:30-4:30) with Michael and Louise while Michelle took minutes.

The purpose of the meeting was two fold. First Jennifer and Amy shared more about the scope of their departments and how those departments would be interacting with and supporting Michael's Museum. Second, Michael wanted to offer his assistance in whatever way was needed to support their departments.

Once again a "Transition" discussion took place. MM has been a one man show for the last 30 years and now is very pleased to be part of a larger institution in the name of the world renowned Chicago Children's Museum.

In this collaborative relationship, where many people are involved to make sure that MM@CCM is successful, what must be done to help Michael's Museum make the transition into the culture of The Chicago Children's Museum while at the same time keeping its unique identity and integrity?

The progress so far has been amazing, the spirit of the adventure high, and the optimism non-stop. So many times, I have heard people comment, "Can't wait!" Neither can I but meanwhile, I have been enjoying and growing through the process.

Meeting Update: November 9, 2010

The main activity of this meeting was Jenny Schrider's sharing of and receiving feedback from the group on her initial "bubble plans" for the MM@CCM exhibit space.

She certainly did her homework and research in finding pictures and images that had a feel similar to the original MM when it was in my home and when CCM first saw and fell in love with it in 2007. She also looked at "Wonder Rooms" and "Curiosity Cabinets" of the 16th and 17th centuries, and the Thorn Rooms at the Art Institute for motivations.

The concept and documentation of the history and transition of MM to CCM begins to become an additional collection for MM@CCM. The group felt it was important for visitors to realize that it is "one person's collection and world view" that is being shared with a wider audience.

Her design incorporated putting the entrance in a new place, creating a comfortable seating area with a rug, love seat, chairs and coffee table. Her vision of "The Curator's Desk" was a place for visitor activities as well as a place for Michael to work when he is in the museum. Options besides wall cabinets for displaying collections was discussed.

Having items floor to ceiling and possibly on the ceiling was discussed. "Peep Throughs" from the Great Hall perhaps looking through a collection cabinet and into MM would allow for surprise.

Jenny has a great feel for the "essence" of Michael's Museum and how to bring that to The Children's Museum in a manner that is fitting to both the collection and CCM and in the transition from "then to now," making it even better than ever imagined.

This BLOG is Especially for You!

A little late for a Halloween type threat but I KNOW YOU ARE OUT THERE. I know that you are viewing my BLOG because the number counter keeps going up. BUT, I don't know who you are and that is making me nuts. PLEASE, PLEASE comment. It's easy.

Under the entry is the word "comment." Click it, and leave your comment. You can "Sign in" from the list offered or just sign in as "Anonymous." You do not have to leave your full name if you choose not to. Just leave your initials so I know it is you. Would love to hear from you.

Don't forget I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE.

Meeting Update: November 2, 2010

We are now in the final three weeks of the concept development for MM@CCM and Jenny, Exhibit Designer has joined the Team Meetings. She will be developing the "How will it look? and How will it work?" part of MM. After talking about the little trinkets we brought in to share, we spent the meeting discussing the work thus far in relation to Jenny's beginning work on the physical design. Our meetings are always spent in mini-chocolate chip cookies, mini-oatmeal raisin cookies, M&M's and this week the addition of mini-Snicker's and Truffles. We never go hungry!