Hosting the OUR BODY: The Universe Within exhibit
this summer was a true pleasure for all of us here at ECHO. This kind of exhibit, which explores relevant
and immediate topics in groundbreaking ways, is what we at science centers live
for. Even now, with the exhibit gone, I’m
filled with excitement about the opportunities
Our Bodies: The Universe Within presented for sharing knowledge
of the human body with our guests. What
I didn’t expect was that this exhibit would be so meaningful to our visitors that
they would share literally thousands of pages of their feelings with us.
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| A 12 year old visitor shares her thoughts |
In the final
room of the exhibit we provided some pens, sticky-note pads, and a reflection
book to give our guests the opportunity to reflect on their experiences in the exhibit and share them. None
of us expected such an overwhelming and mindful collection of thoughts. In
light of their impact on us I want to share some of them with you.
Some of the
comments are thoughtful and introspective: “The exhibit was an amazing and a wonderful
experience to share with my granddaughter” and “That under the skin we’re all
the same.” Others made us laugh out loud: “We’re all just big slabs of meat”
and “It was gross and disturbing, which coming from me is a complement.” And
many of you shared your personal stories: “I’m a twelve year-old girl who wants
to become a doctor. I want to help kids who have brain tumors. My sister who is
now nine had a brain tumor when she was two, now she is out! Thank goodness!
Now I want to help people like her.”
 |
| One wall in the ECHO offices |
Reading all the
comments – yes, we really read them ALL – reminded us how much our guests have to
share. We often think about new exhibits as ways to teach
our visitors about a variety of topics. This exhibit, however, demonstrated how much we can learn from our visitors.
The insights visitors shared with us this summer have encouraged us to incorporate feedback stations like this and other, more sophisticated forms of visitor participation, in our future exhibits.
The insights visitors shared with us this summer have encouraged us to incorporate feedback stations like this and other, more sophisticated forms of visitor participation, in our future exhibits.
Look for new a new way to share comments at our next exhibit, RACE: Are We So Different, opening on Saturday, October 6.
To all our
guests, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and experiences.
We excitedly await what you have to say next.
You can find more feedback from our guests
