Blog Assignment 003

Since we are looking the Greensboro Historical Museum’s current inability to convey their identity or relate themselves with Greensboro, I had that on my mind during our DC trip. A museum that pulls you in with a spark of personality has a good understanding of their identity and has managed to reflect that character out. The American History Museum was the most successful museum I visited during the trip. The lobby space is very open and bright and is constructed with more modern materials than your average Smithsonian museum. The American flag that greets the arriving visitors gives the visitor an idea of what to expect. This is a museum that captures the history of America, but on a cultural and social level. The museum managed to instill in me a sense of pride in America’s past and unreasonably high hopes for our future. I thought this lobby space effectively reflected its intentions and projected a good portrayal of its identity.On the outside, all these museums belong to the Smithsonian style as a whole. On entering the building the museum has their opportunity to entice and inform the visitor about what they have to offer. Some museums, like the American History Museum, do it well. 

During my presentation I compared the success I found in the American History Museum to the less effective lobby spaces of the Sackler Gallery and the American Portrait Gallery. In my visual I showed each museum's exterior, entrance, exhibit example (to give an idea of their true identity). I'm terrified of public speaking, and tend to block out public speaking experiences. I feel like I didn't do as badly as I feared I would do, but hope I can improve for future presentations. I don't think the speaking center presentation helped me much for this presentation. I knew the standard speech organization that they instructed us to follow, so I didn't get much new out of it. 

[image sources]

   •http://www.visitingdc.com/museum/american-history-museum-washington-dc.htm

•http://attractions.uptake.com/museums.html

• http://www.foreclosurelistings.com/list/DC/DISTRICT%20OF%20COLUMBIA/WASHINGTON/resources/

•http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jan/30/and-then-there-were-six/