The Jim Blackaby Ingenuity Award was introduced in New Orleans at the 2004 MUSE awards ceremony. Jim Blackaby, a board member of the Media and Technology Committee, passed
away in the summer of 2003. Jim influenced many in the museum world with his innovative work in information services and Internet strategies. Conceived in his memory,
this award recognizes a project that exemplifies the power of creative imagination in the use of media and technology—a project that has a powerful effect on its
audience, and one that stands above the others in inventiveness and quality. The winner is selected from submissions to the MUSE awards of all categories and does not
necessarily have to be a winner within the category to which it was submitted.
Audio Exhibition
The judges said:
The creative concept behind this audio experience is innovative, imaginative, and interdisciplinary. Producing original music to coincide with a variety of
installations is truly unique and a step beyond the traditional use of audio in an exhibition. Sonic Scenery provides audiences an opportunity to think about and
explore collections from the Natural History Museum in a non-linear way—and raises the bar for presenting such collections in the hopes of renewing a sense of
responsibility for the natural and cultural world. Each installation offers original compositions in a variety of styles by musicians responding to objects and
species within the galleries. The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County also excelled in utilizing new modes of communication, such as MySpace, YouTube,
and iTunes, to reach a wider audience. This audio exhibition is a wonderful way to express beauty and inspire awareness in all things around us. It is about seeing
through music.
The producers said:
Sonic Scenery: Music for Collections is an original audio exhibition created in 2006 for the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. In Sonic Scenery,
visitors explore the Museum's galleries while listening to original collections-inspired compositions on personal headsets and audio players. Visitors are encouraged
to "see through music" with the Sonic Scenery "soundtrack" intended to enhance and affect their Museum experience. The musicians, mostly from Los
Angeles, represent a wide spectrum of popular musical genres and were selected for their qualities of innovation and versatility.
Credits: Vanda Vitali - Concept Originator & Executive Producer, Ben Rogers - Artistic Director, Peter Gale - Interpretive Planner, Peter Kirby - Media Consultant,
Sheryl Nakano - Project Manager, Margaret Hardin - Research & Collections, Francois Confino - Exhibit Designer, Betty Sedor - Business Development
