On Monday, December 20 a Brown Bag presentation was held in the Rice Workshop for any museum staff who could attend. The propose of the Brown Bag was to provide an overview and update on Michael's Museum. The meeting was attended by approximately 25 people.
Jenny Schrider's model of the Michael's Museum exhibit, 11 x 17 sketches, a bowl of m&m's with a tiny train running on a track around the bowl, and a tray with little "take away" mementos for attendees sat on a table in the center of the room.
Team members presented the overview and update using a Power Point presentation put together by Katie. There was a question and answer period and the meeting ended with attendees sharing their experience with collecting as a child and/or currently.
Showing posts with label The Chicago Children's Museum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Chicago Children's Museum. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
Tag Line
Looks like Michael's Museum has a "tag line." It is not absolutely final but looks good:
MICHAEL'S MUSEUM:
A Curious Collection of Tiny Treasures
Also watch for a new LOGO. The original one will be prominently featured on the Curator's Desk and will be included in the "History of Michael's Museum." But with the new look and feel of the space, to accommodate black and white print versions, to be more readable, and to be compatible with other Chicago Children's Museum logos, change is afoot!
With the work of the Michael's Museum Core Team and Extended Team, Michael's Museum will not only be as amusing, amazing and astounding as the old version ... IT WILL BE BETTER!
MICHAEL'S MUSEUM:
A Curious Collection of Tiny Treasures
Also watch for a new LOGO. The original one will be prominently featured on the Curator's Desk and will be included in the "History of Michael's Museum." But with the new look and feel of the space, to accommodate black and white print versions, to be more readable, and to be compatible with other Chicago Children's Museum logos, change is afoot!
With the work of the Michael's Museum Core Team and Extended Team, Michael's Museum will not only be as amusing, amazing and astounding as the old version ... IT WILL BE BETTER!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
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.
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.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Meeting Update: October 26, 2010
At the beginning of our meetings, each member of the team brings in a "small item" to share with the group. Adult SHOW AND TELL. I wish you could see the faces of my fellow team mates as they tell about their little object, how they got it, what it means to them. Truly joy and magic.
During the focus of this meeting, Katie passed a basket of small cards each of which contained a picture of a person or group of people: all ages, all ethnicities, all types. Team members studied the pictures they selected and then we took turns "telling the story" of what these "museum visitors" did while they were visiting Michael's Museum. The stories were varied, beautiful, engaging.
About mid way through the stories I had tears running down my face as I realized the potential impact could have on all of these people. I never intended for this to happen. I never intended for MM@CCM to happen. It was just something I enjoyed doing: COLLECTING.
Now here we are, the MM@CCM Team, as we build the "Magical, Joyful, Amazing, Amusing, Astounding" experience that will be available to thousands of children and adults who visit CCM.
I am moved beyond words. That's why the tears came.
During the focus of this meeting, Katie passed a basket of small cards each of which contained a picture of a person or group of people: all ages, all ethnicities, all types. Team members studied the pictures they selected and then we took turns "telling the story" of what these "museum visitors" did while they were visiting Michael's Museum. The stories were varied, beautiful, engaging.
About mid way through the stories I had tears running down my face as I realized the potential impact could have on all of these people. I never intended for this to happen. I never intended for MM@CCM to happen. It was just something I enjoyed doing: COLLECTING.
Now here we are, the MM@CCM Team, as we build the "Magical, Joyful, Amazing, Amusing, Astounding" experience that will be available to thousands of children and adults who visit CCM.
I am moved beyond words. That's why the tears came.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Meeting Update: October 21, 2010
Our two hour meeting flew! We shared our small trinkets at the beginning of the meeting, went over the visitor surveys gathered by Ben, and did a "Brainstorming Web" describing what the "Entrance Experience" might be like. For seven minutes we wrote one word ideas (or maybe just a few words) on slips of paper. Next we generated some general categories, sorted our paper slips by category, and Katie wrote them all down on the dry erase board. Finally we each received six or seven stickers to note the items that we liked most strongly. An interesting and prolific list of ideas surfaced through the process. The team is almost at the half way mark of "Concept Development."
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Facebook/Twitter/Linkedin
Michael's Museum becomes more and more a reality with each MM@CCM Team Meeting. The planing phase will continue through January 2011. We are about to create a presence on:
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Extended Team Meeting - 09/29/10
Amazing number of people involved with making sure that MM @ CCM is a great success: Exhibit Developer, Project Manager, Education/Community Developer, Designer, Exhibits & Design VP, Visitor Advocate, Lead Preparator, Individual Giving VP, Individual GIving Manager, Marketing VP, Preparator VP, President/CEO CCM, and yours truly the creator/ curator/ collection expert. Probably there are more people who will join the team when needed and of course there are all of the people who help, on a day to day basis, make the museum to be a wonderful place for children.
We had been talking about MM@CCM opening sometime in April but now it looks like it will be closer to May (and may change again.) Better to have enough time to go through the architectural type phases of 1) Concept Design, 2) Schematic Design, 3) Design Development, and 4) Fabrication and Installation. Other things being worked out parallel to these include development (which I have learned means fund raising,) public relations, marketing, publicity, material preparation, etc.
At todays meeting each person brought and/or talked about a small object that is/was important in their life. We will start off each meeting in this way. We reviewed the scope of the MM@CCM project, team norms and expectations for working together, and the CCM exhibit development process.
The meeting ended with reflections on why we value "little things," the difference between "little things" and miniatures, the nature of collecting, what "small" means in the life of a child, and other ideas that are now on the "Team Table" to help with the process we are going through.
The group has homework for our meeting next week. We are to think about and draft some "BIG IDEA" statements which are one sentence statements (no more than 25 words) that sum up the idea behind and purpose of the exhibit.
Just because I can't help but nurture, each participant received a laminated MM book mark (with a tassel of glow in the dark beads) and we had mini chocolate chip and mini oatmeal raisin cookies along with M&M Peanuts. Does the M&M stand for Michael's Museum? We'll see.
We had been talking about MM@CCM opening sometime in April but now it looks like it will be closer to May (and may change again.) Better to have enough time to go through the architectural type phases of 1) Concept Design, 2) Schematic Design, 3) Design Development, and 4) Fabrication and Installation. Other things being worked out parallel to these include development (which I have learned means fund raising,) public relations, marketing, publicity, material preparation, etc.
At todays meeting each person brought and/or talked about a small object that is/was important in their life. We will start off each meeting in this way. We reviewed the scope of the MM@CCM project, team norms and expectations for working together, and the CCM exhibit development process.
The meeting ended with reflections on why we value "little things," the difference between "little things" and miniatures, the nature of collecting, what "small" means in the life of a child, and other ideas that are now on the "Team Table" to help with the process we are going through.
The group has homework for our meeting next week. We are to think about and draft some "BIG IDEA" statements which are one sentence statements (no more than 25 words) that sum up the idea behind and purpose of the exhibit.
Just because I can't help but nurture, each participant received a laminated MM book mark (with a tassel of glow in the dark beads) and we had mini chocolate chip and mini oatmeal raisin cookies along with M&M Peanuts. Does the M&M stand for Michael's Museum? We'll see.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Extended Team Meeting Kick Off
The next meeting of MM@CCM is scheduled for Wednesday, September 29. Joining this meeting of the team will be a person from Visitor Relations, Public Relations, Marketing, and Development (fund raising.) I am bringing bowls of M&M Peanut, mini-chocolate chip cookies, and mini-oatmeal raisin cookies as well as a "Welcome Gift." You'll find out more about the gift next BLOG.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
MEXICO: Festival of Toys
Yesterday I had the honor of attending the opening day celebrations for the MEXICO: Festival of Toys exhibit at The Chicago Children's Museum on Navy Pier. What seemed like several hundred dignitaries, museum staff, board members, media people, and friends of the museum were in attendance. A light breakfast of juice, coffee, and Mexican Pan Dulces was served.
The exhibit itself is overwhelmingly beautiful and engaging. From the Papel Picada (colorful laced flags) hanging in the museum entry area to the colorful ribbons fluttering above your head in the Great Hall, the over 600 toys of all varieties, shapes, and sizes invite you in to play and to learn about the Mexican culture.
The children and the child in each of us can revel in the creativity of the toys on display. The interactive adventures created to compliment the exhibit allow one to explore, and create. All add up to a well spent afternoon (or morning) experience.
Children's toys present a universal language of a culture. They are used not only for amusement but also to teach and to explain. Toys enable a culture to preserve its past while looking to the future. Don't miss this exhibit … even if you think your children (or you) are too old to play again.
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