Videos Archives - Paul Orselli

Just One Thing about Exhibits!

Paul Orselli Talks Museum Exhibit FAQs TOO!

Revisiting "Staff over Stuff" March 6, 2026
Every so often, I revisit an old ExhibiTricks post and think, "Yep — still true. Maybe even more true now." That's exactly where I find myself with this one.When I first wrote a version of this post in 2020, the pandemic had just laid bare some uncomfortable truths about how museums really value (or don't […]
POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.)
Your Museum and America's Big Birthday Party February 25, 2026
July 4, 2026, is coming fast — and it's not just for history museums.The U.S. 250th anniversary is one of those rare cultural moments when everyone is paying attention. Science centers, children's museums, and natural history institutions all have a genuine stake in this celebration. The question isn't whether to participate — it's how to […]
POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.)
Take It Inside! When Museums Bring the Great Outdoors In February 17, 2026
Museum visitors want to DO things. Preferably, things that are slightly surprising, a little bit physical, and things they may not be able to do anywhere else.That's why some of my favorite exhibit ideas flip the usual script. Instead of asking visitors to imagine the outside world from inside a building, these exhibits just... drag […]
POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.)
Where are Your Museum's "Fans" on Super Bowl Sunday? February 7, 2026
Super Bowl Sunday will be a great day to visit your local museum --- because it will be even quieter than usual. Why are so many people, even folks who don't normally follow football, more rabidly enthusiastic about watching the "Big Game" or attending a local Super Bowl event than visiting your museum? I'd say one possible […]
POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.)
Save Our Signs and Citizen Historians for the Smithsonian Rally to Preserve Public History January 28, 2026
Real history isn't always comfortable. And right now, that's exactly why it needs protecting.Two grassroots initiatives, Save Our Signs and Citizen Historians for the Smithsonian, are demonstrating what happens when everyday citizens refuse to let public history disappear. Armed with nothing more than smartphones and determination, thousands of volunteers are documenting interpretive signage and exhibits that […]
POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.)
New Year, New Exhibits Approaches January 22, 2026
You know that exhibit in your museum? The one with the hand crank that stopped working last July? Or the touchscreen that's been displaying "Loading..." since Thanksgiving? Maybe it's the fabric panel that's faded to the point where visitors squint at it like they're deciphering ancient hieroglyphics.We've all been there. January brings that fresh-start energy, […]
POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.)
Frame by Frame: What Two Graphic Novels Can Teach Us About Museum Storytelling January 11, 2026
If you're looking for fresh inspiration for your next museum exhibit, pick up a graphic novel.I recently read Guy Delisle's "Muybridge" and Lauren Redniss's "Radioactive: Marie and Pierre Curie, A Tale of Love and Fallout," and both books made me think hard about how we tell stories in museum spaces. Each provides compelling examples in […]
POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.)

Revisiting "Staff over Stuff"

Every so often, I revisit an old ExhibiTricks post and think, "Yep — still true. Maybe even more t...

Your Museum and America's Big Birthday Party

July 4, 2026, is coming fast — and it's not just for history museums.The U.S. 250th anniversary is...

Take It Inside! When Museums Bring the Great Outdoors In

Museum visitors want to DO things. Preferably, things that are slightly surprising, a little bit phy...

Where are Your Museum's "Fans" on Super Bowl Sunday?

Super Bowl Sunday will be a great day to visit your local museum --- because it will be even quieter...

Save Our Signs and Citizen Historians for the Smithsonian Rally to Preserve Public History

Real history isn't always comfortable. And right now, that's exactly why it needs protecting.Two gra...