NHA Annual Report 2013

NANTUCKET HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

2013 Annual annual

report

Report 2013

OUR PLACES, OUR STORIES, OUR PEOPLE

The NHA’s New Strategic Plan We are a dynamic association because we, as Nantucketers, “get it.” We understand and appreciate our history in the most elemental ways.

Janet L. Sherlund PRESIDENT BOARD OF TRUSTEES

William J. Tramposch GOSNELL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

We relate to those who came before us, and we know that when we walk our streets, or simply gaze upon our surrounding sea, we are seeing what they saw and often thinking what they thought. We are fortunate to be surrounded by so much of our past, carefully preserved and protected. And, we are privileged to have at the heart of this community an organization like the Nantucket Historical Association, whose chief aim since 1894 has been to preserve, record, and interpret what has made this island one of the most distinctive places in the American cultural landscape.

Thanks to your support, we gain in vitality with every passing year, as demonstrated in 2013. Even while our community programs and collaborations were expanding rapidly, we were also in the midst of a thorough strategic-planning process. And, we are pleased to document in this annual report a healthy financial position as well as a wellconsidered forward-looking plan.

Our strategic plan has four objectives, each of them focused on strengthening our core mission to tell the inspiring stories of Nantucket through our collections, programs, and properties.

Continued

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NANTUCKET HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

2013 annual

report

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

First, of course, is to achieve enduring f inancial stability, for a

Janet L. Sherlund, PRESIDENT

healthy financial foundation ensures that the NHA will remain

Kenneth L. Beaugrand, VICE PRESIDENT

the best possible steward of the collections, the properties, and

Jason A. Tilroe, VICE PRESIDENT

the stories that tell of our rich history.

William J. Boardman, TREASURER William R. Congdon, CLERK

Our second objective is to care for our collections, including our properties. Be they Betty lamps or buildings, our collections help

Josette Blackmore

us to tell the story of this unique place over four centuries of

Maureen F. Bousa

history. It follows that the perpetual care of our holdings is

Anne Marie Bratton William R. Camp Jr. FRIENDS OF THE NHA REPRESENTATIVE

central to our ability to make our stories continually engaging and accessible to all.

Calvin R. Carver Jr. Constance Cigarran

Third, we are dedicated to providing transformative experiences

W. Michael Cozort

for our visitors. Our island’s history is a microcosm of America’s

Franci N. Crane

history, so our stories are American stories. We believe that

Ana Ericksen Nancy A. Geschke Whitney A. Gifford

providing more and more direct and moving encounters with our past makes for a more engaged and informed public.

Georgia P. Gosnell TRUSTEE EMERITA

Finally, we acknowledge our institutional need to provide a

Kathryn L. Ketelsen

consistent identity among our galaxy of sites and programs.

FRIENDS OF THE NHA REPRESENTATIVE

William E. Little Jr.

Many people think of the NHA only as the Whaling Museum,

Mary D. Malavase

and perhaps do not appreciate that we are also the trustee of

Victoria McManus

many of the island’s most iconic places—fourteen properties and

Laura C. Reynolds

four sites, to be precise. Preserving and interpreting our core

Kennedy P. Richardson

properties is our central aim in the years ahead.

L. Dennis Shapiro Phoebe B. Tudor

We are so grateful to you, our generous members and supporters, for we well know how you have influenced the growth of the

Ex Officio

NHA. Our association is a “community” in the best sense of the

William J. Tramposch

word; we are such kindred spirits in our affection for this place

GOSNELL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

and its past, and we are united in our interest to care for our past and to share its stories with ever-widening audiences. ©2014 Nantucket Historical Association 15 Broad Street, P.O. Box 1016 Nantucket, MA 02554-1016 P 508 228 1894 F 508 228 5618 ask@nha.org www.nha.org

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We are pleased to present this annual report for 2013, and we are privileged to have your enthusiastic involvement and support.

2013

Achievements

Historic Arts and Crafts at the 1800 House

annual

report

Elizabeth and Geoffrey Verney, Spring Vacation Days Program in the Whaling Honorary Chairs, Antiques & Museum’s Discovery Room Design Show of Nantucket

Welcomed more than 74,000 visitors to the Whaling Museum, Historic Sites, and Walking Tours.

Presented more than seventy public programs, from lectures to family festivals, serving over 5,300 visitors.

Responded to more than a thousand inquiries about Nantucket history received by phone, mail, and email and served more than seven hundred researchers at the Research Library.

Enhanced outreach to over 2,500 members and engaged them through member-morning programs, the annual meeting, exhibition openings, and collections tours.

Named the Gosnell Executive Director— the NHA’s third endowed chair—in recognition of a $2-million gift from Georgia Gosnell, trustee emerita.

Developed plans for the 2014 restoration of the Old Gaol, renovation of the Macy-Christian House, and the addition of the Carriage House for expanded instructional space at the 1800 House.

Hosted at the Whaling Museum and Historic Sites fifty-five on- and off-island school and youth groups that included more than 1,400 students.

Nantucket Legends: Foggy Facts and Fictions Exhibition Opening

Partnered with major island organizations, including the Artists Association of Nantucket, Maria Mitchell Association, Nantucket Atheneum, Nantucket Conservation Foundation, Nantucket Girl Scouts, and Theatre Workshop of Nantucket, as well as the island’s public and private schools.

Accessioned 138 groups of Nantucket-related artifacts and documents that were donated to the collections or purchased by the NHA. Hosted colleagues from Mystic Seaport and the New Bedford Whaling Museum for the first annual regional-museum education summit.

Completed the ninth successful year of programs at the 1800 House, offering forty-six classes in historic decorative arts and crafts and serving 294 participants.

Presented the new Antiques & Design Show of Nantucket—building on a thirty-six-year tradition as the NHA’s major fund-raising event—and hosted the second Designer Luncheon and the Designer Panel to highlight the synergy of incorporating antiques into interior design.

Mounted three exhibitions: Nantucket Legends: Foggy Facts and Fictions; “For Love of the Island”: Nantucket Conservation Foundation’s 50th Anniversary; and John Austin: One Artist’s Nantucket, in collaboration with the Artists Association of Nantucket.

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Achievements

Paddle-wheel Steamship Nantucket A116-13

My Life with Whales Multimedia Presentation

by Photographer Tony Wu

Portrait of Sampson Dyer,

by Spoilum 2013.2.1

Members Morning: Monaghan Textiles Tour at Greater Light

Provided historic photographs from the Research Library’s extensive archive of images to twenty-seven nonprofit organizations and for fifteen books, fourteen magazines, and six television and film productions.

Received competitive grants from ten local, regional, and national foundations and organizations for education, public programs, and property restoration and renovation.

Received unanimous approval from the NHA membership at the 119th Annual Meeting to move three non-core properties—2 Union Street, 10 Straight Wharf, and 33 Orange Street—to an investment portfolio, so as to enable their future sale to provide endowment funds for the care of the NHA’s core historic properties.

Engaged close to three hundred organizations and individual volunteers through special events, administration, and educational and curatorial initiatives.

Reinvigorated the oral-history initiatives at the Research Library with a grant-funded project— New Voices: Nantucket’s Diverse Immigrant Communities.

Named the rooftop of the Whaling Museum “Tucker’s Roofwalk” in memory of former trustee Thomas C. “Tucker” Gosnell, who loved Nantucket and its history.

Expanded the Museum Shop’s selections of highquality reproductions and gifts.

Received from the Friends of the NHA the gift of a portrait of Sampson Dyer, an African-American / Wampanoag Nantucket China Trader, painted by the Chinese artist Spoilum.

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Provided historic venues for over thirty rental events—weddings, corporate events, and parties of all kinds—at the Whaling Museum, Hadwen House Garden, Oldest House, Quaker Meeting House, and Greater Light.

Invested in staff professional development with participation in programs, workshops, and conferences, including the New England Museum Association, National Council for Public History, Scrimshaw Symposium, Massachusetts Association of Teachers of Speakers of Other Languages, and a board-supported, all-staff visit to the New Bedford Whaling Museum.

Expanded relations with the Nantucket schools, including the Museum in My School initiative at the Nantucket Elementary School, which provided artifactbased lessons to introduce students to the NHA and its collections and produce standards-based, relevant social studies and science curriculums.

financial statement Statement of Financial Position: Year ended December 31, 2013

TOTALS 2013

2012

$2,111,433

$1,659,685

137,375

134,692

ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents

Investment return/ operations

Inventories Other current assets

61,899

62,695

4,234,092

126,737

Land, buildings, and equipment, net

15,829,993

16,710,136

Long-term investments

12,122,355

11,181,574

Pledges receivable, net

Collections

–

—

$34,497,147

$29,875,519

$195,027

$270,661

912,197

799,294

Liabilities and Net Assets

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities REVENUES, GAINS, AND OTHER SUPPORT Net assets Special fund-raising events

21%

Admissions

17%

Undesignated

Contributions

15%

Designated for endowment

Museum Shop revenue

14%

Investment in land, buildings, and equipment

Investment return/operations 12% Memberships

9%

Other earned revenue

9%

Educational program revenue

2%

Unrestricted

3,139,921

2,798,693

15,829,993

16,710,136

Temporarily restricted

2,875,927

799,037

Permanently restricted

11,544,082

8,497,698

34,302,120

29,604,858

$34,497,147

$29,875,519

Total net assets

The Financial Statements for 2013 have been audited by Bollus, Lynch LLP, which has rendered an unqualified opinion on them. Complete financial statements are available upon request.

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2013 annual

financial statement

report

TOTALS

Statement of Activities: Year ended December 31, 2013

Operating Expenses

OPERATING ACTIVITIES Revenue, gains, and other support Contributions Admissions Memberships Education Programs Museum Shop revenue Investment return designated for operations Interest income Special fund-raising events Other earned revenue Total Operating expenses Program services Curatorial Education and public programs Research Library Museum Shop Special events Supporting services General and administrative Membership and development

PROGRAM SERVICES

Total Curatorial

2012

$669,215 778,528 412,269 106,394 609,408 541,864 2,562 960,174 401,923 4,482,337

$541,478 705,634 390,735 108,860 584,592 471,156 6,396 1,152,240 382,533 4,343,624

1,407,018 1,022,042 661,431 481,685 415,984

1,426,162 1,010,518 636,974 460,690 507,551

867,334 510,854

987,897 582,470

5,366,348

5,612,262

26%

Education & Public Programs 19% General & Administrative

16%

Research Library

12%

Membership & Development 10% Museum Shop

9%

Special Events

8%

Change in net assets from operating activities Nonoperating activities: Investment return, net of amount appropriated for operations Interest income Friends of NHA contributions Capital campaign contributions Capital campaign expenses Net assets released from restrictions Acquisition of buildings and equipment Satisfaction of capital restrictions

(884,011)

(1,268,638)

777,996 2,941 141,557 5,109,367 (320,118)

541,111 2,522 122,650 401,424 (134,570)

—

—

Change in net assets from nonoperating activities

5,711,743

933,137

Change in net assets before changes related to collection items Purchase of collection items

4,827,732 (130,470)

(335,501) (52,755)

Change in net assets Net assets, beginning of year Net assets, end of year

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2013

4,697,262

(388,256)

29,604,858

29,993,114

$34,302,120

$29,604,858