Spring 2008 - Smithsonian Affiliations
Transcription
Spring 2008 - Smithsonian Affiliations
The Affiliate For Members of Smithsonian Affiliations COURTESY OF THE NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM SPORTS: BREAKING RECORDS, BREAKING BARRIERS CARA SEITCHEK Betsy Jochum played for the South Bend Blue Sox in the 1943 inaugural season of the All-American Girls Baseball League. Her 1944 season earned her the batting championship. ED KOLENOVSKY/AP/WIDE WORLD PHOTOS AMY SANCETTA/AP/WIDE WORLD PHOTOS LIONEL CIRONNEAU/AP/WIDE WORLD PHOTOS Sports at the New York State Museum in Albany. At the 1992 Olympic games in Albertville, France, American speedskater Bonnie Blair brought home the gold in the 1,000 meters. Dominique Dawes performs at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics where she won a gold medal. In 1992, she and fellow team member Betty Okino became the first African American females to win Olympic gymnastics medals when their team took the bronze. In his 1974 Rumble in the Jungle in Zaire, Muhammad Ali pummeled George Foreman. “I am thrilled to have this exhibition travel,” said Dr. Ellen Roney Hughes, curator of Sports: Breaking Records, Breaking Barriers, a Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) traveling exhibition. Four Affiliates provided venues for the exhibition, which highlighted the accomplishments and achievements of sports figures and the obstacles they overcame. The Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture (MAC) in Spokane, Washington; the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; the New York State Museum (NYSM) in Albany, New York; and Union Station, Kansas City in Missouri each provided innovative programming and activities to accompany the exhibition, which eventually visited ten cities during a three-year tour. “The purpose of SITES and Smithsonian Affiliations is to take our objects and ideas and send them across the country,” said Hughes, a curator at the National Museum of American History.“Everyone was terrific at taking my exhibition and making it a reality.” In addition to the exhibition, which contained 46 objects from sports history ranging from Abraham Lincoln’s handball to Lance Armstrong’s yellow jersey, hosting NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY Spring 2008 | Volume 8, No. 1 MAC also received a Smithsonian Community Grant, a program supported by MetLife Foundation that offers up to $5,000 for expenses related to public, educational programming produced in conjunction with a SITES exhibition. “The grant enabled me to bring in different audiences,” said Major.“I targeted adults, families, teachers and the museums had access to retired Boston Celtics center Bill K-12 audience.” Russell, the exhibition’s national spokesman. Two events focused on the theme of “Conflict and MAC, the final museum to host the exhibition, offered Compromise in Sports,” to tie in with National History members a chance to meet Russell in an informal Day’s 2008 topic. Major contacted Bryan Harnetiaux, a local playwright who had written a play about Jackie question and answer session in the exhibition gallery. Robinson, and received permission to produce a scene. “He was funny and charming,” said Kris Major, MAC After viewing the 20-minute scene from “National curator of education,“and allowed a lot of photo Pastime,” teachers participated in a discussion about opportunities in front of his 10,000 rebound ball.” gender and racial equity in sports. Major, a self-described “product of Title IX,” said that working with SITES was a great experience.“We were offered a spot on the tour when it was extended, so we had to work it into our exhibition and programming schedule. But SITES made it so easy. They sent out a packet of sample exhibition layouts, publicity ideas and programming suggestions that were very helpful.” A second performance was sponsored by the Human Rights Education Institute in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, which bussed a group of high school and college students more than 40 miles to watch the scene and participate in a dialogue on human rights in sports. “Sports events are big draws in this region,” said Major, “and the exhibition was a great vehicle to celebrate sports.” continued on page 3 From the Director RICHARD STRAUSS Connect the dots on the Affiliate landscape and you will find an incredible array of museums and educational organizations, all working in partnership with the Smithsonian to serve their communities in multiple and illustrious ways.“All roads are good,” say my colleagues at the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) – one excellent example begins in northern Alabama. Start at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, a museum that documents America’s space program from its earliest days. With 33 Smithsonian artifacts on hand to tell the story, the Center recently opened a new facility housing the Smithsonian’s Saturn V rocket, the largest object in the National Air and Space Museum’s collection. Travel south about 100 miles, and Harold A. Closter stop at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI), recently honored at the White House with the first National Medal for Museum and Library Service. BCRI will soon host the SITES exhibition, 381 Days: The Montgomery Bus Boycott Story, a worthy complement to its inspiring displays of the civil rights era. Head eastward to the Anniston Museum of Natural History, an exceptional regional museum serving northern Alabama and Georgia. Among their fine dioramas and natural settings, you’ll find an astonishing collection of mineral specimens from our National Museum of Natural History, including of course, a sample of Smithsonite! Now cross over into Georgia, stopping first at the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville, where you might see some of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s prized paintings by George Catlin, well matched to the Booth’s existing collection of historic and contemporary western art. Next is the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History, home of the famous locomotive The General, one of the stars of “The Great Chase.” A longtime Smithsonian collaborator, the Museum currently displays rare Smithsonian artifacts including J.E.B. Stuart’s pistol and G.A. Custer’s frock coat. The road from one Affiliate to another reveals the bold, creative, and courageous work that so many are undertaking to preserve our heritage, draw meaningful lessons from the past, and prepare the way to the future. We are proud to join all of our Affiliates in this great effort. [email protected] JESSIE COHEN Hang Out at the Smithsonian! Our National Conference is Coming Soon In this 2005 photo, five month old giant panda cub Tai Shan explores the great outdoors for the first time with his mother, Mei Xiang at the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park. The Smithsonian Affiliations National Conference is scheduled for June 1-3, 2008 at the L’Enfant Plaza Hotel in Washington, D.C. As always, enjoy informative workshops and sessions, behind-the-scenes tours, and networking opportunities. We are proud to announce that this year’s keynote address will be delivered by Irene Hirano, chairman of the board of the American Association of Museums and the founding director of the Japanese American National Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate in Los Angeles. 2 The Affiliate Atlanta, the final destination, is home to three great Smithsonian Affiliates. Colleagues at The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, teamed up with the National Museum of American History in support of the influential exhibit, What Ever Happened to Polio?, and are now working with NMAI to display a series of childfriendly books for the Native American Diabetes Project. The Museum of Design Atlanta has worked closely with the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, by hosting traveling exhibitions and by introducing their nationally-recognized “City of Neighborhoods” program to students in Atlanta. Not far away, visit the High Museum of Art, now beginning its second century in its award-winning new facility. Most recently, the High organized Morris Louis Now: An American Master Revisited, featuring two works from the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, where it also made its first stop outside of Atlanta. SPRING 2008 Other highlights include an orientation session which is an opportunity to learn about all the benefits of being a Smithsonian Affiliate, and all the resources available to your institution. Because orientation can be an excellent "refresher course" for existing Affiliates, all interested Affiliate staff members are welcome to attend. It is sure to be an informative session whether you have been in the program for years, or only weeks or days! This year we will also offer museum roundtables—opportunities for you to meet with key staff at several Smithsonian museums for question-and-answer sessions. Evening activities include a welcome reception on Sunday, June 1 at the hotel, a fun night at the National Zoo on Monday, June 2 and the annual Congressional Reception on Tuesday, June 3 on Capitol Hill. Planning is currently underway, and updates will be sent via the listserv as they become available. In addition, detailed registration packets will be mailed to each Affiliate institution in mid-March. Remember: June 1-3. See you there! The Affiliate Editor: Lonna B. Seibert Design: Comella Design Group Printing: Chroma Graphics © Smithsonian Institution The Affiliate is published by Smithsonian Affiliations. All rights reserved. For information: Smithsonian Affiliations Smithsonian Institution P.O. Box 37012 MRC 942 Washington, DC 20013-7012 Telephone: 202.633.5300 Fax: 202.633.5313 http://affiliations.si.edu SMITHSONIAN PHOTO BY MOLLY MORRISON SPORTS: BREAKING RECORDS, BREAKING BARRIERS continued from page 1 Madarasz.“An exhibition like this one opens the door to a history center as a recreational and leisure activity.” Madarasz also praises SITES as a partner.“They offer a first-class hand-holding experience. The quality of the support materials is first-rate, and we can always take the subject matter of their exhibitions and make it relevant to our museum.” NYSM also discovered that the exhibition brought in new audiences. Bill Russell, an 11-time NBA champ, 5-time NBA rebound leader and MVP, was given this basketball, in observance of his 10,000th rebound. He amassed 21,620 rebounds before retiring from play in 1969. The ball is now part of the Smithsonian collections. The Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, part of the Heinz History Center, also considered the exhibition to be a natural match for their audience. “KDKA, our local CBS affiliate, offers a live broadcast from the museum on ‘Steelers Sundays’,” said Anne Madarasz, Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum director.“We featured the exhibition on the pre-game shows.” The Center worked with SITES on the layout and design of the installation so that the cases featuring Pittsburgh Pirate Roberto Clemente and Pittsburgh Steeler Terry Bradshaw held a prominent place. “Consistently, we find a new audience of non-traditional museum visitors with sports exhibitions,” said “The first question these visitors asked was,‘Where is the sports exhibition?’” said Joanne Guilmette, media relations director.“We tried to appeal to a broad spectrum of people and show them what we had to offer.” A companion exhibition, Miracles: New York’s Greatest Sports Moments, highlighted the top ten sports moments in New York state history, which were chosen by Mark McGuire, a Times Union sports columnist. NYSM sponsored a panel discussion that gave area sports writers and TV sports directors a chance to debate the selections, while visitors voted on their top ten sports moments in a computer interactive installed in the exhibition. The local FOX News affiliate, WXXA, partnered with NYSM to create a one-hour special called “Miracles and Moments” that was broadcast once a month for the four months that NYSM hosted the exhibition, as well as on a screen near the exhibition. “People can connect with objects that have a special meaning for them,” said Guilmette.“We always try to bring in new audiences, and this exhibition helped us meet that goal.” Union Station director of collections Denise Morrison agrees with Guilmette.“As a historian, I found the artifacts in this exhibition communicated nicely to our audience. Kansas City is a sports town so we could tie it in to many local interests.” Kansas City residents attended a family sports fun day that invited children to set their own records by navigating a 50-foot obstacle course and throwing balls at targets, gave them the opportunity meet the mascots of the Kansas City Royals baseball and Kansas City Chiefs football teams, as well as meet former Negro American League baseball player Buck O’Neil. “Our Science City interactive science center also offered a series of family discovery classes on the science of sports,” said Morrison.“Families could learn about major league physics, the velocity of racecars and flight science.” Parker Hayes, the SITES project director for the exhibition, said,“Sports: Breaking Records, Breaking Barriers was a full Smithsonian exhibition from start to finish. We work together as an institution to create the exhibition, and then the Affiliates took the exhibition and reached out to their community.” COURTESY OF BIRMINGHAM CIVIL RIGHTS INSTITUTE Award of Excellence Presented to Alabama Affiliate On January 14, 2008, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI) in Birmingham, Alabama, was one of ten organizations honored by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) with a National Medal—the nation’s highest award for museums and libraries. Dr. Lawrence J. Pijeaux, president and CEO of BCRI accepted the medal and a $10,000 prize in a ceremony held at the White House. The award was presented by First Lady Laura Bush and Anne-Imelda Radice, the director of IMLS. Pictured here, from left to right are Mrs. Laura Bush, community member Shirina Davenport, Lawrence J. Pijeaux, and Anne-Imelda Radice. The Affiliate SPRING 2008 3 Arts Council for Long Beach, California Brings SMITHSONIAN SCHOLARS TO THEIR COMMUNITY SMITHSONIAN PHOTO BY CHIP CLARK CARA SEITCHEK Every March, the Arts Council for Long Beach (ACLB) hosts Smithsonian Week, an eight-day event that celebrates the Smithsonian Institution and its ten year connection to the educational and cultural institutions in the city of Long Beach, California. An integral part of Smithsonian Week are the Smithsonian Scholars, Smithsonian Institution staff members who present their expertise to the Long Beach community through school programs, public lectures, workshops and other activities that comprise this fun and unique experience. Smithsonian Week grew from an initial meeting between Mayor Beverly O’Neill and then-Smithsonian Secretary I. Michael Heyman.“When I first became mayor, I thought we needed a Smithsonian west, so I made an appointment with Mr. Heyman, and talked with him about extending his institution to more of the United States.” From that first meeting grew Long Beach’s association with the Smithsonian, starting in 1998 when the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra traveled to Long Beach for a three-day residency and series of public concerts. “I remember high school students sitting next to these well-known artists and playing music together,” said O’Neill.“Through the Smithsonian Scholars, our city has become a venue to bring the Smithsonian to our children.” Dr. Clyde Roper, pictured here in the collections storage area at the National Museum of Natural History, shared his knowledge of giant squid with audiences in Long Beach in 2001. Clyde Roper, a marine biologist from the National Museum of Natural History, traveled to Long Beach in 2001. He visited several schools as a Scholar, performing dissections on marine animals, including his specialty, squids.“The experience was so much fun; I really didn’t regard it as work. I’m ready to be a Scholar again.” Roper remembered being impressed by the quality of the programming.“They had commissioned a local 4 The Affiliate SPRING 2008 COURTESY OF THE ARTS COUNCIL FOR LONG BEACH “Through the Smithsonian Scholars, our city has become a venue to bring the Smithsonian to our children.” Mayor Beverly O’Neill Smithsonian curator David Shayt gives a demonstration centered around children's toys in 2003. puppeteer to create a 20-foot-long giant squid puppet, which caught the kids’ attention, and then I had an opportunity to talk about animals and oceanography. I could see that the people of Long Beach are very dedicated to their community and their children’s education.” ACLB director Joan Van Hooten said that the puppet is just one example of how the arts council involves local artists in Smithsonian Week, thereby giving them an opportunity to perform on a national level. Van Hooten works closely with Ann Post, program manager for regional programs for The Smithsonian Associates (TSA). ACLB proposes a broad topic for Smithsonian Week, and Post scours the Smithsonian for experts who match the topic. From these almost-weekly discussions, each year’s Smithsonian Week and Scholars emerge. Post explained the origins of this partnership.“When Mayor O’Neill approached the Smithsonian, the Affiliations program suggested that the best way for the Institution to have a presence in Long Beach was through a programmatic affiliation rather than an object-based one. Since I work on programs exclusively for our national audience, working on Smithsonian Week was a natural fit for me and The Smithsonian Associates.” Post stressed the work that ACLB puts into the partnership.“They find the local venues, the volunteers and create the publicity. And while the Smithsonian Scholars are the featured event, the heart of the week is the local programming and local arts activities that complement the Smithsonian folks.” An integral part of each Scholar’s visit is visiting local schools to talk about their field of interest. “These are not drop-in visits,” said Van Hooten.“We provide pre-visit materials, suggested bibliographies and lesson plans to the teachers. The children are prepared for every Scholar. We teach our children about what a scholar is, what research is and what the Smithsonian is. In fact, some students have discovered a career path by listening to a Scholar.” Kidwell also spoke on the Queen Mary, at the local art museum and a junior college.“I gave lectures on 18th century petticoats, swimwear and World War II fashions; some very diverse offerings.” She said,“Long Beach does a terrific job of connecting different elements of their community and bringing people together. It’s a unique program.” Dwight Blocker Bowers, curator for the Division of Music, Sports and Entertainment at the National Museum of American History (NMAH), visited Long Beach in 2002.“I was particularly taken by the time I spent in the classrooms. I remember a third grade class of at-risk children who exceeded my wildest dreams. They had created a mini-exhibition of the sets from movie musicals constructed from shoeboxes and crepe paper. They really wanted to be a part of what I had to say.” Another NMAH curator will make his second visit as a Scholar this spring. David Shayt’s first visit in 2003 was “extraordinarily popular,” said Van Hooten.“His conversations about toys not only placed them in an historical context, but also provided an interesting background to something that both adults and children can relate to and use all the time.” Van Hooten remembered one school greeting Bowers with a red carpet and a school choir singing,“Getting to Know You” from the musical The King and I. His lectures will again focus on toys, but he will add an interactive element as he discusses the yo-yo, Frisbee®, Hula Hoop®, Silly Putty® and Slinky®, toys with California origins.“This time, a local yo-yo club will demonstrate tricks to accompany my talks, and a woman who is proficient in the hula hoop will be there as well. I’m still looking for an expert with the Slinky.” “And through Dwight, we were able to bring actress Ann Miller, a Southern California legend, to Long Beach. He interviewed her for one of the evening events, one of the most memorable events we’ve presented.” Bowers added,“I profited from this experience as much as the community did. Since I spend most of my time with objects, having the chance to speak to the elementary school children was an exhausting, but good, experience.” NMAH costume collection curator emerita Claudia Kidwell echoed Bowers’ comments.“One high school I visited was an exceptional example of the work the students put into their projects. They put on a fashion show for me that was full of enthusiasm and talent.” Shayt said that he’s delighted to be invited back, although “all the children I spoke to are now probably in high school.” Van Hooten summarized Long Beach’s experiences with the Smithsonian Scholars as a positive way to “make a connection to our nation’s museum and receive that fabulous education, analysis and research in our community.” Smithsonian Week 2008 featured the theme The 50s: Fun, Fear and Rock ‘n’ Roll, from March 7 through March 14. The Affiliate SPRING 2008 5 COURTESY OF ANNMARIE GARDEN COURTESY OF ANNMARIE GARDEN Hirshhorn Museum Loans to Annmarie Garden Help Garden Grow CARA SEITCHEK Giacomo Manzu's Standing Cardinal. Since 2003, Annmarie Garden has maintained a longterm partnership with the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (HMSG), borrowing about five sculptures a year to display in its 30-acre wooded property in Solomons, Maryland. This spring, Annmarie Garden’s Affiliate relationship will broaden when it unveils a new 15,000 square-foot gallery where, for the first time, art can be displayed indoors. invested a lot of their funds into this affiliation. In fact, we now use the parameters we established for Annmarie Garden for all other outdoor sculpture requests.” George Rickey's Three Red Lines. drawn from the local community, the garden has also become an important tourist attraction with an economic impact on the region. An integral piece of this partnership is the willingness of “The new building reflects the many audiences we serve. Annmarie Garden to assist with the conservation or On any day, you could find a national exhibition, repair of HMSG sculptures. programming for families or seniors and an art school class,” said Hann-Ruff.“When people see the “We financed the repair of the Standing Cardinal by Smithsonian name, they think ‘it must be great,’ so we Giacomo Manzu, which had remained in storage until “The gallery will allow Annmarie Garden to exhibit work hard at balancing programming for both the funding could be found,” said Hann-Ruff.“So, we sent it other types of art and give them an opportunity to sophisticated tourist and the local community.” to a foundry in New York and now it is on display in our partner with other Smithsonian units like the garden.” The Smithsonian connection also played an Smithsonian American Art Museum,” said Jennifer instrumental role in funding and creating the new Brundage, Affiliations coordinator. HMSG conservator Lee Aks travels to Annmarie Garden building. State and local politicians who sponsored bond several times a year to coordinate condition reports and Annmarie Garden director Stacey Hann-Ruff said that bills for the construction cited the affiliation with the treatments with the contract conservators. He views the gallery is just one element of constructing a new Smithsonian as a key motivation. Annmarie Garden as an extension of HMSG “where the vision for the garden.“We are coming into our own as a objects are safe and cared for at a high level.” Maryland Senator Roy Dyson recalled his first trip to the regional art center, which results from our success with Smithsonian Institution as a schoolboy, and said,“The the Hirshhorn.” He notes that the loans also assist HMSG with storage thought of the Smithsonian coming to Calvert County is issues.“They get pieces for display and we get storage She described the initial stages of their relationship with particularly appealing to me. Instead of a two-hour trip, space.” HMSG as a “leap of faith.” At that time, the park it’s a 12-mile trip to Annmarie Garden.” contained a few sculptures, one building and modest George Rickey’s 1966 kinetic sculpture Three Red Lines, Maryland State Delegate Tony O’Donnell agreed, adding landscaping. which had been on exhibit outside the Hirshhorn for that the affiliation brought instant credibility to the years, became a storage problem when HMSG acquired “The one resource we have is plenty of space, but when project, as well as access to important resources. He Roy Lichtenstein’s Brushstroke. you are unknown, borrowing artworks is tricky,” she views Annmarie Garden’s new building as a “great added.“Now that we can show other museums that the example of how a local entity can cooperate with state “The only suitable place for it was the site where the Hirshhorn trusts us to take care of their objects, we can Rickey stood,” said Fletcher.“So we were able to lend it to and county resources and a national institution.” approach them for loans." Annmarie Garden.” The gallery, slated to open Mother’s Day weekend, She emphasizes that Annmarie Garden had to meet reflects the local agricultural and boating industries in The Rickey has proved to be a source of inspiration for certain guidelines in order to win this trust. its design, while incorporating large windows so that the Annmarie Garden staff members, who consider it the outdoor sculpture can be part of the indoor experience. centerpiece to their garden. Not only did its bright red “The Smithsonian sets high standards, so it’s a color inspire the color scheme for the new building, but For the first time, Annmarie Garden will have a gift relationship that we did not enter lightly. We had to add a shop, a café and a place to host traveling exhibitions. it also inspired the first art exhibition to be held in the security fence around our site and install security Designed by Annapolis firm Wheeler Goodman Masek lower exhibition gallery. cameras. We always make sure we use conservators that and Associates Inc., the building will be Calvert County’s the Hirshhorn has approved and the transportation “We are curating our own show, called re.action, which first purpose-built, stand-alone art gallery. companies that they use. The reality is to have the best will focus on movement, the illusion of movement and people, the best equipment and the best materials for the actual movement,” said Hann-Ruff.“We know from the Duane W. Beckhorn, president of the Koenig Private best results.” Foundation that operates the garden, said,“Annmarie Rickey that movement is engaging and accessible to all Garden is now entitled to call itself an arts center. Our audiences and levels.” HMSG sculpture curator Valerie J. Fletcher agreed.“We affiliation with the Smithsonian has been mutually have both worked very hard to make this a profitable The new art building will help Annmarie Garden serve beneficial.” partnership. They have met all our conditions and its many audiences. While the bulk of its members are 6 The Affiliate SPRING 2008 National Museum of Dentistry Enhances G.V. Black Exhibition with New Smithsonian Loan CARA SEITCHEK AMY PELSINSKY founded by Congress in 1852. Many buildings at St. Elizabeths feature the same Gothic Revival architectural style as the Castle. “The first Smithsonian Secretary sat on the board of St. Elizabeths. At that time, it was a long carriage ride between the Castle and the Hospital, so he often spent a night there before a board meeting,” said Stamm.“When St. Elizabeths closed its doors, they called us and we received about 100 pieces from their inventory.” The enhanced vignette, which opened in September 2007, also features Black’s dental chair with swan armrests, the foot-powered drill that Black invented, a wall cabinet containing his instruments and a wallmounted bracket table with a wooden arm that kept his instruments within easy reach. Many of the items pictured here are on loan from the Smithsonian, including G.V. Black's Archer dental chair and the foot-powered dental engine he invented. For more than 12 years, the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry (NMD) in Baltimore, Maryland has interpreted the life of G.V. Black, considered the father of American dentistry, through an exhibition that showcases artifacts on loan from the National Museum of American History (NMAH). In 2001, NMD became a Smithsonian Affiliate, a collaboration that has been instrumental in the museum’s growth. “We’ve had a strong connection with the Smithsonian since the beginning of our museum, but our relationship has only grown through the Affiliations program, which gives us more access to the Institution,” said Rosemary C. Fetter, NMD executive director.“In the dental community, the Smithsonian name is a source of instant credibility.” NMD, designated by Congress in 2004 as the official museum of the dental profession, is committed to raising awareness of the importance of oral health. NMD’s traveling exhibitions have reached more than two million people at children’s and science museums around the country. One recent loan connected NMD with a new partner, the Smithsonian Castle Collection, a working collection of 19th century furniture intended for use in Smithsonian offices. “We decided to enhance our G.V. Black exhibition, which recreates what his dental office looked like in 1870. We knew the American History Museum was closed, so Smithsonian Affiliations suggested the Castle Collection,” said Scott D. Swank, NMD curator. The Castle Collection comprises more than 3,300 pieces of 19th century furniture, lighting fixtures, porcelain, glass and other decorative arts objects, whose purpose is to furnish the offices, halls and reception rooms of the Smithsonian Castle and maintain its historic ambiance. “We consider this a working collection,” said Richard Stamm, curator for the Castle Collection.“About 80 percent of the collection is in use, although since the Arts and Industries Building closed, more of the collection is in storage now.” When Swank and Stamm met, they discussed the time period and the desired effect of the office vignette. Black’s descendents, who have maintained a relationship with NMD, had looked through family documents and papers to provide photographs and images of how Black’s office and home had been decorated. “The Castle pieces worked out perfectly for us. We wanted to display Black’s office ledgers, and since this furniture is meant to be used, we can display them on a desk as if Black were using them,” said Swank. NMD borrowed five objects from the Castle Collection; a Rococo Revival side chair, a Captain’s armchair, a Colonial Revival candlestand, a 19th century coat tree and a wall desk typical for a 19th century office. The armchair, one of a set of six, came to the Smithsonian through St. Elizabeths hospital, which was To complement the Castle Collection loan, NMD added other enhancements to the exhibition, including a lifesize figure of Black and a computer kiosk, both made possible by three generations of Black’s descendents, through a grant from their Malott Family Foundation. “Black’s family found his Civil War discharge papers, which gave us his height, weight, eye and hair color,” said Amy Pelsinsky, NMD director of communications. “The museum owns a bronze sculpture of Black, so the company creating the figure used these objects to create the new model.” The computer kiosk contains images of Black’s office that visitors can touch to access detailed information about the objects on display. It also features an interactive photograph album that visitors can “page” through to view images of Black’s home and family, learn about his inventions, scientific breakthroughs and the legacy of his work. “We wanted to humanize Black, make him more real and show that he was more than a dentist,” said Fetter. Black, who served as the first Dean for the Northwestern University Dental School, conducted pioneering research on tooth anatomy, which led him to develop techniques for filling cavities that are still in use today. He was also the first to use nitrous oxide for extracting teeth painlessly, created the silver amalgam filling and classified tooth decay into five categories. Judy M. Chelnick, NMAH associate curator of medicine and science, said that the Black exhibition tells an important story in American dentistry.“The history of dentistry is an acquired taste, but everyone can relate to visiting the dentist.” The Affiliate SPRING 2008 7 CONNECTICUT – Hunt Hill Farm in New Milford remounted the popular exhibition, Skitch Henderson: A Man & His Music, providing an exciting glimpse into the life and career of an American icon, through March 1, 2008. Also, on March 1, Smithsonian curator Dwight Blocker NYSE EURONEXT CALIFORNIA – From March 8 through May 18, 2008, the Historical Society of Long Beach presents the SITES exhibition The Way We Worked: Photographs from the National Archives as part of the Arts COLORADO – Visitors to Littleton Historical Museum will enjoy a selection of powerful portraits when the museum hosts the SITES exhibition In Focus: National Geographic’s Greatest Portraits from April 5 through June 1, 2008. John Herzog, chairman, along with staff and supporters, rings the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange to herald the opening of the Museum of American Finance's new facility. Official Business Penalty for Private Use $300 MRC 942 PO BOX 37012 Washington, DC 20013-7012 http://affiliations.si.edu Smithsonian Affiliations Presorted Standard U.S. Postage Paid Smithsonian Institution G-94 Council for Long Beach's Smithsonian Week in Long Beach (see article on pages 4–5). Spanning the years 1857-1987, the photos document American workplaces, work clothing, working conditions, and workplace conflicts. Bowers was at the farm to give a talk about Henderson's unique life and his many passions. Henderson, whose vibrant career closely parallels the development of 20th-century American music, had a broad range of personal interests, from cooking to 19th-century metal banks. MARYLAND – On February 10, College Park Aviation Museum welcomed Smithsonian curator Von Hardesty who discussed African American contributions to aviation and space history. MISSISSIPPI – Biloxi’s Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art held a public celebration of rebuilding on December 1, 2007 affording visitors a glimpse of the construction of several new facilities that was halted by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. PENNSYLVANIA – The National Museum of American Jewish History held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new building on Independence Mall in Philadelphia on September 30, 2007. Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), Governor Edward Rendell and Mayor John Street were distinguished guests. SOUTH CAROLINA – Visitors to York County Culture and Heritage Commission in Rock Hill got an early taste of holiday cheer when Smithsonian curator William Lawrence Bird discussed his book Holidays on Display on December 2, 2007. NEW JERSEY – From December 1, 2007 through Apple Pickers by Nicolai Cikovsky is on loan to The Long TEXAS – From February 24, 2008 Island Museum of American Art, History and Carriages Our Journeys/Our November 3, 2007 from the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Stories, a traveling through January 13, exhibition from the Smithsonian Latino 2008, visitors to Dallas were able to Center, was on view at the New Jersey witness the genesis of the modern Civil Historical Society in Newark. Then, on Rights movement by visiting the inspiring March 15, the society hosted the SITES SITES exhibition 381 Days: The Montgomery Bus Boycott at the African exhibition Feast Your Eyes: The Unexpected Beauty of Vegetable Gardens American Museum. through December 31, 2008. NEW YORK - On January 10, amid much fanfare and positive press coverage, the Museum of American Finance opened in its new home, complete with new exhibitions, at 48 Wall Street, home of the former Bank of New York, in New York City. • In Stony Brook, The Long Island Museum of American Art, History and Carriages presents A Russian Artist on Long Island: David Burliuk and the Hampton Bays Art Group, an exhibition that includes paintings on loan from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden through July 13, 2008. Then, beginning on March 15, the museum will host the exhibition Our Journeys/Our Stories through June 8, 2008. PHOTO BY EDGEWORTH, COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES ALABAMA – The U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville opened the new Davidson Center for Space Exploration on January 31, 2008. The 62,500 square foot, $23.4 million facility houses a new visitor center and the newly-restored Saturn V 500D/F rocket, on loan from the Smithsonian Institution. News about Smithsonian Affiliates MIKE FISCHER, SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM SMITHSONIAN IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD Native girls packing pineapple into cans in Hawaii, 1928, from the exhibition The Way We Worked . — Lonna B. Seibert We extend a warm welcome to our newest Smithsonian Affiliates: Historic Arkansas Museum Little Rock, Arkansas Mennello Museum of American Art Orlando, Florida Kenosha Public Museum Kenosha, Wisconsin Naples Museum of Art Naples, Florida