Discovering the Intersection of Culture and Community in a Café

The Unique Story of Charles Michie’s Pharmacy

In 2021, Charles Michie’s Pharmacy reached a notable milestone, celebrating its 100th anniversary in operation. Founded in Aberdeen in 1921, this pharmacy has remained a family-owned business, continuing to provide essential healthcare support to local communities over the decades. With the evolution from a single shop on Crown Street to several locations across Aberdeen City and Shire, the pharmacy built a strong local reputation. In 2024, a special exhibition was initiated to highlight its history over the past century, calling upon the curation skills of a local curator.

The Curatorial Challenge

This exhibition took place in the flagship café of Michie’s, a choice that posed unique challenges and opportunities. Rather than being held in a formal gallery, the exhibition was designed to coexist with a bustling café environment. This setting, open to customers, required the curator to navigate around tables and patrons frequently, leading to an engaging yet complex experience.

Experience and adaptability were key. The curator, seasoned in museum exhibitions, soon faced the delightful chaos of a busy café. The presence of visitors added an unexpected interactive element, inviting their participation in recounting personal stories and memories associated with the pharmacy. Anecdotes shared by seasoned café patrons significantly enriched the exhibition narrative, creating a collective memory around the pharmacy’s significance.

Curating Among Customers

The dynamic atmosphere meant that the process of assembling the exhibition involved real-time engagement with the audience. The curator found themselves building displays amid patrons, who observed with fondness—occasionally offering unsolicited advice and sharing heartfelt recollections from their time spent at Michie’s. The stories varied from personal memories to jokes, transforming the installation into a shared experience filled with laughter and connection.

Navigating Space and Engagement

This unique environment necessitated cooperative curation, blurring the lines between the curator’s role and that of the audience. While the café staff juggled their busy routines, the visitors were more leisurely engaged, leading to a divergence in involvement. A valuable lesson emerged: engaging with not just customers but the staff could create a well-rounded exhibition experience. Understanding the needs of both audiences allowed for a delicate balance in utilizing the café space effectively for the exhibition’s setup.

Making the Most with Limited Space

• Strategic placement of display items for easy access
• Using vertical space for visual engagement without cluttering
• Repurposing items from the pharmacy for interactive displays
• Utilizing affordable materials creatively to enrich the exhibit

Exhibition Design and Engagement

In order to ensure that the exhibition felt immersive and impactful, the design prioritized a blend of aesthetic appeal and interactive elements. Visitors were invited to engage actively with the displays, analyzing various artifacts and guessing their uses, which deepened their investment in the exhibit.

By encouraging patrons to contribute their own objects and stories to the exhibition, a sense of ownership was fostered among the community. This authentic co-creation made the exhibition not only a display of history but a vibrant tapestry of life experiences linked to Michie’s. Despite budget limitations, innovative thinking and resourcefulness led to an engaging display that resonated well with visitors.

Broader Implications for Community Engagement

This curatorial experiment in a café environment leads to broader reflections on how different settings can influence artistic and cultural exhibitions. As communities gather in relaxed settings, they may engage more openly than in traditional museum environments. Such informal spaces are crucial for broadening cultural accessibility and inviting diverse audiences into the conversation.

Reflecting on Experiences

Experiences shared in these cafe environments highlight the necessity of inviting diverse audiences into cultural narratives. The pharmacy’s café demonstrated that heritage can thrive outside conventional settings. This realization points to potential future endeavors where cafes and public spaces continue to serve as platforms for arts and culture.

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This exploration showcases the power of community in shaping narratives around health and heritage in a traditional space like Michie’s Pharmacy. It emphasizes the importance of embracing unique, communal engagements when curating cultural exhibitions. Even the best curated events can’t compare to personal experiences shaped by community stories and interactions.

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