Exhibition topics can vary from one show to the next. Here are some questions you ask yourself to help determine a topic and prepare you for the proposal process:

• What kind of story do I want to tell?
• What collection items at Penn Libraries help tell my story?
• Is my topic best shared through an exhibition? Why do I want to make an exhibition rather than a written publication or documentary?
• How does this story connect to other people?
• What kind of themes emerge from the collection of artifacts I've selected?
• Why should people care about this topic? Why is this topic important?
• Who else can I talk to on this topic to get informed/diverse perspectives?
• How can my topic support or enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at Penn Libraries?
• How do I want people to feel when they experience my exhibition? How can I evoke those feelings within a gallery space?