As with everything, there are different views from our audiences about styles of display they like. While most are enjoying the density of art in Out of the Box, for some people even just one gallery of that is too much.
One particular visitor's feedback was that the gallery was overly crammed and they couldn't focus on any one work. For this reason we have different styles of display throughout the building to appeal to a range of preferences.
Furthermore, Out of the Box shows approximately 10 per cent of the art collection, so we'd need nine more galleries of the same size to show all the artworks at once - not to mention the social history objects and taonga Maori.
Rather than having enormous institutions with static displays, we share what we hold through rotating works on display, letting different items get their ''moment in the sun''.
Simply displaying our collection is not the purpose of the museum: our role is to tell stories of Hawke's Bay, sometimes intertwined with stories on a national or international scale.
One current exhibition with a strong regional focus, What We Make of It: Hawke's Bay Sculpture, features two pieces from the art collection along with works borrowed directly from artists.
This very relevant exhibition would feel incomplete if told solely through our own collection.
Meanwhile the hugely popular Lalique exhibition was made up entirely from a private loan, again illustrating what a shame it would be to limit ourselves to only what we hold in the collection.
There's also the responsibility of stewardship: if all the objects were permanently displayed, they'd deteriorate over time with the constant exposure to light. But the key point is that our job is not just to put ''stuff'' on display but rather to create considered exhibitions that tell compelling stories.
One of our more recent exhibitions, A Glimpse of India, provided an opportunity to bring items out from the collection which haven't been seen for some time, in order to tell stories of India, its history and its people.
And what about those objects that are in storage? They don't just sit gathering dust - they are accessed by researchers, borrowed by other institutions, visited by family members connected to the item or the donor and they form the foundation for the development of our future displays and exhibitions.
It's understandable to think we should just put everything on display, but ultimately that would be short-sighted and irresponsible.
It would also be sad to go back to museums where everything was crammed on display and just sat there never changing (which is where dust gathers - not in storage).
There'd be nothing new to come and see, no fresh displays, ideas or challenges. But again, balance is required: it is comforting to have some "favourites" to visit and revisit (such as the earthquake exhibition), along with a series of temporary displays.
As always, we're interested to hear from our visitors and appreciate those who give us feedback.
Coming events
• Floor talk with Warwick Freeman on Saturday, January 28 at 11am. Free with museum entry.
• Cemetery Tours with Gail Pope - full for January but there are still spaces left for February 26 and March 26. Cost: $12 per person, bookings essential. Phone 06 835 7781.
•Laura Vodanovich is the director of the Museum Theatre Gallery (MTG) Hawke's Bay.
