Olshesky Design Group designed this 750 gsf permanent Civil War Museum Exhibition of artifacts and exhibition boards at the library in the heart of Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale Campus. The display material ranged from artifacts, photographs, and art to instructional narratives. The challenge was to design exhibition boards and cases, restore damaged exhibition materials, compose the layout of the entire exhibition that would remain in place for a minimum of 50 years, and complete the work on a limited budget while the library remained open.
ODG advised the installation of window shades to block harmful UV radiation for the floor to ceiling windows adjacent to the exhibition. ODG designed fourteen exhibition boards of museum-quality, high resolution, 50- year ink and nine artifact display cases around four themes: Civil War Women, Soldiers, Medicine, and Weapons. The displays were created to illustrate important aspects of the Civil War and to serve as teaching stations for the students, teachers, and general public. This project stayed within the budget and was completed in 2008.