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THE EVOLUTION OF AN EXHIBIT
THE EVOLUTION OF AN EXHIBIT
New & Improved Explorers Landing is an Adventure for All Ages
This January brought a new addition to the Museum’s slate of permanent exhibitions.
Explorers Landing has existed as a children’s gallery at the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center since the early 1990s, growing over time to include community favorites like the Bubble Cave and McGregor’s Market. While the space has evolved over the past three decades, it was time for a major revamp.
Starting in early 2020, the Museum embarked on an 18-month journey that has culminated in Exploring Our Town, a hands-on educational exhibit that fosters curiosity and tells the story of Clarksville. It was a collaborative effort from a diverse team of professionals, from within and outside of the Museum, to create this enduring installation that Museum visitors will enjoy for years to come.
AFTER
NEED, OPPORTUNITY, COMMITMENT
This endeavor was set in motion in February 2020 with a call from the Downtown Kiwanis Club of Clarksville, which has been serving Montgomery County since 1920. Dan Black, Club President at the time, reached out to Executive Director Frank Lott and explained that the Kiwanis Club was looking to fund a project for children, asking if the Museum was planning any new installations. Lott replied that the children’s floor was in serious need of renovation, and after meetings with the club’s executive committee and board, the Museum received a financial commitment for the project.
In May 2021, the Museum also submitted a grant proposal to the Clarksville-Montgomery County Community Health Foundation, which supports projects designed to promote the general health of local residents. In addition to the exhibit encouraging healthy choices, Explorers Landing aims to facilitate free play for children of all ages, to the benefit of their mental and physical health. The Museum received a commitment of $150,000 from each of these title sponsors, making the renovation financially possible.
“The need led to an opportunity, which led to a commitment – that's how these success stories happen,” said Lott. “It’s a story about our community, funded within our community.”
Before & After
EXHIBIT DESIGN
The Museum retained exhibit designer Miriam Owen, whose designs can be seen at museums and businesses all over Tennessee and beyond. The Wade Bourne Nature Center at Rotary Park is an example of her recent work in Clarksville. For a project of this magnitude, an exhibit designer provides services similar to an architect, not only establishing the specifications of what needs to be built, but also determining the color palette, types of materials and a project timeline.
After an initial meeting in May 2020, Owen and the Museum team developed full-color conceptual illustrations and schematic drawings throughout the year. The Customs House building presented the unique challenge of designing in a space that is over 120 years old with extensive structural limitations. For Owen, the challenge is part of the creative process – the eccentricities of an older building mandated the flow of how everything would work together. By the beginning of 2021, the team finalized floorplans, elevations and the exhibit's overall storyline.
“In a children’s exhibit, I always strive to make it engaging for both children and parents,” said Owen. “It’s great to see how they can play and interact together. It's all about play.”
CONTENT DEVELOPMENT AND GRAPHIC DESIGN
The rest of 2021 was spent finalizing text, images and design. The content development for this exhibit brought together all Museum departments, assembling a crew that included Executive Director Frank Lott, Curator of Education Sue Lewis, Curator of Collections Anna Woten, Content Editor Becky Wood, Board Member Larry Richardson, Exhibit Preparator Randy Spurgeon and consulting scientist Laurina Lyle, PhD. Together, the group crafted an exhibit that highlights the different elements that impacted the establishment and growth of Clarksville, such as geology, farming, architecture, transportation and the Cumberland River.
As the exhibit content was finalized, graphic designer Karen Lyle came on board to set the visual tone and turn those words and images into what is seen in Explorers Landing today. As a graphic artist, Lyle takes the specifications from the exhibit designer and the content developed by the Museum staff and interprets them artistically. Once she heard the tagline “An Adventure for All Ages,” she was inspired to create a badge similar to those given in a children's scouting program.
“Because the exhibit is titled Exploring Our Town, I created art that represents Clarksville – specifically the very recognizable 1898 Museum building where this exhibit is housed,” explained Lyle. The result is colorful and inviting, bringing together the past, present and future to tell the story of what makes Clarksville the town it is today.
Karen Lyle, Graphic Designer
EXHIBIT FABRICATION AND INSTALLATION
Exploring Our Town needed to be custom built by highlyskilled exhibit fabricators. In June 2021, the winning fabrication bid went to 1220 Exhibits, a Nashville firm. From the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio to the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, 1220 Exhibits is a nationally recognized leader in the production and installation of exhibits. Their work is also on display at the Museum in Becoming Clarksville: Honoring Legacies of Leadership in Heritage Hall.
Explorers Landing was closed to the public at the end of November to begin the final phase of the renovation and installation process. The space was completely overhauled to make room for new wall graphics and engaging elements, like the new car ramp, light-up LED murals and other interactive components. For two months, 1220 collaborated with the Museum’s exhibits and facilities staff on every detail, down to the smallest finishing touches.
Exploring Our Town was made possible by Kiwanis Club of Clarksville, the Clarksville Montgomery County Health Foundation, Clarksville Gas & Water, Providence Builders, F&M Bank and CDE Lightband.
AN ADVENTURE FOR ALL AGES
After an official ribbon cutting on January 28, 2022, Exploring Our Town opened to Museum members and the general public on Saturday, January 29. The Museum had over 600 visitors during the exhibit’s opening weekend, which was celebrated with extra giveaways and take-home activities for kids. It was an exciting and proud moment for everyone at the Museum, but particularly for Curator of Education Sue Lewis, who has seen Explorers Landing evolve since its very beginning over 30 years ago.
Frank Lott, Executive Director
“Exploring Our Town provides children with a physical opportunity to discover more about their town, learn of its past and recognize the workers who build and sustain it, while inspiring their own dreams of the future,” said Lewis. “It was the opening of McGregor’s Market in 2010 that gave me the idea of one day telling Clarksville’s story through history and science-based interactives. I'm grateful to everyone who came together on this project to make that dream a reality.”
Explorers Landing is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10am to 4:30pm, and Sunday, 1pm to 4:30pm.
customshousemuseum.org/exhibits/explorers-landing
