HMA’s Exhibition Critique: Pearl Harbor’s WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument, March 23, 2012

From left to right: Karen Kosasa, Stacy Hoshino,
Eileen Martinez, Carole Hayashino,
Paul DePrey, Frank Middleton,
Scott Pawlowski, Barbara Moir, and Tom Klobe.

In order to broaden our understanding of exhibitions, the interpretational work that goes into creating installations, and most importantly how the stories and messages on the walls affect visitors, HMA’s Stacy Hoshino worked with Karen Kosasa, Director of the University of Hawai‘i, Mänoa’s Museums Studies Graduate Certificate Program on creating the format and invited three staff from Pearl Harbor’s WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument: Paul DePrey; Superintendent, Eileen Martinez, Chief of Education & Interpretation; and Scott Pawlowski, Chief of Cultural & Natural Resources, to represent their institution for a Critique Session In addition, three museum professionals were asked to critique the galleries: Tom Klobe, Professor Emeritus and Founding Director of the University of Hawai‘i Art Gallery; Carole Hayashino, President and Executive Director of the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i; and Barbara Moir, HMA Board Director, and Education and Operations curator at Lyman Museum, Hilo.

Critique Session partipants enjoy the
Pearl Harbor’s WWII Valor in the Pacific
National Monument exhibition.

With discussants set, HMA hosted its first Exhibition Critique  of the Pearl Harbor’s WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument galleries on March 23, 2012, from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. Over 65 people, including those from HMA’s membership, the general public, and museum studies students gathered in the Pearl Harbor Memorial Theater. The critique session began with the three museum professionals each offering their critique, and the Pearl Harbor staff were given the opportunity to respond to their critiques. While some of the critiques were more questions, Carole Hayashino shared her experience and personal viewpoint of the two galleries "Road to War" and "Attack." Paul DePrey, Eileen Martinez, and Scott Pawlowski were some of the key staff who worked on the galleries from conception to realization, and they responded to the critiques given as well as they told the audience of their stories and examples of what a complex and challenging project it was.

Audience members were able to tour the galleries,
 and later assembled in the Pearl Harbor Memorial
 Theater for the critique by panelists.

Overall, HMA’s Exhibition Critique was insightful and offered our HMA membership an opportunity to study and observe the work of their peers and colleagues' and understand their processes of interpretation and storytelling. HMA plans on continuing these Exhibition Critiques statewide.