"An Embarrassment of Riches":  
Reflections on the SI Community Reef

I spent last summer interning at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. Part of my summer internship entailed helping with the de-installation of the Smithsonian Community Reef, which was a part of the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef temporary exhibition in the Ocean Hall. At first I must confess that I was less than enthused – taking down thousands of pieces of crochet did not sound like a fantastic way to spend what I had hoped would be a mummy-filled summer (I was there mainly to help with the Eternal Life in Ancient Egypt exhibition) but once I got started I was hooked. (All you crocheters can go ahead and snicker, the pun is intentional!)  What I discovered shocked and inspired me, and I will never forget the time I spent working on the reef and the lessons I learned.

Composed of coral-like forms crocheted from traditional fibers and recycled materials by more than 800 contributors, the Smithsonian Community Reef (SCR) represents the melding of science, art, and community in a national museum setting and is a clear example of just how effective and meaningful such a union can ultimately be. The reef was composed of over 4,000 pieces of crocheted coral contributed by 819 men, women, and children. The reef itself was an impressive structure to behold, towering over views at 9 feet in height, 10 feet in width, and 16 feet in length. It took over 770 volunteer hours to prepare and assemble the reef, and this amazing number bears testament to the value and impact volunteers attributed to the collaboration. Contributors and volunteers overwhelmingly professed newfound relationships to the museum, increased awareness of the need for coral reef conservation, commitment to reducing the amount of plastics consumed, and a profound sense of pride at having been a part of the project. One contributor poignantly noted that she “loved having a new way to interact with museums” while another expressed that she now “feels like a part of the Smithsonian community.” The SCR has thus provided the NMNH with a new means of engaging audiences and represents a new way for the public to interact with the museum.

Jennifer Lindsay, contracted as the SCR Programming Coordinator, collaborated with Catherine Sutera, the Assistant Ocean Science Educator, in the organization of widely attended workshops and events that brought reef-making into the museum while also providing event participants with substantive educational programming about coral and coral habitat.  These sessions directly connected participants in the project to the museum’s staff, educational mission and rich collections. Additionally, Jennifer Lindsay generated a great deal of interest in the Smithsonian Community Reef in only five months via effective collaboration with 13 fiber shops and 29 community crochet groups, along with online social media and a weekly-updated email newsletter. Through this diverse approach, NMNH successfully incorporated national and international visitors into the project within the context of the Museum. 

The time, energy, and enthusiasm of a large number of volunteers were crucial to the success of the SCR. Many of these volunteers worked tirelessly to teach people to crochet in community groups or sponsored workshops, manned the most successful table at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in 2010, and helped to sort, prepare and install all 4000 of the crocheted coral pieces. After the exhibition opened, volunteers worked in the exhibit space and served as exhibit hosts, tour guides, and led the “Crocheter Is In” cart program (based off of the popular the “Scientist is In” cart program. 14 volunteers alone contributed over 511 hours of their time and interacted with over 31,130 visitors. 

The Smithsonian Community Reef was a project unprecedented in type, scale, and scope at the Museum. The impact of the project far exceeded the exhibition team’s expectations and pleasantly surprised museum staff, community contributors, and audiences alike. Benefits of the success of the community reef are manifold, but most vital are the following: the fostering of new relationships between public and museum, a new-found appreciation for the role that community projects can play in the achievement of the museum’s mission and educational goals, a deeper understanding of the amount of coordination necessary for a community project of this caliber, the reinforcement of the crucial importance of volunteers in NMNH projects, discovering the relevancy of synthesizing art and science while incorporating current topics in ocean research and conservancy, and an profound sense of awe at the incredible and wide-sweeping impact of a project of this nature. Clearly, the SCR was an important and paradigm-shifting exhibit that will not soon leave the minds of museum staff and audiences alike, and contributors to the reef will be waiting and watching to see how the NMNH engages the public in future collaborative projects.

To learn more and see pictures of the SCR before it was de-installed, check out this link: http://www.mnh.si.edu/exhibits/hreef/

The SCR did NOT die when we took it down – instead it found a new home at the Putnam Museum and IMAX Theatre in Davenport, Iowa. If you’re ever in town, go check it out! For info on their new installation of the reef and info on how to see it, go here: http://www.putnam.org/reef.html

And now, for your reading pleasure, a few bullet points that I compiled regarding things I learned while I was working on the reef…enjoy!

SCR – Community Information:

• People of all ages and backgrounds participated

o   contributions sent from multiple states

o   many expressed increased desire to learn about coral reefs and made changes in lifestyle (such as using less plastic) as a result

• Almost everyone expressed the desire to see more community projects like this – merging art and science – at the NMNH

• 343 people attended “thank you” reception and many came with family and friends to view their work

o    generated a tremendous amount of excitement and goodwill towards museum and fostered a sense of engagement and belonging

o   spurred many who had not visited museum ever or those who had not visited in many years to come back…those who came back report being very pleasantly surprised and happy with new exhibitions and the SCR in particular

Anonymous Surveys (contributors)

Common Words:

Personal, beautiful, spectacular, eye-opening, immediate, creative and ingenious, stunning, impressive, unique, rewarding, fun, relevant, inspirational, EMPOWERING, educational, exciting, bonding, delightful, amazing

Contributor’s thoughts:

• “made me aware that it’s not just a place for old exhibits”
• made them “feel like a part of the Smithsonian community”
• “made new friends and built a true community”
• “loved having a new way to interact with museums”
• brought “purpose to knitting”
• loved the ability to share their interests with others
• gave many an incentive to visit museum for the first time ever or the first time in many years

Feelings:

• sense of responsibility towards Smithsonian
• sense museum is more interesting now and has more to offer
• sense of engagement, sense of togetherness and community
• sense of personal and communal accomplishment
• sense that reef has multi-generational aspect (grandparents bringing children and grandchildren to see work)
• sense that exhibit is something new and invigorating
• sense of connection
• increased awareness of museum and of coral reef conservation messages
• SENSE OF PRIDE

Outcomes:

• far exceeded expectations, from the community, artists, and scientists
• people would definitely participate in similar projects and hope for more projects in the future
• made people aware the Smithsonian is interested in them and their thoughts
• many happy at melding of art and science in a science museum
• many became docents
• reignited interest in NMNH from people who had not visited in many years…realized that museum is now more interactive and visitor friendly…made or intend to make repeat visits
• got people interested and active in reef conservation and fiber arts
• started crochet groups, told friends and family
• many state they are recycling more and using less plastic
• many thrilled at being a part of the project, a part of the Smithsonian (fostering sense of belonging and pride)
• many profess awe at magnitude of project and degree of community involvement

~ Posted by CP