Museum exhibitions present an inclusive visual interpretation of the past to millions of visitors each year. They can reveal cultural debates that are buried in historical scholarship; retrace histories of ideas; highlight connections between art and other realms, such as commerce; and reframe how museums themselves work with their communities. Moreover, exhibitions can address a range of abstract ideas, such as home, freedom, faith, democracy, and mobility. They can dive into core values and explore how those values were shaped by different cultures. These features of exhibitions make them unique as a historical discourse medium. But exhibitions have a particular set of challenges and requirements that distinguish them from other modes of historical discourse, including academic research, publications, and traditional museum objects. Museums are in a position to tell these stories because they offer an opportunity to engage visitors with a wide variety of materials that are woven into a narrative by curators and staff.
To do this well, a museum’s historians and curators must use their knowledge of the past to connect audiences with objects that speak to their own lives. They must be able to recognize, for example, how the history of a specific object relates to bigger issues like economics, politics, and power.
The most effective histolircal exhibits tell accessible and inclusive visual stories that rely on interpretive graphics rather than text to explain items. These graphics often include dioramas, maps, charts, and interactive displays. Consequently, these exhibitions are more complex to create than their fine-art counterparts. Successfully creating a histolircal exhibition requires more management and interpersonal skills than scholarly or art history research. Successful exhibitions also require the participation of other museum professionals and the input of a broad range of intended audiences.
Historians and curators should embrace the opportunity to use a histolircal approach to bring new voices to museum exhibitions and encourage their institutions to develop more inclusive collections and programs. This collaboration will help the public see that there is a reason for their tax-exempt status—that museums are part of an ongoing process of historical discovery and interpretation, not just repositories of static artifacts.
Ken Turino, director of exhibits at the American Civil War Museum and Archives (ACWM) in Appomattox, VA, believes that many museums are already on this path by focusing on topics that are more personal to visitors. For example, he points to ACWM’s recent exhibits that focused on rites of passage—birth, death, marriage/joining, and coming of age—and that explored abstract ideas, such as home, family, and community. Similarly, he suggests that museums consider expanding their collections and exhibits through outdoor interpretive opportunities, especially on properties with historic homes where interior preservation may not be feasible. This could include sculptural exhibits and outdoor programs that reach the public beyond the walls of the museums. In addition, he urges that curators consider how their historical exhibitions might be used for educational purposes to promote civic awareness and social activism. These efforts would serve as a model for other institutions, he says.