Cultural Resources Risk & Readiness: Why Proactive Planning Matters More Than Ever
Smart risk management is not a simple checkbox. Integrate cultural reviews early to keep your project on schedule, on budget, and moving forward.
Tag: Interpretation & Exhibit Design
Double the Impact: Minnesota Small Legacy Grants Increase to $20,000
Great news for Minnesota! Small Legacy Grants have increased from $10,000 to $20,000. Learn what this means for your project and how to apply…
How to Write Winning Grant Applications
Grants help communities bring meaningful, inspiring ideas to life. The key is knowing how to connect your project with the right funder, tell your story clearly, and demonstrate that you can deliver what you promise.
106 Group Expands to Chicago: Strengthening Our Illinois Presence in Cultural Resources, Heritage Planning, and Preservation
We’re excited to announce that 106 Group has expanded into Illinois with the opening of our Chicago office!
Crafting Your Cultural Roadmap: An Interview with Bill Walker
Say hello to Bill Walker, Proposal Manager and Cultural Heritage Planner! Bill has decades of experience in interpretation, planning, and cultural resources management.
Interview with a Planner & Historian: Lindsey Wallace
Meet Lindsey Wallace, recently promoted to Services Director at 106 Group! In her new role, Lindsey provides strategic oversight and direction for our project work.
Interview with an Award-Winning Designer: Alyssa Rupp
Say Hi to Alyssa! She’s one of our award-winning graphic designers. She helps plan and design the visual elements for interpretive projects across the US.
Interview with an Interpretive Planner: Julie Davis
Say Hi to Julie Davis! She’s a Senior Interpretive Planner at 106 Group. Unique to Julie is her dynamic career as a researcher, writer, educator, and public historian. She’s also an expert on US and Native American histories.
106 Group Elevates Leadership with Series of Management Promotions
106 Group, a leading cultural heritage company, is excited to announce a strategic series of promotions across various management roles.
Historic Airports Q&A
Terminal expansions, runway repairs, hangar upgrades. These are just some of the many airport improvement projects that 106 Group historians and archaeologists contribute to at dozens of airports throughout the region.
Truth & Responsibility in Heritage Planning
CEO Anne Ketz introduces a framework for how to tell truthful stories in interpretive exhibits and heritage planning. She draws directly from the four notions of truth developed by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission during the dismantling of apartheid in South Africa. This post is adapted from Anne’s virtual presentation for the 2023 ICOMOS Conference, held in Sydney, Australia.
Talking Tourism in Indian Country
Last month, Anne Ketz, the CEO of 106 Group, had the distinct honor of addressing an audience at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe. IAIA, an esteemed institution, stands as a beacon of progress in the ongoing empowerment of Native communities. Through its commitment to education, financial support, and the cultivation of self-sufficiency, IAIA exemplifies the transformation that is unfolding within Native communities nationwide.
Please Touch – Designing Creative Tactiles to Communicate Key Messages
Imagine you’re just getting started planning an exhibit project. Your team is outlining key themes and topics and you already know you’d like to make your exhibits more accessible with durable tactiles. Great! But wait—there’s more to designing a tactile than meets the eye.
Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte Exhibition
106 Group is thrilled to share that we have been chosen to design a permanent exhibition dedicated to the life and work of Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte, a member of the Omaha Tribe. Dr. Susan was the first Native American doctor. Born shortly after the Civil War, she dedicated her life to public health and land rights for her Omaha people.
How to Create Accessible Wayside Exhibits
How do you ensure that you are providing visitors with inclusive and accessible experiences? Where do you start when planning for interpretive waysides that are accessible to all?
What Does It Take To Plan And Design An Exhibit?
The creation of a long-term exhibit is a multi-step process. Take advantage of these steps to maximize opportunities for discovery that lead to brilliant, unique experiences for your visitors.
A Hybrid Model to Exhibit Design/Build
Working with the designers, fabricators, media companies, and artists in a single contract can be both efficient and creatively fruitful.
Exhibit Process Models: Considerations and Tips
So, you want to create an exhibit. How should you structure your planning process and contract? Here are some things you should know about Design versus Design/Build process (even if your contracting office doesn’t give you a choice).
Interpretation at Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
How do you interpret the history of a place older than the U.S.? Listen to our team’s conversation with the National Park Service at the 2020 National Association for Interpretation National Conference.
Tips to Ease Overcrowding at Parks and Sites
National, state, and regional parks have seen overwhelming numbers of visitors amid the pandemic. A dream on paper, this has a downside. Interpretation can be a part of the solution. Consider these strategies used by parks to protect the resources and keep visitors safe.
Flying Cloud Drive Project Wins Environmental Excellence Award
Award from the National Association of Environmental Professionals for NEPA and Planning Integration.
AASLH Presents Award of Excellence to 106 Group
We are honored to have been a contributor to the Saint Paul African American Historic and Cultural Context. The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) recently recognized this document with an Award of Excellence.
Poplar Forest: Truth and Reconciliation at Thomas Jefferson’s Retreat Home
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission that emerged during the dismantling of South Africa’s apartheid system acknowledged four kinds of truth as part of a societal healing process. See how these truths are reflected in recent interpretive planning at Thomas Jefferson’s retreat home, Poplar Forest.
Julie Davis Joins 106 Group
Julie Davis, PhD, has joined 106 Group as a Senior Interpretive Planner. In her new role, Julie will lead interpretive planning and exhibit development projects for cultural sites and museums.
National Park Week
Our interpretive planners and designers share some sights from their recent trip to Joshua Tree National Park, where we are developing new wayside exhibits.
Reclamation through Interpretation: One Community’s Path to Healing
Our historian follows one community’s path to healing in the wake of destruction by transportation infrastructure.
Arlington House: Telling a Wider Story at a Historic Site
Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial is a place of study and contemplation of some of the most difficult aspects of American history, including military service; sacrifice; citizenship; duty; loyalty; slavery, and freedom. New interpretative exhibits provide a more complex view of the historic site.
Accessibility in Design: A Journey through a Visitor’s Senses
What is accessibility and why is it so important? Through the lens of human senses, explore how you can be more effective at making exhibits for everyone.
St Paul African American Context: A Case Study
At the heart of Saint Paul’s African American history is the Rondo neighborhood. That history is often excluded from mainstream documentation. Now, the Aurora Saint Anthony Neighborhood Development Corporation is trying to change that.
Top Tips for Community Engagement
Regine Kennedy shares her top community engagement tips after attending the Minnesota Transportation Conference. After years of experience in the fields of engagement and interpretation, Kennedy brings new light to this incredibly valuable service.
Finding Common Ground
The Interpret Europe: Mechelen 2016 conference recently explored how heritage interpretation can help evolving communities approach issues such as human rights, peace, and active citizenship. Anne Ketz’ paper, “Interpretive Planning Methods and Processes as an Effective Mechanism for Community Building,” was presented at the conference.
Keep the Conversation Flowing
106 Group senior designer Chris Evans joined a team of panelists to present “Stronger Together: How Digital Media Adds Layers to Guided Interpretation” at the National Association for Interpretation’s 2015 Annual Workshop in Virginia Beach. This packed session generated a lively discussion among interpreters about the rising use of digital media.
How to Choose Interpretive Media for Your Outdoor Site
Many people have the same questions about choosing interpretive media. Which media is best for my story? What resources do I need? How do I get started? Let’s ask a few key questions, consider some details, and point you in the right direction to select media for your outdoor site.
Great River Gathering in St. Paul
We have been participating in the Great River Gathering for many years. Over this time, 106 Group has been a proud participant in dozens of successful redevelopment projects in St. Paul.