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El Paso Museum of Art
El Paso, Texas
Drawing inspiration from Rachel Rose’s "Lake Valley,” the El Paso Museum of Art furnished an interpretive activity space that offered four different projects designed for families and visitors of all ages. One of the offerings involved a felt story board, in which a large-format board was positioned on a wall alongside felt cutouts of forms and colors found in “Lake Valley.” Instead of a response wall, where people could write reflections and comments, visitors were encouraged to tell their stories by selecting different felt pieces and assembling their own felt mural inspired by “Lake Valley.” Museum staff observed daily changes to the composition of the felt wall, as visitors rearranged scenes and landscapes inspired by their own perspectives of the artwork.
As this was its first video exhibition, the El Paso Museum of Art wanted to offer storytelling-based interpretation through the felt board activity, providing audiences—especially younger visitors—with multiple modes of engaging with contemporary art, specifically “Lake Valley.” The museum aimed to have 6,000 visitors interact with this space.
The El Paso Museum of Art observed frequent visitor engagement with the felt wall and increased attendance at its contemporary art exhibitions during this period. Overall, the museum had 4,512 visitors interacting with the activity space. With the success of the felt story board, the museum decided to reutilize the format for a future exhibition, changing the felt shapes to fit the theme of the respective artworks.
Museums looking to engage their visitors in a new and organic way should consider bringing the storytelling power of the felt board into their gallery spaces. The activity helped museum staff gather and interpret visitor insights by offering a creative tactile alternative to traditional written responses. By allowing the board to be reset and redesigned daily, more visitors were given the opportunity to dialogue through creation. Staff also learned that this platform is easily adaptable to fit the needs of other exhibitions.
While visiting Mennello Museum of American Art’s exhibition “In Conversation: Will Wilson,” local elementary, middle, and high school students learned about the artist's photographic methods through hands-on activities involving cyanotypes and film cameras.
The Hyde Collection created a sensory experience in which visitors were invited to create their own 3D cityscape, drawing inspiration from "Richard Estes: Urban Landscapes."
While visiting Mennello Museum of American Art’s exhibition “In Conversation: Will Wilson,” local elementary, middle, and high school students learned about the artist's photographic methods through hands-on activities involving cyanotypes and film cameras.
The Hyde Collection created a sensory experience in which visitors were invited to create their own 3D cityscape, drawing inspiration from "Richard Estes: Urban Landscapes."
