This past Wednesday, I had the wonderful opportunity to go on a private, after-hours tour at the Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM). This incredible experience was made possible by Barbara and Valeria Cerda, co-owners of La Revo Books. Led by MPM staff members James and Adriana, the tour sets out to examine and question the information presented in public educational spaces.
Our small group of 15 began in James’ office, where we made introductions and shared our favorite parts of the museum. We also received a set of questions that went along with the theme of the night’s tour, “Museum Exhibits as Texts.” The questions inspired us to view the exhibits through an objective lens and critically think about and question informational texts, as museums are considered reliable sources of information for the public.
The tour started at the Streets of Old Milwaukee, a favorite of the group! Adriana asked us to describe what we saw, who was represented, and to consider whether the display reflected the city during that time period. Additionally, we were directed to check out “Black Suffrage in Wisconsin,” positioned on a side street. Unfortunately, it is a frequently missed display, which then led to another question. How does an exhibit’s placement affect how information is received (if at all)?
The next stop on the tour was A Tribute to Survival, the Native American history section of the museum. Being of Native American heritage, James guided us to various displays and shared contextual history not included in the description text or shown in the exhibits. For example, something as simple as how a character is dressed in an exhibit could be interpreted as the representation of an entire group. While this could lead to inaccurate conclusions, it offers opportunities for public engagement and updates as new research emerges.
Our final stop was through the Africa exhibit. The lion hunt is one of the highlighted displays that features characters with the exact same face. We know this is not true in most communities, so why was this choice made? I believe it was to direct focus on the action, and not the individuals in the scene. The small details like this, unseen by most, could bring insight into the hierarchy of information we are given in spaces like this.
In the end, it was a great time with fellow community members! I wish we had more time to explore other exhibits. The questions and conversations we shared were steeped in insightfulness and curiosity. As a nice surprise, we also received a beautiful art print. I know everyone in the group is excited to come back and explore every corner of the museum (before the move in 2027).
