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Design Philosophy
Hello!
The creativity in my designs flows from my background in science and
my ability to explore all aspects of the artifacts, visualize their contextual
relationships, and create an exhibition that is functional and appealing to
the target audience. My training in Anthropology helps to influence my
exhibition concepts and forms a balance between my creativity and my
analytical training. My designs are simplistic and intuitive, with elements
of flare and personality that align with the content and context of the
exhibit.
My name is Alina Wolf. I am a Philadelphia-based museum exhibition
developer and designer. The work included in this portfolio represents a
sample of my experiences and highlights my unique skills and interests
in a variety of disciplines. I would appreciate the opportunity to further
discuss my work. Thank you for your time and consideration.
AW
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Table of Contents
Undergraduate Projects
Museum Volunteer Work
Graduate Projects
Skills
Contact Information
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4
13
19
33
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Bachelor of Arts
Anthropology
Master of Fine Arts
Museum Exhbition Planning + Design
Resume
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Master of Fine Arts, Museum Exhibition Planning + Design
University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA (May 2016)
Bachelor of Arts, Anthropology, Minors: Psychology and Art/Photography
University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware (May 2012)
Collections Assistant (June 2016-current)
Mercer Museum, Doylestown, PA
Maintain, cleanup, and update catalog records of object and archival collection. Condition reporting of exhibition artifacts.
Manage reserach requests and onsite research visits of museum patrons.
National History Day Assistant (October 2013-May 2015)
Mercer Museum, Doylestown, PA
Maintained organization of judge and student project registration, website, and other materials in preparation for the
competition.
Part-time Interpreter (June 2013-May 2014)
Mercer Museum, Doylestown, PA
Provided ‘Log House’ education programs to student visitors to facilitate meaningful experiences and draw connections.
WORKEXPERIENCE
Collections Volunteer Intern (February 2016-May 2016)
Univ. of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, PA
Handled, arranged, and photographed American section artifacts and renamed the files to museum standards for online
access.
Exhibitions Intern (May 2015-August 2015)
Univ. of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, PA
Performed research for upcoming exhibition, developed and conducted visitor evaluations, assisted in exhibit installation,
recorded meeting minutes.
Collections/Exhibitions Volunteer Intern (March 2013-July 2014)
Mercer Museum, Doylestown, PA
Assisted the Exhibition Department to develop exhibits, select artifacts, perform primary research for artifact identification
and exhibit content, write exhibit label copy for thematic and artifact labels, stabilize artifacts in preparation for exhibit
INTERNSHIPSEDUCATION
Resume
5. 5
mounting and develop mounting strategies using museum-accepted techniques for installation. Assisted the Registrar with
numerous archival projects, such as digitizing the postcard collection for online access.
Registrar Volunteer Intern (February 2013-May 2013)
Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, DE
Assisted in conducting a comprehensive collections inventory by assessing artifact condition, assigning catalog numbers,
and noting location.
Curatorial Intern (July 2011-August 2011)
Mercer Museum, Doylestown, PA
Performed research and created informative and focused self-guided tour materials for museum visitors.
Computer
• Adobe Design Suite: Photoshop, Illustrator,
InDesign
• Vectorworks
• Google SketchUp
• Microsoft Office
• Excel spreadsheets
• Databases: STARclient, Raiser’s Edge, Altru,
FileMaker Pro
Museum
• Research to build a foundation of understanding
based on context
• Writing and editing exhibit label copy
• Project management skills including budgeting,
scheduling, organization, collaboration and
teamwork, and attention to detail
• Exhibition and graphic installation
• Digital photography
• Archival and object collection cataloging and
processing
• Collections/object handling
• Developing archival finding aids
• Visitor evaluation
SKILLSINTERNSHIPS
Resume
Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums Annual Meeting
Awarded the MAAM fellowship to attend the 2015 conference and represent the UArts Museum Exhibition Planning +
Design program.
Summer Scholar Research Internship in Anthropology (June 2010-August 2010)
University of Delaware, Newark, DE
Analyzed field notes and mapped findings from Dunlap Salazar Archaeological Site in New Mexico. Presented findings to
department students and faculty.
HONORS
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Summer Scholar Research Assistant, Archaeology
Performed preliminary research regarding the transition of American Southwestern
hunter gathering societies living in pithouses to farming societies living in pueblo
structures and the implications of sedentism. Analyzed photographs and field notes
from the excavation at the Dunlap Salazar Archaeological Site in New Mexico to map
location and depth of pithouse features such as walls, post holes, hearths, and storage pits.
Presented my findings to Anthropology department students and faculty.
University of Delaware, Newark, DE
Jun. 2010-
Aug. 2010
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Determining Settlement Patterns of Pithouses Based on Architecture:
Analysis of a Prehistoric Village
in New Mexico at the Dunlap Salazar Site
This study analyzes the permanence and settlement patterns of pithouses, dwellings built
partially sunk into the ground. My research centers on the architecture of pithouses at
the Dunlap-Salazar site (A.D. 500-850), an archaeological site located in New Mexico,
inhabited by the Mogollon Native American peoples of the American Southwest. My
sponsor, Dr. Rocek, has been conducting research to establish how early villages
developed in this area and the degree of mobility practiced by the inhabitants of the first
villages. The case in New Mexico is an example of a worldwide phenomenon of a shift
in subsistence and settlement pattern that distinguishes the initial transformation of
hunter gatherers into settled farming village communities.
My research compares the prehistoric Dunlap-Salazar pithouses with structures and
settlement patterns described in other archaeological cases and in ethnographic studies
of living cultures. I examine a range of architectural variables such as house diameter,
post hole number and size, hearth location and size, and wall construction. I apply the
findings to compare the architectural patterns in sedentary and non-sedentary sites.
This will allow me to critically assess Dr. Rocek’s hypothesis that an early “village” such
as Dunlap-Salazar represents an occupation that was not fully sedentary. Based on
my analysis, my findings are consistent with Dr. Rocek that these sites were occupied
temporarily by non-sedentary populations. In the future, I intend to continue working
with Dr. Rocek to assess the Dunlap-Salazar site’s likely season(s) of occupation.
Summer Scholar Research Assistant, Archaeology
University of Delaware
Abstract
10. 10
Performed research and created
informative and focused self-guided
tour materials called Expedition
Cards, for museum visitors. Topics
include Getting Around, Hunting &
Fishing, Making a Meal, and Home
Sweet Home.
Mercer Museum, Doylestown, PA
Curatorial InternJun. 2011-
Aug. 2011
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Registrar Volunteer Intern
Public Programs Volunteer Intern
Collections/Exhibitions Volunteer Intern
Assisted in conducting a comprehensive collections inventory by assessing
artifact condition, assigning catalog numbers, and noting location.
Assisted in performing data entry and backlog of scholarship files using
Altru database software.
Assisted the Exhibition Department to develop exhibits, select artifacts,
performed primary research for artifact identification and exhibit content,
wrote exhibit label copy for thematic and artifact labels, stabilized artifacts
in preparation for exhibit mounting and developed mounting strategies
using museum-accepted techniques for installation. Assisted the Registrar
with numerous archival projects such as digitizing the postcard collection
for online access.
Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, DE
Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington, DE
Mercer Museum, Doylestown, PA
Feb. 2013-
May 2013
Mar. 2013-
May 2013
Mar. 2013-
July 2014
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Collections/Exhibitions Volunteer Intern
Work in the Yucatan, Mexico
In 1895, Henry Mercer led the Corwith
Expedition to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.
The aim of this archaeological expedition was
to determine what earlier peoples, if any, had
come before the ancient Mayan Civilization.
Over the 60 day expedition, Mercer visited and
explored 29 caves. He hypothesized that caves
would be the most likely place to find evidence
for early peoples as they provided one of the
few sources of freshwater in the region.
Mercer searched the cave floors by examining
the layers of human occupation scattered
among layers that were absent of human
activity. Unfortunately, masses of downfallen
rock constantly impeded the excavations.
The inability to dig past these rock masses
ultimately made Mercer’s search for early man
in the Yucatan Peninsula unsuccessful.
Mercer Museum
Sample Text Panel:
Exhibition: Mystery of the Mayan Medallion
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National History Day Assistant
Part-time Interpreter
Mercer Museum, Doylestown, PA
Mercer Museum, Doylestown, PA
Oct. 2013-
May 2015
Jun. 2013-
May 2014
Maintain organization of judge and student project registration, website,
and other materials in preparation for the competition.
Provided ‘Log House’ education programs to student visitors to facilitate
meaningful experiences and draw connections.
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Podunk Project
University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Sept. 2015-
Dec. 2015
Develop a 1,000 sq. ft. exhibition for the fictitious Podunk Museum of Design
and design a pre-developed exhibition, including floor plan and graphics. Focus
on the conceptual development and schematic design phases of the museum
exhibition planning, content development, and design processes.
Mission Statement:
“In This Vein” explores the mappings of the
circulatory system. It examines how we understand
its functions and purposes as well as explores its
imaging evolution through history. “In This Vein”
presents an artistic view of the circulatory system
so visitors can have a greater appreciation of their
body and how it works.
Big Idea:
I did not realize how much the
imaging of the circulatory system
has changed over time.
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Podunk Project
University of the Arts
Podunk Museum of Design logo and In This Vein exhibition logo
Imaging&Beaut
y in the Circulatory System
VE
TH S
N
N
Podunk Museum
of Design
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Graduate Museum Project
University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Feb. 2015-
May 2015
The focus of this project is on the collaborative team process with fellow museum studies
students of varied backgrounds and talents coming together to create unique, powerful
exhibition experience. The project is based on an existing object-based collection, in
this case, the Chinese Shang Dynasty collection of the Penn Museum. The mandate is to
utilize this collection in a new and unique way that meets the needs of a selected audience.
Design students complete both the conceptual and design phases of the project.
Mission Statement:
Utilizing a diverse collection
of Shang-era artifacts and an
interactive environment, visitors
will explore Lady Fu Hao’s unique
roles in the Shang culture through
the lenses of family, spirituality,
and military, and make
surprising connections between
contemporary women and this
ancient Chinese queen.
Big Idea:
I can relate to Shang Dynasty
beliefs and culture through
the story of Lady Fu Hao.
Exhibition Overview
Alina Wolf, Beth Potens, Kara Gunderman, Melissa Kennedy and Xuemin Li | Spring 2015
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University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
Performed preliminary research for upcoming King Midas exhibition, designed a physical
interactive using SketchUp, entered 100+ exhibition objects into the FileMaker Pro
database. Developed timing and tracking visitor evaluation for Beneath the Surface and
Native American Voices exhibition with color coding and labels, trained high school
students to perform timing and tracking, conducted visitor survey evaluations. Created an
Excel object list for the Year of Sex exhibition using pre-selected objects. Assisted in exhibit
and graphic installation for the Sacred Writings and King Midas exhibitions. Participated
in a lighting workshop and designed a reflected ceiling plan and luminaire schedule for re-lit
gallery. Designed new Recent Acquisitions case installation of Oceania section bowls while
working with the curator, conservator, and exhibits team. Recorded meeting minutes using
Museum template.
Exhibitions InternMay 2015-
Aug. 2015
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25. Exhibitions Intern
Penn Museum
Timing and Tracking Sheet
Text panel:
Mason’s team
equipment
instruments
Graphic panel:
Excavations
Ask the
Experts:
Bodies and
EvidenceProjection
Ask the Experts:
Preserving
Cultural
Heritage
Graphic
Panel: The
Kuna
Case: Pottery
and
Conservation
Ask the
Experts:
Conservation
Photo
graphic
Text panel:
gold working
Case: gold
jewelry
Case: plates
animals’
symbolic
Case: plates
Graphic
panel: Cocle
Style
Ask the
Experts:
Animals at
Sitio Conte
Ask the
Experts: gold
of the Cocle
society
Graphic
Panel:
Cocle
society
Photo
graphic
Graphic
panel:
Chief
Graphic
panel:
Cemetery
Case: Intro
Case: Body
adornments
Case: the Burial
Burial 11
Interactive
Burial 11
Interactive
Text panel:
People on the
lower layer
Text panel:
Chief of the
Middle Layer
Text panel:
woman of the
Middle Layer
Graphic panel:
Burial 11
Case:
Upper
Layer
Case:
fabric
panels
Case:
Animals
as Art
Photo
graphic
PennMuseum,BeneaththeSurfaceTiming&TrackingSheet
BTS
Entrance
Photo
Gallery
Codes
T = evaluator’s position in the gallery
X = stop, time noted in seconds
P = takes a photo
D = discusses with another visitor
C = calls others over
R = reads text
L = looks at an object
N = points at object or label
U = uses interactive
Notes:
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
Evaluator: _____________________ Day & Date: ______________________ Time: ____________ Location: ___________ Number: ____________
Group composition: Gender: ___________ Age: ________ Group Size: ________
Time entered the gallery: __________ Time exit the gallery: __________ Total time in the gallery: ____________
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University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Independently develop and design a 2,200 sq. ft. exhibition for the Rosenwald-Wolf
Gallery at UArts. The subject of the exhibition will be your personal statement about
Philadelphia - what about this city do you want and need the rest of the world to know
about. Create a Project Proposal and move into design development, interpretive content
development, budgeting and scheduling.
Philadelphia ProjectSept. 2015-
Dec. 2015
Mission Statement:
Accessibility to locally grown, farm fresh
food has always been a priority for the
Reading Terminal Market in serving
Center City, exposing its shoppers to
a unique and diverse food culture.
However, contemporary food issues
have challenge the idea of accessibility
to fresh food in urban neighborhoods.
Big Idea:
I did not realize the iconic history of
the Reading Terminal Market and the
important role it plays in providing
Philadelphia with diverse, fresh food.
to PHILLY
from FARM
Into the
Melting Pot of the
Reading Terminal
Market
Alina Wolf
University of the Arts / 2nd Year MEP+D
Fall 2015 / Design Studio / Philadelphia Project
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University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
The thesis presented for completion of the Masters of Fine Arts Museum Exhibition
Planning + Design program degree should represent original thought, research and
creativity in the area of your primary interest relating to the planning, development
and design of museum exhibitions. In addition to research, the student must apply this
research and discuss how it would be adapted and utilized in the field.
Masters ThesisJune 2015-
May 2016
Chapter name 1
Who Owns Culture?
Illustrating the Complexity of Inclusive Conversations
for the Respectful Interpretation and Display
of Cultural Objects in Anthropology Museums
Alina Wolf
Research Hypothesis:
NAGPRA has shaped the way anthropology
museums address the legal and ethical issues
surrounding the ownership of cultural objects,
both nationally and internationally. This law
has changed the way many museums approach
cultural exhibitions, toward a more inclusive
interpretive process. This thesis advocates for
twenty first century, post-modern anthropology
museums to be more transparent about
this inclusive approach and raise awareness
among visitors about how museums address
the current issues of ownership in exhibition
interpretation and display.
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Anthropology museums are inherently trusted by the public to
serve as responsible stewards of cultural artifacts that educate
visitors about world cultures using interpretive exhibitions. As
the ownership of some of these collections comes under debate
from indigenous communities and source countries, museums
have entered a new era focused on a more inclusive, collaborative
approach to exhibitions. Most museums are rooted in pasts of
colonial expansion and systematic collecting but societal shifts
in ethics and legal developments have driven museums to share
their authority and to give voice to the cultures being represented.
These inclusive conversations generally occur behind-the-scenes
of anthropology museums, however, this thesis advocates for
greater transparency regarding this shift in practice. As centers
of knowledge and authority, visitors should be made aware of the
ways in which museums increasingly address the current issues
of ownership of cultural artifacts and of the ways these issues may
be influencing exhibition interpretation and display. This thesis
examines three cultural institutions in the United States which have
taken steps to raise awareness of this more inclusive approach to
exhibition interpretation and display. Through personal interviews
with staff members, case studies examine the National Museum of
the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution; The University of
Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology; and the
Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University.
The paper encourages cultural institutions to educate their visitors
about the moral and legal debates surrounding the ownership of
their collections and the ways in which these issues impact what
visitors see in exhibitions. The Thesis Application offers introductory
evaluative tools for museums to initiate such a project.
Masters Thesis
University of the Arts
Abstract
Visitor Engagement
Objects
Cultu
ral Interpre
tation
Museum/
Curatorial
voice
Layers of Interpretation
in Museum Exhibitions
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Photographed ethnographic artifacts in the American section collection to
museum standards for online access, while considering lighting, placement, and
arrangement. Ensured proper storage packaging and accession number labeling.
Created an Excel spreadsheet to record progress. Organized and renamed files
on the computer to be uploaded into the database and made accessible. Received
training in Object Handling and the museum database K-Emu.
Collections Volunteer InternFeb. 2016-
May 2016 University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
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Skills
Computer
Museum
• Research to build a foundation of understanding based on context
• Writing and editing exhibit label copy
• Project management skills including budgeting, scheduling,
organization, collaboration and teamwork, and attention to detail
• Exhibition and graphic installation
• Digital photography
• Archival and object collection cataloging and processing
• Collections/object handling
• Developing archival finding aids
• Visitor evaluation
• Adobe Design Suite: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign
• Vectorworks
• Google SketchUp
• Microsoft Office
• Excel spreadsheets
• Databases: STARclient, Raiser’s Edge, Altru, FileMaker Pro
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