Yes, you read the title correctly. Museum collections policies, the documents that dictate what museums can collect and why, are not just papers to store in your filing cabinet (or hidden away in a folder on your laptop) to begrudgingly reference when absolutely necessary. In fact, if written intentionally and used creatively, these documents can be a museum’s greatest asset when planning exhibitions.

Through January and February, I followed the Blacksburg Museum and Cultural Foundation (BMCF) as they designed and installed their newest permanent exhibit, which details the history of education in and around Blacksburg, Virginia. The result is a multi-modal and immersive exhibit that utilizes every resource available to the museum while simultaneously prioritizing the safety of their collections. I’m going to break down exactly how they did this with the help of their collections management and development policies.

Collections Management: A Safe Foundation for Fostering Creativity

Collections management concerns the care and keeping of a museum’s public collections  to protect and display objects of historic, cultural, or artistic value for future generations.  A collections management policy is made up of the various documentation that guides how museums can successfully manage, care, protect, and display their collections. Importantly, a written collections management policy allows a museum to hold itself accountable to an appropriate standard of care.

For the BMCF’s education exhibit, many of the objects on display are papers: report cards, letters, books, even a football roster. These items are particularly susceptible to damage from sunlight and contact with oily, dirty fingers. To protect from the visitor’s touch, standard museum practice is to place these items behind glass, which the BCMF follows accordingly. However, the museum also utilized scans and facsimiles of these objects to allow for risk-free, creative display choices.

A desk in the Blacksburg Museum and Cultural Foundation’s education exhibit. On the desk sits an assortment of writings and photos, along with a globe and a lamp
A desk in the BMCF’s education exhibit.

When designing the exhibition, the BMCF wanted the room to suggest an historic schoolroom. At the far center of the room sits a teacher’s desk; upon further inspection, the desk is covered with historic letters and photographs related to the exhibit. Each paper is a reproduction of the original that has been pasted onto the surface to create a static collage. For extra longevity, the desk is surfaced with a piece of plexiglass, ensuring that no visitors will be able to accidentally peel off or stain the collage. What could have been a plain surface was transformed into an innovative means for displaying the exhibit’s artifacts, keeping visitors engaged with each detail.

Collections Development: Keeping the Exhibit Fresh

Collections development, as described by collections management expert and art consultant Freda Matassa, concerns the purpose of the collection, and what objects a museum plans to acquire in the future. The BMCF’s collection management policy states that “The BMCF shall collect artifacts including, but not limited to, manuscripts, furniture, historical artifacts, photographs, buildings, historical documents and other published and unpublished reference sources consistent with the BMCF’s mission.” Aside from outlining the wide variety of materials they can collect, the BMCF’s collections development policy also describes the purpose of new collections, including “To create permanent and temporary exhibits.”

Let’s revisit those sensitive paper artifacts. The BMCF found a safe way to display these items: by placing some under glass, using facsimiles, or employing both preservation methods. However, this does not fully address the issue of these objects fading due to light exposure. Yet another potential pitfall exists — an unchanging, permanent exhibit will not incentivize repeat visits to the space. The solution, then, comes from the BMCF’s collections development policy: because the museum is authorized to collect artifacts in relation to the education exhibit, they can cycle items into and out of view. An object that may be subject to wear after prolonged periods on view can go into storage with another object ready to take its place. Consequently, not only can the exhibit share a variety of objects, but it can also tell a wider range of stories over time.

A desk which has a digital picture frame and a handheld chalkboard on it. There is a black-and-white photo of a man on the screen, and the chalkboard has the written message “have a great weekend!”
A desk which has a digital picture frame and a handheld chalkboard on it.

What about the objects that are in storage? Must they be subject to the dark loneliness of archival boxes until it is their time in the spotlight? The BMCF has accounted for objects not currently on view, as well. In the center of the room sits a rotating photo album containing extra images of items not in the space. Visitors are able to watch these photos and documents cycle through, while still seeing and reading about other objects in person. Combining a digital component with the in-person exhibit increases the accessibility of the museum’s full collection.

Management and Development Policies Work in Tandem

A set of lockers in the education exhibit, with the middle door open. Inside the locker is an assortment of vintage-looking books.
A set of lockers in the education exhibit.

Policies concerning the care and collection of museum objects are not meant to exist in strictly separate arenas — they can work together in pursuit of engaging exhibit design. In creating a pseudo-classroom exhibit layout, the BMCF acquired a set of lockers. These lockers could then double as places to store objects like vintage books, encouraging visitors to interact with and open the lockers. Next to the digital picture frame lies a handheld chalkboard with “Welcome!” written on it. Two other chalkboards are placed on desks throughout the room with chalk available for visitors to leave each other messages, which can foster a sense of play, as well.

While the collections development and management policies can be thought of as limitations, they should instead be considered frameworks upon which to build the most effective exhibits. Policies do not have to be obstacles to be scorned but rather can be a guiding hand towards creativity and innovation. Visitors can then enjoy interacting with an exhibit with the knowledge that the museum has made its collections accessible without putting the objects at risk. After all, the public is the reason why museums steward collections in the first place.

Written by Bria Weisz, a graduate student in the MFA in Theatre - Arts Leadership program at Virginia Tech.