Press Coverage of Museum Environments’ Latest Project for the Smithsonian Latino Center Gallery
The Smithsonian Latino Center’s first gallery space, the Molina Family Latino Gallery, will be dedicated to celebrating the U.S. Latino experience and open at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in 2021. The gallery, designed by Museum Environments/Branded Environments LLC, will feature 4,500 square feet of bilingual stories for all audiences. Rotating exhibitions featuring multimedia activities, objects and first-person narratives will be complemented by participatory experiences and viewer-generated content.* Smithsonian New Release
NBC News link
A California family's donation leads to the Smithsonian's first permanent Latino gallery
Washington Post link
New gallery will be first in a Smithsonian museum to focus on U.S. Latino experience
Concept design sketch of the entrance experience
El Foro (The Forum) Interactive Oral History space
The "Making Home" exhibit concept design sketch
Museum of Chinese in America (NY) Exhibit
On the Shelves of Kam Wah Chung is an immersive exhibition that celebrates the medical practice of Ing “Doc” Hay who became a prominent figure in eastern Oregon after the California Gold Rush. Practicing out of the Kam Wah Chung & Co. general store in a town called John Day, the exhibition includes Chinese patent medicines developed by the doctor, as well as archival materials such as historical photographs, patient records and correspondences with non-Chinese settlers. In doing so, the exhibition provides an illustration of day-to-day life in the region, and a lesser-known history of Chinese immigration in the Pacific Northwest.
On the Shelves of Kam Wah Chung General Store and Apothecary in John Day, Oregon
April 26, 2018 – September 9, 2018
Client: Museum of Chinese in American (New York)
Curators:
Andrew Rebatta, Associate Curator
Herb Hoi Chum Tam, Curator and director of exhibitions
Design Concept: The design produces an immersive environment that recreates the environment of the apothecary in the richness of color, the density of detail, the scale of space, and a quaint sense of sensual luxury. Large-scale reproductions of photographs of the different rooms and shelves of the apothecary are placed on the walls and on translucent curtains. Object cases are placed on top along with graphic panels to add to a layered effect that produces a boundless immersive space. The curators wished to provide the visitor with an experience conveying the rich heritage of Chinese in America.
Design Scope:750 sq. ft.
Re-used existing cases, Graphic murals, printed textile curtains, and direct to medium printed on wood panels.
The exhibit is in English and Chinese (simplified, Mandarin).
On the Shelves of Kam Wah Chung is organized in conjunction with the Kam Wah Chung Heritage Site, which is maintained by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.
https://www.nps.gov/places/kam-wah-chung-company-building.htm
Our Services
Museum Environments offers a complete menu of services to help our clients express their vision clearly and powerfully. We have a long history of designing for large institutions such as the Smithsonian, and a breadth of expertise that has allowed us to help diverse smaller institutions complete their projects.
Our core capabilities include:
Exhibit Design: ME designs permanent and temporary exhibits for museums and other cultural institutions. We lead the process from concept to installation.
Interpretive Planning: ME’s content planning process focuses on building visitor experiences that align with the organization’s mission.
Content Development and Coordination: ME provides a content management structure that ensures the final exhibition meets the organization’s curatorial and educational goals. We also coordinate with the registrars to ensure proper installation and protection of artifacts.
Interactive Design: ME designs both digital and physical interactive displays. ME provides the user experience design and outsources the appropriate digital developers to produce effective and affordable solutions.
Print Design: ME designs catalogs and brochures for exhibits. We follow the institution’s branding standards to produce a graphic style that is consistent with its visual heritage and presents an aspirational vision. Our editorial production and publishing expertise allows use to advise clients on the best ways to produce print products while meeting budget targets.
Branding: ME designs logos and comprehensive visual identities for organizations, exhibits and festivals. We build a unique visual language that communicates client values and goals. We deploy that visual identity in print collateral, signage and environmental graphics.
Architectural Coordination: ME has trained architects that can work with architects when needed during installation of exhibits. We have CAD capabilities and we understand architectural drawings.
Museum Experience Planning: Drawing on our expertise in user experience design and institutional branding ME produces a coherent experience for visitors.
Bilingual and Multicultural Assessment: ME reviews your visitor experience with the perspective of multicultural fluency. We evaluate the access to content for non-English speakers and examine how institutional communications translate in multicultural environments.
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Story-board of entry experience to Walt Disney Family Museum
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