To Tell a Story With Things?

Here’s a question I like to ask occasionally, to see how things change over time:

Is the main business of exhibitions to tell a story with things?

The Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) thinks so. SITES has an interesting small-museums program called Museum on Main Street (MOMS). The MOMS “Exhibition Planning Guide” is a free download, maybe 7-8 years old now. It’s worth lo

Here’s the MOMS definition of exhibitions (p. 5):

The main business of exhibitions is to tell a story with things. Whether artifacts, images, or original documents, there is an intrinsic power in seeing the real thing. There is also great appeal in seeing something rare, an artifact or photograph that you cannot see anywhere else. The selection of things you display is very important. The objects and images help tell the story.

Not bad. But I’m curious about that word — “things”.

Here’s the, er, thing:
Is the main business of exhibitions to tell a story with things?

Or is that not a must? What would your definition be?

Hit REPLY and let me know! No wrong answers, no judging, promise.

Warmly,
Jonathan

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MtM Word of the Day:
As-builts [aka as-built drawings]. A complete, detailed, and accurate set of drawing records that reflect how a project was actually built, for later reference. As-builts are created after a project is built; they are not the original drawings that begin the building process.