MSHP: Exhibit Tech (2024)

Position

As MSHP's 2024 Exhibit Technician, I monitor and inspect exhibit areas regularly, promptly addressing any issues or
concerns with tools and troubleshooting as appropriate for signage, audio-visual, lighting and interactive systems within exhibits. I also create and install exhibit components and exhibits as needed through expertise in painting, graphic design and construction.

Stop-gap Solution when an interactive's TV broke

Exhibit Maintenance and Installation

The lion's share of my time at MSHP was spent inspecting exhibits; fixing problems with interactives, signage, and display; and installing new exhibits that were designed and fabricated before I came on board. Often I could completely fix the issues, other times I found temporary solutions. For example, a TV displaying videos of non-accessible areas of Fort Mackinac died while my boss was on vacation. After troubleshooting and identifying the problem, I took a working TV I had previously uninstalled from a different exhibit and replaced the broken one in its case then wired it as appropriate. This ended up being a sufficient stop-gap solution for the last eight weeks the fort was open, since we would be doing more intensive exhibit work there over the winter.

New Storage Room

Fort Fright: Storage Room

One of my larger projects was transforming an empty attic into a organized storage area containing supplies for Fort Fright, our largest annual event. I used the pre-existing framing from the building's construction as supports to hold rails. The rails made stackable storage bins more accessible while maintaining their ability to use vertical and otherwise inaccessible space to our advantage. Printed bin labels and section signs make for easy wayfinding and use even during pre and post event craziness.

Haunted House Scare Clacking Skull

Fort Fright: Haunted House

Fort Fright is MSHP's largest annual event, a Colonial take on Halloween that takes place on the first Friday/Saturday of October every year. Anticipated attendance was about 1400 guests each night. As the exhibit technician, I ran our most popular Haunted Attraction, the Haunted House. In the weeks leading up to this event I rebuilt a third of the maze which had been removed due to construction, made changes throughout the Haunted House, and created new scares and scare props including a 3D printed clacking skull. During Fort Fright, I managed a team of volunteers to run the scares, fixed things as they broke, and ensured guests and volunteers had a good and terrifying time despite record attendance 25% above projections and consequential line length.

Exhibits I helped Install

Milliken Center Exhibit

Milliken Center Panels

Milliken Center Stereoviewers

Slaver at the Straights Entrance

Slavery at the Straights Exhibit

Wall of Enslaved People's Names

Accessible Video for Cannon Firing

Other Projects I Worked On

Painted paleoart on 3D printed models using acrylic paint on resin printed 3D models of fossilized local creatures for a geology exhibit.
Replaced Buttons, fixed electronics, swapped light bulbs and all the other little things needed to maintain the exhibits as things could and did go wrong.
Snake-proofed a projector in a more natural exhibit area.
Leveled out panels installed with French cleats at various site across the parks.

Sewed a replica slave collar into a stable shape with fishing-line for display.
Painted 3D printed and other decorations for Fort Fright to be used in various Haunted Attractions.
Found and photographed over 300 of MSHP's various outdoor signs for cataloguing and condition monitoring on Mackinac Island and at Historic Mill Creek.
Addressed overlooked accessibility concerns throughout sites as appropriate.
Helped uninstall artifacts from permanent exhibit display in anticipation of winter exhibit updates.

Island Famous Exhibit Plan

Winter At MSHP

Over the winter MSHP is not open to the public, so I had the opportunity to address lingering issues and work forward on the next summer's exhibit projects. For 2025 improved accessibility for an interactive's visitor path and exhibit space with floor lights and worked on exhibit components for our 2025 remodeling projects, including our Visitor Centers and Island Famous exhibit update.