Project Type
Architainment/Immersive Experience,
The museum presents the collective histories of 39 First American Nations in Oklahoma, requiring content that is culturally accurate, accessible, and visually compelling.
Project Name
FAMily Discovery Center, First Americans Museum.
Design Criteria
The Family Discovery Center is an immersive exhibition which engages visitors through illustration, storytelling, lighting, and media. The Museum presents the collective histories of 39 First American Nations in Oklahoma, requiring culturally significant content that is accurate and accessible while remaining visually engaging.
Project Description
The lighting design combines theatrical fixtures, direct-view LEDs, and integrated sources with continuous visual changes that reveal layers of content, encouraging exploration, longer dwell times, and repeat engagement. Lighting functions as a core scenic system, reshaping the perceived environment over time. Scenes transition continuously from day to night and through four seasons, establishing time as a narrative framework and allowing a single physical installation to be experienced as multiple environments. At night, UV lighting exposes scenic elements and a pixel star field reveals constellations from an Indigenous perspective. Seasonal colour shifts alter the visual character of exhibits and layered lighting separates foreground and background to reinforce the “pop-up book” aesthetic.
Controls are network based using DMX, KiNET, and sACN across four universes with timelines, scenes, and triggers operating concurrently. Triggers are synchronized with AV systems and interactive exhibits. Staff control and override functions are provided via iPad, with remote access enabling updates and diagnostics.
Integration required full coordination with exhibit fabricators, architectural systems, and the museum IT network. Luminaires are color-changing and independently controlled to support composition and operate safely within an active setting. Lighting equipment is concealed within scenic elements while maintaining serviceability.
The project was delivered on schedule and within budget. All areas meet illumination requirements for safe circulation and visibility. Despite system complexity and long daily operating cycles, the installation has operated reliably with no significant downtime.
The museum and participating Nations have expressed strong support for the project, which represents a clear departure from stereotypical cultural presentations.
Challenges and Solutions
The core challenge was running a continuous, layered show inside a climbable scenic environment. Light and media cycle through day, night, and four seasons throughout operating hours, while visitor-triggered interactive events must play over that cycle without disrupting it. A network-based control system running DMX, KiNET, and sACN across four universes executes timelines, scenes, and triggers concurrently, synchronized with AV and interactive systems. The system runs on the museum's IT network, enabling remote updates and diagnostics, with a simplified iPad interface for staff overrides. Because lighting, AV, and networking are all in-house, every service was delivered under one design-build contract, reducing gaps between trades and increasing efficiency from design through commissioning.
Concealment versus serviceability was the physical challenge. Theatrical fixtures, direct-view LED, UV sources, and a pixel-mapped star field are integrated into illustrated scenery that children climb through. Fixtures were coordinated with fabricators and built into scenic elements before installation, with planned access points for maintenance. Every luminaire is color-changing and individually addressed, so depth, seasonal color, and the nighttime UV reveal are achieved through programming rather than additional hardware. Despite long daily operating cycles, the system has run without significant downtime since opening.
Photo credit: CIRCLE HOUSE MEDIA
Equipment
Lighting:
ETC Colorsource Spot Jr: The main luminaire for the overhead system; chosen for the Deep Blue channel to provide believable night time effects.
Knight Lighting projectors: The main spot light and framing projectors for under the tree canopy. They are incredibly versatile and built to last.
Environmental Lights various LED tapes and channel: Integrated throughout the space.
Gantom Spot Lights: Super low profile and versatile spots that can be mounted in VERY tight scenery allows for creating those surprise ‘WOW’ moments
Pharos LCP-4: Master lighting control system
AV:
QSC: sound system throughout
Phidgets: Various interactive input devices. These are very cleverly designed inputs we can use to trigger the majority of the interactive exhibits.
Ubiquiti: Network Device used throughout.
Team
First Americans Museum
Mark Oliver, Illustrator
Cinnabar Inc.
Storyline Studio
Eos Lightmedia