Project Description
Mining the Museum (1992-93) was a ground-breaking exhibition that urged both the public and museum professionals to investigate their perceptions of race, history, and the role of cultural institutions in shaping societal norms. It was a collaborative project between the Maryland Historical Society and The Contemporary, the city's museum without walls. Given an open invitation to work with any institution in Baltimore, Wilson specifically chose the Historical Society because it seemed the archetypal museum that had not changed. Wilson's goal was to enhance the institution's and the public's awareness that museums can validate or diminish human experience through what is on display—or what is not. He spent a year in residence getting to know the museum, the community it served, its structure, how it worked and the people who worked there—from the maintenance staff to the executive director. "Mining" the collection was a central focus of the residency.

Mining the Museum occupied eight linked rooms of the Historical Society. Wilson resurrected long-hidden items and displayed them juxtaposed with other more conventional objects and art from the historical society's collections. The result was jarring and thought provoking. In a standard exhibition case labeled "Metalwork, 1723-1880," for example, slave shackles appeared in a case alongside an ornate silver tea service. Labeling was intentionally spare in order to encourage visitors to come to their own conclusions. Through the element of surprise, Wilson made visitors rethink their history and their attitudes as well as how the museum as an institution portrays history.

Civic Engagement/Dialogue Activities
During Wilson's residency, educators and their students were invited to talk with the artist. When the show opened, gallery talks were held, as well as a panel on "Mainstreaming Cultures on the Margins in Museum Practices," including the artist, museum professionals and area artists in discussion of the work.

Wilson's residency and the dialogue within the institution, in addition to the exhibition, had a transformative effect on the Maryland Historical Society. Attendance for Mining the Museum set an all-time record. The historical society invited Wilson back to recreate a segment of the exhibition for permanent display. The society's new exhibits have been more culturally inclusive than those developed in the past and exhibitions have been developed to specifically feature African American history in Maryland. The museum's relationship to its collection and its community is fundamentally changed.

Information Sources
Garfield, Donald. "Making the Museum Mine: An Interview with Fred Wilson," Museum News, May/June 1993, p. 47. Stein, Judith E. "Sins of Omission," Art in America, October 1993, p. 110-114. Exhibition brochure and materials; interview, Michelle Carr, Maryland Historical Society.