The Tear Down Build Up Loop

It’s that time again, time to tear down an exhibit.  While tear down seems like such a harsh thing to say, that appears to be the acceptable terminology for the act of removing an exhibit, putting the artifacts back into storage, and taking the signs down.  This always seems to happen too soon, as it feels like the exhibit just went up last week rather than three months ago, and all that hard work and effort will be stacked away for the next time we run something similar.  Yet, part of what keeps the exhibits at the Historical Society new, fresh, and exciting is that they never become stale and are constantly revolving.  

Speaking of hard work, the hard work of creating and installing exhibits is never truly finished and is, in itself, always revolving.  For example, while the committee was busy finalizing signs for Where We Used to Shop, some members were working on research for the first exhibit of 2026.  There was about a week of rest after the most recent exhibit reception, then off to the races again to decide on designs and color schemes for the next one.  At the last meeting, the committee discussed deadlines for the exhibits in 2026 as well as what exhibits we hope to run for 2027.  This time, I tried to make some use of technology and created a google form to get people’s opinions.  It’s about time I started working in the 21st century. Response to the form was good, so it looks like I will continue to use the new-to-us tech.  

Speaking of technology and the 21st century, all those artifacts that were pulled for the Shop exhibit need to be recorded, photographed, and put back into their proper storage container to be preserved.  It is very bad practice to just throw things in boxes all willy-nilly, and using the Society’s database, PastPerfect, is necessary to maintain records of what we have and exactly where it is.  This way, when we need to use a 1980s sequined dress again, we know specifically where to find it.  There are what feels like an infinite number of artifacts that have been entrusted to the Historical Society, so the input of that data and information is incredibly important.

While all of this is going on, there are other improvement projects afoot that the Museum Committee has undertaken.  If you have been in to visit the museum lately, you may have noticed some new additions in the form of an entry way into the exhibit area. More impressive, perhaps, is the on-going complete overhaul of the mining exhibit.  This overhaul is just a piece of the committee’s 5-year plan for improving the permanent exhibit area and has been waiting for the right time to begin the work.  Which brings me back to recording artifacts and using technology.  All of the items that were part of the mining exhibit need to be recorded, photographed, and stored so that the new walls the Buildings and Grounds committee has been building can be finished and painted, the new signs can be installed, the layout can be revised, so on and so on, until the new and improved mining exhibit is ready for viewing.  Whew!

There are so many working parts to any committee here at the Historical Society, but all of those working parts move relatively nicely and efficiently to create things for you, our members and community members alike.  While the work on one thing may be finished, there is only enough time to smile and enjoy it before more work needs to be continued or completed for the next thing on the list.  Honestly, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.  There are times when I get tired and consider throwing in the towel to let some other over-confident and enthusiastic person take over, and then I realize that this committee has done some really amazing things over the last four years.  I am truly proud to have been a part of it.  But for now, there is an exhibit to tear down and plans for the next exhibit to finalize, which leaves me with so little time to contemplate much else.  I hope you have enjoyed the three exhibits that the Museum Committee has presented to you this year, and trust that we will come through again next year with some equally awesome things to view and learn about.  But now, I have to get back to work.