by guest blogger Paula Millet, Senior Exhibit Designer, Smithsonian Exhibits The Chief S.O. Alonge Traveling Exhibition is an exhibition, catalogue, and educational project organized and produced by the National Museum of African Art (NMAfA), Smithsonian Institution. Alonge was the official photographer to the Royal Court of Benin, Edo State, Nigeria. He also owned and operated the …
Scaling Up: Making the Minuscule Accessible
A lot of the life on our planet is very, very small. Most of our planet is made up of water. These two ideas are easily memorized, but not as easily grasped. Life in One Cubic Foot at the National Museum of Natural History looks at where these two facts intersect. Scientists placed biocubes, cubes …
Aesthetic Problem Solving: What Does Smithsonian Exhibits Look Like?
With a new name comes a new logo. That sounds simple enough, but a lot more goes into thoughtful design than changing some typefaces and colors. Creating a logo —essentially a visual identity— is an unusual challenge. There are many considerations to keep in mind. We started brainstorming the sort of image we wanted to …
Come One, Come All!
Our open house on October 29th was a rousing success! Colleagues from throughout the Smithsonian, and a few from outside institutions as well, toured our facility in Landover and joined us for lively discussions about exhibitions. This was an all-staff effort, and we had people from all of our services available to discuss what we …
Greetings from…. Smithsonian Exhibits!
You read that right – OEC is now Why change our name? We wanted something that quickly conveys that we are the Smithsonian’s full service exhibit planning, design, and production shop. The new name is clean and simple. It shows that we can work with you from the earliest stages of your project …
Creating a Creative Space for Spark!Lab
Earlier this summer we installed Spark!Lab, a new exhibit by the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation. The exhibit opened on July 1st in the National Museum of American History, and is an interactive space where children ages six through twelve can become inventors through creative experimentation and invention. In order to spark the …
Making a Mural at National Portrait Gallery
The National Portrait Gallery opened One Life: Dolores Huerta on July 3. Huerta was a founder of the United Farm Workers and served as the organization’s lobbyist and contracts negotiator. OEC printed and installed the large mural featured at the entrance to the exhibit, using LexJet Print-N-Stick Fabric. To accommodate the size of the graphic, …
Exploring Fantastic Worlds with Smithsonian Libraries
Fantastic Worlds: Science and Fiction, 1780-1910, a Smithsonian Libraries exhibit, opened in the National Museum of American History on July 1st. It is the first exhibit to open in the recently renovated Smithsonian Libraries Gallery in the museum’s west wing. OEC designed, built, and installed the exhibit, which focuses on early works of science fiction …
Delivering National Postal Museum Graphics
OEC produced the graphics for Freedom Just Around the Corner, a graphic show in the prestigious Postmaster’s Suite at the National Postal Museum. The 57 graphics included small object labels, reader rails, in-case graphics, and large-scale signage. Freedom Just Around the Corner is the National Postal Museum’s first exhibit “devoted entirely to African American history.” …
Sea Lion Sculptures at the National Zoo: Original Art by OEC
OEC’s 3D studio isn’t just for model making. We can create original sculptures, too. Sculptor Lora Collins, who is also the 3D Studio supervisor, designed and sculpted the sea lion statues that were recently installed at the National Zoo. Lora created the sea lion mom and pup using a combination of traditional art techniques and …