When adults visit museums they read the labels, examine the objects, and have discussions with one another on the theme of the exhibit, and any additional information they may know about the object they are currently looking at. They share their own personal experiences and opinions in a way that invokes deep conversations where they can share their own intellect on the same level. However, when families come with their children, I see more conversations of guardians telling their children what the object is, why it’s in the museum, and reading the label to them. Rarely are adult and children visitors able to have conversations with one another where they feel as if they are equally engaged in the topic.
While visiting the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), I found that the exhibits were created to showcase popular topics within black history and the black community that allowed for adult and young visitors to engage in conversations about topics that they shared similar interest in prior to entering the museum. The Sports exhibit at NMAAHC has many objects, photos, and videos featuring black athletes that most visitors have some prior knowledge of before entering the exhibit. The ability to have an equal ground of interest with the child and adult visitors in an educational space like an exhibit, allows for both visitors to feel inspired and engaged in a similar manner. Some may even say that children might know more about the athletes in the exhibit as young children enjoy watching, playing and finding idols in athletes who they admire. When children are talked to as if they are their equal, they stay better engaged in the exhibit.
At the front of the exhibit are life-size statues of the Williams sisters made out of stone in their tennis outfits and rackets in hand as seen in the photo. When I was looking at the statues, I saw a young girl and her guardian discussing how they both admired the Williams sisters. The young girl explained how Venus Williams was her favorite athlete and that she wanted to learn how to play tennis just like her. She even asked her guardian to take her picture in front of the statues. This share of admiration between the young girl and her guardian on the Williams sisters wasn’t the result of the guardian having to read the label of the object, or for the guardian having to explain who the Williams sisters were because that was information the young girl already knew. This was purely out of her own will and something that is likely to live with her for the rest of her life as not only a great memory but a source of inspiration.
Along with the statues of the Williams sisters, the exhibit featured Simone Manuel’s lanyard from the 2016 Rio Olympics. At 19-years-old, Manuel became the first African American woman to win the gold medal in one of the most high-profile events, Women’s 100-meter Freestyle. There was also a section on Historically Black Colleges and University Athletic Teams, featuring photos of many young girls playing various sports. Manuel and the historically black college and university teams are not as well known as the Williams sisters, which resulted in many visitors having to read the labels. However, most girl visitors know that the Olympics are an important sporting event and the significance of college sports teams. These are topics both adult and young visitors may have to read the labels to know more about, once the labels are explained to the young visitors they are able to take part in engaging conversations with their guardians on the objects and learn something knew from the exhibit that they may not have known about prior on a topic that they find interesting.
-Lindsay Guarnieri
Junior Girl, Curatorial
Girl Museum