Is there an underlying message for the museum visitor in this exhibit or is it only a display of facts?
For this assignment, you will visit a museum exhibit that has some connection to the social impact of technology. Either a “brick and mortar” type museum or an online virtual museum experience is acceptable for this assignment.
Be creative when you consider what type of museum may have an exhibit reflecting the social impact of technology. The museum does not necessarily need to be a science and/or technology museum. Think about some of the connections between technologies and people considered in previous assignments in this course and in your own personal experience. Are there any art museums in your area or that you are aware of that may have an exhibit that presents a connection to technology through an interdisciplinary approach? For example, if you live near Detroit, the Detroit Institute of Arts has an excellent mural by Diego Rivera entitled “Detroit Industry”. You may consider a natural history museum or a regional or local museum perhaps relating to agricultural, transportation, or local culture. The kind of museum is not important. What is important is the specific exhibit that you select for review. The only requirement is that the exhibit must have some connection in its presentation and context related to technology and its social impact.
Your exhibit review should contain accurate facts, include a human-interest story line if that is part of the exhibit, and be written in a mechanically clean-to-the-point style. Try not to select “traditional” exhibits (i.e., Model-T cars) unless there is something unique to the exhibit. You are looking for something that most people view only as “factual”, but adding the element of cultural or social awareness to that exhibit. You may wish to review some drafted newspaper exhibit reviews, which are easily accessible in the Sunday New York Times and other newspapers. Generally, weekend editions have exhibit reviews. This assignment should be brief, no less than two pages of text (double spaced), and no more than three pages of text, strictly enforced. Be sure to give credit to the sources.
This assignment does not require extensive research. It is a review, so consider what message this exhibit (or item) is conveying to the audience and whether this exhibit was effective or not. Is there an underlying message for the museum visitor in this exhibit or is it only a display of facts? Is it a worthwhile exhibit to visit? Why or why not? Be specific and balance descriiptive details review language. This is a writing assignment, so pay attention to all mechanical details. As part of the evaluation, I will look for clarity of purpose, content, and writing mechanics.
