Author: Arina Isayev
As the seasons change and the year comes to a close, a certain development is quietly brewing inside the walls of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. After over 40 years as a permanent exhibit located just right of the grand staircase on the third floor, Polar World: Wyckoff Hall of Arctic Life, is proceeding towards closure. With development having started in 1978 and the exhibit officially opening to the public on December 10, 1983, it has been a favorite of both children and adults alike, placing the visitor into a frigid environment that teaches them about Inuit art and culture. However, what does it mean when an exhibit comes down, and what must be done to bid a proper farewell to something that has held such an active role in the history of a museum?
This question is one that is very nuanced and heavy with many questions and tasks needing to be resolved across various areas of the institution. With each role being so distinct and uniquely tied to the history of a specific exhibit, each closure requires its own personal consideration and procedure. Nevertheless, although it is difficult to pinpoint exactly what must be done in each circumstance, I was able not only to catch a glimpse of this process but also to be actively involved in memorializing the legacy of Polar World. Over the Fall 2025 semester, I undertook an externship at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History under the guidance of assistant curator Deirdre Madeline Smith. During the 3 months that we worked together, one of my responsibilities tasked me with doing preliminary research into the history of the exhibit and its publications with a focus on Inuit cultural practices and artists within the Nunavut territory. This research found me searching through digital databases and physical archives within the museum library, as well as other internal and external collections, for any materials that may allow me to build a bibliography and catalogue of resources to archive and commemorate the exhibit before closure.
Throughout this process I conducted many walkthroughs through the Polar World exhibit space – doing close reading of various art, displays, dioramas, plaques, and otherwise – which led to me not only having a newfound appreciation for the space but also an understanding of the subsequent developments and the matters that needed to be touched upon beforehand. As of the end of my project, this research has already gone on to be directly useful to staff in advancing the institution's progression towards the closure by clearing up various questions that needed to be resolved before further steps could be undertaken while also acting as a starting point in further research. The ability to have been involved in this process and experience just what goes into developing a commemorative bibliography has expanded my understanding of both collections/exhibit management and museum practices in a manner that has already greatly reflected in my ensuing work and in the way I personally interact with collection-related information.