Food on the Move

Project Proposal • November 21, 2009

As we travel more, farther, and faster, our need for food travels with
us;
how we eat, what we eat and with whom we eat change along the
way.

Project Description
From stagecoaches to jetliners, the different ways we travel is reflected through
unique and varied culinary traditions. “Food on the Move” explores the history
and relationship between travel and cuisine. Through the dynamic combination of
an exhibition and public programming, this project will examine social and cultural
trends in the United States through different modes of getting from one place to
another and their individual foodways.
The Exhibit
The “Food on the Move” exhibit will focus on how food is consumed by
travelers on stagecoaches, ships, trains, automobiles, and planes. As
human beings have developed different modes of travel, the food industry
has adapted to make travelers feel at home. The ability to enjoy a
traditional family meal at the dining room table is nearly impossible when
you're coasting on the highway or soaring thousands of feet above the
ground. From dining cars on trains to catered meals on planes to the drive-
thru restaurant, the food industry has adapted to accommodate travelers at
mealtime. This exhibit will explore these changing dining practices while
considering the following four questions:
1) Who is moving and by what mode of transportation?
2) Who prepares and serves the food?
3) What kind of foods are eaten and how are they consumed,
based on different modes of transportation?
4) What are external influences driving changes in travel cuisine
and taste?
In addition to these questions, the exhibit will examine culinary variations
across communities, the introduction of ethnic food into American travel
cuisine, and the class dynamic underlying the ways food is prepared and
made available for consumption.
The exhibit will be installed at the Culinary Arts Museum at Johnson & Wales
University, covering the exhibition space adjacent to and including the Art
Deco-style bar and the 1833 Stoddard Tavern Tap Room. The research and
objects for these displays will draw heavily on the strengths of the
museum’s archive and collections.

Public Programming
 The public programming for “Food on the Move” will break with traditional
museum models by extending the exhibit beyond the museum to the actual
modes of transportation being examined. Interpretative panels and
navigational materials including cell phone tours and interactive online
scavenger hunts will lead participants to locations where travel and food
intersect within the Providence community. Panel discussions and a film
screening will expand upon the content of “food on the move” to explore
topics such as the sustainability and ethics of food production and
transportation. Food-based programs hosted at the institution will use the
skills and expertise of the Johnson & Wales culinary student community.

Target Audiences

• the general public of southern New England

• Brown University students
• Johnson & Wales University students

Project Goals and Outcomes

• To demonstrate a model of programming whereby an exhibition and related

programs are mutually constitutive and provide an enhanced learning
experience both within the museum and in the community.
• To develop a collaborative relationship with the Culinary Arts Museum and
Archives at Johnson & Wales University in researching and interpreting
“Food on the Move.”
• To gain professional experience in exhibit development, public engagement,
and public programming.
• To encourage visitors to consider the implications of travel and food,
including the culinary choices they make in their own lives and how the
range of choices has evolved over time.

Work Schedule
In order to ensure efficiency and a manageable workload for all project
participants, the project has been divided into two teams – an exhibit team and a
programming team. Each team will work individually to develop content and to
delegate tasks to its team members, but the teams will be in continual
conversation regarding their research, planning, and progress through project-
wide meetings and frequent blog updates. While the two teams are working
separately, we recognize that the success of the project relies upon the content of
both teams being in dialogue with one another.

TIMELINE/SCHEDULE EXHIBITION PROGRAMMING

December 1, 2009 Initial concept design
Concept Design meeting with project
Meeting leaders and Johnson &
Wales staff regarding work
 TIMELINE/SCHEDULE EXHIBITION PROGRAMMING
with Creative Services on
exhibit design
December 7-14, 2009 Exhibit team meets to plan Programming team meets
Team Meetings exhibit content, research to brainstorm
plan, and to delegate programming ideas and to
different research topics to assign roles and identify
team members. tasks for winter break.
The team will identify
external sites, partners,
and individuals for satellite
panels and public
programming. Team will
develop program
descriptions and prepare
pitches for contacting
these sites. Preliminary
contact with the sites
should be made by
December 14.
December 15, 2009 Exhibit team will conduct Programming team will
through January 27, 2010 secondary source research contact programming
Research and to inform the content of participants (panelists,
Collections; the exhibit. The team will speakers, etc.), liaise with
Program Planning and
work with Erin Williams, the Johnson & Wales
Outreach
Collections Manager of the student community, and
Culinary Museum, to develop the interactive
develop a “wish list” of materials, including the
objects to be considered scavenger activity. The
for the exhibit. The exhibit team will also be
team will also be responsible for developing
responsible for selecting and maintaining a public
images and acquiring website.
necessary permissions.
January 28, 2010 Exhibit and programming teams meet to update on
Project Update Meeting research and programming progress made over winter
break. A final list of objects and schedule of events
will be prepared to submit to Richard Gutman and Erin
Williams by February 1.
Week of February 1, 2010 Exhibit and programming representatives meet with
Preliminary Design Creative Services and Steve Spencer at Johnson &
Meeting Wales for initial design to plan exhibit and
programming material design and to set deadlines.
February 1 – March 1, Exhibit team begins Programming team
2010 drafting exhibit text based continues program
Exhibit on secondary research and planning – confirming
Research/Writing; the Johnson & Wales venues and participants,
Program Planning
archive and collection. coordinating university
and community outreach,
 TIMELINE/SCHEDULE EXHIBITION PROGRAMMING
and designing the public
website.
February 13, 2010 Exhibit team and Johnson
Exhibit Object List Due & Wales museum staff
agree on final list of
objects to be included in
the exhibit.
Week of February 22, Exhibit and programming representatives meet with
2010 Creative Services and Steve Spencer at Johnson &
Second Design Meeting Wales to review panel design and programming
materials.
Week of March 1, 2010 Exhibit team finishes draft exhibit text and posts
Draft Exhibit Text content to the blog for review by March 1. All project
Meeting participants are responsible for reviewing and editing
content on the project blog. A project-wide meeting to
review draft text (exhibit and programming, if
available) will be held sometime this week.
Week of March 8, 2010 Final exhibit text due to Team meets with Richard
Exhibit Text Due; Johnson & Wales designer Gutman to discuss
Programming Meeting on March 12. potential for continued
programming over the
summer.
Week of March 15, 2010 Final editing, typesetting, and approval of exhibit and
Finalize all text and programming materials design with Creative Services.
design
March 15 through April 4, Fabrication of panels, Finalize all programming
2010 labels, and features for components. The
Exhibit Fabrication; exhibition at Johnson & programming team will be
Programming Wales. responsible for planning
Finalization
the opening reception,
April 5-14, 2010 Installation of exhibition at including community
Exhibit Installation; the Johnson & Wales outreach and sending of
Programming Museum invitations.
Finalization

April 15, 2010 Exhibit Opening and Programming Launch at Johnson &
Exhibit Opening Wales
May 15, 2010 Programming team
Programming concludes any events
Conclusion related to public
programming.

Evidence of Support from Major Contributors

Confirmed participation of the Culinary Arts Museum at Johnson & Wales
University
Contacts: Richard Gutman, Executive Director of the Culinary Arts Museum
richard.gutman@jwu.edu
 Erin Williams, Collections Manager of the Culinary Arts Museum
erin.williams@jwu.edu

Evaluation and Documentation

Erin Boyle will be documenting the exhibit and programming process through
photography and collecting of materials. Meeting minutes and conversations
concerning both the exhibit and programming process will be posted on the
project blog: http://brownph09.wordpress.com/. In May 2010, all project
participants will write short reflections on their participation in “Food on the
Move,” including their specific role within the project and feedback on the
planning and execution of the exhibit and public programming components. All of
these materials will be collected into a portfolio to be presented to JNBC staff.

Organizational Plan
Project Leaders
Sara Emmenecker, Elena Gonzales and Janet Zwolinski

Exhibit Team
Elena Gonzales, Amy Johnson, Heather Lee, Meghan Townes, Anna Moir and Shana
Weinberg

Programming Team
Krystal Appiah, Erin Boyle, Kathryn Higgins, Lucia Lopez, Adrian Moore, and
Kaitlynne Ward

Documentarian
Erin Boyle

Outside Scholars (to be contacted)

Matt Garcia – Professor of American Civilization, Brown University
Mark Swislocki – Professor of History, Brown University

Project Budget
Exhibit Expenses
Conservation In kind (Johnson & Wales University)
Exhibit Acquisition In kind (Johnson & Wales University)
Fabrication $6000
Image Permissions $ 500
Supplies/Installation In kind (Johnson & Wales University)
TOTAL $6500

Programming Expenses
Advertising Space $1500
Cell Phone Tour In kind (Apple)
Film Screening $ 500
 Graphic Design (website) $ 500
Project Opening $2000
Programming Honoraria $ 300
Programming Supplies $ 200
TOTAL $5000

Overall Project Expenses

Design In kind (Johnson & Wales University)
Printing $1500
Publicity Materials In kind (Johnson & Wales University)

PROJECT TOTAL $13, 000