First Person Museum. Vicki Solot, executive director; Dona Dorman, coordinator; Seth Bruggeman, Julia Foulkes, Tom Sugrue, historians; Aaron Goldbatt, Metcalfe Architecture and Design. First Person Arts. November 5 2010- December 18 2010.
The First Person Museum, held at the Painted Bride, is the pilot exhibition for First Person Arts (FPA), where “objects tell stories.”[1] Cleverly crafted, it presents a blend of stories, objects, and histories into the quaint yet substantial space. Funding and sponsorship for the non-profit organization’s exhibit came from the Engage 2020 Innovation Grants Program as well as The Pew Center for Arts and Heritage. First Person Arts’ mission is to “honor the experiences of everyday people” through storytelling.[2] Through seven StoryCircles held in various communities of Philadelphia, FPA’s team assembled sixteen stories and objects to borrow for a museum space to emphasize the importance of everyday objects. Rather than being a traditional history space with labels and objects or a space of only stories, the exhibit creatively balances objects with personal tales and historical contexts. It balances displaying how a single person values an object with a history of the original use and value of that object.
Overall, the exhibit space is used to its best possible advantage given its limited budget. The emptiness of some of areas is at times very obvious; however, given their constraints it is reasonable. While the homey feeling to the space creates an artificial context for the object (as does anything displayed) it is not detrimental to their mission. The seating arrangements actively encourage people to sit, relax, and enjoy the space. The dressers, tables and other furniture encourage people to make connection to their own objects. The setting emphasizes that these are everyday items. Even the placement of the dining table under the stairs adds to the homey feeling while utilizing all of the space.
However, there are a few issues regarding the layout. The primary issue centers on the middle of room, where the objects Carla’s Wedding Ring and Beth’s Sock are located. In order to read Beth’s object history, one has to walk around the table and sit on the sofa. The problem is not moving around the table but the space need to escape from the area is cut short with more furniture. When there are other people roaming the space, such as opening night, it creates a bottle jam. With only a few others in the space, it is a wonderful an invitation to enjoy the room, but with people present, it creates frustration.
Another misgiving with the center sitting arrangement is that it blocks off the backspace from the rest of the room, making that area feel bare while the center feels cluttered. In that space, the objects are more spaced out, and it only has one sitting option. While great for allowing a crowd of people time to view everything, when no one is there it feels empty. In addition, another chair by Shanise's Rhino would have prevented people from running into the mini-rocking chair. While the rocking chair is perfect, something softly alerting people to the potential obstacle would be beneficial.
The two other areas off the main space are confusing at first glance. The loft space, while understandable why they did not use it (stairs, lower ceiling, etc.) lacked sufficient signage, making it appear to be a random space. On second glance, its purpose as a media center became clearer. Having one room for all the visual and audio stories is a resourceful use of that space. The second room of object gives the initial response as a leftover space. However, on a second glance the additional space is used well. It is large room but difficult to use, however, the designers made it functional. Though it was sparse, the objects are still housed on tables and dressers with seating to interact with the objects. The wall of short stories whose objects did not make it into the exhibit found another life in a clever and enjoyable way. These stories feel integrated into the exhibit. It contained the right amount of emotionally charged stories with varying lengthens and photos of the objects.
The labeling of the exhibit is also overall effective. The colors were bright enough to be noticed without overpowering and preventing people from reading the captions. They are at varying heights and centered around the object, on either the wall or the table. The labels are often accompanied with photographs of the owner, creating a connection between the face, story, and object. The titles clearly states whom the object belongs to along with what the object itself is. The history titles themselves represented what the caption told without creating a false pretense. One concern is the label layout of Carla’s Wedding Ring as the object’s title and owner’s photos are not near the object. One has to look search to find them across the walkway, and with traffic, it is impossible to read them. One thing I remain ambivalent towards however putting on the history sections, “a little bit of history.” It seems odd, as there does not appear to be any added benefit to using that phrase, and it de-emphasizes the historical aspect of the exhibit. Perhaps it is more noticeable since the history labels are also in a smaller font and label size than the stories.
One aspect that is engaging is the different presentations of the stories. The panels are short yet engaging. The audio stories of the owner are very moving as they convey a more in-depth, personal story. The videotaped stories expose the visitor to more than just the story/object/history, but its everyday setting. For example, John’s fishing license videotaped not only shows the owner with the object but also tells the family’s history, how to fish, what other things relates to fishing, etc. It creates a larger context for the individual object. The owners chosen for the audio-visual components are charismatic and tell their stories emotionally and genuinely. Mixed throughout the spaces, all three media balance each other and do not distract or overwhelm visitors.
Another method through which stories are shared is through the booklets and bulletin boards throughout the exhibit. Booklets can found throughout the rooms on various tables with comfortable seating for reading. Divided by StoryCircle locations, each booklet has several stories ranging from one to three pages. Stories that are not included on the wall or in the exhibit found life within the pages. The wall objects as well as the exhibit items have their stories expanded in the booklets. The printed stories make a connection just as deep as the individual displays. There are also a few desks in the exhibit for visitors to write their own stories, display them on bulletin boards, and to interact with the exhibit.
The stories, in the exhibit, on the wall, and in the booklets, focus on ideas of remembrance, life, love, loss, and relationships between people. The tales balance each other without one theme dominating another. Carla’s Wedding Ring speaks of life lessons whereas Shanise’s Rhino states for illness, hope, and family. Kate’s Shawl represented changes in life and familial connections while Zhaoxi Zhou’s map conveys the helpfulness of strangers. Each story provides visitors with an example of an everyday object infused with personal history, and that every man has a past and a history that is worth remembering.
The histories provided by various historians are thematically diverse. Some complement the story with histories of related context (Beth’s sock and women in knitting groups) while others provide surprising information (John’s fishing license and Pennsylvania’s fishing regulations). Though brief, the histories provide a sampling of how varied the backgrounds are for everyday objects. Individually and collectively, the histories emphasize that objects have a deep, complex, and often overlooked past. Objects that these owners hold important were created within a larger context that is just as powerful as the value they contain today. Though more in-depth histories would have been welcomed, the exhibit’s mission limited that access point.
The objects picked represent different material types and story attachment as examples of how objects contain meaning to people. It provides an avenue for people to see history in their everyday lives and homes. Not only does the exhibit fulfill its mission, it does so in a creative and welcoming space. It is not stiff, formal, or overwhelming. It does not dictate the take-home messages but encourages individual discovery. Though the histories are brief, each one had a theme that if someone wanted to learn more, he/she had a starting point to do so. The stories dominate the exhibit, but that is the intention of museum. While still historical based, highlighting personal connections is the primary goal. Though the walls and spaces are at places bare, the money spent towards video and audio equipment for the stories used wisely. Overall, the exhibit is well presented despite its limited budget and nontraditional take on a history museum. The past and present successfully emerge through the displays of everyday objects.
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