A Sense of Place: Museum Exhibits Bringing Communities Together

Abstract

If people are the heart of a community, then the local museum acts as the brain and keeper of a community’s soul. A museum is storage for memories, knowledge, and ideas that citizens can experience, consider, and grow from. In a museum exhibition, people can learn about the past to help build their future. They can find a new understanding of the neighbours around them, and in doing so, discover a new understanding of themselves and the part they play in the entire society. Museums are a crucial element in understanding community evolution. This concept is especially noticeable in smaller, urban Canadian communities where local history often has such a large impact on present, everyday life. My research seeks to understand how the design of a museum exhibit can foster a stronger sense of belonging in these smaller, Canadian communities. Through design research methodology and methods, this study takes an active role in the current politics and soundscape of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The outcome proposes, via preventative-hearing healthcare designs, to raise awareness regarding Halifax’s sound pollution legislation and metrics to relate a better comprehension of sound pollution. This design takes form in an ear plug designed to have aesthetic and visible qualities that make what normally is designed to conceal, visible.