Timing and Tracking Map

Big Idea: Visitors create their own exhibit guide, label it and leave it for future visitors.
*Visitors pick up an exhibit map (something that already exists at the Henry) and a pencil at a table when they enter the gallery.
*As they move through the exhibit, visitors can trace their path on the map, leaving comments or notations as they go (notes on paintings, relationships they see between things, etc.) Perhaps they aren't required to trace their route through the exhibit, and instead can just leave notes.
*At the end of their exhibition experience, visitors have the option of leaving their annotated map in one of a wide variety of categories (can be based on time or theme)
*Other visitors have the option of picking up a map created by another visitor to guide them through the gallery.

*Evaluation Goals:

     *Visitors participate in the activity by making their own map, sharing their map or using a previously made map.

     *Visitors self-reflect by tracing their experience on the map

     *Visitors create themes/shared understanding of Vortexhibition Polyphonica by categorizing their maps as they see fit

     *Visitors connect with other visitors by following a previously made map

     *At least 30 maps will be left for others to follow by the end of the exhibition

How Do You Eat an Oreo Cookie?

Big Idea: Visitors vote for their preferred method of eating an Oreo and see how others vote.

*A variety of cookie jars are placed in the gallery near the Oreo Cookie piece (these may be actual cookie jars, the outline of cookie jars posted on a nearby wall, or cork boards used to represent cookie jars. Each jar is labeled with a way that people eat Oreo cookies: Dunk, Twist, Twist then Dunk, Lick the Frosting off, Just bite the cookie, etc.
*Near the cookie jars, there are slips of paper where visitors can write their rationale for the best way to eat an Oreo (I dunk because...), then they put their vote in the appropriate jar.

*Evaluation Goals:

     *Visitors vote on the best way to eat an Oreo cookie, allowing them a chance to reflect on the art object
     *In addition to voting, visitors make an argument for their preferred method of eating an Oreo

Thoughts & Questions

Big Idea: Visitors respond to questions and prompts or leave their own.

*Small kiosks around the gallery are stocked with index cards. Some of the cards are blank, but some of the cards have questions or open-ended statements printed on them (this piece makes me feel...)
*Visitors can respond to the pre-existing prompts or they can write their own questions to be answered. Additionally, visitors could provide answers to previously posed questions.
*Visitors would be able to leave their comments and questions at or near the appropriate piece (maybe by sticking or laying the card near the correct painting, maybe using clothes-line method similar to the one used in the Warhol exhibit at SAM)

*Evaluation Goals:

     *Visitors participate by posting or answering a question or comment, thus contributing to the discussion

     *The majority of the cards posted will be relevant to the exhibit, somehow connected to the art

     *Through questions, comments and prompts, visitors will show understanding of how the artwork relates to themselves

Wearable Identity

Big Idea: Visitors visibly identify their self-selected identity and are given the opportunity to change their self-selected identities.

*At the start of the exhibit, visitors are given an opportunity to self-select an identity from categories determined by the "pathway" or scavenger hunt that exists in the exhibition. These identities may be in the form of statements, or could be in the form of questions (Ask me about my most recent work of art, I am a graduate student, etc). Using kiosks throughout the gallery, visitors would be given an opportunity to change their identity halfway through their exhibition exploration and at the end of the exhibition exploration. The roster of identities would stem from the pathway or scavenger hunt activity that exists in the gallery (we are assuming at least 1 team would create something in this format), and the opportunity for visitors to re-select identities at different points in the gallery experience would show deeper or different understanding of the gallery space, as affected by the pathway or scavenger hunt the visitor follows.
*Evaluation Goals:
    *Visitors participate by self-identifying

     *A percentage of visitors will change their identity during the course of the exhibit, showing that the experience somehow changed their perspective

     *Visitors will talk to people outside the group they arrived with

     *Visitors will talk to people outside their identity group

     *Visitors will talk to members of their self-selected identity group

Create Your Own Label

Big Idea: Visitors are given the opportunity to re-title works in the exhibit

*Label-like index cards, stickies or rolodex cards near various pieces around the exhibition (ideally pieces that are untitled or have simple titles)
*Visitors would be able to write their own label and/or respond to the labels written by others.

*Evaluation Goals:

     *At least 30% of visitors make new labels for at least 1 piece of art

     *At least 20% of visitor-created labels show a deeper understanding or appreciation for the artwork