Wilderness Act Mini-Exhibit

The Wilderness Exhibit was a success! The Wilderness Act Exhibit was held from August 25th to September 26th, 2014. Now I’m working on putting together a mini exhibit on the Wilderness Act that will be displayed in the reading room of the Congressional Archives exhibit space. This exhibit will highlight Stewart and Morris Udall’s influence and advocacy for the Wilderness Act.

Wilderness Act Mini-Exhibit (MS 325 & AZ 372)

I’ve been selecting materials, evaluating what looks good where, and making labels. This will be my first exhibit that I’ve put together myself and I’m extremely excited to see how it turns out. Materials include: photographs of Stewart & Morris Udall (who were major advocates for the Wilderness Act), bills, land maps, awards, pamphlets, and newspaper clippings.

Morris Udall Campaign Sticker in support for the Arizona Wilderness Act of 1984 (MS 325 Box 473 F. 23)

I used the book titled, “Exhibits in Archive and Special Collections Libraries” by Jessica Lacher-Feldman to learn more about the art of exhibition in order to incorporate it into my display on the Wilderness Act. First, I looked through the materials that were previously used and determined what was both visual and informational. I also decided to use 3-dimensional objects like the book suggested, in order to provide various formats for the viewer to engage with.

Plaque Honoring Stewart Udall for his efforts in Conservation
(AZ 372 Box 119 F. 13)

I selected the archival materials that would best represent The Wilderness Act & the Udalls and arranged them on the display cases. When I started to decipher what and how the materials were going to be displayed, I used Feldman’s advice and thought about the “value, color, texture, balance, line, and shape” (Feldman, 76). I decided that a map would be a great visual guide that would not only provide balance but also clarity.

Map of designated wilderness areas enacted by the Arizona Wilderness Act of 1984 and existing wilderness areas.
(MS 325 Box 463 F. 24)