Open several months before the 2016 California election, with its ballot measure to legalize marijuana, this temporary exhibition provided information to help voters comprehend the scientific, cultural, and political complexities of legalization; and make educated decisions. It explored the pros and cons of marijuana from 10 different perspectives: Cannabis Science, Sacred Ganja?, Profitable Pot?, Evil Weed?, Criminal Dope?, Medical Marijuana?, Creative Grass?, Politically Loaded?, Youth and Marijuana?, and Recreational Reefer?
An experimental project with a potentially controversial topic, and with less funding and time than usual, Altered State employed a large scale prototyping process that embraced visitors and stakeholders as partners in concept development, design, and interpretation. All potential exhibit elements began as paper prototypes, with visitors commenting on and editing the texts and ideas. Full-scale paper iterations evolved as visitors helped shape the final content and design. The exhibition won several national awards for excellence, including AAM’s 2017 Award for Excellence in Exhibition and the WMA Award for Exhibition Excellence.
Date: 2016 - 2017
Client: Oakland Museum of California
Role: Exhibition Lead
Museum Collaborators: Dave Gottwald, Craig Hansen, Kelly McKinley, Scott Moulton, Cherie Newell, Sean Olson, Sarah Seiter, Melissa Standen