Thanks to feedback from our visitors, the Gallery of California History continues to change. This month, I interviewed Exhibition Coordinator Courtney Cunningham to find out what we’ve learned from our visitors, and what those changes will mean in the new gallery.

Q: I understand that our May 1 opening was really a “soft opening” for the Gallery of California History. Can you explain what that means?
A: Our design plans centered on creating permanent galleries that were flexible and changeable, and that would be able to quickly respond to the needs of our visitors. We decided a “soft opening” would allow us to flesh out our ideas, test them with visitors once we were open, and then improve the exhibits based on their feedback.

Q: What did you learn from the opening weekend and the time that we’ve been open?
A: Right off the bat we learned some really basic things: where we need more light, which parts of the gallery tend to get crowded, and which areas people are missing because it’s not obvious that something interesting is there. We started working on solutions to these issues immediately after opening weekend.

As time passes, we are hearing more questions about the artifacts on display. We want to answer their questions without cluttering the walls with endless labels. In response, we are testing artifact booklets that contain an image and brief description of each object in the gallery—the initial version is out on the floor now, but we’ll continue to refine the format.

Q: What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned?
A: People in our “Cultures Meet” space were so captivated by the environment of that small room that they were walking head first into the large glass windows along the wall! We like to think they were captivated…more likely the space just needs more lighting. We’re fixing that, and adding a vinyl graphic like those you would add to your sliding glass window so birds won’t fly into it. Luckily, no injuries have yet been reported!

We experienced so much traffic during the opening weekend, and it was heartening to see how well our exhibits held up. We now know where we need to better protect our precious objects from well-meaning fingers, but also learned that the average visitor will happily keep their distance anywhere we have made it clear that hands are not allowed. We’ll be working continuously to encourage friendly but safe interactions between our visitors and our collection.

Q: What other sections or new plans can we expect in the Gallery of California History?
A: In the coming weeks we expect to open our Story Studio, located in the “Making History” space near the back of the gallery. Visitors will be able to step inside a room to record their their own California story, and give opinions on a variety of rotating topics. The recordings will then play in a lounge outside the studio.

Visitors are already testing elements of our new “Creative Hollywood” space. This section, slated to open in November, will introduce men and women who came from all over the world to work in the movie industry in Los Angeles. Visitors will be able to try their hand at the art of moviemaking by participating in hands-on activities that explore the work of costume design, animation, and Foley editing.

And watch out for the “Making History” portion of the gallery. In this prototype area, we are now asking visitors what they think are the most important events and issues from the last 35 years in California history. We will use their responses to develop a more permanent display that examines recent history and looks toward the future.

A visitor in the "Forces of Change" exhibit adds a note. Photo: Dino Morrow.