Behind the Scenes at the Museum

Museum galleries are a bit like theater. A lot goes on behind the scenes as an exhibit takes form.

The Children’s Discovery Gallery got its start a little more than a year ago when the museum’s programs and education staff was considering a temporary, 900-square-foot installation with a “grandma’s attic” theme. Staff members knew that they wanted to help children learn more about exploring family history, but they didn’t get enthusiastic about the concept until they decided to focus on one specific Southwestern family--the Ruelas.

“That’s when the project took on a life of its own,” said Cynthia Harnisch, director of education and programs at the Gene Autry Museum.

The staff enlisted the help of Arizona scholars in poring over old Spanish records, surveyed hundreds of museum visitors and schoolchildren to test the interest of Angelenos in family history, and spent many hours interviewing members of the Ruelas family and their friends.

It was after that initial research that the museum staff realized that the gallery needed to be permanent and larger--and that additional funding would be necessary to build the project. Most children’s museums don’t install museum-quality lighting and humidity controls; these cost thousands of dollars. But the staff wanted these features so that children could see actual relics displayed.

The Gene Autry’s development department sought a $100,000 grant from the Times Mirror Foundation--and received it. The space will be known officially as the Los Angeles Times Children’s Discovery Gallery.

Harnisch said museum staffers are working closely with the designer because details, such as a creaky floor in the attic area, are essential to the gallery’s success.

“We’re very interested in the mystery of the area,” she said. The Ruelas family will be featured for two years before another family’s history is put on display.

The museum’s surveys showed that people are more eager to discuss their family histories than the staff would ever have guessed, Harnisch said.

“We were so in love with the idea of telling the family’s story that we missed one major point: We found people needed a place to talk about their family histories.” The gallery may include a front-porch area modeled after the Ruelases’ actual porch on their Arizona ranch, where people can linger to discuss their past.