The idea came to John Huling, Director of the North Bennington Museum and Historical Society, in 2003 while hiking around Vermont.
"I purchased a GPS device to use the "mark" feature for favorite spots along unmarked trails. This way when my wife Joni and I wanted to go back to some of our favorite places we could easily return to them. I would write extensive notes in the memo area of the GPS about the view or specific information about that spot. I have been in various museum and history projects for more than 20 years and I thought that this "marking" concept could be put to great use with a museum."
Google Earth Maps is a great example of how a very specific location can be "marked" on a map using "meta-data" with text that uses a hyper-link to a website, to a photo, a video or anything else you want. Many people use this already to find hotels, stores, museums and many other locations they are interested in.
If it were not for my accidentally meeting Larry Powers of the old Powers Market and General Store here in North Bennington, this whole thing probably would not have happened. He was telling me he had wanted to see North Bennington have it's own Museum and Historical Society for 30 years but could never seem to find the way to do it. Never enough money! I wondered that very moment if the idea I had would work. The more I researched the more I knew it would. We started this with only a few local village people. I think only about 10. It was through their encouragement and enthusiasm this "Museum Without Walls" happened.
As it turns out Allan Doyle at MIT/Cambridge University is working on a similar project for their campus and library. We are in the process of developing this concept further as an open source idea for museums and galleries world wide.
"North Bennington Museum's-Museums Without Walls" is the perfect testing ground for this innovative new approach. We are implementing and testing this new concept in our village in cooperation with Cambridge University and MIT. In return we will be documenting and sharing our findings along with any recommendations with MIT.
With more than 40 historic buildings dating back to the 1700's/1800's we will be linking the old and new pictures, videos and stories to our website with maps. Using WI-FI mobile devices such as the new "i-phone" from apple (or almost any new phone with wi-fi internet) you will be able to stand on a historic landmark while you read about, view a video or old photographs of what it used to look like.
Vermont planning on being a completely "wired" "wi-fi" state so this will work almost anywhere and most certainly will in the future.
"Any small town will be able to have a "Museum Without Walls". You just need a website and a few people to get it going."
Just as a foot note...the last North Bennington Vermont Historical Society President was John Huling's great, great Uncle Milo Huling. For a time he was law partners with Hilland Hall. "Full Circle I guess!
Museum Without Walls (part 2)
When looking for space, which could house a main gallery of Historical Artifacts and Art, the North Bennington's Historical Society and Museum Director, John Huling decided that, rather than limit the location of a Museum to a single building, we would instead create a new model for a museum, not just for our museum, but for museums anywhere in the world...a "Museum Without Walls".
Our entire community is a great place for a museum and art exhibition space using the whole town. The "wall-less" space, will present history and art from the whole community by presenting art installations, projects, performances, and other related events. We are involving the "whole town". Individuals and community groups as well as students from elementary schools, middle and high schools and colleges will be able to participate.
It requires little or no paid museum staff. We have already started soliciting proposals from local historians, artists, community associations, and other interested groups. The response has been great.
We are also exploring ideas for locations and community partners for non-gallery visual arts projects, including performance pieces, temporary installations, long-term sited works, and art events that reflects the local history of the Village of North Bennington Vermont that dates back nearly 250 years.
One of the primary goals of the Museum Without Walls of North Bennington is to have local historians, artists and community members work in collaboration to enliven public spaces in and around North Bennington by placing meaningful historical artifacts and artwork in businesses, parks, lobbies, store windows, parking lots, libraries, and other spaces that reflect the history of it's people and their daily life in North Bennington throughout its long history.
The Museum Without Walls of North Bennington is the first of it's kind as is working in collaboration with MIT-Cambridge University, Google, Apple Computer, the Vermont State Historical Society as well as many others. |