What happens to old exhibitions when they finally come back to SITES' headquarters in Washington, D.C.? If they're in good condition, sometimes panels and photographs are donated to organizations that want to create permanent displays. But, if a SITES presentation shows its age, with the expected wear of a traveling exhibition visible, what happens then?
We've embarked on a new "green" initiative with the Smithsonian's building management office to make sure old exhibitions don't end up in a landfill. Mother Earth rejoice: we're now recycling crates and exhibition furniture. When 381 Days: The Montgomery Bus Boycott Story ended its six-year tour recently, the condition of the exhibition was such that it could not be donated (SITES has a fairly high standard for "good enough"), but the alternative of throwing away this 3,500-square-foot exhibition and its accompanying crates seemed preposterous.
Thanks to the efforts of Chevene Bailey, Lawrence Fields, Tracey Rollins, Otis Massey, Erica Byers, and the head of their department, Randy Peters, with the assistance of Mike Kelton at the Smithsonian's Office of Exhibits Central, this show didn't have to end its life underground. Instead, we were able to sort out the individual components for recycling. Metal and wood were stripped out as were other elements: destined to be reused or recycled.
For more on the "GREENING" of our organization, check out Green Revolution
Recent Comments