Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science Week 2

 

Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science Week 2

Exhibits Week

Day 5 (7/24/2023): 

When I came in Cory, the Exhibition Developer,  introduced me to exhibits. He explained how they are created and some of the processing behind it. During Washington Week we had the curators come in and talk to us a bit about what they do. It was really cool to now have the exhibition steps explained to me, and I never realized just how much thought goes into creating an exhibit. Some of the things Cory introduced me to are not even going to be in existence for more than a year. Then we went to the Exhibits weekly meeting, where everyone who works in exhibits was there talking about anything new or important. The Frost is having a new feature in the Feathers to the Stars Exhibit that comes directly from SITES, the Smithsonain entity. The exhibit is called Black Wings and highlights African American leaders in aviation and space travel. It was cool to see that even here I am connected to the Smithsonian in some way.



There is a collection case that is now being removed to make room for this exhibit, and I was able to see them remove all the parts of the collections. We then had a walk through with Baptist Health representatives, because they sponsor the MeLab and have some updates that they would like to make with their software. There was then a zoom meeting discussing the new exhibit, The Dig. I then got the elevations of the Feathers to the Stars exhibit and familiarized myself with that.





Day 6(7/25/2023): 

Cory started the day by taking me around the aquarium exhibits and explaining to me the upcoming renovations they have and why they are doing these renovations. I was then taken around the museum a third time, but this was because I was tagging along with the Exhibit Technicians, and they were doing their opening routine. Fixing a few things here and there and making sure all the exhibits are running smoothly. One of them also explained to me how he recreated a T-rex skull, which was really cool to see the process behind, showing me the photos he took throughout the process.



I then looked over a few exhibit updates they had, just as another person did to make sure there were no errors and it was easy to understand. I then sat in on a monthly meeting that Cory has for anyone to come if they want to be kept updated with everything happening with Exhibits. They talked about any new updates with the exhibits as well as the upcoming seasonal exhibits that they have. I then went to go to measurements of the wall in Feathers to the Stars to see if the exhibit size of Black Wings can fit there comfortably, or if there needs to be some adjustments. I then digitized the measurements so they were easier to use.







Day 7(7/26/2023): 


Start the day by trudging through a hurricane (not an actual hurricane it just hadn’t rained in weeks). I then was looking over the wording for panels for the aquarium exhibit and also the gravity chairs. I then went to take a photo of the sign but I couldn't help but use the chairs myself. They are really fun to use. When I am not working or on lunch break I try my best to explore the museum because it is really cool, and I really enjoy all the exhibits. I now have a special appreciation for them because of this week. I never realized how much went into making them, and I give my kudos to everyone that is involved.


I then sat in 2 meetings back to back, one where we go over all the information for our aquarium with the new ReeFLorida initiative. The other meeting was about the blue carbon project with the other interns, who are with the Smithosnian affiliate program, and they got to see some concepts for the poster exhibitions they are working on. It was great to see other Smithsonian interns and all their work, it inspired me  just like I was inspired during Washington Week, that people my age do such incredible work, why can’t I.  We then did another walking tour with a tech company as they are trying to create electronic kiosks for easier navigation access. I then got back to my desk and read over the narratives for the posters and what they were talking about.

Day 8(7/27/2023): 

I spent the first half of the day with the exhibit technicians again. In a super fun adventure I was able to  watch them build a new exhibit called ‘Shelves”. In reality the Exhibit technicians were building shelves in two of the office spaces, but it was still cool to see it and they even let me use a mallet to put in some of the safety pins.

I also got to carry some “heavy” metal stuff, but the hard work makes you appreciate how exhibits are made. I got to see the meetings where they decide what happens, then I got a sneak peek into the actual labor that goes into making these ideas a reality. It was also really inspiring for me to meet Ellie, the only girl on the team. She is showing that anyone can do the traditional “man jobs” and it was really cool to meet her and see her work. The exhibit technician team also invited me to a potluck they were having at the end of the day. It felt really nice to be invited and given food, when I didn’t bring any, and having this team welcome me with open arms.




I then did a collections walk through with the Collections Specialist Kristin. It was really cool to hear the backstory of all the little pieces in the exhibits that are a part of the Frost collection. I also learned a little bit about the way collections work, and I was able to make the connection between that experience and when we talked to the  curators during Washington week. Since it is a science museum, there are not a lot of items in the collection. However, Kristin did take me to the collections room and it was really cool to see everything they had in there. My personal favorite thing to look at was the puffer fish, I thought it was really cool.

Day 9(7/28/2023):

 I didn’t have any work until 10 am, so I took the opportunity to explore my museum. I have done this quite a few times, but there is just so much to see that I still have things I can see. I saw the River of Grass Exhibit, which is aimed at 3-5 year olds; however, it was still a really pretty exhibit to look at. The exhibit is based on Florida’s Everglades watershed, which is something that really interests me. It was really great to be able to compare the projection to my personal experiences in the Everglades and see those connections.


 I then went into Feathers to the Stars and explored the various interactive activities they had there. I was able to imagine myself as a bird putting on a faux  feather to see how different shapes work with different wind strengths. I also launched a rocket which was fun to see.


I then went into MeLab and explored those other activities, like  seeing what percent of emotions my face shows and my body heat seen through a radiation screen.


To end my little expedition, I went to the Power of Science which is where they have a more general overview of all things science. I played with the plasma board floor that tracks your feet, and an interactive exhibit where I am put into a hurricane, something I have experienced the whole past week.

It was really cool for me to be able to see the whole process of exhibits. From creating the concepts and finding room and funding for exhibits, to the actual building, and then to the final product. I am really grateful for YAP as this was something I never knew I would find interesting, and it encourages me to look for other ways I can explore things I think I know but from a whole new perspective. I then went with Cory to two meetings, one was for MDPLS as they are partnering with my museum to add a public library in the museum. We then did a walk through with some other people to do an early voting visit, as the Frost Science Museum is an early voting site. After that Cory went over all the documents he had me look over, it was really great to have my thoughts be taken into account. We then went over some of the more small scale details of exhibits, like the type of material used and the color. I then had a quick walk through with the Senior Aquarists of what next week will look like since I am starting with Husbandry. I then finished off the day by helping Cory with some measurements in the aquarium.

Overall, my week with Exhibits was a lot more fun than I had originally anticipated. While sitting in meeting after meeting can get boring, the end product of meetings on top of meetings is truly beautiful and definitely worth it.

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