You are the FALL 2023
of innovation at the Putnam
TRASH
FASHION
JUNKcraft Fashion Show
IMMERSE! Program
Local Students Take Over the Museum
Iowa Museum Conference
Statewide Museum Leaders Experience the Quad Cities
PUTNAM LEADERSHP TEAM Rachael Mullins President/CEO Drue Curry, PHR VP of Operations Betsy Matt Turner VP of Strategic Advancement Sarah Kern VP of Finance Kelly Lao VP of Museum Experiences
PUTNAM BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kerry Smith Chairman Amanda Crowell Secretary Mike Poster Treasurer Richard A. Clewell Heather Dunn Jason Gordon Kelli Jacque Grubbs Timothy K. Hanley Gale Hoff David A. Johnston Joe Judge Frank J. Klipsch Brad Martell Mike Matson Robby Ortiz Ben Palmer Richard Parades Mike Reyes Torri Smith Dana Wilkinson
A Message From Our CEO
A SEASON OF CHANGE This time of year always reminds me of the passage of time and the incredible cycle of life in glorious display around us with the change in seasons. With the beginning of each school year, the busy summer season of families, summer campers, and tourists from all over the world gives way to the bustle of student groups. Our Pathways after-school program has begun again, serving elementary school English Language Learners and their families. Our IMMERSE! museum residency is back in full swing, with hundreds of youth using the museum’s galleries as classroom and our artifacts as part of their school day. We have also introduced programming, like our new History on Tap series for adult learners and a youth Inventors Club engaging area students in problem-solving and innovation. The Putnam facility is changing too, as we continue to transform our galleries and the visitor experience. The regional history update completed this past spring, called Common Ground: Our Voice, Our Stories, reflects the modern era, helps ensure all our visitors see their heritage represented, and celebrates our unique history and shared experience as a region. You may have noticed more new construction underway at the Putnam as we create a Quad City Innovators gallery down the main corridor of the facility. This new permanent gallery, opening spring of 2024, celebrates our region’s legacy of innovation and invention, while further opening up the footprint of our historic facility. All of these projects and more are made possible by your support and vision for the future of this iconic institution. This year, the change in season also brings a change in my personal life. You may have heard that I’ll be relocating to the Atlanta area to be closer to family. Though I hope to be in my new community by next summer, I’ll be here to support the final design of the new galleries opening in 2024 and the transition of the new CEO this spring. It is an exciting time for the Putnam. We hope you will make time this busy time of year to check out all our new offerings. Join us for a cocktail and some great conversation at one of our monthly History on Tap programs. Visit us this holiday season to help us prototype the content for the new Quad City Innovators gallery. Your support and involvement is what makes the Putnam so special... you belong here! All my best to you and all my thanks for your support. President & CEO
Rachael Mullins
Iowa Museum Association Conference
STATE MUSEUM LEADERS IN THE QC
SUNDAY OCTOBER 1
After four long years, the Iowa Museum Association’s annual conference finally made a triumphant return to in-person gatherings. The Putnam Museum was honored to be chosen as one of the Quad Cities museums and organizations hosting this exciting event. The theme of the conference was the “Power of Place”. It was a fantastic opportunity for museum representatives from all over the state to come together and learn from each other, while also exploring the incredible exhibits our area has to offer. During the conference, the Putnam Museum participated in and led sessions that delved into the ways we can harness the “Power of Place” theme to create amazing programs, exhibitions, and events for America’s upcoming 250th anniversary. One particular highlight was a guided tour through our newly re-imagined regional history exhibit, Common Ground: Our Voice, Our Stories. This immersive experience emphasized the significance of partnerships in developing inclusive community history exhibits. We were thrilled to be a part of this incredible event and to share our passion for history and community with fellow museum enthusiasts. The Putnam Museum will continue to be a hub of inspiration, education, and collaboration, ensuring that the “Power of Place” is celebrated and 6:00PM – 8:00PM cherished for years to come.
2023 IMA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
EDUCATION 712 W 2nd Street, Davenport, Iowa INSIGHTS
Kickoff Location: German America
OVER 100,000
Join us on Sunday, October 1st, from 6-8 pm to kickoff th Association Annual Conference at the German America in downtown Davenport, Iowa. Snacks, appetizers, and K-12 YOUTH SERVED Optional activities include ANNUALLY a modified version of our “Ha The Putnam reaches over 100,000 K-12 youth and annually our historic neighborhood at 6:30, a guided tour of its programs, artifacts, and exhibits. at 7:15. Enjoy friend “Thewith German Immigrant Experience” impressive views of the Mississippi River from our histor
IMMERSE HAS LARGE REACH
Since 2017, more than 1,000 students have experienced turbocharged learning through our IMMERSE program, in which teachers from schools with especially large numbers of low-income students integrate our unique resources into their regular curricula and then bring their students to attend school at the Putnam for a week.
HIGH IMPACT PROGRAMMING
In a recent pre/post-test comparison, the percentage of students from a local school getting 100% of the answers correct on an American History quiz about Ellis Island went from 6% before they took part in an immersive program with one of our educators to 74% after the event.
Nora Moriarty leads a tour through the Common Ground exhibit.
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Sponsored by
Left to right: Lydia Haines, Rose Haines, Teresa Moore, Latoya D. Lewis and Malina Lee.
JUNKcraft Fashion Show
TRASH IS IN FASHION Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Putnam’s first ever JUNKcraft Fashion Show in September. It was an unforgettable night filled with creativity and style, all to raise awareness of the impact of plastic pollution on the environment and the unique role that the Quad Cities plays in the crisis with our location on the Mississippi River. The affair was sponsored by Arconic as part of their support of our recent exhibit JUNKraft: Plastic Pollution Solutions.
Participating designers were challenged to collect discarded materials and craft a “garment” using at least 70% recycled materials. Incredible talent graced the runway in men’s and women’s clothing that ranged in inspiration from mid-century mod fashion to the rivers and oceans that inspired the event itself. Winners included in Third Place Lydia Haines,
Putnam staff Christine Kastell & Jordyn Strange
Putnam Museum & Science Center
whose underwater-inspired design was flawlessly modeled by Rose Haines. Second Place went to the multi-talented Malina Lee, who not only designed her own mermaid-inspired gown but also modeled it on the catwalk. First Place went to Latoya D. Lewis, whose dress inspired by “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” was modeled by Teresa Moore who captivated the audience. Congratulations to all of our designers for their creativity and resourcefulness, as well as their advocacy for this important issue. Special thanks to our judges, Gaye Shannon Burnett of Azubuike African American Council for the Arts and Mauricio Diaz of Dress for Success Quad Cities, for their expertise and support of this celebration of the beauty of creativity, individuality, and sustainability.
JUNKcraft participant Onnica Marquez
JUNKcraft participant Courtney Clifton
Donor Spotlight: Amy & Ron Nimmer
PRIORITIZING EDUCATION Amy and Ron Nimmer’s involvement with the Putnam began with their grandchildren. Their now 15-year-old granddaughter had her 4th birthday party at the museum— with Putnam staff providing cool chemistry-related activities and demos—and the kids loved it. Amy recalls, “The Putnam became the favorite destination for all four of our grandkids. There have been so many great hands-on learning experiences, so many intriguing things to discover, and the museum building itself is exciting to explore”. She especially recalls an evening scavenger hunt by flashlight, which was a huge hit with their family. However, it’s not just the benefits the Putnam provides their family that motivate the Nimmers to be part of the Putnam Power Circle (donors giving $1000+ annually). “Our passion is education, especially for kids who don’t get as many opportunities for enrichment,” says Amy. “The
Putnam impacts so many kids and does so much to get kids interested in science, technology, engineering, and math. It provides exposure for kids of all income levels and backgrounds—opportunities where they’re building something, they’re working as a team in a fun way on subjects that often are not thought of as fun.” Amy and Ron believe it’s important for the QC community to support the Putnam for other reasons as well. About the museum’s 250,000-item collection. Amy says “The artifacts are incredible! It’s eye-opening to go through the collection to see the quality and quantity of items” that the Putnam stewards for this and future generations of Quad Citians. Regarding recently opened permanent galleries—such as the new, more inclusive regional history exhibit and World Culture Gallery— and major projects currently underway, Amy continues, “The Putnam is a hidden gem that has been reinventing itself, and a lot of people don’t realize that. When you’re not opening a glitzy new building, it can be hard to get the word out about the amazing changes taking place”. Toward that end, she recently brought a group of friends on a tour with Putnam CEO Rachael Mullins. “Everyone raved about it,” says Amy. “We need to get more people into the museum who can help spread the news. You have to see it to believe it!” Left: Amy Nimmer with her grandchildren | Below: Amy & Ron Nimmer
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Local Student Groups Take Over the Putnam
A WEEK AWAY FROM THE CLASSROOM The Putnam is known for engaging the Quad Cities community via special opportunities to question, learn, and grow. One educational program that emphasizes this mission is IMMERSE. IMMERSE focuses on 3rd- 6th graders primarily from Title I schoolsthose the federal government has identified as having especially large percentages of low-income students. Since its inception in 2017, we have worked with multiple districts, including Davenport, East Moline, and Rock Island. The program empowers teachers to integrate our myriad of resources into their regular curriculum and then bring their students to attend school at the museum for a week at no cost to the school or students. IMMERSE allows teachers to expand their lesson plans and integrate more hands-on learning and student-led discussions. To date, the program has served 1000+ students. Two fully equipped Putnam classrooms serve as home base for the classes, and a low ratio of students to chaperones allows for small group learning throughout the museum. This fall, we have served 14 classes, focusing on scientific discovery and historical knowledge— inspiring thoughtful discussions. Each week, IMMERSE classes engage with a combination of programs led by Putnam Museum & Science Center
our education department such as Weather Rocks! and Science Alive presentations; curator presentations; and experiments designed to be taught by the teachers themselves. To end the week, the students take in an educational film in our Giant Screen Theater, providing a “being-there” learning experience. When asked about the curator presentations; specifically “Artifact Identification”, Putnam Curator of History and Anthropology Christina Kastell explained that it teaches children to be observant and think critically. Once they make their conclusions regarding the item they are analyzing, they present their findings in front of their peers. “This presentation is special to me because of the creativity of the students’ ideas,” Kastell reports. “My favorite thing about IMMERSE is that they are here for a full week,” says Lead Putnam Educator, Lakin Sheeder. “The majority of kids who come have not been here before, and this may be their only opportunity to come experience all the Putnam has to offer.” The engagement and excitement of the students is palpable as soon as they walk through the doors. Excited chatter and laughter fill the museum, and pencils work hard to keep up with the information students are taking in.
At the end of each week, we receive anonymous surveys from teachers, chaperones, and students. When asked what their favorite part of the museum was, numerous respondents mention our newly re-imagined regional history exhibit, Common Ground. “I love Common Ground because we can share our stories,” reported one child.
to see the “growth of the community based on the response to adversity.” Participating teachers are grateful for IMMERSE. “Thank you for making it possible for our 3 classes/84 students to have this amaz-
THE MAJORITY OF KIDS THIS MAY BE THEIR
WHO COME HAVE NOT BEEN HERE BEFORE,
ONLY OPPORTUNITY TO COME EXPERIENCE ALL THE PUTNAM HAS TO OFFER.
Putnam Education Director Steve Mielenhausen notes that when he was designing activities related to this exhibit, he wanted to emphasize student-led discussions, creating “experts” who share their newfound knowledge with each other. The 16 questions he created for one activity send students “searching” the exhibit, exploring and learning organically. One of the most valuable aspects of this exhibit is its honesty. “I didn’t want to shy away from controversy,” says Mielenhausen. It is important
ing experience!... We are thankful for the opportunity to be a part of IMMERSE!” said one. Students also rave about the experience, describing their love of presentations featuring fireballs and designing their own rockets. One student confessed, “I was so nervous when our teachers told us we were going (to the Putnam) for a week. But I had fun. Learning was fun!”
IMMERSE Sponsored in part by: *The views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences.
You Can Continue The Tradition of Giving
BE A PART OF OUR FUTURE For 156 years, civic-minded community members have contributed to make the Putnam the educational and cultural icon that it is today. You can be the next link in this chain of generosity that spans three centuries by making a legacy gift—be it a bequest, a gift of life insurance, or some other vehicle. In so doing, you’ll advance our mission of bringing
to life a sense of place, time and purpose to ignite human potential and inspire our diverse community to learn about and care for our world and all its people. Your gift will help ensure the vitality and sustainability of the Putnam not only for current area residents but also for generations to come.
For more information, please contact Betsy Matt Turner at 563-336-7303 or bturner@putnam.org.
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YSTERIES OF THE MUSEUM 2024 PUTNAM GALA Saturday, February 24, 2024 6:00 pm | Putnam Grand Lobby