On the road in Boston, Massachusetts

Boston, MA

I'm in Boston this week so I find it fitting to mention a new book that's coming out which takes place at Harvard University in Massachusetts. It's called "The League of Freaks and the Secret Key" by Dr. Alberto Hazan. I illustrated the book cover for Alberto as well as designing the official League of Freaks website. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Also in Massachusetts is the Brigham and Women's Hospital. I worked on a project for the hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in March. I hand-painted two book carts to look like dogs, Macie and Shadow. The carts are wheeled from room to room to cheer up patients.

And finally, my travels in Boston brought me to the Liberty Hotel.
Formerly the Charles Street Jail, the Liberty Hotel is super swanky, architecturally stunning and yes, there are still bars on the windows! (Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures but there's plenty to see on their website so click on the link above).
I had dinner and drinks with some friends at the hotel restaurant, Clink. The hotel also houses the Liberty Bar, Scampo and Alibi. The food, drinks, and atmosphere were all fantastic. If you're in downtown Boston it is definitely a location you must visit.

Walkin' in Memphis

This week I visited Tallahassee, Florida and Memphis, Tennessee. I spent less than 36 hours in Tallahassee and was hoping to get to see at least one cool attraction while I was there but unfortunately the "Sunshine State" did not live up to its name. Severe thunderstorms left me confined to my hotel room and by the time the rain stopped at 4 am I was on my way to the airport again and off to Memphis. 

Memphis was another quick trip but thankfully the weather was great and I was able to walk around all day. The first thing I did was follow the Mighty Mississippi along Downtown Memphis and over to Beale Street for Barbecue, Blues, and great people watching. 


The picture below is of an interesting museum housed in A. Schwab's Five and Dime store on Beale Street. This is the first museum I've ever visited where I could also buy homemade jams and underwear all under the same roof.

Although A. Schwab's Museum was truly fascinating, it just wouldn't have been a satisfying trip to Memphis if I didn't get to see Graceland. Luckily, I had a couple hours to spare the next morning on my way to the airport. 

I have to admit was well worth the extra hustle. I absolutely loved it! 

There are 3 tours you can choose from. 

1. Graceland Elvis Entourage VIP Tour

• an audio-guided tour of Graceland Mansion and grounds
• a self-guided tour of Elvis' two custom airplanes
• a self-guided tour of Elvis' Automobile Museum
• a self-guided tour of Elvis in Hollywood Exhibit
• a self-guided tour of Elvis Lives: The King and Pop Culture Exhibit
• a self-guided tour of Elvis Presley: Fashion King Exhibit
• a self-guided tour of '68 Special Exhibit
• a special VIP Only exhibit at Graceland Mansion
• Front of the Line Mansion Access
• Special All Day Ticket
• Keepsake Backstage Pass

2. Graceland Platinum Tour

• an audio-guided tour of Graceland Mansion and grounds
• a self-guided tour of Elvis' two custom airplanes
• a self-guided tour of Elvis' Automobile Museum
• a self-guided tour of Elvis in Hollywood Exhibit
• a self-guided tour of Elvis Lives: The King and Pop Culture Exhibit
• a self-guided tour of Elvis Presley: Fashion King Exhibit
• a self-guided tour of '68 Special Exhibit

3. Graceland Mansion Tour

• an audio presentation and tour of Graceland Mansion and grounds only
• a self-guided tour of '68 Special Exhibit

If you only have an hour you can do tour #3 and just see the Mansion and still get the full experience. I had about 2 hours to spare so I took tour #2. The Graceland Platinum Tour. 

I usually prefer to have a live guide conducting the tour because I find audio tours to be dull but this audio tour was fantastic. It had Elvis' music playing in-between clips of information which really set the mood. Some parts were also narrated by Lisa Marie Presley. She spoke about memories she had of certain rooms in the mansion as you were walking through them which really brought them to life.

After touring the inside of the house, you're led to the backyard where you can tour the grounds, the office, and some of the other buildings which used to be the trophy room and racquetball court but are now showcasing exhibits of Elvis' gold records and other awards. The exhibit also showed a side of Elvis that many people don't know about. Rather than just displaying his trophy's, they also displayed an entire wall of checks that Elvis wrote to various charities. The display of gold records showed how many people he touched with his music but the display of checks showed how many people he touched with his charitable heart. 

In the backyard, are also the graves of Elvis and his family members. Everyone slowly walks through the meditation garden, pays their respects and this is where the mansion tour ends.

                                                             

The rest of the exhibits were also self-guided tours so you can choose which order you see them and how long you spend in each one. My favorites were the Elvis Automobile Museum and the Lisa Marie and Hound Dog II Jets.

The Elvis Automobile Museum displays all of Elvis' cars, motorcycles, Go-carts, and even his John Deere tractor.  The tour of the airplanes was definitely worth paying the extra money for the Platinum tour. You're allowed to board both airplanes and even walk through the Lisa Marie. 

Just like the Mansion, the planes have been left exactly as they were when Elvis was alive. I think I was expecting Graceland to be something like a Disney Land adventure but the whole tour was done very tastefully and with a lot of respect. 

On the road again in Texas

San Antonio, Texas

Much like my trip, this blog will be short. With only a few hours to see the sights of San Antonio, I headed over to its main attraction, The Alamo. Admission is free and contrary to popular belief it is not open 24 hours a day. You can visit the Alamo 9:00 am-5:30 pm Monday-Saturday and 10:00 am-5:30 pm on Sunday. There are guided tours about every half hour. No need to sign up or wait on line. Just follow the crowd. In addition to the "Shrine" as it's called, there's a beautiful courtyard, the Long Barrack Museum, the Sales Museum (which is really a gift shop with some artifacts on display), and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library. It's pretty small and depending on how long you linger around the grounds, it should only take about an hour to see everything.

I learned on the tour that the Alamo is a place where men made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. It is considered hallowed ground and the Shrine of Texas Liberty. Unfortunately, just right across the street from the hallowed ground is San Antonio's equivalent of the Vegas Strip. Neon lights, Ripley's Believe it or Not Haunted Adventure, Museum of oddities, and the Tomb Raider 3D ride aren't exactly the first things that come to mind when I think of a Shrine. I wonder what Colonel William Travis and Davy Crockett would think if they could see what it looks like now.

After my visit to the Alamo, I headed over to the Riverwalk. Winding around downtown San Antonio with shops and restaurants along the way, the Riverwalk was even prettier than I expected. It's a beautiful feature that sets San Antonio apart from other cities. There are boat tours that you can take but I opted to wander around on foot. My self-guided tour took me to Old San Antonio or "La Villita." Maybe it was because I visited on a weekday but it was kind of like a ghost town. There were a few artsy shops but mostly just stores selling the same touristy junk that every other store sells. It seemed deserted and there wasn't really anything to do so I went back to the Riverwalk and had lunch outside at a Mexican cafe and watched the ducks and pigeons fight for tortilla chips.

                                           

Had the weather been nicer, I really could have amused myself in San Antonio all day but the rain cut my visit short. I'm glad I got to see the Alamo and the Riverwalk because they are as crucial to the San Antonio experience as eating Tex-Mex and Barbeque.

I'm not sure where my next trip will be so check back in next week to find out!

On the Road AGAIN! North Carolina & Virginia

North Carolina & Virginia

I'm back on the road again with the wind in my hair and the gum on my shoe!

The first stop is Raleigh, North Carolina. This trip to North Carolina was almost exactly like the last one in that I got to see nothing but the job site and my hotel room. The only difference is that this time I went to Raleigh-Durham instead of Charlotte. 

My original flight was canceled so I had to take a much later flight which got me to my hotel in Raleigh around 10:30 pm. All I know about Raleigh is that it's the State Capital and I guess that's all that I will ever know because I was at work by 9am the next day and I left straight from there to drive to Virginia.

I learned a lot on my inter-state journey. For example: did you know that Donny Osmond has his own radio show?! I also discovered that drivers in that part of the country really enjoy tailgating. A good way to amuse yourself while driving alone for 4 hours is to watch someone who was tailgating you for several miles get pulled over 15 minutes later by a State Trooper for speeding.

Once again, my experience in Virginia was much like my experience in North Carolina. A lot of work and not much time to do anything else. If I had the time I would have liked to go see The Norfolk Naval Station, Nauticus, or The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center. 

Although, I do find it very hard to be indoors when the weather is so nice. Virginia has tons of outdoor activities that would have been nice to explore like Busch Gardens or Virginia Beach Ocean Breeze Water Park but since I only had about an hour of free time, I zipped over to beautiful Virginia Beach to enjoy the fantastic weather and watch the fighter jets and helicopters fly overhead.

Virginia is a wonderful place to vacation. It has tons of historical sites, museums, zoos, aquariums, and great beaches. Not to mention the people are unbelievably nice. But beware of getting lured in by their southern charm like I did...which brings me to my travel tip for this week!

Make sure that when you go to pick up your rental car and they tell you that they ran out of economy cars so they're going to give you a "FREE" upgrade that their definition of "FREE" is the same as yours. 

Also, when you tell them that you want to purchase the insurance, make sure it's just the BASIC insurance and you don't get charged for the deluxe package including roadside assistance and a helicopter ride if your car breaks down!

By following these simple tips you will avoid getting charged $490.71 for a 2-day car rental.

Hopefully, I'll have better luck next week when I'm back on the road in San Antonio...

Design for all

Here are some examples of things I like to see when I go to a museum. 

This is an intimate little space designed just for toddlers. I took this picture at the Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut. I love it when I see exhibits that have something for all ages and abilities. The aquarium had lots of these little viewing areas at "kid height" throughout every exhibit so that children don't have to be picked up by a parent every time they want to see an animal.

This is another photo taken at the Mystic Aquarium. It's an exhibit that shows how Flounder protect themselves from predators by blending into their environment. It's hard to tell from this photo because they are camouflaged so well, but there is a Flounder on the black gravel and a Flounder on the white gravel. What I like about this simple display is that it clearly conveys the message without the need for lengthy text panels or diagrams. A child who can't read yet or someone who doesn't speak the language will understand without having someone explain it to them. The exhibit teaches the lesson without the need for interpretive graphics.

AND just for fun, here are some images of things I think every good aquarium should have...

Sea Lions

Penguins

Octopus

Beluga Whales!

Museums of the Future

Happy New Year! It is 2010. Welcome to the future! If you asked me twenty years ago what I thought the world would be like in 2010 I probably would have imagined we'd be living in outer space and driving around in flying cars like the Jetsons. 



Now that we're actually living in the "future" I would expect that new museums would be producing new and inventive exhibits but a recent visit to the newly opened Children's Museum of the Treasure Coast in Stuart, Florida did not meet my expectations. I had really been looking forward to visiting this museum because it was a long time in the making. I'd read a lot of articles about its construction over the past few years but lack of funding put the opening on hold. 

So after much anticipation and excitement, I prepared myself to take my niece and nephew the day after Christmas. I did a lot of deep breathing exercises and stretches to get myself both mentally and physically prepared for the massive crowds but when we walked in, the place was completely empty. There was only one other family there. It was a huge space but only half of it was being used. The rest was blocked off. Was it unfinished? Was this some sort of event space or theater in the making? I'm not sure. My expectation from this new museum was to find some fresh and new exhibits but what we got was a rip-off of every other children's museum exhibit in the country. Perhaps if the museum had something the others don't they might have more visitors. "Our Town Wellness Center" had the exact same exhibit that I worked on at a children's museum ten years ago! It was like I traveled back in time. Hmmm...Now that would be a cool exhibit! 

"Toddler Beach" was cute. It was your typical cushiony vinyl toddler play area and the beach theme was fitting for the community but I think toddlers would be more interested in playing and exploring the REAL beach right outside the doors of the museum.

The worst offense was the "Our Town Market" which scored a big fat ZERO for creativity, inventiveness, and originality. It was very clear that the exhibits were based on sponsor money and this one was sponsored by Publix Super Market. I know this because the sponsor signs were bigger than any of the signs with educational content. I'm not even sure what the educational value of a mini-market exhibit is anyway. My 5-year-old niece got into a fight with a toddler who stole her fake plastic groceries out of her cart. On our way home I asked her if she learned anything new from her trip to the museum. She replied, "Yeah, it's not nice to steal someone else's groceries!" Maybe that's the message behind these grocery store exhibits?? 

Here's an original idea! How about we get a sponsor to fund a new task force called the Exhibit Police. Any museum that builds another child-sized market will get a fine. I think if I were to find out exactly how many Children's Museums in this country have these markets and issue them a fine, I would have enough money to build a new museum with some inspired fresh new and innovative exhibits! 

Actually, there was one exhibit in the museum that I liked a lot. It's also the gallery that my niece and nephew spent the most time in. It was called the Florida Cracker House sponsored by RE/MAX of course. This was a truly unique exhibit because it was exclusive to the region. Children learn about traditional cracker houses and the significance their architecture played in early Floridian life. It also teaches about different types of houses all over the world and how the region and climate affect architecture. This exhibit reignited the waning hope the other exhibits left me with for the future of museums.

We might not be driving around in flying cars but the world is constantly changing so why are we still making the same exhibits that we were making more than a decade ago?! 

With a new year comes new resolutions. For 2010 let us resolve to stop copying what other museums are doing and come up with some really inspired and radical ideas...
AND
Stop stealing groceries from other people's carts!

The Blog is Back

I'd like to welcome back my loyal readers and also welcome all of my new ones.
I apologize as my blog has been floating around out in cyberspace for a few weeks while I've been trying to relocate. Moving is so stressful! Thankfully I am now settled in here at www.kimwagnerdesigns.blogspot.com which is now the permanent address of my museum blog. I've also given this blog a makeover as it was looking kind of worn out from the move so I hope you enjoy the new look!
Please be sure to also visit www.kimwagnerdesigns.com which is the new home of my website.
Thanks for visiting and be sure to subscribe or come back soon!

Museums on a Shoestring

I recently read that Thanksgiving travel has gone down 62% in the past 9 years. People are traveling less and taking fewer vacations but that doesn't mean we have to put ourselves on house arrest and sentence ourselves to hours of boredom. 
I wrote a post a few months ago called, "Be a tourist in your own neighborhood." I created my own "Queens Fun Day" and visited a science center, a museum and a zoo all just 15 minutes from my door. There's a lot of great activities that you can find in your own hometown and you don't need to spend hundreds of dollars on plane tickets and checked baggage.
It's true that going on fun outings can get very expensive especially if you have a family but that doesn't mean we have to give up cultural and educational stimulation in exchange for sitting home in front of the television. 
Many museums have a free day or a "pay what you wish" day. Some of my favorites here in New York are the Museum of Modern Art (free for children ages 16 and under and free for everyone on Friday nights from 4-8 pm), the Whitney Museum (pay what you wish on Fridays from 6-9 pm), the American Folk Art Museum (free for children 12 and under and free for everyone on Fridays after 5:30 pm), and the Rubin Museum (free for children under 12, free on the 1st Monday of every month for Seniors ages 65 and up, and free for everyone on Friday nights from 7-10 pm). 
All of these museums also have bars or lounges where you can get food and drinks and listen to live music. I think this is a great value and definitely better than sitting home or paying $100 dollars to take your family to the movies on a Friday night. 
These are just a few examples of the many museums that offer great bargains so there's no need to stay home and wait for the recession to come to an end. Go online or call your local museums to see what sort of discounts or free days they might have! 

Defining Museums Continued....

In previous posts, I discussed some museums I've visited that are redefining the traditional interpretation of the word "museum." Museums are now breaking outside the walls of buildings and sometimes the museum is the walls of the building. In my post about Dinosaur Ridge, I wrote about the outdoor self-guided tour I took where the fossils were not displayed in glass cases but rather embedded in the side of a mountain. In my last post, I discussed The Lower East Side Tenement Museum, an old tenement that doesn't have historical artifacts in a building but instead the building itself is the artifact.

Another "alternative museum" I'd like to discuss is the Hiwan Homestead Museum which I visited on my trip to Colorado. Similar to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum the Hiwan Homestead Museum is about the building itself. Its a series of log homes that were once inhabited by different families and now have been opened to the public as a museum. It was also built in the late 1800s like the Tenement Museum but the similarities end there.

In 1893, Hiwan began as a simple, one-room structure which was converted into a summer home for a Civil War widow Mary Neosho Williams and her daughter Josepha, who earned the name Dr. Jo when she became one of the first women to earn a medical degree in Colorado. They hired Jock Spence to build the first cabin on the property which they dubbed "Camp Neosho." By 1918 Jock built many additions and finished construction on what is now a 17 room log home.

When Dr. Jo died in 1938, the property was sold to Darst Buchanan, a wealthy oilman from Tulsa, Oklahoma. He and his family renamed it the Hiwan Ranch, an Anglo-Saxon term meaning "members of a family household."

Jefferson County Open Space and the Jefferson County Historical Society purchased the structures in 1974 and they were placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum opened in 1975.

A tour guide will take you through the rooms which have been restored to their appearance from the period of 1915-1930 to reveal the stories of each family and Hiwan's rich history.

You can walk around on your own outside the main building and visit the rest of the ranch, walk the nature trail, and go inside the tents or other cabins. The guided tour is free and despite the fact I got there when they were closed the very nice tour guide happily stayed late to give one more tour.

The Hiwan Homestead is another great space that is changing peoples perception of what a museum is. I say good riddance to the stuffy buildings with their exhibits in glass cases and signs that say "Don't touch!" Museums are breaking outside their boundaries and I welcome the new interpretation of what a museum is. A museum can be a log cabin or an old tenement or it might not be in a building at all. It can be outdoors with fossils that are encased in the side of a mountain. The most important change in the role of museums is that they are no longer formal spaces where visitors are passively looking at art or objects. I think the best museums are the informal and non-conventional ones which are inviting their visitors to become a part of the exhibit thereby creating a much more rich and valuable experience.

Defining museums

Can a building itself be considered a museum or should it be called a historical landmark? In my previous post, "What makes a museum a museum?" I questioned the formula for creating museums. According to my dictionary, a museum is "a building in which objects of historical, scientific, artistic or cultural interest are stored and exhibited." If the building itself is the historical object can it be considered a museum?

One of the places that came to my mind when thinking about this was the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. Located on 97 Orchard Street in New York City's Lower East Side, the museum is a tenement that was built in 1863 and tells the stories of the nearly 7000 working-class immigrants who lived there.

There's no cutting edge technology or expensive exhibits. You might expect that the building would have been renovated to show what it looked like in 1863 but they have endeavored to keep it preserved in the state that it was purchased in 1988. Only small sections of the tenement have been restored in an effort to intimately illustrate the lives of the families who inhabited the apartment at various points in the building's history. Each apartment tells a different story and each visit is a different and unique experience. The museum is only viewed by guided one hour tours and there are several different tours to choose from in which you will learn about an Italian, Irish, German or Jewish immigrant family. On each tour, you will be walked through the tenement by a tour guide who will reconstruct the lives and struggles of the families who started new lives in America.

Walking through the cramped and stuffy apartments was a very moving experience. By being immersed in the space you are really able to get a feel for the hardships endured by the immigrants.

Museums are no longer just buildings designed by famous architects with priceless art on the walls. Traditional museums have evolved and perhaps the definition of the word "museum" needs to be modified. I think the Tenement Museum has redefined the role of museums. It is not just a building with old stuff in it but an educational, historical and cultural experience that was deeply touching. I loved the Lower East Side Tenement Museum and would definitely go back to take another tour.