Presentation: Masters of Museum Studies Creative Work Project (San Francisco State University): Lobby exhibition for the re-opening of the Palo Alto Art Center.

2. The purpose of this project is the documentation of the curation and
design of an interactive exhibition, Locally Grown.
As the lobby display of the newly renovated Palo Art Center’s
reopening exhibition Community Creates!, the design of Locally
Grown was inspired by close association with four of its artists,
reflecting the organization’s mission.
Focusing on East Palo Alto and Palo Alto neighborhoods, Locally
Grown was a hands-on participatory exhibit that aspired to engage
audiences in the making of leaves. In order to support the curatorial
approach taken in Locally Grown, current concepts of exhibition
design and curatorial interventions are examined, and the Community
Creates! artists’ co-creation with community is documented.
The curatorial and design actions used in implementing Locally Grown
are detailed, and the challenges of the interactive activity explored.
Finally, from the lessons learned from this exhibition,
recommendations are made for the design of future participatory
displays.

3. Susan O’Malley
Community Advice!
What advice would you give your 8 year-old self?
What advice would you give your 80 year-old self?
Community Creates!

4. Susan O’Malley
Community Creates!

5. Paz de la Calzada
Community Creates!

6. Paz de la Calzada
Community Creates!

8. The Design
• Long Wall:
– Using the image of a large Oak tree, draw/paint its trunk and branches; cut out
colored neighborhoods and hang these in clusters are if they were hanging from the
branches (depending upon the number of neighborhoods from East Palo Alto, this
may require two Oak trees); set the neighborhoods randomly, not in their actual
relationships.
– Below the tree, install a hook for each neighborhood for the hanging of leaves.
• Short wall left:
– Create didactic panels from above.
• Short wall right:
– Install 3 maps:
Palo Alto neighborhoods with key to hooks;
East Alto Alto neighborhoods with key to hooks;
Bay Area counties with hooks.
• Interactive: create leaves on a 4’ table (with stools) in niche area:
– Choose colored paper;
– Choose type of leaf to “punch;”
– “Punch” leaf;
– Write advice for your neighborhood, Palo Alto or the world;
– Locate your neighborhood, and hang your leaf.

9. The Exhibition Plan

10. Layout and Design

11. Layout and Design

12. Layout and Design

13. Maps
City of Palo Alto City of East Palo Alto

14. Map-Version 1

15. Map-Exhibition Panel

16. Didactic

17. Didactic-Exhibition Panel

18. Installation

19. Installation

20. Installation

21. Exhibition

22. Exhibition-Interactive

23. Exhibition Interactive

24. Exhibition Interactive

25. Visitor Study-Quantitative

26. Visitor Study-Qualitative
• Happiness; We want to be safe; I want to live in happiness and peace;
Gorgeous PAAC; May our new art center last forever; Thank you for such a
wonderful place; Wish that everyone becomes princesses and fairies; For the
Palo Alto Art Center, I wish that all will have fun; To not litter; Respect our
country;
• Happy art!; David likes this place; Have a good life trees; Cars drive slow where
children are present; Happy Art Day Smile :); I wish everyone in Palo Alto have
fun in the center; Grow strong trees in midtown!; To be free; Have fun and
enjoy; More trees and to help the environment; I wish to see more people
walking and fewer cars
• Thank you for this wonderful art center; Less rushed and enjoy life; My wish is
be always happy; Street trees should be two or three different species on each
block! Best wishes
• Thank you for all the art that you share with all of us; Peace on earth; We love
the new art center
• In memoriam of our glorious oak; May our oak live on in dreams and memories;
More trees
• Respect your gift and talents

27. Challenges:
• There had been no time to prototype the Interactive
• The Interactive presented challenges to users and to
the staff of PAAC
• PAAC had not anticipated maintenance of the exhibit
Lesson Learned:
Design takes time, Do not skip steps