AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo 2014

From May 18-21, André & Associates will be attending the AAM Annual Meeting and MuseumExpo in Seattle. Stop by booth #623 and say hello!

American Alliance of Museums Session: Integrating Visitor Perspectives into Interpretive Planning

Bianca Message, Marcella Wells and Judy Koke presented at American Alliance of Museums in Baltimore today.

The presentation ended in a workshop session allowing teams to report out their application of the Visitor Hierarchy.  The photo shows Marcella facilitating.  Lots of fun!  Thanks to all who joined us!

After the sessions Bianca explored The Walters Art Museum.  Fabulous collection and fun to share a glass of wine and chat with colleagues.

American Alliance of Museums Annual Meeting 2013

Bianca is heading to the American Alliance of Museums Annual Meeting in Baltimore this May.  She will be presenting in the session: Integrating Visitor Perspective in Interpretive Planning on Tuesday, May 21st. 

This session will explore an outcomes hierarchy to help integrate visitor perspectives into planning. Three diverse free-choice learning organizations will then discuss how visitor input has shaped their planning.

Pacific Design Academy Open House

Bianca sits on the Advisory Board of the Pacific Design Academy and encourages folks to come and check out their annual open house.

This event is open to the public and is the best way to learn more about the school and the programs offered


For more information contact 
Oliver Drew
Director,
Pacific Design Academy
1252 Wharf St., Victoria, BC
Phone: (250) 383-3631

'The best way to predict the future is to create it.' - Alan Kay

2012 Mountain Plains Museum Association Conference

Bianca and Michael are back from a successful and enjoyable trip to the 2012 Mountain Plains Museum Association Conference in Corpus Christi, Texas.

The conference provided great opportunities to meet new people and learn about the latest issues and solutions in the museum world, as well as some interesting vendors and services in the exhibit hall.

Best of all though was the chance to catch up with old friends and clients.   This year we were delighted to get to spend some time with the following people with whom we've had the pleasure of working with in the past:

Georgia Hansen, Executive Director of the Aspen Historical Society

Shan Rankin, Executive Director and Lisa Adams, Registrar & Curator of Artifacts from The Museum of South Texas History

Karen Reinhart, Curator of Education and Outreach from the Jackson Hole Historical Society & Museum

Art Wolf of Wolf Consulting

And last but certainly not least,  the State Historical Society of North Dakota was represented by a number of old friends including, Chris Johnson, Director, Museum Division, Genia Hesser, Curator of Exhibits, Jenny Yearous, Curator of Collections Management as well as several other familiar faces.

All in all it was a great experience.  We send a huge congratulations and thanks to Monta Lee Dakin, Hillary English and the rest of the MPMA team for a truly fantastic event.

Following are few scenes from the conference to give a sense of what we experienced.

The Corpus Christi waterfront walk with the USS Lexington in the background.

Delegates board the USS Lexington for one of the evening events.

The AAID booth in the exhibit hall. Our custom mixed tea was a big hit.

Corpus Christi is home to the original Whataburger so Michael had to eat there for "historical reasons"

Jenny Yearous of the State Historical Society of North Dakota takes in the art at the Art Museum of South Texas.

The Corpus Christi skyline with the Omni hotel where the conference was held. (Far right hand tower)

Summer Internship Opportunity

I have to admit that, in my twelve years of teaching, this placement will certainly be found amongst my highlights – I am so happy with the way it turned out for both of you...  

Donald Moar dipArch. B.F.A. MDes.
Instructor - Architectural Technology
School of Sustainable Building and Environmental Management
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology

We continue to host internship programs.  This summer the prime mentor is Bianca Message, President.  She will work with interns to create a project that will help develop their unique skills in a variety of ways.

• Interpretive planning
• scale model making
• graphic design
• illustration
• text writing
• exhibition design
• art show design and installation
• marketing
• lighting design 
...and much more.
  
More importantly, interns will learn the process of exhibition design from Storyline development to Installation.  André & Associates works with local museums, galleries and historic sites to provide hands on experiences as part of their overall project.

Internships are not paid, though sometimes honorariums are made available.  Duration of internship ranges from 1 to 8 weeks.


Interviews are currently underway for Summer internships and submissions are due May 1st.   Autumn internship applications are due September 15th.

Applications must consist of areas of interest or project ideas; portfolio (that does not have to be returned); and resume.  Please submit applications electronically to info@aaid.ca.  

Secrets From Exhibit Designers...

We will be teaching at the Mountain Plains Museums Association and presenting our full day workshop "Secrets From Exhibit Designers".  Come join us!

EconoMusée Study Tour

Bianca is currently on the road studying EconoMusée models in Quebec.  These will be used as reference for the EconoMusée Colombie-Britannique Pilot Project.

Our first stop was the Choco Motion Chocolaterie in Montebello...

  

Incredible flavours and strong business due to partnering with EconoMusée.

Next stop Porcelaines Bousquet...

Outstanding craftsmanship... courageous leadership... and inspirational space.  The porcelains created here are exceptional—a combination of beauty and quality, design and passionate dedication.

...our final stop for the day was the Vignoble de  L'Orpalilleur

  

  

But of course, after viewing the vines and the exhibition, the workings of the winery itself, and asking many many questions... we were allowed to sample.  One of the few wineries in Quebec that celebrates 30 years of operation, we were not disappointed!

The car rides from place to place were filled with reviews and critiques, discussion and debates, assessment and admirations.  It was an exceptional day.  Merci Pascale!

Mock Ups and Maquettes

Chris, Tom and Amy work through design detailing challenges for the Wanapum Heritage Center...  first on paper and later by using a full scale mock up of the exhibit component.

When faced with a client that has difficulty reading plans it is common to create tools that will help them understand the space.  However, there is nothing quite like mocking up full scale exhibit elements to problem solve design details and work out space constraints no matter how well you can or can not visualize! 

 

Here Yvette reuses cardboard to mock up the showcases and interactive units.  Primary recycling in action!

Here the team is mocking up showcases, reader rails and media units for the Wanapum Heritage Center.

Chukchansi Site Visit

Bianca had the privilege to team up with Jeanpaul Jones and Bruce Arnold of Jones and Jones Architects to meet with the Chukchansi Indians in California.  The team is working on a Feasibility Study to help develop a new Cultural Center.  We traveled to three potential building sites as well as a number of traditional sites.  Experiencing the massive oaks and beauty of these places was indescribable.  Many many thanks to Mary and Samuel for teaching us so much.

Jeanpaul Jones and the giant oaks.

  

Acorns and traditional acorn pounding mortar stones.

Secrets From Exhibit Designers...

Bianca and Amy enjoyed hosting a workshop "Secrets from Exhibit Designers: Working With What You've Got" in conjunction with the University of Victoria for this years BC Museums Association Conference in Nanaimo. 

A wonderful time of meeting up with old friends and making new ones.  Bianca and Amy appreciated Nina Simon's Key Note address as her emphasis on involving the communities you are working in supports the philosophy and approach of the André & Associates Team.  Thank you Nina for the encouragement!

Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center Panoramas

Kaleidoscope Theater

Michael recently visited Fairbanks for the Museums Alaska conference and while he was there, he took the opportunity to take panorama photographs of the dioramas and Kaleidoscope Theater.  They'll just been uploaded to our Flickr photostream, so you can check them out at the link below.

Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center Photos

If any of you are interested in seeing high resolution versions of these, feel free to contact us!

Museums Alaska Joint Annual Conference

This week Michael heads north to reunite with friends from the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center and attend the Museums Alaska Joint Annual Conference.  Fairbanks and Alaska's interior are beautiful this time of year.  If you're at the conference, we hope you will enjoy your visit to the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center.  As Michael was the project manager for this exiting experience, please let him, or us, know what you think of the exhibits!

Mountain Plains Museum Conference 2010

                                      

Next week Bianca and Amy are heading to Rapid City, South Dakota for the Mountain Plains Museum Association Annual Conference.

They will be presenting a workshop "Your Vision - Your Exhibits" as well as a roundtable session "The Big Picture: Planning Your Museum or Cultural Center."

If you are attending the conference - stop by the André & Associates booth to say hello.  We look forward to seeing you there!

American Association of Museums... Thinking of You!

Due to our crazy deadlines and committing to speak at a number of other conferences we were not able to attend the AAM Conference in LA this year.  However, we do want to wish all our best to our friends at the Skirball Cultural Center at the Hebrew Union College who are hosting the evening event on Sunday. We completed the permanent exhibition approximately 15 years ago.  We have fond memories of working with Maltbie Associates who did an exceptional job of the exhibit fabrication and Paul Heller Productions who created the media using sensitivity, rich depth and humor.  It was our privilege to work with architect Moshe Safdie and the Skirball team of specialists: Dr. Uri Herscher, Dr. Bob Kirschner, Grace Cohen Grosseman, Adele Lander Burke, Marcie Kaufman as well as many others.  We are sure all who visit for the evening event will enjoy themselves.

Synagogue • Sacred Space, Permanent Exhibition Skirball Cultural Center

Creative Workshops and Tasty Pairings

As part of our corporate culture we set aside time every few weeks to explore a design topic.  As professional development a topic is chosen and each team member (and interns too!) get to research and present their findings.  Since our entire team is made up of avid foodies we each volunteer to bring a surprise aperitif for the team.  Michael out did himself with roast lamb on crustini with mint aioli, paired with mint juleps to celebrate Kentucky Derby week.  Oh yes, and our design topic... was focusing on the use of icons and key objects in exhibitry.

The Social Dimension: Interactive Exhibits for the Floor and Web

Bianca enjoyed meeting up with colleague and friend, Jim Spadaccini from Ideum at the University of Victoria.  Jim, always the inspiring educator, challenged the students to embrace the world of Web 2.0 as well as design exhibits using Gestertouch technology.  Obviously his class had some serious impact!  You can now find André & Associates on Twitter, ExhibitFiles, LinkedIn and Flickr!  Stay tuned for our Website upgrade!

We also shared a tasty meal at Smugglers Cove Pub...

Thanks Jim and all the rest of the class!  It was great!

Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums Conference 2009

Tom, Bianca and Ashley found themselves meeting up with many long time friends that were met in collaboration on projects at the Streams of Language, Memory and Lifeways conference in Portland.  Malissa Minthorn had invited us to come and this being our first time attending this conference, we were left wanting more.  It was outstanding.  Huge thanks to Malissa Minthorn Winks and Bobbie Conner of Tamastslikt Cultural Institute, as well as the many others who brought this conference so successfully together. The energy was warm and the passion deep. It was good to talk to friends Dallas Dick, Randall Melton, also from TCI and Philip Cash Cash, who we first met at TCI.  

Marsha Mathews of the Oregon Historical Society not only put on a good spread for the gala evening, but also was part of the conference planning.

The guest speakers were moving and motivational, encouraging and empowering.  The bags were loaded with useful information, including one of Sherman Alexie's books "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian".  Each of us read it as a way to help transition us from the intense, meaningful depth of the conference, enabling us to let go of the cherished time more slowly.

We were so pleased to get to see Anita Heard from Ziibiwing Center for Anishinabe Culture and Lifeways accept the award for Excellence in Museums.  It was so good to catch up with Anita.  Also wonderful to once again catch up with Janine Bowechop Director of Makah Cultural and Research Center and hear of all the things going on in Neah Bay.

We were proud of our friends Angela Buck, Jason Buck, Rex Buck III, and Angela Neller from Wanapum Heritage Center who gave a presentation on Language, Memories and Lifeways on the Middle Columbia: Protecting, Preserving, and Perpetuating Identity at the Wanapum Heritage Center.

It was good to catch up with other friends, Buffy McQuillen from the Yurok Tribe and David Lewis from the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde as well as Jeanpaul Jones, Marjorie and Bruce Arnold from Jones and Jones Architects.

It was our privilege to sponsor one of the luncheons, and we couldn't believe the size of the sign Malissa and her team had made up!  WOW!  You sure know how to make someone feel special!

Thanks again to all involved.  This is a conference we'd like to help support again and again!

Bianca with Malissa Minthorn Winks and Bobbie Conner from the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute


Bianca, Tom and Ashely with Anita Heard from the Ziibiwing Center for Anishinabe Culture and Lifeways


Bianca, Tom and Ashley with Malissa Minthorn Winks from Tamastslikt Cultural Institute


André & Associates sponsored a lunch for the conference attendees


Anita Heard accepting the award for excellence in museums for the Ziibiwing Center. We shared in the celebration of this award as we felt privileged to be part of creating this amazing project.


Bobbie Conner and Malissa Minthorn Winks from the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute with David Lewis from the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde

Mountain Plains Museums Association Conference 2009

Bianca, Amy, Ashley and Bill enjoyed their visit to the Mountain Plains Museums Association conference in Cheyenne, Wyoming.  Bianca and Amy hosted a workshop: Stories to be Told - Creating Native American Cultural Centers and Museums and Bianca and Lokey Lytjen from the Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum spoke about the extreme challenges faced as they presented "EXTREME MAKEOVER: Jackson Hole Edition.

Fun was had at the events and venues.  With the highlight being the Paul Smith Children's Village at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens, as well as the Old West Museum.

Many thanks to MPMA for all their hard work preparing the conference.

The André & Associates Booth

Bianca, Ashley, Amy and Lokey at the Old West Museum

The Paul Smith Children's Village at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens demonstrates sustainable living technologies and had applied for LEED® Platinum.

Ashley pounding leather at the Old West Museum

Bianca testing out an interactive at the Old West Museum

Northwest History & Heritage Extravagaza

AAID Project Manager Michael Barnes presented at the Northwest History & Heritage Extravagaza "Rendezvous 2009" in Portland on April 16th. The topic was the exhibit, Oregon: Yours, Mine, Ours, which we are developing with the Oregon Historical Society and the media team of Sockeye Creative.


Michael speaks while Larry Johnson of Sockeye Creative looks on.


Michael with co-presenters, curator Marsha Matthews of OHS, and historian Dr. Stephen Dow Beckham.