Spring 2016 - Smithsonian Affiliations

Spring 2016
the
affiliate
News about Smithsonian Affiliates
The “Gold
Standard” in
Collaboration
Worth Its Weight: Gold from the Ground Up, a new
exhibition created by the Museum of American Finance (MoAF) in New York, explores
the story of gold and its intersections throughout American history. From the Gold Rush to
investments and from mining to jewelry, the
objects encompass science, technology, art,
entertainment, pop culture, and finance.
“We borrowed 268 objects to create this
exhibition,” said Sarah Poole, MoAF collections manager. “This is the largest exhibition
we have ever created and we are proud that
three Smithsonian museums and four Affiliates are represented.”
The idea for the exhibition emerged
in 2010 after MoAF borrowed a 24-karat
gold-plated Monopoly set created by designer
Sidney Mobell from the National Museum
of Natural History (NMNH).
“Our visitors saw a familiar object which
served as an ice breaker for them to access our
other exhibits, which focus on a range of
financial topics,” said Kristin Aguilera, MoAF
deputy director. “The Monopoly set was so
continued page 3
Smithsonian Affiliations
1
www.affiliations.si.edu
the affiliate
Spring 2016
We extend a warm
welcome to our newest
Smithsonian Affiliates
Connections
Claudine Brown, the Smithsonian’s Assistant
Secretary for Education and Access, passed
away on March 17, 2016. We were privileged
to have her as an inspirational leader, colleague, mentor and friend.
I knew Claudine from a distance during
her first tour at the Smithsonian, 1990 – 1995,
when she developed the program plan for the
National Museum of African American
History and Culture, now set to open on the
National Mall in September 2016. And when
I was appointed Associate Director for Public
Service at the National Museum of American
History in 1997, one of my first trips was to
see Claudine at the Nathan Cummings
Foundation in New York, to seek her
guidance on making our educational programming more engaging and inclusive. But
it was her return to the Smithsonian in 2010, and appointment as
Assistant Secretary and my new
boss, that gave me an opportunity to understand and appreciate Claudine at a deeper level.
Our first meeting revealed
her daunting knowledge of the
Smithsonian Affiliations
network. As I ran down the list
of Affiliates, thinking that I was
offering something new and
insightful, I was quick to find
out that Claudine knew them
better. She could name directors, trustees, and
staff of countless Affiliates, as well as their
major accomplishments, transformative
programs, and funding histories. I also
learned not to be surprised in my travels upon
discovering, anywhere across the country, a
devoted following of students from the Bank
Street Graduate School of Education in New
York City where she served on the faculty.
Claudine was often cited as the reason many
chose the museum profession, and as their
source of courage to stand up against barriers
to success and advancement.
In our working relationship, Claudine
was always supportive and appreciative for the
work of the Affiliations program, though she
never held back in pushing for stronger
collaborations, many now in place as a result
of the Youth Access Grant program that she
developed. Claudine’s mantra was about
thinking out of the box, taking risks, and not
being afraid of failure. Welcome counsel to
be sure.
On April 4 the Smithsonian held a
Celebration of the Life of Claudine K. Brown
attended by hundreds of Smithsonian staff,
representatives of museums, arts and culture
organizations, students, artists, friends and
family. Transcending our sadness, the event
was filled with expressions of praise, music,
poetry, and, of course, participatory art
activities. Smithsonian Secretary David J.
Skorton aptly captured the spirit of the
moment by reminding us that the best way to
honor Claudine and continue her legacy, was
to “move on wrapped in her wisdom and
buoyed by her example.” And so we shall.
Harold A. Closter
Director
Smithsonian Affiliations
California African American Museum
Los Angeles, California
DuSable Museum of African
American History
Chicago, Illinois
Dubuque Museum of Art
Dubuque, Iowa
Historic Annapolis
Annapolis, Maryland
The Bakken Museum
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Saint Louis Science Center
St. Louis, Missouri
Editor Elizabeth Bugbee
Writer Cara Seitchek
Photo courtesy
Designer Brad Ireland
Amanda Lucidon
Printing Chroma Graphics, Inc.
for Smithsonian
Affiliations Staff
Jennifer Brundage, National Outreach Manager
Elizabeth Bugbee, Communications and
Professional Development Manager
Harold A. Closter, Director
Contents
Alma Douglas, National Outreach Manager
Aaron Glavas, National Outreach Manager
Laura Hansen, National Outreach Manager
Christina DiMeglio Lopez, External Affairs
Manager
Caroline Mah, National Outreach Manager
Gertrude Ross, Financial Manager
Natalie Wimberly, Management Support
Specialist
© 2016 Smithsonian Institution
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The “Gold Standard” in Collaboration
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Stars of the Smithsonian Shine
in Mystic, Connecticut
Inspiring Women and Girls
of Color
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Major League Legends Hit Homeruns
at Affiliates
Smithsonian In Your Neighborhood
Smithsonian Affiliations Celebrates
20 Years df
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the affiliate
Spring 2016
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
affiliations.si.edu
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The Art of Video Games
2
The Affiliate is published by
Fourteen Affiliates were chosen to participate in the third round of programming
for Youth Capture the Colorful Cosmos, a program organized by the Smithsonian
Astrophysical Observatory.
science
Left Guests at the
Lower left This solid
Worth Its Weight
gold, jewel-encrusted
exhibition opening on
Monopoly set was
November 19, 2015,
created by jewelry
viewing artifacts
artist Sidney Mobell
on loan from the
and is on loan to the
Smithsonian and
Museum of American
Affiliates.
Finance from the
National Museum of
All photos by Alan
Natural History.
Barnett; courtesy
of the Museum of
American Finance.
popular that it triggered the idea of a largerscale exhibition about gold.”
Over the next five years, MoAF plumbed
the resources of academics, universities, trade
associations, private collectors, jewelry
designers, and a large network of museums,
including the Smithsonian Affiliates.
“I checked the Affiliate web site to
research potential partners,” said Poole. “My
research question was to look at the unexpected ways that people encounter gold in
their lives. And my search led me to lesserknown museums such as the National
Museum of Dentistry, which collected
objects such as gold alloy dentures that show
how gold is used in medicine.”
MoAF staff agree that the exhibition
allows them to present the topic of finance in a
new light.
“People are often intimidated by finance,
but this exhibition allows us to show finance
in a different way,” said David Cowen, MoAF
president.
In addition to gold nuggets and mining
artifacts, the exhibition contains more unique
artifacts, such as an astronaut helmet with a
gold visor used in the Gemini space program.
On loan from the National Air and Space
Museum, the helmet is accompanied by a
gold phonograph record created in 1977 and
attached to the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2
spacecrafts. This Sounds of the Earth record, an
eclectic 90-minute musical program in which
Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B Goode” and
Mozart’s “Magic Flute” vie with a Zairian
Pygmy girls initiation song and a shakuhachi
piece from Japan, is a duplicate of the record
that contained sounds and images to show life
and culture on Earth.
The National Postal Museum lent a
gold locket presented to Alaskan postal system
creator John Clum in 1911, while NMNH
contributed jewelry from the National Gem
and Mineral Collection and other creations
from Mobell, including a solid gold mousetrap
and a jeweled fly fishing reel.
“When we loan our objects to other
museums, it’s always interesting to see how
the host museum presents the objects with
different themes and stories than what we
might present,” said Jeffrey Post, NMNH
geologist and curator of the National Gem
Collection. “The Mobell pieces generate
discussions of what makes something valuable
and puts a smile on everyone’s face.”
Loans from Affiliates include an Arab
sword and scabbard and Orthodox matrimonial gold crowns from the Arab American
National Museum in Dearborn, Michigan,
three gold nuggets from the Loud Placer Mine
in Georgia from the Tellus Science Museum
in Cartersville, Georgia, a Torah shield, pointer
and ceremonial cup from the Yeshiva University Museum, part of the Center for Jewish
History in New York City, and thin sheets of
gold foil used in filling molars courtesy of the
Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of
Dentistry in Baltimore, Maryland.
Devon Akmon, Arab American National
Museum director, said “As an Affiliate, we
thrive on being part of this network of
museums. We had a chance to support another
Affiliate as well as have our objects on view in
a major New York exhibition. Partnerships
like this allow us to place our objects, which
represent the Arab American experience,
within the greater American experience.”
Arab American National Museum
Tellus Science Musem
www.arabamericanmuseum.org
tellusmuseum.org
Richard Kurin, Under Secretary for History, Art,
and Culture, visited three Affiliates to share
stories from his book, The Smithsonian’s History
of America in 101 Objects.
continued from page 1
The “Gold Standard” in Collaboration
“Everyone knows New York
City as a world renowned
center for arts and culture,
with institutions, organizations,
and individuals who have
expanded the boundaries
of human knowledge
and achievement,” said
Representative Jerrold Nadler
(D-NY 10th), who represents
the West Side of Manhattan
and parts of Brooklyn. “New
York City continues in this
tradition to this day, making
this the perfect spot for a
Smithsonian Affiliate museum.
I am proud to represent such
a historic and culturallyrich district, and thank the
Smithsonian Institution for
their work to preserve and
promote the American story
for future generations.”
Representative Jerrold Nadler
(D-NY 10th)
the affiliate
3
the affiliate
Spring 2016
Smithsonian
Affiliations
Celebrates
20 Years
The Smithsonian’s 150th anniversary in 1996
turned out to be much more than a ceremonial
nod to our founding. As multitudes crowded the
National Mall to hear Aretha Franklin perform
against the backdrop of fireworks exploding over
the Smithsonian Castle, a major rethinking of
the Smithsonian’s role in the 21st century was
taking place inside. The first ever national tour
of Smithsonian treasures made its way across the
country, sparking a new wave of appreciation for
our venerable Institution, the Smithsonian’s first
website was launched, and Smithsonian Affiliations
was established. The Smithsonian’s new direction
reflected a growing commitment to opening doors
and reaching audiences everywhere.
Numbers tell one story — the more than 8,000
Smithsonian artifacts displayed at Affiliate locations,
the hundreds of Smithsonian traveling exhibits
and speakers that have crisscrossed the country in
the past twenty years, and the millions of visitors
that have had the opportunity to experience the
“Smithsonian in their own neighborhood.” But
beyond the numbers is the sense of family that the
Affiliations program has created; the sharing of
artifacts, people and ideas and the caring support
offered by all in times of crisis.
We have come a long way in twenty years and
look forward to a bright future built on this solid
foundation.
1996
1997
1998
1999
Smithsonian
Affiliations program
begins
An outgrowth of the
Smithsonian’s 150th
anniversary celebration, Smithsonian
Affiliations is created
as a national outreach
program to extend the
reach of the Smithsonian to communities,
museums, and research
organizations across
the nation. At the
end of its first year,
Smithsonian Affiliations
welcomed 21 museums
as Affiliates.
Bisbee Mining and
Historical Museum
Thirty-one minerals
were sent to Arizona
from the National
Museum of Natural
History’s National Gem
and Mineral Collection.
The minerals were
native to the Bisbee
region.
College Park Aviation
Museum
The National Air and
Space Museum loaned
25 artifacts including
a Berliner Helicopter
and Wright Brother’s
pocket watch. The
objects remain on view
at the Affiliate today.
Smithsonian
Expeditions exhibit
sends over 100
artifacts to Affiliates
Smithsonian Expeditions: Exploring Latin
America & the Caribbean, a collaboration
between the National
Museum of Natural
History and the Patricia
and Phillip Frost
Museum of Science.
The exhibit featured
a reproduction of a
Mayan archaeological
site. More than 100
artifacts from the
Smithsonian collection
were presented in the
exhibition. Dr. Jane
Walsh served as the
guest curator of the
Affiliate exhibition,
which was on view for
5 years.
The first loans from
the Smithsonian to
an Affiliate:
National Museum
of American History shared dental
collections with the
Dr. Samuel D. Harris
National Museum
of Dentistry.
Apollo 13 command
module “Odyssey”
lands at the
Cosmosphere
Upon completion of the
Apollo 13 project, the
National Air and Space
Museum granted the
Cosmosphere a permanent loan to house the
spacecraft. Odyssey is
still on view in the
Cosmosphere’s Apollo
Gallery.
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Blackhawk Museum
gets iconic artifacts
Lincoln’s hat, a Bell
telephone, and an
Edison light bulb were
part of the exhibition
Treasures from the
Collection of the
Smithsonian Institution:
A First Look.
Japanese American
National Museum and
Museum of American
Finance
The Japanese American National Museum
brings together staff
and volunteers to fold
1,000 origami cranes to
be sent to Museum of
American Finance after
the 9/11 attack in NYC.
Museo Y Centro
de Estudios
Humanísticos
The first annual
museum studies workshop begins. Twentyone workshops have
been presented since
2002. Over the past
14 years, more than
500 museum professionals in Puerto Rico
have been trained and
received certificates
through the program.
McClung Museum of
Natural History and
Culture
The World Moves-We
Follow: Celebrating
African Art showcased
27 objects from the
National Museum
of African Art and
11 objects from the
National Museum
of Natural History’s
anthropology collection.
American Originals in
Durham
The American Originals
exhibition featured
174 objects from
multiple Smithsonian
museums, on view at
The Durham Museum
from 2004 – 2005. The
overall theme for the
exhibition was to share
unique objects from
the Smithsonian that
illustrate successes in
the fields of design,
research, technology,
and entertainment.
Saving Stuff: How to
Care for and Preserve
Your Collectibles
This book tour
launched a new
program model across
the Affiliate network,
reaching 20 Affiliate
locations. Don Williams, Smithsonian
conservator, led workshops and lectures in
roadshow-style events
across the country at
Affiliates. Saving Stuff
taught collectors how
to apply museum conservation techniques
to family heirlooms and
keepsakes of all kinds.
Smithsonian-designed
exhibit opens in
Bisbee
Digging In, co-created
with Smithsonian
Exhibits, opened at
Bisbee Mining and
Historical Museum.
The installation was
inspired by the collection of Bisbee minerals
loaned to the museum
in 1997 by the National
Museum of Natural
History.
Smithsonian Art
Collection in Naples
The Naples Museum of
Art exhibited The Prints
of Sean Scully from the
Smithsonian American
Art Museum. Fifty
prints and an artist’s
book were featured.
The exhibition included
etchings, aquatints and
woodcuts.
In Plane View
In Plane View:
Abstractions of
Flight, a photograp
exhibition of 54 fin
art prints by Caroly
Russo, photograph
National Air and Sp
Museum, traveled
over 10 Affiliates fr
2009 – 2014.
California Science
Center
The Affiliate showcased
a renovated Air &
Space Gallery, with
space history artifacts
on loan from the
National Air and Space
Museum and meteorites from the National
Museum of Natural
History.
The Peoria Falcon
Flies Home to Peoria,
Illinois.
The iconic artifact,
excavated in the 1850’s
in Peoria, was accessioned into the Smithsonian anthropological
collection and then was
loaned to the Peoria
Riverfront Museum.
George Washington
Brought to Life
Three life-size mannequins of George Washington were created, in
part, through a unique
collaboration between
George Washington’s
Mount Vernon
Estate and Gardens,
several Smithsonian
art experts, and the
Museum of Dentistry.
Washington’s dentures
played a vital role in
reconstructing the face
of Washington’s mannequin.
Clash of the Empires
This Senator John
Heinz History Center
exhibition was showcased at the Smithsonian. This marked the
first time an Affiliateproduced exhibition
was displayed at the
Smithsonian.
George Catlin
featured at Booth
Western
Two Catlin paintings on
loan from the Smithsonian American Art
Museum were on view
at the Booth Western
Art Museum.
Annmarie Sculpture
Garden and Arts
Center
Annmarie celebrated
the exhibition and
installation of 7 sculptures on loan from the
Hirshhorn Museum and
Sculpture Garden.
Kermit the Frog Goes
to Dubuque
Kermit was featured
as part of the National
Mississippi River
Museum and Aquarium
exhibit Toadally Frogs.
Jeweled Objects of
Desire
The landmark exhibition was the first
Affiliate curated show
to travel across the
Affiliate network. Led
by The Museum of Arts
and Sciences, Daytona
Beach, the exhibition
traveled to 5 Affiliates
from 2006 – 2014.
phy
ne
yn
her,
pace
to
rom
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
Riverside begins
Smithsonian Citizen
Science Week
Since 2009 the Riverside Metropolitan
Museum has collaborated with Smithsonian
scientists from the
National Museum of
Natural History to
lead its annual citizen
science week. Over the
past seven years Smithsonian subject experts
have participated in the
annual program.
Lexington Returns to
Kentucky
A full-size skeleton of
the famous race horse
Lexington returned to
Kentucky on loan from
the National Museum
of Natural History
to the International
Museum of the Horse.
National Youth
Summits
A new partnership
between the National
Museum of American
History and Smithsonian Affiliations in 2011
developed an annual
program for youth
groups around themes
at Affiliates such as:
Freedom Rides, Dust
Bowl, Abolition, Freedom Summer, War on
Poverty, and Japanese
American Incarceration
in World War II. Twenty
Affiliates have participated to date.
Pioneer Locomotive
Loan
The B&O Railroad
Museum in Baltimore
received and restored
the historic locomotive
now on public view at
the Affiliate.
Youth Capture the
Colorful Cosmos
More than 25 Affiliates
have participated in the
astronomy youth education program since
2013. The program has
engaged over 1,000
students in Affiliate
communities through
workshops with space
camps, after school
programs, home school
consortiums and at
community centers.
A Look into the
Sixties in New York
City
A landmark collaboration with CNN
showcased collections
from 11 Affiliates.
Iconic objects from the
1960s were featured at
Vanderbilt Hall in Grand
Central Station. Over
one million people
viewed the exhibition in
a five-day period.
Citizen Science Takes
off in North Carolina
North Carolina
Museum of Natural
Science’s Neighborhood Nest Watch and
eMammals launches
a new collaboration
with the Smithsonian
Migratory Bird Center
and the Smithsonian
Conversation Biology
Institute.
Inspiring Women and
Girls of Color
Building on the annual
Smithsonian Magazine
Museum Day LIVE! program, a special edition
for women and girls of
color was celebrated
in March for Women’s
History Month. More
than 40 Affiliates
participated and developed programming
for family audiences
in partnership with
the White House and
the Smithsonian. The
National Endowment
for Humanities granted
Smithsonian Affiliates
funds to implement
local programs.
Dolly Madison’s Dress
Dolly Madison’s
Dress was loaned to
the National Portrait
Gallery from the
Greensboro Historical
Museum for the War of
1812 exhibition.
The Smithsonian’s
History of America in
101 Objects
More than 15 Affiliates
have hosted lectures,
book signings, and
events around
Dr. Richard Kurin’s
popular book.
Innoskate on the road
In 2014, The Polk
Museum of Art and
the Museum of History and Industry
celebrated invention
and creativity in skate
culture through The
Lemelson Center for
the Study of Invention
and Innovation program, Innoskate. The
Children’s Museum of
the Upstate would host
the program in 2015.
Superman Lands in
Ohio
George Reeves’s iconic
Superman costume
worn in the 1950s TV
show flew to the Ohio
History Connection
from the vaults at the
National Museum of
American History.
Ten Years of the
Young Ambassadors
Program
La Plaza de Cultura
y Artes began the
Affiliate-Smithsonian
Latino Center collaboration in June 2006.
Since then, 16 Affiliates
have hosted Young
Ambassadors. The
program has grown
into an alumni network
with many graduates
supporting their local
Affiliate.
All that Jazz
The Musical Instrument Museum opened
a new Jazz gallery featuring five objects on
loan from the National
Museum of American
History. One featured
item was a cornet
associated with Louis
Armstrong.
Young Historians,
Living Histories
This youth engagement
program in eight Affiliate communities taught
students technical skills
while documenting
their family immigration
stories. The videos
were premiered at the
CAAM Film festival in
San Francisco.
Historic Arkansas
Museum
We Walk in Two
Worlds, featured
collections from the
National Museum of
the American Indian.
The 2009 exhibition
included over 150
artifacts highlighting
Quapaw, Osage and
Caddo tribes.
Town Hall Meeting
for Bracero History
Project
The Mexican Heritage
Corporation served
as the first venue for
the National Museum
of American History’s
community engagement program for the
bracero collecting initiative. The community
programs preceded
the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service exhibition:
Bittersweet Harvest:
The Bracero Program,
1942 – 1964. Exhibited
in San José in 2010.
art/science
The Art of
Video Games
“The Art of Video Games is a ground-breaking
show, the first to feature the aesthetic of the
video game,” said Betsy Broun, The Margaret
and Terry Stent Director, Smithsonian
American Art Museum. “We love sharing
our collections and work with audiences
around the country and it is always nice to
partner with an Affiliate.”
The Patricia & Phillip Frost Art
Museum, is hosting The Art of Video Games
exhibition, the final destination in its five-year,
ten-venue tour around the country. On view
until April 17, 2016, the exhibition brought in
new audiences and expanded the museum’s
reach into the community.
“We are a university museum, so our
students are very interested in this,” said
Klaudio Rodriguez, Frost curator. “But we
also see that the exhibition is jam-packed with
children. We are hosting about 500 children a
day for other programs; the video games are
their reward at the end of the day. The
exhibition is very accessible to all ages and has
created a new energy.”
Rodriguez tried to re-create the sense of
old-time video arcades in the design of the
exhibition. “I saw the exhibition at other
venues and noticed the different ways it could
be presented. I decided to create a sense of an
arcade, with strangers standing shoulder-toshoulder playing these games.”
Stars of the
Smithsonian
Shine in Mystic,
Connecticut
Guest Author: Mary Cairns, Associate Director
of Membership, Mystic Seaport
In September 2015, Mystic Seaport opened
Ships, Clocks and Stars: The Quest for Longitude, an
award-winning exhibition from the Royal
Museums Greenwich in England. Given this
incredible opportunity to showcase the story of
solving one of the great scientific challenges of
the 18th century, it was important for Mystic
Seaport to bring nationally recognized experts
to explore all aspects of the exhibit. To that end,
we worked with our Smithsonian Affiliations
National Outreach Manager, Jennifer Brundage,
to invite Smithsonian curators and scholars in the
fields of art, history, and science to speak about
time keeping, celestial navigation and the
practice of using oceanic patterns of wave swells
for guidance.
With the exhibition on loan only until the
end of March 2016, we had a short window of
time to provide different perspectives on the
topic. Four Smithsonian experts shared their
expertise with our audiences and also met
with colleagues across Mystic Seaport to the
benefit of both organizations.
Andrew Johnston, geographer at the
National Air and Space Museum, treated
museum staff and visitors to a show in our own
planetarium, Using the Stars to Navigate.
Additional Smithsonian speakers included
Dr. Carlene Stephens, curator at the National
Museum of American History on time
keeping systems; Dr. Christine Kreamer,
curator from the National Museum of
African Art on the African cosmos; and
Roger Connor, another curator from the
National Air and Space Museum, on the
adaptation of maritime navigation in aviation.
As part of the series finale this coming June,
Doug Herman, senior geographer at the
National Museum of the American Indian,
will speak about oceanic navigation and land
finding and provide museum visitors with a
hands-on display of the wood-working tools
that Pacific Islanders used to create canoes
more than 1000 years ago.
The engagement we experienced has been
remarkable. The exhibit and the speaker series
sparked new and return visits during a time of
year that is typically slow for an outdoor
history museum. Visitors, staff, and volunteers
were able to explore the exhibit in the context
of Smithsonian scholarship and attendance
rose with increased interest from local school
and university students.
We look forward to expanding our
connection to the Smithsonian Affiliate
network and hope that future partnerships and
shared programming will become a regular
feature at Mystic Seaport, and that this
alliance will continue to enhance and shape
our mission to create an enduring connection
to our maritime heritage.
the affiliate
6
Mystic Sport
Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum
the affiliate
www.mysticseaport.org
https://thefrost.fiu.edu
Spring 2016
Using light gels of every color of the
rainbow, neon lights, and lasers, Rodriguez
presented the exhibition in an intimate space
within the galleries. “The sum of the parts of
the exhibition creates the whole — the
communal experience beyond art and
machine. It’s just like a video game that brings
together the smaller pieces and pixels to create
the bigger picture.”
Both Broun and Rodriguez agree that the
long-term association between their organizations helped make the process a success. Broun
described working with the Frost as “an
established rhythm,” while Rodriguez added
that the staff of the American Art Museum
“are a pleasure to work with and make the
process easy to navigate.”
Jordana Pomeroy, Frost director, said,
“The Art of Video Games has proven to be an
enormous success in every meaning of the
word. The exhibition has attracted all age
groups who find the exhibition visually and
intellectually stimulating, provoking conversations about the evolution of the video game
from Pac Man to the newest arrivals on the
market. The Frost immediately embraced the
art inherent in video games, which is the
perfect union between imagination, innovation, and technology.”
the affiliate
Visitors explore the
Photos courtesy
interactivity of video
Patricia and Phillip
games.
Frost Art Museum FIU
Susan Funk, executive
the National Air
vice president at
and Space Museum,
Mystic Seaport,
during his visit to the
gave a tour of the
Searport in March.
Ships, Clocks & Stars
© Mystic Seaport |
exhibition to Roger
Joe Michael
Connor, curator from
history / culture
Major League
Legends Hit
Homeruns at
Affiliates
Smithsonian Channel’s MAJOR LEAGUE
LEGENDS series — a set of one-hour programs
about four of the greatest players in the history
of the national pastime — premiered in
February at five Affiliates. The series tells the
stories of Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Lou
Gehrig, and Ted Williams and is produced by
Major League Baseball with the Smithsonian
Channel™.
The first program, The Hammer of Hank
Aaron, was broadcast on February 29 as a
special Black History Month presentation.
Audiences in cities from Baltimore to Seattle
enjoyed a sneak-peek of the film, accompanied
by panel discussions with baseball players,
Smithsonian curators, and Smithsonian
Channel producers.
Dana DeSanto, director of distributor
marketing for Smithsonian Channel, said that
the partnerships with the museums allowed
them to “invite their patrons to a special
evening event, drive new traffic to their
venues, and participate in the media surrounding the series.”
The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of
Maryland African American History and
Culture in Baltimore hosted the first screen-
Inspiring Women
and Girls of Color
ing on February 17 in partnership with
Comcast and the Smithsonian Channel.
“Partnering with Smithsonian Affiliations
on this screening was a wonderful opportunity that introduced new visitors to the
museum. At the same time, it gave us a chance
to thank our museum members by giving
them a night of exclusive access to a film
before its public release,” said Charles Bethea,
chief curator & director of collections and
exhibitions for the Reginald F. Lewis
Museum. “From a content perspective, Hank
Aaron’s stature as a sports figure and civil
rights activist provided another way for the
museum to present the accomplishments of
African Americans, therefore reinforcing our
mission.”
In addition to the Reginald F. Lewis
Museum, other hosting Affiliates included
History Colorado in Denver, the Senator
John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh,
the African American Museum in Philadelphia, and the Museum of History and
Industry in Seattle.
the affiliate
Right top Damion
the Reginald F. Lewis
Thomas, sports
Museum in Baltimore.
curator at the National
Museum of African
Right Damion Thomas
American History and
engages with young
Culture and Charles
audience members
Poe, SVP of production
during the screening
for Smithsonian
at the Museum of
Channel talk about
History and Industry
the screening in front
in Seattle.
of an audience at
programming related to the theme “Inspiring
Women and Girls of Color.” Organized by
Smithsonian magazine, the event provided
free admission to anyone presenting a Museum
Day Live! ticket. Smithsonian Affiliate
participation was supported in part by a grant
from the National Endowment for the
Humanities.
Dr. Cole added, “Many Smithsonian
Affiliates were among the museums in all
50 states and the District of Columbia that
offered creative and inspiring programs,
specifically designed to say to women and girls
of color that cultural institutions belong to
them! Smithsonian Affiliates also introduced
women and girls of color to the range of
careers in museums that they might consider
pursuing.”
Twitter social media during the day
reached 5.5 million accounts and had
19 million impressions. Top contributors
included the Pacific Aviation Museum
Pearl Harbor and the Ogden Museum of
Southern Art, with a resulting 1,500 tweets
sent in all. Smithsonian Instagram invited
five Smithsonian staff members to post about
their careers.
“The energy and excitement throughout
the Smithsonian was tangible; to think that
this was happening across the country was
even more exciting,” said Philippa Rappoport,
a program specialist with the Smithsonian
Center for Learning and Digital Access,
which coordinates the Heritage Day events for
the Smithsonian.
Even First Lady Michele Obama participated in the event through a videotaped
statement: “Our museums are for everyone.
And I want all our young people to understand that their story is part of the great
American story. So I’m thrilled that as part of
Women’s History Month, for this year’s
Museum Day, that the Smithsonian Institution
is launching a campaign to reach out to girls
and young women of color and inspire them
to discover the arts and sciences, and reach
higher for themselves and for their country.
I want to express my gratitude for everyone
who has been part of this effort and I hope you
all have a wonderful Museum Day.”
the affiliate
YWCA Bristol
of Country Music
TechGYRLS, a local
Museum during the
afterschool program
special Museum Day
based on a STEM-
Live! in March. Photo
focused curriculum
courtesy Birthplace
geared towards girls
of Country Music
aged 9 – 15, created a
Museum.
“Museum Day Live! was incredibly successful
as colleagues from around our country
warmly welcomed women and girls of color,
their families, and their peers to their muse-
ums,” said Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole,
National Museum of African Art director, who spearheaded the creation of this
special day.
The March 12 event found Affiliates of all
types offering hands-on workshops, behindthe-scenes tours, and meet and greet opportunities with successful role models from the
local community. More than 500 museums,
libraries, zoos, aquariums, and parks presented
Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor
Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland
7
www.pacificaviationmuseum.org
www.birthplaceofcountrymusic.org
African American History and Culture
the affiliate
www. lewismuseum .org
Spring 2016
special radio program
at the Birthplace
Clockwise from top
On loan from the
Four Affiliates
The Agua Caliente
right Susan Evans
National Museum
participated in
Cultural Museum
McClure from the
of American History
Puerto Rico Aquí y
(Palm Springs,
National Museum of
(NMAH), this
Allá, a symposium
California) hosted the
American History was
Mr. Potato Head
cosponsored and
National Museum of
the keynote speaker
Funny Face Kit, along
organized by
the American Indian
for the annual history
with a Digi-Comp
the Smithsonian
(NMAI) exhibition,
conference hosted
1 toy computer,
Latino Center
IndiVisible: African-
by the South Dakota
is included in the
and Smithsonian
Native American
State Historical
exhibition Toys of
Affiliations.
Lives in the Americas.
Society (Pierre,
the ‘50s, ‘60s, and
Photo courtesy
Photo courtesy Agua
South Dakota). Photo
‘70s at the Senator
of the Museo y
Caliente Cultural
courtesy South Dakota
John Heinz History
Centro de Estudios
Museum.
State Historical
Center (Pittsburgh,
Humanísticos.
Society.
Pennsylvania). Photo
courtesy Heinz History
Center.
Smithsonian
In Your
Neighborhood
New about Smithsonian Affiliates (November 1, 2015 – April 30, 2016)
Maryland
Chris Mooney,
National Museum
of Natural History
(NMNH), served on the
exhibition jury for the
Annmarie Sculpture
Garden and Arts Center (Dowell) exhibition
Swarm: Invasion of the
Insects.
The Museums of
Sonoma County
(Santa Rosa) displayed
Beyond Bollywood:
Indian Americans
Shape the Nation, an
exhibition from the
Asian Pacific American
Center (APAC) and the
Smithsonian Institution
Traveling Exhibition
Service (SITES).
I Want the Wide
American Earth: An
Asian Pacific American
Story, an APAC/SITES
exhibition, was on view
at the Cerritos Library
(Cerritos).
Nine space-related
artifacts from National
Air and Space Museum
(NASM) are on
long-term loan to the
Saint Louis Science
Center (St. Louis). The
Center also hosted the
interactive exhibition
Above and Beyond,
which features two
artifacts from NASM.
Florida
Joanne Hyppolite,
National Museum
of African American
History and Culture
Spring 2016
Titanoboa: Monster
Snake, a SITES
exhibition, traveled
to the Idaho Museum
of Natural History
(Pocatello).
Missouri
The Denver Art
Museum (Denver)
included Roaring
Reef, a watercolor
by Andrew Wyeth,
on loan from the
Smithsonian American
Art Museum for its
exhibition Wyeth:
Andrew and Jamie in
the Studio.
the affiliate
Idaho
California
Colorado
8
(NMAAHC), spoke
about the new
museum at History
Miami (Miami).
Massachusetts
Framingham State
University (Framingham) invited
Briana Pobiner,
NMNH, to discuss
our understanding of
actual paleo diets in
her lecture Ancient
Appetites: What Our
Ancestors Really Ate
and How We Know.
New Mexico
The New Mexico
Museum of Natural
History and Science
(Albuquerque)
announced its affiliation with a loan of the
Post Diamond Tiara
from the NMNH. In
conjunction with the
exhibition, Jeff Post,
NMNH, provided a
lecture at the museum
about the American
Gemstone Jewelry
Collection.
North Carolina
The Schiele Museum of
Natural History & Lynn
Planetarium (Gastonia)
hosted Titanoboa:
Monster Snake, a SITES
exhibition.
Ohio
The Works: Ohio
Center for History,
Art and Technology
(Newark) participated
in the Smithsonian
Early Enrichment Center workshop, Learning
Through Objects:
Museums and Young
Children.
Oklahoma
The Oklahoma History
Center (Oklahoma
City) participated in
the National Museum
of American History
(NMAH) Let’s Do History Tour.
Puerto Rico
The Museo de Arte
de Puerto Rico
(Santurce) exhibition,
Impressionism and the
Caribbean: Francisco
Oller and His Transat-
lantic World, includes
one painting from the
Smithsonian American
Art Museum.
Pennsylvania
The Smithsonian Center for Learning and
Digital Access (SCLDA)
is collaborating with
the Senator John
Heinz History Center
(Pittsburgh) to pilot
the new Smithsonian
Learning Lab with
Allegheny County
teachers. NMAH
loaned the Center two
artifacts for its exhibition Toys of the ‘50s,
‘60s, and ‘70s.
Rex Ellis, NMAAHC,
provided the keynote
talk at Shifting Narratives: Rethinking the
Past to Understand the
Present symposium at
the African American
Museum in Philadelphia (Philadelphia).
Rhode Island
The Rhode Island Historical Society (Providence) welcomed
Mary Savig, Archives
of American Art, for a
lecture on Handmade
Holiday Cards from
20th-Century Artists.
Jeff Post, NMNH, also
spoke about the Hope
Diamond at RIHS.
South Dakota
The South Dakota
State Historical Society (Pierre) offered a
special rebroadcast
video program about
food history from
the Smithsonian.
Susan Evans McClure,
NMAH, was the keynote speaker for the
conference Everyone
Eats: South Dakota’s
Food Heritage.
Texas
UTSA Institute of
Texan Cultures (San
Antonio) served as
the host venue for the
opening of the State
Teachers of the Year
event for the Council
of Chief State School
Officers, in partnership with SCLDA.
Virginia
George Washington’s
Mount Vernon Estate
and Gardens featured
for the first time in
200 years two battle
swords carried by
General Washington.
One sword was on
loan from NMAH.