Exhibit design firm MuseWork contracted with Erin to curate the new permanent exhibits at the Fort Lancaster Visitors Center, operated by the Texas Historical Commission. Fort Lancaster was one of several military forts established to protect the route between San Antonio and El Paso. It housed both Confederate and United States Army soldiers, and was the site of a brief military experiment using camels in the desert known as the Camel Corps.
After reviewing research materials, Erin facilitated an interpretive charrette with the client. This allowed her to develop a thematic narrative that reflected the fort’s defining characteristic, its relative isolation in the vast West Texas desert. She connected this idea directly to the experiences of the site’s main audience: tourists traversing the long and lonely stretch of Interstate 10 between El Paso and San Antonio.
Erin also collaborated with staff to showcase the very best objects in their collection, including many that had never been displayed publicly before. She also worked closely with designers to create historically accurate and visually compelling vignettes throughout the exhibit, which create an immersive environment for the panels and casework.
