Object Label Format for Fine Art (paintings, prints, sculpture, etc.)

* Artist's name

* Title of artwork date

* Media

* Other information if desired

Object Label Format for Scientific Specimens (animals, plants, rocks, fossils, etc.)

* Type of specimen

* Common and scientific name (for modern or ancient plant or animal)

* Age of specimen

* Location where specimen was found

* Other information on why the specimen is important or what it tells us about the

environment, etc.

Additional labels can be written to provide more information on the exhibit. For

example they might describe the collector, when and where the collection was made,

or provide interesting information about how objects were made. They can be one

to two paragraphs long and can be hung on the wall.

Educators*:

1) meet with curators to develop and review exhibit content and themes.

2) make sure the exhibit labels and design are understandable to visitors.

*for additional tasks of the educator, see "Prepare for the Exhibit Opening" activity. In

that activity, the educator prepares a lesson or program about the exhibit and pres-

ents it for visitors.

Production Chief:

1) meets with exhibit designer to review object list.

2) accompanies exhibit designer to exhibit space to test the proposed layout and

discuss cases, platforms, etc. that will be needed to display the objects.

3) gathers/orders the materials for the display.

4) supervises the technicians.

Technicians:

1) meet with exhibit designer and production chief to review exhibit design.

2) make signs and labels, prepare the bases, mats, and/or cases.

Preparator(s):

1) meet with exhibit designer and production chief to review exhibit design.

2) install the objects and their labels into the exhibit the day before it opens.

Exhibit Designer:

1)meets with curators and educators to review exhibit objects and themes.

2) designs the exhibit layout.

3) tests the proposed layout to determine if it presents the objects in a safe and

informative way and tells the story that the curators and educators want to present.

4) oversees the installation of the exhibit.

The exhibit layout (the arrangement of objects in the exhibit) should tell a story. There are many way to

arrange an exhibit:

A

N A RT E X H I B I T

could be arranged to show how different artists came up with dif-

ferent ideas about the same topic. If the topic were "family," the art could be grouped

with human-family paintings together, animal-family paintings together, etc.

A

D E C O R AT I V E A RT S O R H I S TO R Y E X H I B I T

could be arranged like a time line,

ordering objects from the oldest to the youngest. The objects could also be divided

into types-tools, weapons, utensils, documents, etc. Each style tells a different

story.

Building a Museum in Your Classroom

Design an Exhibit and Write Labels--page 2