In a museum setting, an exhibit refers to a grouping of objects and information that are displayed formally, often in a gallery. Exhibitions can also be presented in other ways, such as in a book or on a computer screen. Exhibitions help to communicate a message or story. They are a way for museums to share the richness of their collections with a broad audience. The goal of an exhibition is to spark discussion, debate, and learning about a specific historical topic or time period.
Museums must engage the public by telling stories that are relevant to their communities and visitors in order to prove that they deserve their tax-exempt status. This requires museums to find new sources, new ways of telling those stories, and new means of making them accessible to the public. This can be done by using new technologies, exploring a range of different formats, and incorporating the voices of people whose histories have been neglected.
An exhibit is a three-dimensional object or artifact displayed formally and publicly, such as a painting on display in a museum or a historical document shown under glass at a history center. Exhibits are part of a broader storytelling framework that includes historical documents, books, maps, films, and multimedia presentations. Exhibits offer a chance for museum visitors to experience a part of the past that they would not otherwise be exposed to and allow them to better understand how that history has shaped our lives today.
A semi-permanent exhibit, this collection of artifacts focuses on the many facets of Kentucky’s history and explores how we have changed as a state and as a nation. Topics include family, immigration, agriculture and foodways, art and craft, business and industry, social justice movements, and more. The exhibits change periodically to give staff an opportunity to tell fresh stories and share the richness of our collections with a new audience.
This exhibit reveals clues to the stories hidden within the heirlooms saved by our families. It looks at the importance of keeping these treasured items and shows how to use the Filson’s genealogy resources.
In this exhibition, Louisville residents and visitors can discover the variety of ways that our community used Tudor Revival architecture to reflect an image of “Merrie Olde England.” This architectural style was not only reflected in homes and businesses, but in the use of ornamentation and products that portrayed an idealized view of a simpler time.
This exhibition showcases a selection of political memorabilia spanning the entire history of American democracy. Including newspaper clippings, posters, pamphlets, buttons and bobbleheads, this collection of election artifacts offers an opportunity to learn about the many different ways in which elections have been won and lost. It is organized by periods of expanding suffrage, allowing visitors to see how the methods used for courting voters have evolved over time.