By John Terwilliger

So we made it. December 7 was our final class meeting. It has been a challenging road to get to this point – at least for me. But we made it. For this week of class we wrapped up some loose ends that needed to be addressed. We began with presentations from teams working on satellite displays at locations on campus: the University Library, Cavanaugh Hall, the Campus Center, and the Ruth Lilly Law Library. A representative  from each location joined us to give feedback on the work and help shape the final installation. 

The planning that went into these proposals was substantial. The teams that presented their proposals during this class had to create a concept that would be suitable for an audience that is both diverse and specific. What I mean by this is that these on-campus displays will possibly be seen by hundreds, if not thousands, of IUPUI students, faculty, and staff. They come from diverse and multifaceted backgrounds that reflect different nationalities, ethnicities, religions, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, academic paths, and socio-economic levels. However, they all share one thing. They are all members of the  IUPUI campus community. This is what binds them and gives them a somewhat shared perspective. Each team presented a proposal that considered the nature of its primary audience on the IUPUI campus.. In addition, the representatives of these venues provided great feedback and suggestions that will help these teams reach even higher. 

During this class we also had a discussion with Dražen, Olinka, and Charlotte about the layout of the installation that will be at Herron Galleries. We considered  a large amount of information and we saw that even more decisions will be made after this class is finished. We can all take pride in the fact that we all helped this project get to where it is today.

The Berkshire, Paul, and Reese Galleries on the ground floor of Eskenazi Hall that will, in the near future, house the MBR Indianapolis exhibit. Source: https://herron.iupui.edu/galleries/index.html

I have learned a great deal from my time in this class. I have gained many new insights and ways of thinking about curation and exhibit making. I think we can all agree that this has been a very fruitful experience that we have all benefited from. No matter if you came from an art background or museum background there was, most definitely, something that you gained from this class. 

Our work with the Museum of Broken Relationships has been one of the most eye opening experiences I have had in this program. It has helped me to see, even just slightly, into the professional world of curatorial practice. I know that one project cannot represent all varieties of curatorial work, but I also know that I will be building directly on my experiences in this course in my museum career.  

John Terwilliger is a second-year MA student in the IUPUI Museum Studies Program.