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Juniata College Museum of Art — Spring 2024
On Display: The Art, Science, and Significance of Specimens was my senior capstone exhibition based on a written thesis of the same title. This exhibit focused on the history of zoological specimens as part of natural history collections and museums. The goal of this exhibition was to show the intersection between science, art, and history as it applies to the way museums utilize specimens for education and research.
Research and Thesis
Research and Thesis
The preliminary research for this exhibition was done while writing my senior thesis. During the spring semester of 2023, I decided the topic for my thesis and compiled helpful sources. I then began the writing process the following fall with the added insight I gained from my collections research over the summer. My thesis covered topics surrounding the history of zoological specimens, including the origins of natural history collections and museums, the beginnings of taxidermy as we know it today, and the many unique and valuable ways that specimens have been used to help us understand the world around us.
Development and Didactics
Development and Didactics
Once my thesis was completed, it was time to begin developing the accompanying exhibtion. The biggest task was to analyze the most important and relevant parts of my thesis and break it down to its core points. Being very intentional during this process would ensure that my exhibit would be engaging and digestible to my audience. At the end of my didactic writing and editing process, the exhibit contained about 1/20th of the amount of text found in my thesis.
Object Selection
Object Selection
I also had to develop my object list at this point in the process. My time spent in the collection spaces over the summer was incredibly helpful during this step, as I was very familiar with what was available to me. I chose specimens based on relevance to the text, connection to the local community, and was even lucky enough to include some of my favorite species as well as a mink skin study I prepared myself. Every specimen chosen was a conversation point in one way or another.
Layout and Execution
Layout and Execution
I then brought my ideas and text to the practicum students. Acting as head curator, I internalized their questions and feedback. We looked at the sections of my thesis and figured out how to translate that to the gallery walls. As a team, we collaborated on the exhibition layout, installation, and opening event planning.
Audience Interaction
Audience Interaction
It was important to me that my exhibition have interactive elements to engage my audience. I worked with Kathryn Blake, our museum director, to create interactives that were thought-provoking and made visitors feel like they were part of the exhibit. We developed three interactive activities: one where people could color and pin their own insect and add it to a community "collection" in the gallery, another that put visitors in the shoes of museum professionals trying to answer an ethical question, and a third that gauged how our audience felt about the ethics of collecting living specimens in general.
Visual Media and Marketing
Visual Media and Marketing
A part of my research that I wanted to highlight in my exhibition was the taxidermy process, specifically the method of museum-grade taxidermy developed by Carl Akeley. I decided to illustrate a step-by-step guide to show how this preservation method is performed instead of finding photographs of the process, both because the process can be intense for some viewers with the added bonus of giving me the opportunity to include my passion for creating art.
These illustrations were then used in marketing materials for the exhibition and as visual elements for personal branding.
Presentations
Presentations
After the completion of my exhibit, I shared my work at the 2024 Popular Culture Association Conference in Chicago, as well as Juniata's 2024 Liberal Arts Symposium. It was rewarding to be able to present both my thesis and the process that went into creating the accompanying exhibition.
Impact and Future Endeavors
Impact and Future Endeavors
During my time at Juniata, I made it a point in all my work to emphasize the importance of museums and show the connection between science and the arts. My senior thesis exhibition - which was the first instance of a fully student-curated and led exhibit in the main gallery space - showed the campus community that museums are for everyone regardless of discipline. The collections research I did, as well as my individualized area of study, opened doors for other students with a similar passion for natural history and interdisciplinary education, including beginning the development of a Natural History Museum Studies track and new courses that combine science and museum work.
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