Winter 2010 - Smithsonian Affiliations

Winter 2010
the
affiliate
News about Smithsonian Affiliates
Left Osage
Right Andrew
moccasins on loan
Zawacki, Historic
from the Smithsonian
Arkansas Museum
National Museum of
conservator, helps
the American Indian
Jonathan Pressler,
(NMAI) (Photos
contract exhibit
courtesy Historic
installer, unpack
Arkansas Museum)
artifacts from NMAI
(Photo courtesy
Historic Arkansas
Museum)
Historic Arkansas
Museum Presents
Stories of Three
Native American
Tribes
“The Smithsonian’s National Museum
of the American Indian is proud
to have worked closely with the
staff and community curators of
this exhibition for the past two
years,” said Director, Kevin Gover
By Cara Seitchek
(Pawnee). “We strive to imbue
“The history of these three tribes has
the Native perspective of history
completely disappeared from Arkansas,”
and contemporary life in our own
said Donna Uptigrove, assistant curator
exhibitions and share this approach
of collections at the Historic Arkansas
when working with other institutions Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate in Little
Rock since 2007. “Without the Smithsoto create a fulsome and balanced
nian Institution, we could not have opened
view of Native history. We look
this exhibition.” We Walk in Two Worlds:
forward to a continued relationship
The Caddo, Osage and Quapaw in Arkansas
with the Historic Arkansas Museum.” opened in March 2009. The National
Museum of the American Indian (NMAI)
played a key role in providing objects
essential to the history of these tribes.
“While we work on acquiring more
tribal collections, the loan of objects from
the Smithsonian helped us expedite the
creation of this exhibition,” said Uptigrove.
The combination of nearly 50 Smithsonian artifacts, collections from the Historic
Arkansas Museum and private collections,
tell the story of ancient ways of life,
European influence, survival of the tribes,
and contemporary practices.
“Our partnership with the Smithsonian
helped us show the tribes that their story is
something we take very seriously, illustrating it with the best objects obtainable in a
legal and authorized way,” said Patricia
Grant, Historic Arkansas Museum curator
of exhibits. “Our sincerity was not doubted,
everything we included in the exhibition
was blessed by the tribes.”
“An extremely important factor in the
development of the exhibit was the tribal
participation from the Caddo, Osage, and
Quapaw. The voice is Native American
and it is not out of a textbook,” said Grant.
Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe issued
a formal invitation to each tribal council
to attend the opening of the exhibition.
The tribes were forced from their land in
Arkansas in the 1880s. The three tribal
nations accepted Beebe’s invitation and
sent representatives to the opening, which
featured a drum circle, singing, dancing,
and blessings, as well as greetings from
Kevin Gover (Pawnee), director of NMAI,
and Rick West (Southern Cheyenne),
former director of NMAI.
continued page 7
www.affiliations.si.edu
Historic Arkansas Museum
1
www.arkansashistory.com
the affiliate
Winter 2010
from the director
Affiliates Are Critical to the
Smithsonian’s New Strategic Plan
On September 21, Smithsonian
National Conference, June 13 – 15,
Secretary G. Wayne Clough
will provide a major forum for
announced the adoption of the
dialogue between Affiliates and
Institution’s new strategic plan,
Smithsonian colleagues on ways
Inspiring Generations through Knowl- we can work together to advance
edge and Discovery, 2010 – 2015
its goals and objectives.
(http://newsdesk.si.edu). The plan
The plan focuses on four areas
results from a thorough and inclu- that capitalize on the Smithsonian’s
sive year-long process that drew
strengths and that offer significant
on the insights and ideas of count- opportunities to make a difference
less numbers of staff and stakein the world’s body of knowledge
holders. Smithsonian Affiliates
and in the lives of those we serve:
gave thoughtful input through
Unlocking the Secrets of the Universe;
interviews and focus groups, and
Understanding and Sustaining a
will be critical in achieving the
Biodiverse Planet;Valuing World
success of this new plan.
Cultures; and, Understanding the
In future mailings and commu- American Experience. Smithsonian
nications we will share with you
Affiliates are key to tackling these
the specific language of the strate- “Grand Challenges.” Through your
gic plan as we seek your thoughts
prior collaborations with the
on how we can strengthen our
Smithsonian and through your
partnerships within this new
research, collections, educational
framework. Our 2010 Affiliations
programming, and close relation-
ships with local communities,
you bring pieces to these puzzles
in myriad ways.
There is great excitement
within the Smithsonian community for the direction and inspiration offered by the new strategic
plan. We hope that you will find
it similarly compelling and we
look forward to starting a new
journey of knowledge and
discovery with all of you.
Harold A. Closter
[email protected]
New Benefit for 2010 Smithsonian Affiliate Reciprocal
Membership Program
If your museum or organization is
currently offering the Smithsonian
Affiliate membership, we invite
you to join the reciprocal program
and expand the benefits you are
currently offering. The Smithsonian
reciprocal program will provide
your members with a national
network of museums and cultural
organizations to visit with the same
membership privileges they receive
in their local community. If you are
not participating in the Affiliate
membership program — you can
start now! For more information
about the reciprocal benefit,
contact Christina Di Meglio Lopez
[email protected] or visit
affiliations.si.edu.
We extend a warm
welcome to our newest
Smithsonian Affiliates:
Tellus Northwest Georgia Science
Museum Cartersville, Georgia
Georgia Aquarium Atlanta, Georgia
Hiller Aviation Museum San Carlos,
California
Institute of Texan Cultures
San Antonio, Texas
contents
Putnam Museum of History and
Natural Science Davenport, Iowa
1
Historic Arkansas Museum
Presents Stories of Three Native
American Tribes
Heard Museum Phoenix, Arizona
Editor Christina Di Meglio Lopez
Assistant Editor Elizabeth Bugbee
Writer Cara Seitchek
3
1
5
Ogden Museum of Southern Art
Partners with Smithsonian
Education Units
4
Senator John Heinz History Center
Hosts Ability Pittsburgh
5
Smithsonian Affiliations National
Conference 2009
4
2
the affiliate
Winter 2010
6
6
Panama at the Smithsonian
www.affiliations.si.edu
Contributor Christopher Teed
Designer Brad Ireland
Printing Chroma Graphics, Inc.
© 2010 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
FPO
arts/education
Ogden Museum of Southern Art
Partners with Smithsonian
Education Units
By Cara Seitchek
“The Ogden’s mission is to educate and
promote the art of the South, and before
we had a permanent home, our outreach
was offered as a museum without walls,”
said Kate Barron, curator of education for
the Ogden Museum of Southern Art,
the first Smithsonian Affiliate in Louisiana.
In keeping with the museum’s focus
of reaching other communities, the Ogden
Museum has partnered with several
Smithsonian units, bringing resources
and programming to New Orleans.
In July, the Smithsonian American Art
Museum brought together interdisciplinary
teams of middle school teachers to the
Jefferson Parish Public School System
( JPPSS) to use new technologies in creative
ways and integrate visual arts into their
core curricula. Funded by Cisco, this
multi-year program offers educators a new
model for using, teaching, and interacting
with technology.
“The first year of the program, we
brought teachers to Washington, D.C., but
we decided to take the institute on the road
so that teachers could work with their local
institutions,” said Elizabeth K. Eder,
assistant chair for national educational
partnerships at the Smithsonian American
Art Museum. “It seemed like a good idea to
work with one of our Affiliates and since
the Ogden Museum has overlapping artists
with our collections, it was a good fit.”
The course started with a three-day
intensive program located both at the
Ogden Museum and a JPPSS high school.
Educators were introduced to both the
on-site collections of the Ogden and the
American Art Museum’s collections via
videoconference and the museum website.
American Art Museum staff members stay
connected to the teachers throughout the
year via real-time video conferencing and
online collaboration.
“We went beyond the one-shot program
to developing a long-term relationship
with the teachers and the Ogden Museum,”
said Eder. “We are building on each
other’s strengths.”
The Ogden Museum also welcomed
Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum
(CH) to New Orleans, where they hosted
A City of Neighborhoods, a week-long
program that demonstrates how to bring
design-based thinking into classrooms.
Through walking tours, workshops, and
presentations by design experts, teachers
learn how to incorporate 21st-century skills
such as critical thinking and problem
solving into their curricula.
“We use Affiliates as sites in other cities
because we know we can’t be everywhere.
When we work with an Affiliate, they
know their region and can connect us to
the local education community,” said
Caroline Payson, CH director of education.
“When the program is finished, the teachers
look at the Affiliate in a different way
because they had a unique experience.”
Barron added, “Having the ability to
host the Smithsonian here is very exciting.
Not only does it open our doors to new
audiences, but I have learned a lot by sitting
in on these trainings.”
the affiliate
Ogden Museum of Southern Art
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www.ogdenmuseum.org
the affiliate
Winter 2010
ability pittsburgh
Senator John
Heinz History
Center Hosts
Ability Pittsburgh
By Cara Seitchek
The Senator John Heinz History
Center welcomed students from the
Pittsburgh area to Ability Pittsburgh, an
April 2009 event that offered resources,
demonstrations, and lectures to students
with disabilities.
“We like to make sure our building
is used for the benefit of the community,”
said Terri Blanchette, director of community programs at the Heinz Center.
“We were excited to turn the museum
over to this project and show these
students that the whole museum was
open for them.”
Ability Pittsburgh is modeled after the
Smithsonian’s IDEA Celebration, a 2007
program held at the Smithsonian National
Air and Space Museum in support of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
The program featured activities and
provided information to students transi-
tioning from high school to college,
a job or the community.
“We realized that this program could
be replicated around the country through
national partnerships and that Smithsonian
Affiliations could support this outreach,”
said Beth Ziebarth, director of the Smithsonian Institution Accessibility Program.
“By holding the event in a museum,
we can make connections to disability
history for the students.”
The event contains four interactive
modules that link the students to a wide
variety of life opportunities. Transitions,
Advisors, Leadership, and Employment offers
information on internships and employment, while Assistive Technologies demonstrates technology that increases productivity at school and work. Advocacy and History
showcases leaders in the disability community while Healthy Lifestyles and Nutrition
emphasizes the benefits of healthy eating
and physical activity.
“Representatives from 50 local and
national corporations participated in a
career fair during the event,” said Blanchette. “Not only did the students see what
opportunities were available for them, but
the corporations also gained access to a
potential group of future workers.”
The Smithsonian’s Central Office of
Development collaborated with the Heinz
Center to secure the funding necessary to
4
Senator John Heinz History Center
the affiliate
www.heinzhistorycenter.org
Winter 2010
hold the event. The Disability Funders
Network, a national grantmakers collaborative, was instrumental in connecting both
the Smithsonian and the Heinz Center
with national and local funders.
“So many people went out of their way
to bring this initiative to a new audience,”
said Becky Pfordresher, assistant director
of the Smithsonian’s Office of Foundation
Relations. “The Affiliations staff helped
build a team that enabled us to create a long
distance program that established a model
for future venues.”
With the success of the pilot program
in Pittsburgh, the Smithsonian Accessibility Program plans to offer this event to
Affiliate partners across the country.
The Durham Museum in Omaha,
Nebraska is scheduled to host the event
in fall 2010.
Blanchette is already preparing for the
second Ability Pittsburgh event scheduled for
April 8, 2010. “Ability Pittsburgh was a great
use of museum space and resources to link
these students with history and make them
feel welcome in their own community.”
the affiliate
09 conference
Smithsonian
Affiliations
National
Conference
2009
By Cara Seitchek
In June, Smithsonian Secretary G. Wayne
Clough attended his first Smithsonian
Affiliations National Conference, meeting
many of the 55 Affiliate staff members who
traveled from 41 museums and organizations and 27 states to the Smithsonian
campus for educational sessions, networking, and behind-the-scenes access to
Smithsonian resources.
Secretary Clough praised the Affiliations program at the Congressional Reception, describing the Affiliates as “Smithsonian ambassadors in communities all across
the country, essential proof of what we can
do when we work together — and when
you work with each other.”
Echoing the Secretary was U.S. Senator
Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT), who welcomed the
Smithsonian Affiliates to Capitol Hill.
Senator Leahy, who also serves on the
Smithsonian Institution’s Board of Regents,
was joined by colleagues U.S. Senator Saxby
Chambliss (R-GA), U.S. Senator Thad
Cochran (R-MS), and U.S. Representative
Charles Dent (R-PA), as well as staff
members from 15 Congressional offices
and committees.
The theme of collaboration permeated
the conference, starting with a keynote
speech by Smithsonian Under Secretary
for History, Art, and Culture Richard
Kurin, who described Affiliate activities
as “stimulating new knowledge and
approaches” at the Smithsonian and
“making our work cross-disciplinary
while engaging new audiences.”
The importance of partnerships was
strengthened through a new roundtable
session, Let’s Put Our Heads Together:
New Ideas for Collaboration, which offered
an opportunity for attendees to interact
with presenters. The four roundtables
covered subjects ranging from accessibility
outreach to Jazz Appreciation Month
through informal discussions between
Smithsonian staff members, Affiliates,
and external partners.
Conference attendees also participated
in the popular Resource Fair that showcases
opportunities to partner with Smithsonian
museums. The educational sessions presented topics as varied as Serving While
Preserving: Using Conservation in Educational
Outreach and Make Uncle Sam Work for You:
How to Get Federal Support. Three tours
www.affiliations.si.edu
offered attendees a look at the Smithsonian
gardens, the National Museum of American
History’s Spark!Lab, and the forensic
anthropology underlying the National
Museum of Natural History’s Written in
Bone exhibition.
Monday evening, participants enjoyed
a reception and stroll through the exhibition, Jamestown, Quebec, Santa Fe: Three
North American Beginnings.New media
strategies dominated Tuesday’s schedule
with a panel of Smithsonian staff who
discussed the social media outlets they
use to reach new audiences.
Michael Edson, director of the Smithsonian’s Web and New Media Strategy,
discussed the power and potential of
museums and their use of new media in his
keynote speech. He described the Smithsonian’s challenge as “how to inspire the
increase and diffusion of knowledge now,”
when there are “millions of temptations
on the web.”
The final session gave attendees a
chance to interact with program officers
from seven federal funders in a “speed
dating” format. Several people commented
that meeting the officers face-to-face was
not only fun, but also very rewarding.
Three new Affiliates sent representatives to the Conference — the Ah-TahThi-Ki Museum from Clewiston, Florida;
the Sonoma County Museum from
Santa Rosa, California; and the National
Civil War Museum from Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania.
First-time attendee Dawn Barlow-Ham
of the Atomic Testing Museum in Las
Vegas, Nevada, said that the conference
was exciting and fun. “I returned to my
museum all fired up. We are working on
implementing what I learned about diversification and collaboration and using this
knowledge to grow.”
the affiliate
“Affiliates are
Smithsonian
ambassadors in
communities all
across the country,
essential proof of
what we can do
when we work
together.”
Secretary G. Wayne Clough
Top to bottom
The 2009 Affiliations
2009 conference
National Conference
attendee exchanging
offered countless
information with a
opportunities to
staff member
exchange ideas.
from the
(Photo courtesy Ken
Smithsonian’s
Rahaim, Smithsonian
Anacostia
Institution)
Community Museum.
(Photo courtesy Ken
Conference
Rahaim, Smithsonian
attendees visiting
Institution)
the Written in Bone
exhibition at NMNH.
A Smithsonian
(Photo courtesy James
horticulturist takes
Di Loreto, NMNH)
conference attendees
on a tour of the Enid
Horticulturist Janet
A. Haupt Garden.
Draper shows the
(Photo courtesy Ken
beauty of the Mary
Rahaim, Smithsonian
Livingston Ripley
Institution)
Garden during a
walking tour of the
Under Secretary for
Smithsonian Gardens.
History, Art, and
(Photo courtesy Ken
Culture Richard Kurin
Rahaim, Smithsonian
delivers the first
Institution)
keynote address at
the 2009 Affiliations
Secretary G. Wayne
National Conference.
Clough with U.S.
(Photo courtesy Ken
Senator Patrick J.
Rahaim, Smithsonian
Leahy (D-VT) during
Institution)
the Congressional
Reception. (Photo
Conference
courtesy Ken
attendees experience
Rahaim, Smithsonian
the world of forensic
Institution)
anthropology during
a hands-on tour at
the National Museum
of Natural History
(NMNH). (Photo
courtesy James Di
Loreto, NMNH)
5
the affiliate
Winter 2010
arts /culture
Top to bottom
Local school children
Performers at the
participating in
opening event
the puppet show
for the exhibition
The Tremendous
Panamanian
Encounter at the
Passages. (Photo
Smithsonian’s
courtesy Linneth
Discovery Theater.
Suira, Museo del
(Photo courtesy
Canal Interoceánico
Linneth Suira,
de Panamá)
Museo del Canal
Interoceánico
de Panamá)
Dancers at the
opening of
the exhibition
Panamanian
Passages. (Photo
courtesy Linneth
Suira, Museo del
Canal Interoceánico
de Panamá)
In 1910, naturalists from the Smithsonian
Institution surveyed the Isthmus of Panama.
Their work not only prepared for the
development of the Panama Canal, but
also laid the groundwork for the creation
of the Smithsonian Tropical Research
Institute (STRI).
To celebrate the 100th anniversary
of Smithsonian research in Panama,
the Smithsonian Latino Center (SLC) is
partnering with STRI and the Museo del
Canal Interoceánico de Panamá to
present Panama at the Smithsonian, a yearlong programming series that will focus on
the history, land, and culture of Panama.
“Panama history intersects with American history in many ways,” said Ranald
Woodaman, SLC education and public
programs director. “We are telling Panama’s
history using archival sources from Spain,
Colombia, and Panama, and connecting
these records to each other.”
Activities began in Washington, D.C.,
and will take place in New York City and
Panama City. The programs will include
history and science lectures along with
music and dance performances. Panamanian
Passages, an exhibition that presents 3 million years of Panama’s natural and social
history, will be on view at the S. Dillon
Ripley Center until May 2010. Tours of the
show include a scavenger hunt through the
exhibition, a hands-on education station,
and an interactive knowledge game for
middle and high school students.
“My staff and I are proud to have
worked with the Smithsonian on the
creation of this exhibition,” said
Dr. Angeles Ramos-Baquero, director
of the Museo del Canal. “When the
museum opened in 1997, I envisioned
creating exhibitions inspired by the
Smithsonian Institution.”
Panamanian Passages showcases
30 objects from the Museo’s collections,
including a police baton from security
forces in the Canal Zone, a 1902 letter
signed by the first president of Panama,
and postal stamps showing the eruption
of Nicaragua’s Momotombo volcano.
“When the U.S. Senate learned about
the eruption of Mt. Momotombo, legislation to build the canal changed from a
Nicaragua canal to Panama, eliminating the
complication of a volcanic eruption
in the canal,” said Baquero.
Accompanying the opening of the
exhibition was a children’s play, The Tremendous Encounter, adapted from a script written
by the Museo’s education department and
featuring puppets handmade by the staff.
Presented in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s Discovery Theater, the play featured a
pirate searching for gold, Spanish Conquistadors, native Panamanians, and the natural
elements surrounding the River Chagres.
The Museo is also collaborating with
the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center
(SEEC) to create bilingual interactive field
trip opportunities that highlight Panama as
a global crossroads. “With partners in D.C.
and Panama, every step of the way was
collaborative,” said Maria del Carmen
Cossu, SEEC’s museum education specialist.
Activities throughout the year include
lectures on tropical archeology and the
6
Museo del Canal Interoceánico de Panamá
the affiliate
www.museodelcanal.com
Panama
at the
Smithsonian
By Cara Seitchek
Winter 2010
Chinese community in Panama, colonial
art, and 500 years of Panamanian history.
A neighborhood festival in Brooklyn will
celebrate Caribbean heritage and concerts
in Washington, D.C. will feature Panamanian music and dance. “We are proud to be
participating in this initiative and share the
scientific discoveries of Panama. We are
celebrating Panama’s people and culture,
who have been our partners in the diffusion
of knowledge for almost 100 years,” said
Eldredge Bermingham, director of STRI.
the affiliate
history/education
A parfleche bag on
loan from NMAI to
Historic Arkansas
Museum for the We
Intern / Visiting
Professionals
Congratulations to our
spring / summer 2009 interns
and visiting professionals!
Smithsonian Affiliations is
proud to offer opportunities
for Affiliates to further
their project goals through
professional development
programs across the
Institution. For information
about professional
development opportunities,
please contact Elizabeth
Bugbee, [email protected],
202.633.5304
Walk in Two Worlds
exhibition. (Photo
courtesy Historic
Arkansas Museum)
in t ern
Lori Hagadorn
A f f i l iat e
Michigan State University Museum
(East Lansing, Michigan)
smi t hsonian u ni t
Center for Folklife and Cultural
Heritage
P rojec t
Assist with the Wales Smithsonian
Cymru: Welsh History and Culture
Program at the 2009 Folklife Festival
continued from page 1
Historic Arkansas Museum Presents Stories of
Three Native American Tribes
v isi t in g pro f essiona l
v isi t in g pro f essiona l
Wayne Coleman
Jeanne Marie Warzeski
A f f i l iat e
A f f i l iat e
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
(Birmingham, Alabama)
North Carolina Museum of History
(Raleigh, North Carolina)
smi t hsonian u ni t
smi t hsonian Uni t
Wayne visited eleven Smithsonian units
during his four week residency and met
over 50 Smithsonian experts.
National Museum of the
American Indian
P rojec t
Design, Development, and Display:
the ins-and-outs of traveling exhibitions
www.affiliations.si.edu
The Historic Arkansas Museum will
continue to involve the tribes through
internships and special school tours.
“What makes this exhibition
unique is that it is a story of the Arkansas
Native American told in large part with
an Indian voice,” said Swannee Bennett,
Historic Arkansas Museum curator and
deputy director.
The NMAI‘s contributions to the
exhibition went beyond the loan of artifacts.
It included consultation, exhibit design,
and mount making over several months
of planning and collaboration. “Everyone
at the Smithsonian was extremely helpful,”
said Uptigrove. “They went out of their
way to make this happen. It was an amazing experience for all of us.”
the affiliate
“This exhibition paints
a vibrant picture of
Arkansas’ rich Native
American history and
tells a compelling story
about our state’s frontier
beginnings,” Pryor said.
“It is an educational and
fun experience for families
to enjoy. I am pleased
with the relationship the
Historic Arkansas Museum
has developed with the
Smithsonian through the
Affiliations Program and
look forward to seeing
more of the Smithsonian
in Arkansas.”
Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR)
P rojec t
Research and identify artifacts that
help tell the story of American Indians
in the North Carolina region.
7
the affiliate
Winter 2010
Top to bottom
William H. Johnson’s
In October of 2009,
has been built
Staff at the Buffalo
Dr. George
the Baltimore & Ohio
between our
Bill Historical Center
Washington Carver
Railroad Museum
institutions. It is
installs Thomas
loaned to the African
celebrated its 10th
a relationship of
Moran’s The Grand
American Museum
Anniversary as a
invention, shared
Canyon of the
(Dallas, TX) from
Smithsonian Affiliate
resources, mutual
Yellowstone, on loan
the American Art
with the transfer of
opportunities and
from the American
Museum. (Photo
the Heisler No. 43,
deep friendships.”
Art Museum. (Photo
courtesy Smithsonian
a 1938 fireless steam
said B&O Railroad
courtesy Buffalo Bill
American Art
locomotive, from
Museum Executive
Historical Center)
Museum)
the Smithsonian
Director, Courtney
National Museum
Wilson. (Photo
American Letterpress:
of American History.
Courtesy of
“The Smithsonian’s
Smithsonian
Show Print (detail)
gift of this historic
Affiliations)
at the Durham
locomotive is
The Art of Hatch
Museum. (Photo
indicative of
courtesy Smithsonian
the incredible
Institution)
relationship that
Smithsonian
In Your
Neighborhood
Maryland
College Park Aviation
Museum offered the
program Lighter than
Air in May. NASM
Curator, Tom Crouch
discussed the history
of balloons, blimps,
and airships. In
August, Doug Baldwin,
education director at
NASM’s Udvar-Hazy
Center recreated the
popular Be a Pilot
program.
Visitors to the Reginald F. Lewis Museum
of Maryland African
American History and
Culture (Baltimore)
can view the SITES
exhibition 381 Days:
The Montgomery Bus
Boycott Story through
January 31, 2010. In
September, SITES
Curator Marquette
Folley led a discussion
and gallery walk at the
museum.
The National
Museum of Dentistry
(Baltimore) celebrated
its 13th anniversary
in June.
Massachussets
The American Textile
History Museum (Lowell) reopened in June
offering interactive
exhibits and experiences for people of
all ages.
Michigan
News about Smithsonian Affiliates
Alabama
The Birmingham
Civil Rights Institute
opened Freedom’s
Sisters from the
Smithsonian Institution
Traveling Exhibition
Service (SITES) in July.
Connecticut
In October, Dwight
Blocker Bowers, curator at the National
Museum of American
History (NMAH),
shared stories and
images from the
forthcoming book on
the museum’s puppet
collection at Hunt Hill
Farm (New Milford).
District of
Columbia
The Historical Society
of Washington, D.C.,
participated in Panama
at the Smithsonian
events in October
with the lecture Interpreting 500 Years of
Panamanian History.
Florida
Lonnie Bunch, director of the National
Museum of African
American History and
8
the affiliate
Winter 2010
Culture, spoke at the
opening of the Kinsey
Collection at the Mary
Brogan Museum of
Art and Science (Tallahassee) in September.
Georgia
The SITES exhibition
Lasting Light: 125
Years of Grand Canyon
Photography was on
view at the Booth
Western Art Museum
(Cartersville).
The Southern
Museum of Civil
War and Locomotive
History (Kennesaw)
hosted the SITES exhibition Native Words,
Native Warriors.
Illinois
Through January 2010,
Jeweled Objects of
Desire is on view at
the Lizzadro Museum
of Lapidary Art
(Elmhurst), the sixth
Affiliate venue to host
this exhibition from
the National Museum
of Natural History
(NMNH).
Helen May Butler
and Her Ladies: the
New American Brass
Band Exhibition at the
University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign
(Champaign) includes
documents and photographs from NMAH
Archives, on view
through July 2010.
Indiana
Conner Prairie (Fishers) opened its new
exhibition, 1859 Balloon Voyage, in June
featuring artifacts
from the National Air
and Space Museum
(NASM). Tom Crouch,
NASM aeronautics
curator, gave a lecture
on early aviation in
America.
NASM’s In Plane View:
Abstractions of Flight
was on view at The
Air Zoo (Portage) until
June 2009. Carolyn
Russo, NASM photographer and museum
specialist, presented a
discussion about photographing the aircraft
and the development
of the exhibition.
Smithsonian
Folkways recording
artist Rahim AlHaj
performed at the Arab
American National
Museum (Dearborn)
in October.
ing director of the
Smithsonian Center for
Folklife and Cultural
Heritage (CFCH), gave
a lecture on mariachi.
Staff from the Smithsonian Environmental
Research Center
Smithsonian (CFCH),
led a discussion that
focused on North
Carolina’s musical
traditions at the
Greensboro Historical
Museum (Greensboro).
Place also emceed the
Nebraska
The Strategic Air and
Space Museum (Ashland) hosted the SITES
exhibition Earth from
Space through June.
The Durham
Museum (Omaha)
will host the SITES
exhibition American
Letterpress: The Art
of Hatch Show Print
until January 24, 2010.
For Hispanic Heritage
Month in September,
Daniel Sheehy, act-
South Carolina
Richard Efthim, director of the NMNH’s
Naturalist Center,
presented the lecture
Introduction to Inquiry
Based Learning to
30 school teachers
at York County
Culture and Heritage
Museums (Rock Hill)
in October.
Texas
(SERC) and NASM
presented lectures
on climate change
when the museum
presented Smithsonian
Teacher’s Night in
October.
museum’s program
Smithsonian Summer
Saturday: A Celebration of North Carolina’s
Musical Heritage.
New Mexico
The National Underground Railroad
Freedom Center
(Cincinnati) hosted the
SITES exhibition 381
Days: The Montgomery Bus Boycott Story
through June. In September, the museum
opened another SITES
exhibition, Becoming
American: Teenagers
and Immigration, on
view until February 18,
2010.
The Hubbard Museum
of the American West
(Ruidoso Downs) celebrated the opening
of the Cope Education
Center in October
with Governor Bill
Richardson and U.S.
Representative Harry
Teague (D-2).
New York
Roland Kays, curator
at New York State
Museum (Albany)
delivered three talks
in May to the Smithso-
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Camy Clough and
Jane Fandrey from the
Montana
In October, NASM
Historian Michael J.
Neufeld presented a
talk on his book Von
Braun: Dreamer of
Space, Engineer of War
at the Museum of the
Rockies (Bozeman).
The workshop focused
on creating, developing, and designing
exhibitions.
The SITES exhibition
Becoming American:
Teenagers and
Immigration opened
at The Alameda
National Center for
Latino Arts & Culture
(San Antonio) in June.
The Alameda hosted
the Cooper-Hewitt
National Design
Museum’s A City
of Neighborhoods
program in August.
On loan from the
Smithsonian American
Art Museum are two
paintings showcased in
the Center’s exhibition
Jesse Trevino: Mi Vida
until February 2010.
Through November
2009, visitors to the
Irving Arts Center
(Irving) can view the
SITES exhibition
NASA Art: 50 Years of
Exploration and can
also explore classical
Chinese architecture
through the exhibition
Within the Emperor’s
Garden: The Ten Thousand Springs Pavilion
from the Museum
Conservation Institute.
The Frontiers of
Flight Museum (Dallas)
was the third Affiliate
to present In Plane
View: Abstractions of
Flight from August to
November.
William H. Johnson’s
Dr. George Washington Carver is on loan
from the American Art
Museum to the African
American Museum
(Dallas).
Virginia
nian’s scientific community on his study
of mammals through
remote cameras.
The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery loaned
the Rubin Museum
of Art (New York) six
artifacts for the exhibition A Collector’s
Passion: South Asian
Selections from the
Nalin Collection.
North Carolina
In August, Jeff Place,
archivist from the
NMAH facilitated a
day-long training class
focused on providing excellent visitor
services at The African
American Museum in
Philadelphia in May.
Puerto Rico
In June, participants
from the Universidad
del Turabo, Gurabo
attended a week-long
museum studies certificate program held
at various units around
the Smithsonian.
www.affiliations.si.edu
Mount Zion Church
Preservation Association (Leesburg)
celebrated the restoration of the Church
with a grand opening
ceremony in May.
Washington
On loan from NASM
were eight of Paul
Calle’s drawings at
The Museum of Flight
(Seattle). The artwork
was showcased in
Apollo 11: An Artist’s
Perspective — Original
Sketches from NASA.