Museum Exchange Nurtures History Skills

Collaboration is at the heart of the work at the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation and recently has extended roughly 165 miles across the state to the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton, Virginia. Once part of the same agency, the shared history between the museums has opened doors to create opportunities to support educational events and professional development.

Gretchen Johnson and Terry Thon of the Revolution-era farm lent a hand spinning wool and weaving baskets during the Frontier Culture Museum’s first Fiber Festival in April. “It’s great seeing other museum’s programs,” Johnson said. “It can validate what you’re doing well, but it also can teach you new techniques and ways of connecting with visitors.”

In March, the Staunton team turned out in force for Jamestown Settlement’s Military Through the Ages to represent Crocket’s Western Battalion during the Revolutionary War.

Trading techniques for historical clothing was the focus of a 2022 Frontier Culture Museum visit to Jamestown Settlement, where the JYF historical clothing team shared knowledge of garment assembly, patterns and fabric sources.

The partnership is meaningful with deeper connections. Davis Tierney, Frontier Culture Museum director of interpretation and former Jamestown Settlement youth interpreter in the fort, stressed the importance of the partnership. “It’s very easy for folks who have always worked in the same place to not be able to see past the doors of their own museum,” Davis said. “They’re not aware of the good ideas or trends taking place elsewhere.”

Chas Ritinski, JYF training and development manager, planned a reciprocal field trip to each museum this past year to share ideas on programming and day-to-day challenges. “Expanding our perspective beyond our own museum to see how other sites interpret our shared history is what these collaborative efforts are about,” he said.

—Cindy Daniel, Living History Events Manager