Using objects as a Community.
Visitor experience is reliant upon conditions, and each one is unique in the way that information can be accessed, interpreted, and understood. My first impression of the Newark Museum under set my initial expectations. As I combed through the collections, I was pleased to say that this experience was one of my favorites. The collection of the Newark Museum is very expansive and very diverse. It offers a series of engaging and diverse methods of translating objects and the accessibility of object voice. It was able to deliver context without stripping the integrity away from the objects presence. Each subject was treated differently based on its needs and the needs of the audience. A part of these individual personalities that rang through in the exhibit was that different curators were behind each sector of the collections. Something about this was able to deliver a cohesive space that was also diverse, appealing, engaging, and like humans in society, a culmination of ideas and ways of taking in information.
In the art galleries, I was able to take in the beauty of the works and the stories they told in a context that was delivered through other artworks. Works were separated and enhanced by the pieces they shared a room with. It was a really subtle and effective way of translating different perspectives from different artists that all shared in the same region or time period. After looking at one piece my understanding grew as I progressed to the next. It told a story about art in that time, that culture, and as I moved from room to room I could see the way art transitioned and developed throughout time and was built upon new ideas, techniques, and thoughts. It was a really miraculous display and how anyone could appreciate this walk through time and feel a broader understanding being developed.
In addition, when it came to arts and memorabilia, I felt this same grasp on topics I initially wouldn't have been interested in. I was encouraged to look deeper and I didn’t feel the pressures of bystander influence in what works I looked at since the museum offered a really nice succession an flow for how they told their objects stories. Something I really liked was that in certain areas, works spoke for themselves and were supported by other works. In other areas there were using text panels, and in some there were digital screens where objects of intrigue could be selected and discussed further. It was participatory in that way. And in another gallery in was full immersion, everything was curated in a way that came together to give a sense of how objects told stories based on what purpose they filled and how their relation to each other is what developed impressionable value.
As I walked though the museum I felt like I was getting to know it better the way I would a person. It was a beautiful relationship unfolding as the visitation went on. Overall, I found the museum story to be really innovative and organic resulting in a successful trip.
