Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service's Blog

Happy 55th Birthday SITES!

In 1952, SITES launched its first traveling exhibition. Fifty-five years and more than 1,600 exhibitions later, SITES' program has grown to embrace a wide range of subjects, cultures, and artifacts. Each year, more than 50 exhibitions travel to hundreds of cities and towns where millions of people encounter discoveries and collections that give the Smithsonian its special place in American life.

As one of SITES' longest-serving staff members, I've continued to be energized by the constant flow of new things to learn: new exhibition subjects, production technologies, and the digital revolution. Thanks to working on SITES exhibitions, I can identify somewhat obscure Judaica and Hubble Space Telescope imagery and know where to look for giant squid. I've published books and brochures on contemporary art from Vietnam, Mexico, Russia, and the U.S., not to mention baseball, tropical rainforests, revolutionary posters, and Antarctica.

Stick with us and you'll soon be an expert on something you never imagined you'd know!

-Andrea Stevens, SITES Director of Strategic Communications

Baseball Exhibition Nearing Completion

A few days ago, SITES staffers braved rush-hour traffic in Northern Virginia for a sneak preview of Beyond Baseball: The Life of Roberto Clemente. This long-anticipated exhibit is finally near completion after several years of intense planning.

The payoff for that effort is big! We're happy to report that the exhibit looks fantastic, with a brilliant color palette and an engaging design that will resonate with anyone who has a passion for the game.

Most of all, the exhibition reflects Clemente's commitment to community and his cultural pride. He was a hero to millions of Latin American fans. "I think the bottom line for Clemente," one of the ballplayer's friends noted, "was trying to show...other human beings that regardless of how poor you are, the color of your skin, your main language, if you dedicate yourself to a cause, you can be a winner."

There are a lot of exhibitions out there that remind us of the grim reality of history and the world we inhabit. This one is different. It's inspiring and lives up to Clemente's insistence that "anytime you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and you don't do it, you are wasting your time on this earth."

Talk to Us!

Visited or hosted a Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) exhibit recently?

What's going on at your local museum? We'd love to hear about interesting programs or events affilated with SITES exhibitions. Please share your stories with us . . .

Smithsonian Unsung Hero Awards

Steve Arnold, director of IT at SITES, was honored with a prestigious Unsung Hero award yesterday at the National Museum of Natural History. Steve's parents, sister, and colleagues cheered him on (with raucous noise-makers and whistles) as he received an engraved plaque from the acting secretary of the Smithsonian, Christián Samper.

A dedicated Smithsonian employee for more than three decades, Steve joined SITES five years ago with the charge of transforming its IT program into a thriving 21st-century operation. He has more than succeeded. Over the past three years, Steve took the lead in replacing SITES’ antiquated exhibition tracking database with a state-of-the-art integrated system. He managed a 15-member task force that addressed user needs, coordinated all aspects of system implementation with OCIO, trained staff, wrote reports, and resolved issues under tight deadlines. SITES’ new system—TRAX—was launched this year to accolades from colleagues and contractors alike.

Way to go, Steve!

Jim Henson Exhibition Makes National News

The Associated Press just picked up the story about our most creative and lively show on the road: Jim Henson's Fantastic World. The exhibition opens on September 7th in Little Rock at the Arkansas Art Center. From the deep South, it's headed to Arizona, and then it will criss-cross the country until 2011.

SITES registrar Josie Cole was interviewed for the article and talked about how this show was the most comprehensive Henson show to date, with objects dating back to 1946 when Henson was only 10 years old. "A lot of these things have never been seen before," she noted, speaking about various doodles and sketches drawn on typewriter paper, notebooks, and legal pads. Works of art on paper tend to be fragile, easily damaged by light, excessive humidity, and other environmental factors, so the fact these items were available for travel is particularly exciting. Equally as exciting are the works themselves, revealing Henson's elaborate creative process and how it began to blossom during high school and college.

This is one of those rare exhibitions that's got all of its bases covered--something for everyone: there's that element of art and creativity, but there's also a sense of fun and whimsy that will inevitably appeal to families. The entrance to the exhibition says it all: "There are no rules, and those are the rules."

If you're a Muppet fan, or if you just need a creative shot in the arm, check this one out!