Exhibit Travel
Thank you for your interest in hosting From War to Home. This page summarizes the major tasks and responsibilities involved in bringing the exhibit to your venue and outlines what will be expected of you as the host/partner. You will find additional information under Frequently Asked Questions. Please feel free to contact us with any further questions – this is a work in progress, so thanks in advance for helping us improve our processes.
Expected time commitment:
- Due to the effort and cost involved in moving the exhibit, we typically require the exhibit to remain on display for a minimum of 4-6 weeks.
On-site coordination:
- Sites wishing to host the exhibit will need to identify and appoint an on-site coordinator who has the time, interest, resources, and requisite authority to help plan and manage the installation locally.
- In addition to the tasks detailed below, we expect this individual (or team) to maintain close phone/email contact with us, apprise us of progress as well as problems, and respond to our questions promptly.
Selecting pieces:
- The full exhibit consists of 111 pieces of varying sizes (ranging from 8”x10” to 38”x26”), which are grouped into sections by 4 themes: Images from Deployment; Making the Transition Home; Experiences of Care; and Resilience, Healing, and the Future.
- Depending on the size of your proposed venue, you may request the full exhibit or a smaller selection of pieces. We will provide you with an inventory list and access to PDFs of the exhibit pieces to assist you in your selection, and we are happy to make suggestions about which pieces might work best for a given audience or theme (e.g., experiences of women veterans; PTSD).
- Required pieces: In addition to the thematically grouped exhibit pieces, we have created a few larger panels that we call “Meet the Photographers,” which serve to introduce the Veteran photographers to the audience and provide important contextual information about how the project originated. These panels (available in two different configurations/sizes) are essential to the exhibit and must be included in any installation as part of our commitment to our funders and to the Veterans who participated in the project.
- Section headers: We have a limited supply of section headers (exhibit themes) printed on peel-away vinyl that can be applied directly to a wall; they are easy to use and add a nice touch, and they can be removed easily after use. In addition to sending us your selection of exhibit pieces, please indicate whether you would like a set of vinyl letters for your installation, as well.
Shipping and handling:
- Protecting exhibit pieces from damage: Pieces must be properly packaged to ensure they are not damaged on their way to and from the host site. All pieces have custom-made individualized packaging that we will expect you to maintain while the exhibit is on display and use when you return the pieces to us. We will provide more detailed packaging instructions in a separate document.
- Shipping costs: You will be responsible for all costs related to transporting the exhibit pieces to your venue and returning them to us. We will gladly assist in brainstorming the most economical option. (See FAQ for further information related to shipping costs)
Installation:
- You will be responsible for coordinating the physical installation at your site and ensuring that those entrusted with the task have the skills and know-how to install the exhibit securely and without damage to the pieces.
- In the event that local staff does not have the necessary expertise or time, you may need to provide a small amount of funding to have a professional install the exhibit.
- With a few exceptions, exhibit pieces are printed on 1/16” thick gator-foam and framed using non-glare plexi-glass and gallery clips. They can be hung from nails by threading a string through the gallery clips on the back of each piece, or they can be mounted directly onto the wall by using Command picture mounting strips. We will gladly provide further information and advice to help you plan the installation, including information on where to purchase any necessary materials.
- How to apply the optional vinyl section headers:
1. Determine standard height for all four words by measuring down from ceiling, using a pencil and level to mark underneath the paper backing where you want the letters to rest.
2. Position the entire piece with the vinyl letters against the wall and the paper backing part facing out towards you. Make sure the letters are upright and read right to left. Use small pieces of tape at 4 corners to secure the entire piece (paper backing) into place.
3. Use a straight edged item to ‘rub’ the letters against the wall through the paper backing; do not be too rough but press firmly.
4. Starting at one corner of the paper backing, very carefully peel the paper away from the letters. The letters should stick to the wall, not to the paper, but if you are going slowly and you notice a letter sticking to the paper, you can pause, press the paper back into its original position, and ‘rub’ that letter or spot again to make sure the letters are adhering to the wall not to the paper. Paper should peel away entirely. Vinyl letters will be easy to remove later but cannot be saved—they are for one-time use only.
Publicity:
- We can provide you with examples of promotional materials (brochures, flyers, postcards) for the exhibit, which you can adapt for your particular site. We ask that you share final drafts of any locally developed promotional materials with us prior to printing/distribution.
Opening event:
- You will be responsible for planning and coordinating any event/reception connected to the exhibit opening. Depending on distance, availability of travel funds, and other commitments, Dr. True and/or some of the Veterans who participated in FWTH may be able to attend and speak at the opening. To the extent that your resources allow, we ask that you offer Veteran speakers a small honorarium in recognition of their expertise and time. Dr. True cannot accept an honorarium if she is traveling on behalf of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Audience feedback:
- In order to gauge the impact on audiences of attending the exhibit and/or a related event, we ask that you help us collect audience feedback using a short, anonymous questionnaire that we will provide. One way to distribute the questionnaire is to have printed copies available in the exhibit space along with a locked box where completed questionnaires can be deposited; you would then return these completed questionnaires to us by mail or email. Alternatively, you can keep a visitor’s log that asks visitors to provide their email address if they would be willing to participate in an anonymous online survey; in this case, you would send us these email addresses at regular intervals so that we can follow up with an invitation to provide feedback online (i.e., SurveyMonkey).
Integrity of the exhibit:
- Physical integrity: We will provide you with detailed instructions on how to handle, package, and ship the exhibit pieces in order to prevent them from damage. By hosting the exhibit, you agree to honor these guidelines, apprise us of any incidents, and assume financial responsibility for replacing items damaged or lost while the exhibit is in your care.
Note: If panels require cleaning, use a clean cotton cloth or Q-tip to apply rubbing alcohol (78% isopropyl) in a discrete area first; alcohol will not affect the paper and evaporates quickly. Do not use water, as the paper will absorb it. - Content: We also trust hosts to protect the overall vision and intended message of From War to Home by accurately representing the voices of the Veterans who authored this work. To minimize the risk for inadvertent injury to the participants in this project, we ask you to discuss any proposed activities related to the exhibit with the Project Director, Gala True, prior to implementation.
