From Construction Site to Museum: Managing the Opening Process
•Judy Gradwohl, Associate Director for Public Programs, National Museum of American History•James Volkert, Principal, Exhibition Associates•Dana Allen-Greil, New Media Project Manager, National Museum of American History•Susan Leidy, Deputy Director, Currier Museum of Art•Elaine Gurian, Senior Consultant, Principal, Elaine Heumann Gurian LLC
From Construction Site to Museum: Managing the Opening Process
James VolkertPrincipal
Exhibition Associates
So, you’re now responsible to get the project completed?
Create a transition team• Draw from throughout the museum• Make the team “dissolvable”
The architects don’t do all the work• List your tasks• Learn to read plans• Learn their language
Its not business as usual• The systems you have may not be adequate• Develop a Day One list• Establish a comprehensive schedule• Link schedules and budgets by task, not departments
The systems you have may not be adequate• You are set up to run a museum, not build a project• Fix the things that don’t work
Develop a Day One list
Establish a comprehensive schedule
Link schedules and budgets by task, not departments
Be courageous in decision-making• Push decisions down• Document the decisions• Make the process transparent
• Make decisions public• Change the process if it
doesn’t work
Decision Review Action Committee
(DRAC)
Mall Action Committee
(MAC)
“I could not possibly do anything else”• I’m already working at 110%
Establish the rhythm of the work
How can you tell when things are not going well?
“You can’t measure my creative process…”
The unimagined will happen
Judy GradwohlAssociate Director for Public ProgramsNational Museum of American History
Will you make it?• Opening date• Budget• Scope of work
Set priorities• Exhibitions• Visitor and staff services and amenities• Opening events and programs
CRITICALFunded: $X,059,000*Exhibitions:
• Star-Spangled Banner• Artifact Walls and Landmark Objects• Price of Freedom• First Ladies & The American
Presidency• Music, Sports, and Entertainment• Invention At Play• America on the Move• Julia Child’s Kitchen• Within These Walls• Hands On Science Center• Lighting a Revolution• Power Machinery Hall• Lunch Boxes• Communities in a Changing Nation• Gunboat Philadelphia• Dolls’ House• SI Libraries Gallery• Science in American Life• Deinstall Treasures
Public Spaces and Amenities:• Welcome Center• LeFrak Lobby to Carmichael
Auditorium• Museum stores and food service• Furniture (minimal amount)• Wayfinding signs within central core• Transition zones
Opening Events and Outreach:• B-roll taping
LIMITEDFunded: $X48,000Shortfall: $XXX,000Public Spaces and Amenities:
• Wayfinding signs outside central core• Customer service training for front-line staff• Family Guide for print and Web• Welcome Center staffing• Museum fully furnished• Security check and queuing furniture• Outdoor signs and banners• Visitor flow planning• Carmichael Auditorium• Reception Suite carpet
Opening Events and Outreach:• Design and printing of press materials• Ad buys• Satellite and radio media tours• Public Relations assistance• Staff and volunteer preview • Marketing for special events • Tourism and hospitality industry previews • Dedication ceremony• Gala for major donors• Congressional preview event• Public opening event• Additional donor events• Event planners• Conservation and graphics support• Reopening contingency funds
FULLFunded: $0Shortfall: $XXX,000
Exhibitions:• Timeline
Public Spaces and Amenities:• Reprinting wayfinding signs• Furniture for Board Room and
Director’s suite • Bike rack
Opening Events and Outreach:• Star-Spangled Banner books• Video news release• White House luncheon• Behring Dinner• Web promotion for reopening
OPTIONAL EVENTSShortfall: $238,000
• Exterior decoration and lighting• Evening events for public opening• Marketing for reopening
Manage your money and time• Cut—don’t add• Count everybody’s pennies• If something isn’t working reconsider its value
Manage your expectations
Prepare to lower your expectations• Cut all extraneous activity• Ask if it needs to be ready on opening day• Any testing is better than none
Leave room to celebrate• Recognize staff as well as donors• Open with a splash
Dana Allen-GreilNew Media Project Manager
National Museum of American History
Tell everyone everything• Good and bad news• Meetings: short, organized, often• Different styles of learning
Be kind to your staff • Take the internal climate seriously• Listen to grumbling• Don’t allow a climate of blame to develop
Work together• Praise, respect each other• Engage cross-departmentally• Celebrate milestones
Manage expectations• Staff• Board/Administration• Public
Communicate budget, schedule
Stay inside the message box
Experiment with new media
Susan LeidyDeputy Director
Currier Museum of Art
• 33,000 square feet• $21.4 million cost, $14.5 million construction• Ann Beha Architects, Boston, MA• Harvey Construction Company, Bedford, NH
Expansion completed Nov. 2007; Reopened March 2008
43
Currier Museum of Art
44
Currier Museum of Art
What we did well1. Strategic Planning process identified what facility
improvements were needed:• Galleries / exhibition space• Visitor amenities• Education / program space
What we did well2. Cross-departmental planning for re-opening events
What we did well3. Grant-enabled re-branding
What we did well4. Mandatory orientation to the building, branding,
amenities, collections, and membership for all staff and volunteers
What we didn’t do as well1. Save staff time and money for additional furnishings,
signs, unanticipated changes, and additions post-construction
What we didn’t do as well2. Address the inevitable let-down after the excitement
of re-opening
Elaine GurianSenior Consultant, PrincipalElaine Heumann Gurian LLC
From Construction Site to Museum: Managing the Opening Process
Questions?Ideas?