Robert Harris designed and co-developed an award-winning exhibit, Pieces of Now, at Greensboro History Museum in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Harris has been at Greensboro History Museum, a museum that celebrates the city’s culture and its prominent place in American history, since 2014. Over the past seven years, he has created many impactful exhibitions for the museum. In addition to this he also designed the Mosaic Backyard Universe at The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, The Wizard of Oz Educational Touring Exhibit and Hubble: Eye on the Universe at the Kennedy Space Center, as well as several theme park and cruise ship shows.
The multi-award-winning exhibit, Pieces of Now, designed and co-developed by Harris, is a community-driven response to the murder of George Floyd, and the events that followed. It uses the voices of local artists and organisers to communicate the emotions of the time.
As visitors walk along a reproduction of a sidewalk, graffitied with “Dear White People”, they can hear an atmospheric soundtrack that puts a voice to people’s fear and desperation. There is also a collection of plywood murals, which appeared on local storefronts after a night of tear-gas, rubber bullets and looting. These were created by teachers, students and protesters, serving as visual symbols of a community that would not go unheard.
The exhibition has been recognized with five major awards. This includes a Gold Award in Research and Innovation at the 22nd annual Media & Technology MUSE Awards, presented by the Media & Technology Professional Network of AAM.
The judges called it a “Powerful, impactful project that deals with difficult contemporary subject matter in a sensitive way by ‘stepping aside’ and letting community voices be heard. The platforms and online programming meet audience needs in a great example of co-curation and community collecting best practices.”
Harris has a Bachelor of Science degree in Education, a Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Design and a Professional Certificate in Museum Design and Development.