Museum Without Walls

San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust, Fresno, California

Initially hired by the San Joaquin River Conservation Trust to assess the feasibility of converting a large, historic San Joaquin Valley barn into a museum about the river, Jan Coleman’s team was subsequently hired to design a “Museum without Walls” for the ten-acre facility flanking the San Joaquin River. Creating a plan that can be implemented in phases, the outdoor museum will disperse large groups of visitors into activity zones aimed at visitors of all ages, and especially focused on families. The story illustrates the issues of water rights, choices, controversies, and the long term effects of climate change.