Videos Archives - Paul Orselli

Just One Thing about Exhibits!

Paul Orselli Talks Museum Exhibit FAQs TOO!

Town Squares, not Telephone Booths April 6, 2026
The theme for this year's InterActivity conference in San Diego is "The Fabric of Belonging: Crafting Spaces for Connection and Resilience." As Children's Museum folks from around the world head to the conference later this month, many sessions will focus on programming, staffing, community partnerships, and institutional strategy.All important stuff. But I want to talk […]
POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.)
Material World: Sourcing Smarter for Museum Exhibits March 26, 2026
Here's a confession: some of my favorite exhibit moments have not come from clever interpretive frameworks or brilliant visitor research, but from wandering the aisles of a restaurant supply store, a theatrical prop house, or a salvage yard, and thinking, "Wait. What if I used THAT?"Materials make or break museum exhibits. Not just visually, but […]
POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.)
Museum/Exhibit/Design Inspiration: "Nature's Reflection" March 17, 2026
I love the elegantly executed installation "Nature's Reflection" by Brooklyn-based brothers and artists ICY and SOT. Like many great design ideas, Nature's Reflection seems quite obvious after you see it, yet still creates a quite powerful and thought-provoking impression. You can find out more about the entire range of ICY and SOT's work by clicking over to […]
POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.)
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.)

Town Squares, not Telephone Booths

The theme for this year's InterActivity conference in San Diego is "The Fabric of Belonging: Craftin...

Material World: Sourcing Smarter for Museum Exhibits

Here's a confession: some of my favorite exhibit moments have not come from clever interpretive fram...

Museum/Exhibit/Design Inspiration: "Nature's Reflection"

I love the elegantly executed installation "Nature's Reflection" by Brooklyn-based brothers ...

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...