Luci Creative, a full-service museum design studio and creator of dynamic experiences for civic, cultural, and corporate organisations, has designed the new exhibitions for the National Music Museum, South Dakota. The first phase of the redevelopment project opened to the public on 26 August 2023.
The Museum is undertaking an extensive redisplay over two floors, with a total footprint of 15,000 square feet. The first floor is now open to visitors, with seven redesigned exhibition spaces open five days a week, and the second floor is to follow.
Luci Creative designed the entire visitor experience. The new designs celebrate the Museum’s extraordinary collection of musical instruments using innovative narrative-based exhibitions, displays of artefacts, compelling graphics, and interactive sound features.
The themes of human creativity, culture, and connection are central to the new installations, which highlight the ways in which music impacts people.
Internationally significant collection
The original National Music Museum opened in 1973 and is housed in a historic Carnegie Library Building on the campus of the University of South Dakota. The Museum is renowned for its collection, which includes some of the most historically significant musical instruments in the world.
“We believe the new galleries will move visitors to appreciate the amazing collection of instruments and the intimate stories each artefact has to tell,” explains AJ Goehle, CEO and principal, Luci Creative. “By looking through the lens of personal expression, spirituality, art, community, and more, we were able to develop an interactive and compelling experience accessible to all levels of musical knowledge and interest.”
The National Music Museum and Luci Creative worked together for a number of years to redesign and reconsider the bulk of the gallery spaces. This process involved not just determining the pieces that would be on display, but also honing the narratives that would be presented about them.
Luci Creative hired bespoke fabricator Ravenswood Studio, Inc. to create and install the exhibitions, together with media producer Northern Light Productions, AV integration specialist Electrosonic, mount maker Gravity Exhibitions, and lighting support provider Luxam. In addition, the architectural changes to the building were managed by Schwartz/Silver Architects.
Michael Suing, National Music Museum deputy director of collections, says: “Luci Creative really listened to what was important to us and our stakeholders and reflected those stories in the new galleries. Through this partnership, the National Music Museum will become a national destination bringing visitors a unique, enjoyable, and educational experience that will excite them about the world of music and musical instruments, no matter their musical background.”
The Museum is showing As Good as Gold: The First 50 Years (1973-2023) until the end of 2023. This special exhibition shows a selection of key instruments from the Museum collection.
Luci Creative is an established specialist in museum planning and design, with clients including the Boston Holocaust Museum, Adams Presidential Center, Carnegie Science Center, Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry, Harley-Davidson, John Deere, McDonald’s, and Microsoft Corporation.
The firm launched its latest office in Ballard, Seattle earlier this year. The experienced team includes project strategy director Julia Swan, senior exhibit designer Jai Paguirigan, and Abby Kliger, a senior exhibit developer.
