This is a course in which students will design participatory elements to layer into the existing Vortexhibition Polyphonica at the Henry Art Gallery. Based both on student reviews from the last iteration and a compressed time schedule, there will ONLY be a group project for this course. There will not be individual projects.

That’s not to say there won’t be a lot of amazing things to learn and do. This is definitely a “do” course, and we will spend almost no formal time in instruction. The focus will be on learning through designing, fabricating, exhibiting, facilitating, and evaluating original work in a real museum environment.

In the context of this course, we are looking at two kinds of audience participation: creative and social. Students will design elements that will allow people to respond creatively to the artifacts on display, to engage in dialogue or social exchange with other visitors while in the exhibition, or both. We will not be focusing on participatory processes for exhibit development (i.e. inviting audience members to co-create the elements) but instead on objects that promote real-time participation among regular visitors.

I expect that students will design 2-4 elements, which will be mounted for public use Feb 5-6. It is possible that some of these elements will persist after the course is over if they do not require active facilitation.

The design and development time will be Jan 7-Feb 4. We will install on the 4th and the exhibit elements will be live Feb 5-6, during which they will be evaluated. Final exhibition report and evaluation will be due at the end of the quarter.

The goals of this course are three-fold:

  1. for students to gain experience with participatory engagement techniques
  2. for students to make a contribution to the Henry and its visitors through their work
  3. for students to make a contribution to the larger museum field through their work

The first of these is virtually guaranteed. The second two are up to the creativity, passion, and dedication of students. I will be there to guide and support you, and I have no doubt you will make something fabulous.