Omaha Children's Museum

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June and July 2004 issue

Contents:

Exhibit Designer Gives Shape to Titantic Story

Letter From Lindy
I did not grow up fascinated with the story of the Titanic. I was an old movie maniac. Suffering from bouts of insomnia at a very early age, I would stay up all night in my room, with my little black and white television (the kind you had to wiggle the antenna to get a good picture) and watch old movies. This was a time before late night talk shows, reruns of syndicated television programs and cable TV. So I’d watch old movies, over and over again, commercials and all.

My big screen idol was Debbie Reynolds in “The Unsinkable Molly Brown.” I loved the lavish costumes, the incredible song and dance scenes and the romantic storyline. I wanted to be Molly Brown, dancing and singing on the big ship and making a new life for myself in New York. I was caught up in the dream of the story, the excitement of times. I knew that the ship she was on, The Titanic, sunk, but that was just a minor detail in the whole glamorous story.

I am now fascinated with the story of the Titanic, as a symbol of hope, an enchanting glimpse at history and an ending that is real and not overly romanticized. I have been sharing the story of the Titanic with my step-daughters ages 12, 8 and 5. We have read Titanic novels, trivia books, watched the movie with Leonardo diCaprio, cried together at the end and challenged anyone who comes through our doors to a game of Titanic Trivia. The girls are caught up in the excitement of this beautiful exhibit, telling a wonderfully human story. Although they know the ship sank and people died, they accept this as part of the story and focus on the hope, romance and mystery surrounding this historical voyage.

Omaha Children’s Museum made a careful decision to bring this exhibit to Omaha. This exhibition has been beautifully designed and tells an honest account of the making, sailing, sinking and discovery of one of the world’s greatest ships. It is an appropriate story for children to be told, and they will come away from the experience with a sense of hope, excitement and gratitude for being exposed to a true account of history. I hope you will make time to share this remarkable story with your children this summer.

"Exhibit Designer Gives Shape to Titantic Story
The perfect three-act play--that’s how Mark Lach describes the history of the Titanic. It’s no wonder, as the designer of Titanic: The Artifact Exhibit comes from a background in theater.

It begins with the hope and optimism of the ship’s design and construction in the first act. Its maiden voyage and tragic sinking rounds out the second act. The third act caps the story with the discovery of the wreck and the recovery of many of its artifacts.

Lach, vice president of Creative and Design for RMS Titanic Inc., used that dramatic model when developing the exhibit in 1997. RMS Titanic Inc. had displayed the artifacts in occasional temporary exhibits beginning in the late 1980s.

As the only company allowed under international law to recover, conserve and display artifacts, RMS Titanic Inc. had more to do than create and market an exhibit. In 1997, an exhibit company stepped in to create a traveling exhibit that would tell the story of Titanic with a focus on some of the many thousands of artifacts recovered.

That’s where Mark Lach came in. With years of experience in theater and communications, Lach brought with him the skills necessary to effectively tell the story of the Titanic. Lach said, “It used to be an artifact-only exhibit, less experiencial and theatrical. We provided backdrops for the artifacts which give you a sense of the human side of the story.”

Lach insisted, however, that the artifacts remain the focus of the exhibit.

“All the theatrical support is second to the objects. With the objects, however, we can provide backdrops to give people reference. You do not do that with flourescent lighting.”

Indeed, lighting, some of it creating water-like patterns in blue, other times bathing artifacts in a warm sepia, creates much of the mood. Lach also uses music that changes as visitors move from the ship-building area, to the Titanic’s cafe, to a room depicting the sinking. There is even wood underfoot as visitors explore the ship’s construction.

“All these tools are available to a theatrical designer,” said Lach. “I come from that world. It’s what I know.”

Even with all the theatrical trappings, there are lots of high tech additions Lach avoids. “Certainly there are incredible opportunities with technology that I’m not taking advantage of right now--for instance the floor could move just as a ship does. Instead, I want you to slow down and take advantage of the artifacts and the people who sailed aboard.”

In fact, the pace or flow of the exhibit is crucial to the visitor experience. Because it is a story that takes place over many years and includes thousands of people, Lach explained that it can be easy to include too much information. Doing so, he feels, would sacrifrice the story’s impact.

“You need a break and a time to reflect,” said Lach. “There are hills and valleys.”

Some of the rooms can be somewhat emotional, some less so. Some of the rooms are full of artifacts, some only a few.

With five exhibits touring at any given time, the decision of what to include in any one exhibit comes back to the history of the Titanic. Certain pieces highlight the story, such as the D Deck door that first class passengers would have used to disembark in New York had the ship arrived safely. The objects chosen add telling detail to a familiar tale.

“The challenge is that you already know the ending,” said Lach, “but you may not know how we got there.”

For Lach, there is no end in site. With over 14 million visitors to Titanic: The Artifact Exhibit, it has become the most visited exhibit ever. Omaha marks the first city in which RMS Titanic Inc. is touring the exhibit. That means even more travel for Lach, who oversees all of the installations. After Omaha, the other four exhibits open in Salt Lake City; Manchester, England; Philadelphia and Shanghai, China.

Despite its size and international audience, the exhibit’s chief value is its ability to connect with people, according Lach. That connection of visitors to history also inspires Lach.

“What I value most is being able to engage people but to do it with real history and with emotion and substance.”

Great Expectations
Omaha Children's Museum Met Them in 2004-2005

In 2002 – 2003, Omaha Children’s Museum changed what people came to expect of the museum. Grossology, the science center renovation, the first New Year’s Eve family party and a record-setting May fundraising event all gave members, guests and donors a sense of that which the museum was capable of doing. The question became, “How do we raise expectations again?”

This last fiscal year, ending June 2004, the museum staff and board believes that they have set a new standard yet again.
Titanic: The Artifact Exhibit opened in May with a city-wide and even regional awareness of the traveling exhibit. But that was just the latest in a string of successes the museum enjoyed. Also in May, the museum’s “For the Kids” Benefit brought in over 600 attendees and in excess of $200,000.

Kristine Gerber, board president 2003 – 2004, said “I am most proud of the re-energization of the museum. There is excitement wherever you look. There’s enthused staff and board, excellent exhibits and programming and families from all parts of the city experiencing the museum.”

Joe Seda, who succeeds Gerber in 2004 - 2005 as board president, echoed those remarks, “As wonderful as Titanic is, the most exciting thing is the overall sense of newness and vitality that thas happened over the last year and a half.”

That enthusiasm and energy has not gone unnoticed, resulting in a measurable response from the community.

“While museums across the country have struggled, the museum experienced a 48 percent increase in attendance and doubled its memberships,” said Gerber.

Gerber credits much of the success to Executive Director Lindy Hoyer and her staff.

“This has allowed the Board to move from managing the fiscal and day-to-day operations of the museum to concentrating on more far-reaching efforts, including development of a master plan, marketing the museum to the community and raising dollars to make our dreams a reality,” said Gerber.

In fact, throughout the last fiscal year, the most ambitious step taken by the museum was the development of a Master Plan for Programs and Exhibits for the next decade and beyond. With the expertise of Paul Richard, a seasoned museum professional turned consultant, Omaha Children’s Museum scouted out other hands-on museums in the region, including those in St. Louis, Chicago and Indianapolis and culled the best and most applicable practices of those peer organizations to apply in Omaha.

The museum also looked locally, conducting workshops in the community, which filled in the master plan with specific recommendations for programs and exhibits.

“The information was compiled, the initial plans drawn and, believe me, they are incredible!” said Gerber

Even on a small scale the museum made marked improvements, renovating the Rainbow Farm by adding animal costumes, a milking cow, informative signs and a mural that encompasses the entire area. The building’s exterior was repaired and repainted, giving the museum a whole new look outside.

In total, 2002 – 2003 marked a year of successes that built on those of the year before and laid the groundwork for the museum’s future.

As much planning and forethought went into activities for the upcoming fiscal year, 2004 - 2005, the execution is key, according Seda.

Some of the projects will see fruition as early as October, when the museum unveils it Haunted Castle. The “not-so-scary” Halloween event will take place on the museum’s second floor throughout October. The museum intends to recreate the castle every year, creating a fun Halloween tradition at the museum.

Also appearing at the museum next year is Invention At Play, a hands-on exhibit that demonstrates how the process of invention is very much like play. The exhibit also looks at the people who created some of the inventions that are in use today, showing how those inventors were a lot like everyone else.

Seda sees these developments as building on improvements and accomplishments that people are recognizing at the museum.

“A year from now, I see the museum playing an even greater role in the lives of Omaha children and visitors to the area," said Seda, "making Omaha Children's Museum the place that visitors to Omaha think about when they think about Omaha. We're getting there."

Benefit Sets Records
May Day was big for Omaha Children's Museum this year. About 600 guests showed up that night for a colorful, casual party, marking the 25th anniversary of the "For the Kids" benefit.

The museum's biggest fundraiser of the year grossed $260,000, with nearly $92,000 coming from the evening's oral auction.

$36,000 of that money came from the "raise-the-pallet" donations dedicated toward building a "Haunted Castle." Plans call for this Haunted Castle to be an annual, interactive exhibit that will open every October at Omaha Children's Museum.

Also featrued in the oral auction were five unique benches, created by local artists. This is the second year that the benefit's organizers have included benches in the oral auction, and once again, their sales brought in thousands. Also, three of the five benches were donated back to the museum.

Access 66, led by chef Arturo Valenzuela, catered the May Day dinner, that featured California mixed greens in a balsamic vinaigrette, filet mignon, herb-crusted sea bass with lobster sauce, red pepper duchess potatoes, fresh seasonal vegetable sauté and for dessert, a chocolate mousse in a chocolate May Day basket with berries.

The evening also featured an extensive silent auction, a martini bar and a raffle that sold Borsheim's boxes instead of raffle tickets. Winners received gifts or certificates from Borsheim's and Regency Court.

Honorary chairs for the 25th annual "For the Kids" benefit were Barb and Bill Fitzgerald and Betsy and Bob Reed. Co-chairs were Kelli Draper, Stacie Reed and Gabrielle Mormino. The 2003-2004 president of the Rainbow Connectors Guild is Heather Russell.