Exhibition: Core Gallery
Venue: Ball’s Falls Centre for Conservation
Location: Vineland (Niagara Region) Ontario
Date: Spring, 2008
Client: Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority
Contributors: Mystus Exhibits(project coordination, prototyping, theming, model work, mechanics, electronics, software programming, design detailing, graphics, fabrication, installation), Lord Cultural Resources(design, interpretive planning, graphics).
Visitor Experience: The core gallery is the information focal point for the new centre for conservation. In the gallery we introduce the visitor to the natural and cultural history of the site, orient them with respect to the larger watershed, outline the activities and responsibilities of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority and point them in the direction of discovering the site for themselves. The visitor is greeted by a 25′ long aerial view of the escarpment from Niagara to Tobermory. Large easily read graphic panels also line the corridors. On entering the gallery proper the visitor is engaged with interactive experiences, computer kiosks, fossil and rock samples, lifelike rock work, working models and colourful graphic panels. The visitor leaves the gallery with a good sense of the Ball’s Falls site is and was all about.
Client Requirements: As project lead for the gallery Mystus coordinated all aspects. Our client needed a company that could respond to the challenges of managing a multi-disciplined project. They were particularly interested to ensure disabled access was kept a priority. It was also essential to keep to budget in the face of extended delays to the building construction, and technically challenging exhibits.
Mystus Expertise: Our deep computer skills came into play especially in the creation of the large escarpment mural, stitching the wallpaper photomural files, and creating the fly through video of the watershed. Mechanical interactives is a more recent area we’ve been working in. The lo-tech mechanical interactives in this exhibition were well served by our expertise in this area. But really our involvement was in every aspect. Experience in graphics, electronics, audio, video were all called upon in a big way.
Unique Features: Unique to this exhibition from others we’re worked on are the realistic rock walls, the functioning mill model, the original photography for the wall murals and the computer based geographical work for the fly through video and escarpment mural.
Project Challenges: There were many technical challenges with this project (rock walls, mill model, large scale photography etc.) but our biggest challenge was to maintain momentum and keep to budget in the face of construction delays.
Associates: Lord Cultural Resources. are experts in the area of interpretive planning and exhibition design. It was a pleasure to work with them again as partners on this project. The design packs in a rich experience without overwhelming the visitor.