The professional exhibit design firm, PRD. came to Erie April 23-25 on their listening tour.
PRD is designing exhibit space in ECHS’s new building and Wood-Morrison House, upgrading exhibits in the Watson-Curtze Mansion. Their goal is to connect the ECHS mission with its audience of students, residents and visitors. Explaining the current trends in exhibit design, PRD stressed the importance of being inclusive and representative of different groups within the Erie
County community.
The goal is to ensure the HagenHistory Center is an advocate to promote education and create opportunities that enable informed viewpoints. PRD held several meetings with different groups of residents to gain insights on what topics should be included to tell the story of the history of Erie.
PRD believes big picture ideas that offer visitor engagement, interaction, and social experiences in thematic (not just chronological) exhibits are the future for museums.
After analyzing the input from the listening tour, PRD returned to Erie May 29-30 for the visioning process. A draft of a plan will then follow. Once the plan is affirmed, design and implementation of the exhibits will proceed. Implementation should be completed by Fall 2021.
What are the top three goals for the new exhibits?
- Encourage critical thinking with hands-on, interactive, dynamic, big picture exhibits
- Develop an appreciation for our heritage and pride in our community with an understanding of Erie’s rich history
- Encourage increased local attendance and large-scale tourism with the Hagen History Center being a destination point
