2009-10 Public Humanities Group Project

Meeting with J&W Culinary Arts Museum Staff

November 12, 2009, 1:00 p.m.

In Attendance: Richard Gutman and Erin Williams, Johnson & Wales Culinary Arts Museum;
Krystal Appiah, Elena Gonzales, Amy Johnson, Meghan Townes, and Sara Emmenecker, Brown
University Public Humanities students

Richard presented our project to the Culinary Museum staff at this morning’s staff meeting; he
shared the planning materials that we provided with them. He is impressed with some of the
ideas, especially the non-traditional exhibit elements that would extend outside the walls of the
museum. He is definitely interested in making it happen. He has a few questions for our group.
First, he wonders how many students will remain after May 2010? We inform him that only
second year M.A. students are graduating. He also has questions about scope, timeframe,
feasibility within timeframe, and money. His immediate reaction is very favorable. Richard finds
our proposal provocative. Given the schedule, it is not feasible to do a blockbuster/
comprehensive history of food for each mode of transportation. Erin’s only issues are with the
scale.

Richard and Erin had talked previously about this exhibit idea and the opportunity to utilize their
strong collection of transportation menus; they have some artifacts in their collection that could
be iconic images to use at the museum and possibly outside (depending on security at airport,
train station, etc.). Elena mentions that we hadn’t considered using objects off site. The museum
staff has been collecting materials specifically with this concept in mind, i.e. TWA flight
attendant uniform from 1960s.

Answers to of Our Questions for Richard:

• Timeline: Richard says that the timeframe seems very compressed in relation to other
exhibits that are in the works at the museum. But with so many people working on it, it
could be feasible. Richard and Erin are a little nervous about it. The JWU school year
ends around the same time as Brown’s. The timeline all depends on the scale and scope
of the project. They need to check their calendar to see if April 15 works for the opening.
Suggestion from Erin: consider a segmented exhibit, tackling individual modes of
transportation; work through methodology to set parameters for each one, this would
allow for periodic success across the exhibit.
• Museum’s Research and Collections on the topic:
o Collection kicks off with railroads (the railroad influenced eating, the main meal
shifted from lunch to dinner), then ships, then airplanes.
o Stagecoaches and railroads are very in tune with each other, schedules were
interconnected.
o Ship menus would have train schedules on the back. JWU has a lot of ship stuff.
• Objects: We tell Richard that we are interested in breaking up project by research groups
 and assignments, utilizing winter break period for research. During winter break, Erin can
pull everything that would be useful from the collection. She suggests that we find
materials in advance to guide the research. Not all of the collection is catalogued in the
database, Erin would be the one to go through uncatalogued objects, we could look
through the catalogue. Erin likes to build the story from the objects. The museum has key
objects that would relate, i.e. a railroad portable kitchen, menus (different cultures,
classes), service manuals from railroad employee (connect with issues of race), dinner
bell (sounds, music). The museum already has some story lines that we can use.
• Tavern: With Janet’s project on the stagecoach, what is her timeline? It needs to connect
with our larger project. Her project is well defined. She has started doing her work off
site.
• Narrative Arc Planning Meeting: Next Thursday, we plan to define where we see the
story going. It would be helpful to get a list of the museum’s threads that they have
thought about. Once topics are developed, they can be reviewed by Steve, Annie,
Richard, and Erin.
• Installation: Steve Spencer does it. He likes to do it himself. He likes a great deal of lead
time. As soon as we know what will be included, we’ll meet with him. He is responsible
for being liaison with designer and printers. Meet with him after establishing specific
needs, after selecting objects.
• Museum Exhibit Prep Room: We may use it. Steve will mount, frame, build pedestals in
his shop outside the prep room
• Designer: The museum has used several people. It can be done for free through the
University Creative Services team, but it must fit into their schedule and we must provide
enough advance notice. Richard is unsure of how much lead time they need, it varies. The
wife of a PhD student in Architectural History (Sally) works with the museum, she may
be available. Creative Services can be unreliable and the lead time varies, it depends on
the designer. The involvement of the designer in the planning process also varies
depending on whom you’re working with. Sometimes it helps to parcel the content out. If
outsourced, it would cost approximately $5000. Another $5000 for printing panels and
signage. Creative services doesn’t do printing. Affordable JWU in-house printing can be
utilized for postcards, flyers.
• Text review policy: All museum staff looks at it, Richard is final arbiter. He will copy edit
everything. We may have a voice in the text that is independent of the museum. It is our
project.
• Credits: Will be included on panels.
• Fabrication: All constructions takes place at museum, by Steve. Generally, one printer is
used – they would do large-scale panels, quote is obtained first, but generally JWU works
with people that they have a relationship with. JWU print center has done object labels at
a very low cost.
• Richard likes our idea to incorporate road map/ scavenger hunt.
• Publicity: press release and postcards, call press and try to get coverage. Amtrak
magazine, get articles in transportation magazine?
• Opening: invitation only (if so, who is on list) or public? Generally JWU opens to the
 public but the success is from invitations. JWU doesn’t participate in gallery night. JWU
students don’t often come to special events at the museum; but Richard could work with
getting some of the classes involved in the project, also get clubs involved (diversity
clubs, perhaps they would be interested in African American/railroad connection).
Richard encourages use of student food demos, usually you have to pay for the food.
• Programming: Bring in experts for events? Richard knows a railroad food expert who
gives talks. Do a fundraiser meal? Recreate historic menu, i.e. Ulysses S. Grant railroad
meal? Recreate celebratory nature of meal? The museum has been wanting to do this.
• Funding: JWU has some money available. They are working on two exhibits, one is
being designed and they other is almost ready to be designed – so these expenses must be
paid first.

Budget
• Richard asks about the potential financial contribution from the JNBC? We inform him
that we need to propose a complete budget first, and we need to determine costs before
we can do this.
• RICH Mini-Grants: The museum has not had great experience with RICH, there is a lot
of paperwork, Richard and Erin believe it is more trouble than it’s worth. RICH does
support programming, but the mini-grants are not a lot of money ($1000-2500).
• Sponsors?: Are there industry people that would be willing to sponsor the exhibit? Would
transportation hubs buy into the project and help finance it?
• Design: $5000
• Fabrication and Printing: $6000
• Opening: Richard says he can get one of the student clubs to cater the opening, we would
have to pay for the food, costs can range from $800 to $2500. Ask SouthWest Airlines to
donate peanuts/pretzels? The special events person at JWU is really good. Occasionally
there are security expenses for events.
• Publicity: mailing costs for postcard, alternative would be to print it and bring it to
community locations (JWU doesn’t recommend electronic billboard, it was very
expensive); target radio and TV stations
• Conservation: negligible costs, it is done in house
• Acquisition: things are bought when there is a hole; Richard has been acquiring things for
this exhibit, don’t worry about acquisition costs
• Image Permissions: There may be some fees, budget $500
• Supplies: don’t worry about it, goes into installation

Next Steps:
 Richard to contact JWU Creative Services team to see about getting on their schedule. He
can get back to us by next week. If we need to go with an outside designer, we will need to
meet to discuss options.
 Richard will send the group the story lines that the museum has already considered.
 By end of next week, we’ll construct the narrative arc.
 Then we’ll revise the exhibit proposal, create the budget, and submit them to Annie & Steve.
 Let the museum staff know what their commitment is: staff time, budget, Steve’s
involvement