David Allison - Multidisciplinary Exhibits

The Challenge of Multi-Disciplinary Exhibits Although I present my topic as a particular question, it has broad ramifications. How can the Smithsonian develop effective multi-disciplinary exhibits in the 21st century? By this I meanexhibits that not only integrate objects and themes from different areas of learning: art, science, culture, and history, but also employ some of the different techniques used in different types of museums. I am led to think seriously about this question because I am heading a committee that is planning the reopening the Arts and Industries building at the Smithsonian, which has been closed since 2004. When it reopens, we want to make it a gateway to the entire Smithsonian of the 21st century, orientingvisitors not only physically, but also intellectually. We want them to understand the interconnections between the broad range of Smithsonian research and collecting. In some ways, this is a return to the beginning. When the building opened in the late 19th Century as “The United States National Museum”, it was the Smithsonian’s ONLY museum building and its exhibitions covered all areas of knowledge. George B. Goode, the Assistant Director of the National Museum, described the broad original goal of the National Museum this way: Collections should form a museum of anthropology, the word “anthropology” being applied in its most comprehensive sense. [The museum classification] should exhibit the physical characteristics, the history, the manners, past and present, of all peoples, civilized and savage, and should illustrate human culture and industry in all their phases; the earth, its physical structure and its products, is to be exhibited with special reference to its adaptation for use by man and its resources for his future needs. The classification proposed should provide a place for every object in existence which it is possible to describe, or which may be designated by a name. When the object itself cannot be obtained, its place should be supplied by a model, picture, or diagram. What a grand scheme! In retrospect, it is interestingthat “anthropology” was seen as the overarching discipline, not history. If anyone dared to propose a vision so broad today, it is more likely that they would do so under the banner of history than of anthropology. As the Smithsonian has grown over the last 125 years, it has fragmented. Different disciplines have each been accorded their own museum: Natural History, Air and Space, American History. And American history itself is fragmenting along racial and ethnic lines: American Indian History and Culture, African American History and Culture, Latino History and Culture, Asian-American History and Culture. This mirrors what has happened in universities and other scholarly institutions, as specialization and discipline formation have continued to expand. Yet the allure of having the pieces of the Smithsonian fit together endures. For visitors it remains more than a vague ideal, it is a practical issue. They come to

Washington wantingto understand and see “The Smithsonian.” They want to know about the whole, not just the parts. Today we would never try to develop, as Goode did, a universal structure of all knowledge, which conceptually has a place for every object ever made or discovered within one grand system. But amulti-disciplinary look at important subjects remains appealing. For us today, that is, the goal is not comprehensive coverage, but complementary perspectives. Take, for example, the topic of sustainability, or more broadly, the relation of human beings to the natural environment. Since the 1980s, human sustainability has implied the integration of economic, social and environmental spheres to: “meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Considered broadly, this is an area of research and collecting that involvesmost areas of the Smithsonian. Smithsonianscience and research centers focus heavily on cataloging plant and animal species, and helping preserve their natural diversity. They also study long term trends in climate change and habitat variation at locations around the world. At American History, we investigate past transformation in economic systems and look at the issue of sustainability as fundamental in the present and future. We see sustainability in historical context. The Cooper Hewitt museum investigates design approaches related to sustainable living. The art museums have many collections of artistic expressions of how humans view their relationship to nature and its resources. Would an exhibit that integratedthis range of perspectives on sustainability in a way that would engage and inform visitors? I believe it would. The first step would be bringing together the specialists from different museum perspectives and having them discuss seriously how their different ways of looking at subjects related to sustainability both contrast and complement each other. We might highlight areas in which the Smithsonian has had long-term scientific interests, such as the Chesapeake Bay or Panama, and examine how perspectives from history, art, and culture add to the scientific research we have been doing. Each discipline would bring its own set of questions. Scientists might focus on examining the chemical, physical, and biological data to look for patterns. Historians might focus on changes in the political, social and economic context for different time periods. Artists and designers might look at aesthetic qualities of the area, or art pieces that relate to it. Cultural study groups might examine the different people groups involved in the areas and how their cultures had changed. How can these perspectives be intertwined? We should also consider the different approaches of museum professionals from these various areas. Art and design museums often focus solely on distinct pieces of

art or design, leading visitors to look intently at individual objects. History museums frequently excel at putting objects in context, with supporting graphics, environments, or media. Science museums frequently help visitors understand first principles of phenomena, and how they can be measured and analyzed. What would it take to blend these approaches effectively? Envisioning an exhibition on this topic should be a rich subject for discussion.