My Super Secret Reconnaissance Mission
Can you keep a secret? Shhh, of course you can, citizens of the internet.
Just kidding, this isn't actually that much of a secret (hence the public blog post): I visited the Witte Museum as a regular visitor without telling anyone who I was or that I would begin my internship there in just a few days.
I actually recommend this practice, for several reasons.
-You can actually see what the institution is really like to its visitors, no airbrushing of what goes on in everyday interactions or how many people visit and how they interact with the staff and collections.
-You can totally goof off and try out all of the fun interactive elements
-You can analyze the many different elements and choices involved in the exhibitions and take notes (or in my case a crazy amount of pictures, when permitted, because it's less conspicuous). Not only do you get a better sense of what the museum is about and how they go about it, but also you can learn what to do/not do by seeing how these practices hold up against real audiences.
-You get to see ALL the things on display (Not just whatever particular materials you will be working on).
-You can witness how staff work together and with visitors.
-It's kind of fun to go places incognito.
So I had a blast exploring the different exhibition areas, including the origin of this post's cover art, an interactive health exhibit where visitors type in their name and receive a barcoded paper which they then scan in to use a variety of fun stations and activities, including holding a metal bar to see your very own heartbeat on a screen, virtually biking along the river, and walking across a particular area to have your walking captures and analyzed. Each activity adds to your profile, and when you complete particular essential stations they are added to a general profile which you can then print out at the end. The cover image shows me striding leisurely but purposefully with one hand holding on to my handy tote purse and the other holding various brochures, maps, and other essential papers:
This area was, of course, only one of several within the environs of the Witte Museum, which I enjoyed enough that I could make this an uncomfortably long blog post going item by item through the whole thing. With exhibition spaces for all ages regarding health, science, South Texas history (in multiple eras with multiple ethnic groups), and art, as well as utilizing technology in some really fun and intriguing ways, the Witte is definitely a winner in my book. Now on with the internship!