Host a Pop-Up Museum at The Wall That Heals
Pop-up museums are community events where anyone can share a personal object. Hosting a pop-up museum on the theme of the Vietnam War, veterans, or a related topic can increase visitorship to The Wall That Heals (TWTH) and provide an opportunity for the community to contribute their thoughts and experiences.
The objects relating to Vietnam that people could bring to display could vary widely, from military memorabilia, to posters or artwork relating to the war or era, to personal photographs. Below are some examples of objects community members might consider displaying:
Uniforms
Jackets
Patches
Radios
Pins
Print materials (guidebooks, procedures, Vietnam maps)
Posters from the Vietnam era
Artwork with themes of the Vietnam era, war, and its impact—or on broader themes of war
Family photos reflecting the Vietnam era
Photos from the field in Vietnam
Postcards or letters from the field (if people are comfortable sharing publicly)
Do not feel limited to this list—other items are possible. For anything you’re considering, use the following guidelines:
Is it unique in some way?
Is something that might spark curiosity in someone?
Can it be handled/touched by people without damaging the object?
Restrictions:
Weaponry. Please do not bring any type of weaponry, for safety reasons.
Obscene material. Please remember that this is a family event where children may be present.
Materials You Will Need:
Tables (number depends on size of the event—you could need anywhere from 5 tables to 20 tables depending on how many people you might expect to attend. We recommend having space for at least 10 people to comfortably display their objects)
Chairs (again, depends on expected size of events. We recommend at least 10 chairs).
Name tags
Markers
3 x5 index cards for labels
Speakers for music
Sign or banner indicating what the event is (e.g. “Santa Fe Vietnam Pop-Up Museum”)
Here are four steps to help you create your own pop-up museum during the stay of The Wall That Heals.
#1 Choose a date, time, and location
Location: Is the hosting site for TWTH large enough that a pop-up museum could be hosted on or near its grounds? If not, is there a partner site nearby that could be used? Is the space quiet enough for voices to be heard?
_________________________________________________________________________________
Timing: What day and time will the pop-up be? Saturdays, from 1-3PM, have worked well. Talk with your community to see what will work best. How long will it last? Roughly two hours is recommended.
_________________________________________________________________________________
#2 Preparing for the event
Participation: Are you collaborating with a specific community? Look for established audiences in your community who may be interested in participating or spreading the word (e.g. American Legion, VFW, etc), or that you already have relationships with. Having a non-collaborative pop-up works well too.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Advertising: How will you advertise the pop-up museum event? Try both word of mouth, advertising in your local newspapers or radio stations, and through social media.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Logistics: Will the event have music and refreshments? Light music is recommended to build a special atmosphere.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Logistics: Do you have tables where objects can be placed? There should be enough table top space for all participants to display their object and a label. Tables should be close enough that participants have to rub elbows.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Logistics: Do you have paper and writing utensils for labels for the objects that people bring to display?
3 x 5 cards and multi-colored pens work well.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Logistics: Do you have places where people can sit? It would be a good idea to have chairs in clusters so people can sit and talk if they would like.
__________________________________________________________________________________
#3 Implement the pop-up
Facilitation: Who will facilitate conversations? Task at least one person to facilitate conversations in case of lulls. This person should love talking with people of all walks of life.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Do participants know what to do? The basic idea is for participants to write a label for their object, and then spark conversation with visitors that stop by. Station someone near the label writing area to explain what to do. If it’s new to people, it can be confusing.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Are people comfortable? Have the facilitator mingle with everyone to make sure there is a healthy amount of conversation. Keep the atmosphere very casual and unstructured.
_________________________________________________________________________________
#4 Follow-up
What worked well? Celebrate your success.
_________________________________________________________________________________
What didn’t work well? You can help future TWTH hosts have the best success with their pop-up museums.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Sample Object Label
You can include whatever information you’d like on the label for your object, but be sure to at least indicate:
What it is
What year it is from
Something about what it means to you
We recommend keeping labels short—leaving room for questions will spark conversation.
Handbook for US Forces in Vietnam
Published in 1967
I used this handbook as my guide for the 2 years that I was
stationed in Vietnam.
Pop-Up Museum Interview Form
Directions: Use these questions to conduct short interviews with a few (3-4) participants in the pop-up museum to evaluate the program. We would recommend choosing one person to interview as the event starts, one person to interview in the middle of the event, and one to interview as the event comes to a close. Try to keep interviews to 5-10
minutes.
1. How did you hear about the Pop-Up Museum program/event at The Wall That Heals?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2. How would you describe your experience at the Pop-Up Museum?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
3. What was your favorite part about the Pop-Up Museum?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
4. Did you have a conversation with someone?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Follow up question: Tell me more about that/those conversation(s).
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Second follow up question: What provoked that/those conversation(s)?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
5. Did you learn something new about someone?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
6. Did you talk with someone you didn’t know before?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Follow up question: Tell me more about that/those conversation(s).
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Second follow up question: What provoked that/those conversation(s)?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
7. Did you feel at any point that you wanted to say more but didn’t have the opportunity to do so?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
