Born in 1940, Michael Sand was a prolific museum designer and educator who pioneered the use of interactive, “hands-on” exhibit design, launching a wave of innovative children’s museums in cities across the country.
Explore the Work
Michael left us with more than 15,000 digital images and 60-75 linear feet of documents, letters, sketches, plans, collateral, photographs, and other physical materials spanning more than 128 projects (and counting). The collection reflects the deeply collaborative and experimental nature of Michael’s career and the radical evolution of the museum design field in the 20th century.
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Here lies everything we can’t remember but should never forget*
The deeper I get into this project, the less I seem to understand my father. If my keeping Michael’s stuff around is a way of also keeping him around, an unwillingness to let go just yet, what does it mean that he carried all this around himself as he accumulated it? What did he think …
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About the Archives
Michael amassed a vast archive dating back to the early ’60s (client files, print collateral, project samples, street photography), covering decades of museum exhibits, design history, cultural and political history, Boston city government, and more. The archives are currently managed by Jess Sand and Zoe Donahue, Michael’s daughters. Our long-term goal is to get this collection safely preserved, then online and publicly accessible here.
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