DuPage County reviews Taylor Studios plan to replace Heritage Gallery; public urges broader representation and cautious budget approach

DuPage County Public Works Committee convened March 4 to review schematic designs and public feedback for a planned replacement of the county’s Heritage Gallery, a project led by county facilities management and the exhibit firm Taylor Studios. The committee also approved a procedural motion allowing members to participate remotely.

The schematic presentation laid out a timeline-driven gallery composed of paired kiosks, interior “deep dive” panels and two digital screens. Pete Salmon, Taylor Studios’ content lead, said, “Schematic design is the first stage of a 3 stage design exhibit,” and described schematic deliverables as an outline of content plus rough sketches to guide budgeting and early feedback. Emma Brutman, exhibit designer, described the layout: “The primary feature of this exhibit is a large timeline of all of county history,” with kiosk exteriors serving as timeline markers and interior panels providing focused stories.

Why it matters: the gallery sits in a high-traffic county facility and has not been updated in decades; staff and designers said the aim is to provide an accessible overview that can prompt visitors to seek fuller exhibits at the DuPage County Historical Museum. Jeff Madison, facilities management, told the committee the project is being designed against a fixed allocation from an ARPA interest account: “This was allocated at the end of 23 out of an ARPA interest budget,” and staff repeatedly said elements could be phased to match funding.

Design and content details: Taylor Studios proposed roughly four pairs of kiosks (described in the presentation as “1, 2, 3, 4 pairs”), arranged so visitors can read a high-level timeline on the kiosk exteriors and enter kiosks for longer stories. The design emphasizes ADA best practices — kiosks spaced to allow wheelchair turnaround and text placed for visibility — and includes two main digital features: a “current events” monitor for rotating content and a “Diversity of DuPage” interactive touch screen intended to let visitors choose people or community stories for deeper looks. Katie Cow, Taylor Studios art director, explained the graphics strategy, noting a yellow timeline element and DuPage County brand blues for interior panels to create hierarchy and readability.

Public comments and representation issues: more than a dozen members of the public spoke during the allotted comment period. Philip Buchanan, speaking for the Heritage Gallery Committee, urged staff to involve local volunteers and experts earlier in the design process: “This is the document that started it all. This is why we're here.” Several commenters requested stronger representation of local figures and communities. BJ Slinger said he supports the project and suggested including Henry Hyde in the gallery; Georgina Panko urged rotating or temporary exhibits so more local artists and figures can appear over time. Elizabeth (representing the Alliance of Latinos Motivating Action in Suburbs) asked for greater Hispanic community inclusion and offered to help provide content.

Other commenters pressed for historical completeness and balance. Tom Craighead said the proposed materials were “so sugar coated” and urged the gallery to address subjects such as the experience of enslaved people, forced removals of indigenous people and local acts of racial exclusion. A local historian, Mary Lou Worley, asked that the gallery also make clear the county’s public services and the county’s role in local governance so visitors understand “who you are as DuPage County.”

Budget, scope and technology tradeoffs: committee members and the public repeatedly raised cost concerns. Several board members said the site is a busy public facility — not a museum destination — and recommended prioritizing durable static panels and a single well-supported dynamic screen rather than multiple touch-and-audio interactives that would increase upfront costs and ongoing programming needs. Staff said Taylor provided a schematic-phase budget that includes basic (non-touch) screen options and that interactive/audio-capable screens would add cost and programming requirements; staff said those decisions can be phased.

Next steps and public input: staff announced a public survey and project web page that will host the meeting video, the Taylor Studios PDFs and a feedback form. Staff told the room the online survey would be live for two weeks starting March 7 (the materials referenced March 7 and Saint Patrick’s Day as the opening date for the survey window). Taylor Studios and county staff said they will use survey and expert input gathered after schematic approval to refine content and to reach out to subject-matter experts once the schematic direction is confirmed.

The meeting closed with no final design approvals; staff will return with concept-design updates, a more detailed budget and a plan for phasing or technology choices based on public input and available funds.