“Stories, even the most fantastic, can and do influence realities. When you look closely, the line between the authentic and the make-believe begins to blur. [...] Just like any good story, a museum asks us to collude in its version of truth.”

“When telling stories, subversive narratives can be designed to counter the orthodoxy of the meta-narrative. These kinds of narratives originate from the bottom up. Because they are derived from communities, they prioritize the well being of its citizens... A humanitarian designer should intervene on behalf of heterogeneous identities that are suppressed by sanitized or stereotyped meta-narrative story arcs.”

“Experiential exhibit design, or Interpretive Environmental Design, shifts design from merely shortterm displays of “in-formation,” to that of “formation.” It works best in learning-based institutions such as museums, science centers, heritage sites, and other cultural facilities. “Formation” occurs when a visitor is asked to participate in the exhibit, creating meaning by interacting with designed elements.”

“The whimsical commingles with the dreadful in The Princess & The Beast. Immediately striking is Martin’s sculpture of the mishepishu (“the beast”), a half-lynx, half-fish cryptid believed by some members of the Pokagon band of the Potawatomi tribe and some residents of St. Joseph County to inhabit the waters of the St. Joseph River. Constructed of bones and wire, etched Plexiglass and ink, the creature is as layered as the voices that elsewhere in Martin’s installation recall the many legends about its existence.”