The Affiliate Newsletter | Fall 2016

Fall 2016

the

affiliate News about Smithsonian Affiliates

Affiliates Celebrate New Museum Opening “The National Museum of African American History and Culture is open for every American and the world to better understand the African American journey and how it shaped America. Today’s historic dedication honors the dreams of many generations and thousands of people who have worked so hard and sacrificed so much to make this dream a reality,” proudly declared Lonnie G. Bunch III, founding director.

On September 24, the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) opened to the public. This long-awaited event brought together three presidents, celebrities, dignitaries, donors, scholars, and enormous crowds who celebrated the newest Smithsonian museum.

Affiliates across the country also celebrated by hosting programs in tribute to this historic occasion. continued page 3

Smithsonian Affiliations

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www.affiliations.si.edu

the affiliate Fall 2016

We extend a warm welcome to our newest Smithsonian Affiliates

Connections In early November, our colleagues from Plimoth Planation helped launch the National Museum of American History’s new Religion in America series with a dramatic program of story and song, Waking the Ancestors: Recovering the Lost Sacred Sounds of Colonial America. Members of the Wampanoag tribe and costumed interpreters from the 17th-century English village gave stirring tributes, with audience participation, to the heritage and traditions that converged in eastern Massachusetts 400 hundred years ago.

It is hard to imagine a more appropriate way to begin the month of thanksgiving and we are so grateful to our Affiliate friends for leading the way.

Our recent Smithsonian Affiliations National Conference, highlighted in this newsletter, is another reason to offer our thanks. By any measure – number of attendees, quality of workshops and presentations, information shared at the Resource Fair, networking opportunities and miles logged by intrepid early morning runners – this conference far exceeded our expectations, and hopefully yours. Our Welcome Reception at the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the inspiring remarks given by Smithsonian Secretary

David J. Skorton set the stage for three-and-ahalf days of intense explorations of partnership and collaboration, punctuated by special moments including our 20th Anniversary Gala Dinner at the National Portrait Gallery, our Congressional Breakfast in the historic Cannon House Caucus Room, and for those who stayed until the end, a private lunch and behind-the-scenes tour of George Washington’s Mt. Vernon, a valued partner and nearby Affiliate.

There are so many to thank for making this such a memorable gathering: my coworkers in the Smithsonian Affiliations office, our Affiliations Advisory Council, colleagues across the Smithsonian, workshops leaders and presenters, donors and sponsors, volunteers, and many, many more.

Of course, our greatest thanks goes to all of you, our Affiliate friends who traveled from places near and far to attend our annual gathering. Your energy, enthusiasm, and creative ideas were on full display and are the essential catalysts for ongoing and future collaborations.

With the holiday season now upon us, we extend our warmest wishes to all, knowing that the New Year will bring fresh opportunities to bring the Smithsonian into your

communities and to expand upon the accomplishments that have been the hallmarks of our first two decades. With optimism and pride, we look forward to the next twenty years of our incredible journey together.

Thanks!

Connecticut Historical Society Hartford, Connecticut The Springfield Museums Springfield, Massachusetts National Civil Rights Museum Memphis, Tennessee Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Strasburg, Pennsylvania High Desert Museum Bend, Oregon Schingoethe Center of Aurora University Aurora, Illinois

Harold A. Closter Director Smithsonian Affiliations

Editor Elizabeth Bugbee Writer Cara Seitchek Designer Brad Ireland Printing Chroma Graphics, Inc.

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 Š 2016 Smithsonian Institution

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Affiliates Celebrate New Museum Opening df

Smithsonian Collecting Initiative: Latinos and Baseball

The Springfield Museums Kick Off Affiliation with Smithsonian Week

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2016 Smithsonian Affiliations National Conference: A Record-breaking Year

Connecting Communities: Japanese American National Museum Hosts National Youth Summit

Senator John Heinz History Center and Smithsonian Learning Lab Team Up with Local Teachers

Beautiful Users: Designing for People

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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 affiliations.si.edu

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history/culture Left

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Cover top

Cover bottom

Museum of the

William F. Bundy,

The Washington

A watch party at the

African Diaspora

chairman of the board,

Monument and

National Jazz Museum

Executive Director,

Rhode Island Black

the Smithsonian’s

in Harlem. Photo

Linda Harrison,

Heritage Society, and

National Museum

courtesy National Jazz

greeting guests at the

C. Morgan Grefe,

of African American

Museum in Harlem.

museum’s breakfast

executive director

History and Culture

watch party. Photo

of the Rhode Island

on the National Mall in

courtesy MoAD.

Historical Society

Washington, D.C.

kicked-off the

Photo courtesy Gina

celebration of African

Whiteman.

American culture with a short speaking program. Photo courtesy RIHS.

continued from page 1 Affiliates Celebrate New Museum Opening

The DuSable Museum of African American History in Chicago hosted a watch party, inviting the community to view the televised opening ceremonies from the National Mall. Visitors could see the poster exhibition, A Place for All People: Introducing the National Museum of African American History and Culture, provided at no cost to every Affiliate.

The exhibition, created collaboratively by NMAAHC and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, is based on the museum’s inaugural exhibitions and the building’s architectural design.

“We are excited about the opening of our National Museum, and this opportunity to join with civic, business, community and legislative leaders to celebrate not only the NMAAHC taking its rightful place on the National Mall, but also paying tribute to its Founding Director, Lonnie Bunch,” said Perri Irmer, President and CEO of the DuSable Museum. “As an official Smithsonian Affiliate, the DuSable Museum will be working closely with the NMAAHC going forward and the cultural and educational connections between our institutions will serve to strengthen our collective missions locally, nationally and globally.”

The Rhode Island Historical Society (RIHS) lent artifacts to the Slavery and Freedom exhibition, drawn from the collections of the DeWolf family, whose maritime enterprises engaged in slave trading. At home, RIHS presented lectures, interactive activities, and performances that highlighted the African heritage community in Rhode Island.

On the West Coast, the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) hosted a breakfast watch party and presented the documentary This Building Will Sing for All of Us, which explores the inspiration and challenges of designing the NMAAHC building. “This museum is very important, not just for us as Black people when we walk through, but all Americans as they walk through that museum and actually see that it’s a museum for everyone,” stated Linda Harrison, MoAD executive director.

In Alabama, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute showcased the poster exhibition, accompanied by a workshop on preserving archival documents. Young artists also celebrated the grand opening with song, dance, and poetry.

Three musically themed museums also made a “joyful noise.” The American Jazz Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, hosted a watch party, while the National Jazz Museum in Harlem accompanied its webcast of the dedication with a jazz story hour, a scat singalong, children’s art activities, and a

concert celebrating John Coltrane. In Arizona, the Musical Instrument Museum invited the community to an evening concert dedicated to Chester Whitmore, a swing-band era bandleader, dancer, and choreographer.

In Baltimore, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture invited community members to a storytelling and drawing workshop with award-winning illustrator Shadra Strickland; across town, the B&O Railroad Museum opened the exhibition, Makers of the Railroad, which used rare artifacts and images to tell the story of African American porters, waiters, and chefs on the B&O Railroad’s passenger trains.

B&O Railroad Museum Executive Director Courtney B. Wilson remarked, “As a Smithsonian Affiliate, we are proud to celebrate opening this long awaited and important museum in Washington, D.C. This momentous occasion provides the B&O Railroad Museum with a platform on which to tell the compelling stories of African American contributions to passenger service for generations.”

“America is about the power of having a dream for not only ourselves, but generations yet unborn,” said Congressman Elijah E. Cummings, representative to Maryland’s 7th District. “Since 2005, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum has stood as a testament to the dreams of countless generations of African Americans in Maryland and around the country. I am very proud of the partnership between the Museum and the Smithsonian, especially on the occasion of the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, a welcome addition to our national heritage.”

Representative Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD 7th)

the affiliate

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culture

Senator John Heinz History Center and Smithsonian Learning Lab Team Up with Local Teachers The Senator John Heinz History Center played host to a cadre of 39 middle school social studies teachers who beta tested the Smithsonian Learning Lab for the Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access (SCLDA). Designed to deliver free access to the more than one million digitized items in the Smithsonian’s collections, the Learning Lab empowers educators with a new tool to use museum collections in their lesson plans, curricula, and daily activities.

“Not everyone can come to the Smithsonian, but they can visit the Learning Lab to inspire and design their own digital learning experiences,” said Stephanie Norby, SCLDA director. “Teachers can use trusted, authentic resources and interactive tools to make lessons more relevant and compelling to students while meeting curriculum standards and fostering higher-order thinking skills.”

Supported by a grant from the Pittsburgh-based Grable Foundation, SCLDA and

Smithsonian Collecting Initiative: Latinos and Baseball “Professional baseball came to California in the 1950s when the Brooklyn Dodgers moved to Los Angeles,” said Erin M. Curtis, senior curator at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes.

“But baseball teams have been part of California history since the mid-1800s.”

This revealing story was captured in LA Plaza’s exhibition, Peloteros in Paradise: A Los Angeles Béisbol Story. The exhibition explored the relationship between baseball and the Mexican-American community in Southern California, a relationship that is integral to a collecting initiative spearheaded by the National Museum of American History, Latinos and Baseball: In the Barrios and the Big Leagues. The project grew out of research at the museum investigating sports as an important lens through which people can better understand American history and culture.

“Baseball has played a major role in everyday American life since the 1800s, providing a means of celebrating both national

History Center staff offered training and assistance in a series of four full-day workshops, using the History Center as their base of operations. History Center staff opened access to artifact and archival collections, gave exhibition tours, and presented special lectures to highlight local content that teachers could incorporate into their collections of digitized materials.

“We value the opportunity to work with Smithsonian staff and local teachers in this collaborative project that leverages the importance of museum and historical documents for use in the classroom,” said Mariruth Leftwich, History Center director of education. “In the first year we trained teachers from 16 local schools on how to use museum collections in their classroom, and how to use the Learning Lab to create teaching resources.

Our museum currently has 20 digital learning collections hosted on the Learning Lab.” Teachers used the Learning Lab in a variety of ways, challenging students to use the digitized collections to create short trailer films about historical topics and incorporating short quizzes or essay prompts within the Lab to reinforce learning. Users provided detailed feedback to an evaluation team from the University of California, Irvine, who are compiling a report on the results of the first year. A second group of social studies teachers, drawn from Pittsburgh high schools, will continue to test the Lab in the 2016-2017 school year.

By the time the Learning Lab debuted at the International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE) conference in June 2016, the number of users had grown substantially.

Conference attendees gathered at a SCLDA-

sponsored reception at the Denver Art Museum (DAM) to explore the Lab in greater depth. A slide show of chairs from the Smithsonian collections complemented DAM’s exhibition Unseated: Contemporary Chairs Reimagined.

“Our partnership supports training for 60 middle and high school social studies teachers in Allegheny County that focuses on accessing digital museum resources and archives,” said Andrew Masich, History Center president and CEO. “Like the Smithsonian, connecting student and adults via digital learning is a key focus of the History Center’s long-range plan.”

and ethnic identities and building communities,” said John Gray, National Museum of American History director.

Four organizations participated in the inaugural Baseball Collectors’ Days, which brought Smithsonian curators to communities in California, Missouri, and New York.

People carried their baseball memorabilia to these sites to share stories, learn more about their artifacts — stadium signs, jerseys, tickets, and equipment — and speak with baseball experts.

LA Plaza hosted a Collectors’ Day on July 17, which fit well with its programming, interests, and storytelling. “We were very pleased with the number of objects collected.

Several families brought their treasures and gifted them to the museum and there were a lot of observers who were curious about the collecting process. Once they heard us identify and talk about an artifact, they would describe an object they had at home,” said Mireya Loza, National Museum of American History curator of political history. “Children seemed to be in awe of the materials on display and watching what curators do.”

Other Affiliates involved in the project include the UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures, San Antonio, and the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. The National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia is also exploring the history of baseball through its traveling

exhibition, Chasing Dreams: Baseball and Becoming American.

“The depth of expertise on this topic is terrific,” said Curtis. “With the resources of collections such as the Institute of Baseball Studies, the Baseball Reliquary, Smithsonian Affiliations, and so many others, our exhibitions can show that this is not just a Major League story.”

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LA PLaza de Cultura y Artes

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www.lapca.org

Fall 2016

Below Smithsonian Learning Lab workshop participants at the Senator John Heinz History Center. Photo courtesty Senator John Heinz History Center

the affiliate

Below A young participant at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes. Photo courtesy LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes.

the affiliate

Smithsonian Associates organized a tour, Inside Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which included a private dinner and evening at the Museum of Appalachia (Norris, TN) and a special tour of the American Museum of Science & Energy (Oak Ridge, TN).

conference

2016 Smithsonian Affiliations National Conference: A Record-breaking Year Over four days in October, 137 Affiliate colleagues from 85 Affiliate organizations attended the Smithsonian Affiliations National Conference. Participants from Affiliates and the Smithsonian shared stories of the program’s impact across the country.

A welcome reception at the new National Museum of African American History and Culture gave Affiliate attendees a special, after-hours experience in this remarkable new museum. “This grand new museum is a culmination of everything we’ve learned from our own museums — and from yours. It represents the best of what a museum can be,” remarked Smithsonian Secretary, David J. Skorton. “Thank you for being partners in the Affiliations program. You are valuable resources for the people in your neighborhoods, towns, and cities. As respected

“Having learned what it means to be an Affiliate museum makes me feel proud and grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this terrific group of people and museums. I look forward to greater collaborations ahead and to contributing to the program in any way that I can.”

— susanna m. brooks, whatcom museum, bellingham, washington. ambassadors for the Smithsonian, you amplify what we are able to accomplish.” Dr. Skorton and NMAAHC Senior Advisor, Cheryl Johnson, provided inspiring comments to kick-off the conference and frame the ensuing conversations.

Fifty-three speakers from Smithsonian and Affiliate organizations covered topics such as engaging communities with Smithsonian resources; online collection projects; inclusive museums; crowdfunding; citizen science; STEM and humanities programming; and strategic partnerships. Two hands-on workshops gave Affiliates insight into Wikipedia Editathons and the Smithsonian Learning Lab. In a special workshop led by the Smithsonian Advancement Academy, attendees were challenged to enhance their communication and presentation skills for greater fundraising success.

Kim Sajet, National Portrait Gallery director, energized Affiliates with remarks during a special 20th anniversary dinner in the Great Hall of the National Portrait Gallery.

In this historic room where President and Mrs.

Lincoln greeted guests attending his second inaugural ball, Affiliates toasted to the success of the Affiliations program.

Thank you to all of our Affiliate and Smithsonian colleagues who made our 20th Anniversary Conference truly special. the affiliate

Smithsonian Affiliations thanks the following for their generous support.

Event Sponsor: Tessitura Network The Harrington Agency Event Supporter: Guru Newseum Affiliate Supporter: UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures U.S. Space & Rocket Center Special Acknowledgement: Advantage Performance and Smithsonian Advancement Academy

All photos Joyce Boghosian for Smithsonian Affiliations.

“The Smithsonian Affiliates Conference this year was absolutely stellar!

From the rich and engaging sessions to the exciting venues and tours, every minute was jam-packed and enriching. The staff organized, herded, presented, and made us all feel so special. It was the perfect celebration of the 20th anniversary – heartfelt thanks to all!”

— judy m. gantt, david j. sencer cdc museum, atlanta, georgia

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art/science

The Springfield Museums Kick Off Affiliation with Smithsonian Week The Springfield Museums in Springfield, Massachusetts, announced its Smithsonian Affiliation during a week-long celebration that highlighted the strengths of both institutions.

Funded by a three-year grant from the MassMutual Foundation, the partnership supports a wide variety of programs and activities that bring the Smithsonian to Western Massachusetts.

“We had been talking about becoming an Affiliate since 2011, but when MassMutual President and CEO Roger Crandall joined the Smithsonian National Board, he worked closely with the Smithsonian to develop a grant to enrich Springfield with Smithsonian resources,” said Matt Longhi, former director of public relations and marketing. “The Springfield Museums has had a long relationship with MassMutual and they have been a consistent supporter of all we do.”

The substantial grant funds the Affiliation membership and enables The Springfield Museums to host a range of Smithsonian programming every year through 2018, including exhibitions, artifact loans, and educational programs. Smithsonian Week in Springfield from September 17 – 24, 2016, launched the new partnership.

“We offered a variety of activities, all of which were supported by the grant,” said Larissa Murray, head of education. “From a postcard sent to our members, to two free admission days, bus services to bring students to our campus, and more, the partnership between MassMutual Foundation and the Smithsonian has allowed us to extend our reach into the community.”

With five buildings on its campus, The Springfield Museums is “like a mini-Smithsonian,” said Murray. “We offer programming in history, science, art, and early learning.”

Smithsonian Week kicked off with a special ceremony to celebrate the new Affiliation.

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, U.S. Representative Richard Neal, and State Senator Eric Lesser joined Kay Simpson, president of The Springfield Museums, and

Crandall as a certificate formalizing the partnership was presented by Smithsonian Affiliations Director, Harold A. Closter.

“As benefactors of the affiliation, we see this as a new relationship between Smithsonian and MassMutual Foundation. It is an incredible opportunity to offer expanded exhibition, education, and membership opportunities to our patrons, and to further enhance our standing as one of the region’s foremost cultural institutions. We deeply appreciate the support provided by the MassMutual Foundation in facilitating this new and exciting partnership,” said Simpson.

A lecture from Dr. John Grant, geologist and planetary scientist at the National Air and Space Museum, followed the announcement. His talk, Driving around Mars, focused on the pioneering work of the Mars rovers.

Continuing the festivities on September 22, Mary Savig, curator of manuscripts at the Smithsonian Archives of American Art, spoke about handwritten letters in the à la Carte lecture series, sharing excerpts from her new publication Pen to Paper: Artists’ Handwritten Letters from the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art. She also conducted a workshop with students from the Springfield Conservatory of the Arts.

Smithsonian Week concluded with Littlefest, an annual celebration of reading, featuring a transportation-themed story time with Carrie Heflin, early education specialist at the National Museum of American History.

She read a Dr. Seuss classic story, Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now!, in honor of the 2017 opening of the The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum, the fifth museum in The Springfield Museums complex.

MassMutual’s Crandall provided a perfect coda to the events in noting, “The MassMutual Foundation’s support of the partnership between The Springfield Museums and the Smithsonian helps strengthen the cultural taste of our community, and we are proud to do our share to provide opportunities that inspire people to never stop learning and growing.”

2016 Affiliate Visiting Professionals Smithsonian Affiliations is proud to offer opportunities for Affiliates to support ongoing initiatives at their organizations through professional development programs held at the Smithsonian. For information about these opportunities, please contact Elizabeth Bugbee, BugbeeE@si.edu, 202.633.5304.

Supported by a generous gift from Judy and Robert Huret.

VISITING PROFESSIONAL

VISITING PROFESSIONAL

Beth Ann Caffery

George Neptune

A F F I L I AT E

A F F I L I AT E

Kentucky Historical Society (Frankfort, Kentucky)

Abbe Museum (Bar Harbor, Maine)

S M I T H S O N I A N R E S I D E N C Y AT

Pan-Institutional

Pan-Institutional PROJEC T TOPIC

Long Term Space and Housing Solutions for Museum Collections

PROJEC T TOPIC

Educational Program Development VISITING PROFESSIONAL

Rene Rodgers

the affiliate VISITING PROFESSIONAL

Photo courtesy The Springfield Museums.

S M I T H S O N I A N R E S I D E N C Y AT

A F F I L I AT E

Althea Harris

Birthplace of Country Music Museum (Bristol, Virginia)

A F F I L I AT E

S M I T H S O N I A N R E S I D E N C Y AT

Whatcom Museum (Bellingham, Washington)

Pan-Institutional

S M I T H S O N I A N R E S I D E N C Y AT

Temporary and Traveling Exhibition Planning

Pan-Institutional

PROJEC T TOPIC

PROJEC T TOPIC

Fundraising for Exhibition Underwriting and Planned Giving VISITING PROFESSIONAL

VISITING PROFESSIONAL

Laura Wahl A F F I L I AT E

Becca Hatheway

Hagley Museum and Library (Wilmington, Delaware)

A F F I L I AT E

S M I T H S O N I A N R E S I D E N C Y AT

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (Boulder, Colorado)

Smithsonian Institution Archives

S M I T H S O N I A N R E S I D E N C Y AT

Identification and Removal Procedures for Molds and Microbial Contaminants on Archival Collections

Pan-Institutional PROJEC T TOPIC

Improving Accessibility Offerings for Museum Exhibits

PROJEC T TOPIC

VISITING PROFESSIONAL

Gina Watkinson VISITING PROFESSIONAL

Jennifer Lucy A F F I L I AT E

Hermitage Museum and Gardens (Norfolk, Virginia) SI UNIT

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The Springfield Museums

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

www.springfieldmuseums.org

PROJEC T TOPIC

Collections Collaboration between the Smithsonian and Hermitage Museums

A F F I L I AT E

Arizona State Museum (Tucson, Arizona) S M I T H S O N I A N R E S I D E N C Y AT

Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute PROJEC T TOPIC

Innovative Imaging Techniques for Conservation

design / history/culture Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor, Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific Experience, and Arab American National Museum. Each created programming specific to its community to supplement the national broadcast.

The Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor partnered with the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai’i to host a panel discussion with scholars, family members of people incarcerated at the Honouliuli Internment Camp, and local youth. The panel, webcast across Hawai’i, gave a local perspective to the stories presented in Los Angeles.

In addition to the broadcast, the Summit In May, the Japanese American National featured a simultaneous chat room where JANM staff members fielded questions. “It Museum ( JANM) hosted the Smithsonian’s National Youth Summit, a probing look at developed into another great conversation,” Japanese American incarceration during World said Nakamoto.

War II. Coquillon added that the program offered “We were excited when the National “a level of commitment on the part of JANM staff that kept people fully engaged. There are Museum of American History asked to broadcast the Summit from our location. We’ve several distinct audiences for this program — the students in the room for the been hooked since the first broadcast. By webcast panel, the students at the regional sites, hosting, we could work with the National and the students watching the webcast online.

Museum of American History to showcase the Japanese American incarceration,” said Allyson We want to ensure that we are meeting all of their needs.”

Nakamoto JANM director of education.

Naomi Coquillon, manager, youth and More than 3,900 students from across the teacher programs at the National Museum of United States, as well as France, India, and American History added, “When JANM Canada, participated through the webcast, offered to host the program, we accepted local programming, and chat room, ensuring immediately as we were eager to host the that the legacy of this period — the sacrifices Summit in the location where the events and and the heroism — remains unforgotten. stories took place. JANM offered us connecthe affiliate tions to the community and content including images and videos that enhanced the webcast.”

Affiliates that joined JANM in presenting Photo courtesy JANM the Summit included History Colorado,

Connecting Communities: Japanese American National Museum Hosts National Youth Summit

Beautiful Users: Designing for People The intersection of beauty, sensation, and user experience is explored in the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum exhibition Beautiful Users: Designing for People. On loan to the Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA) throughout Summer 2016, the exhibition demonstrated how design has become more focused on users and how people engage with designs.

Ellen Lupton, Cooper Hewitt curator of contemporary design, visited MODA in August for a “Design Conversation” in which she discussed the concepts of design and human experience and the ways designers engage people’s bodies and emotions.

“People often think of products simply as finished goods, but a lot of thinking, planning, and testing goes into creating the products that enhance our lives,” said Lupton.

In addition to the lecture, Lupton provided a guided tour of the exhibition, which includes almost 100 objects that show the evolution of user-centered design. From a Henry Dreyfuss Princess telephone to a Diller Scofidio + Renfro Roomba Camera, the objects illustrate the process of design from idea to testing, and modeling to final product.

“Visitors come away asking questions about the products they use every day,” said Lupton. the affiliate

Photo courtesy MoDA

Museum of Design Atlanta

Japanese American National Museum

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www.janm.org

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Below

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Briana Pobiner, NMNH anthropologist,

Lafayette, Louisiana.

Smithsonian In Your Neighborhood New about Smithsonian Affiliates (May 1 – October 31, 2016)

discussed The “Paleo” Diet: What Did Our Prehistoric Ancestors Really Eat? at the Museum of Arts and Sciences (Daytona Beach.) The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, honoring Horace Silver, returned for Septembers with the Smithsonian, an annual week of programming at MOAS. Eduardo Diaz, Smithsonian Latino Center director, and Alma Douglas, Smithsonian Affiliations, spoke at the Children Investigating Science with Parents and Afterschool (CHISPA) workshop, organized by the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science (Miami).

Georgia The Old Governor’s Mansion (Milledgeville) displayed four original presidential ballots from the 1860 election, on loan from NMAH. The Tellus Science Museum exhibition From Clay to Copper: Minerals & Artifacts of Etowah included 50 anthropological artifacts from NMNH. The museum also participated in the online distance learning program, Smithsonian Science How, produced by NMNH.

Idaho and the Sam and Alfreda Maloof Foundation for Arts and Crafts (Alta Loma).

Colorado

Arizona

California

The National Museum of the American Indian exhibition, Kay WalkingStick: An American Artist, traveled to the Heard Museum (Phoenix). Kevin Gover, NMAI director, moderated Conversation at the Intersection of Art, Law & Indian Identity, a panel discussion at the museum.

Western Science Center (Hemet) displayed H2O Today, an exhibition developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES).

The symposium Furniture and the Future was presented in Washington, D.C., by the Smithsonian American Art Museum

8 the affiliate Fall 2016

Three works of art from the Smithsonian American Art Museum and three from the National Portrait Gallery were included in the Denver Art Museum (Denver) exhibition, Rhythm & Roots: Dance in American Art Exhibition.

Kirk Johnson, National Museum of Natural History director, gave a lecture on his recent book Ancient Wyoming: A Dozen Lost Worlds Based on the Geology of the Bighorn Basin at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science (Denver). The museum also offered a one-day workshop in collaboration with the Smithsonian Science Education Center as part of the Colorado LASER Initiative, a four-year program implementing science content and knowledge in Colorado schools.

Connecticut Mystic Seaport (Mystic) completed its Stars of the Smithsonian series with the lecture Art of Oceanic Navigation and Land Finding by Doug Herman, NMAI senior geographer.

Delaware Katherine Ott, National Museum of American History (NMAH) curator, spoke at the Hagley Museum and Library (Wilmington) during its conference Making Modern Disabilities: Histories of Disability, Design, and Technology.

Florida Orange County Regional History Center (Orlando) hosted Searching for the Seventies: The DOCUMERICA Photography Project, a SITES exhibition.

Maria del Carmen Cossu, SITES project manager, was a juror at the Mayfaire Arts Festival at the Polk Museum of Art (Lakeland).

Organized by SITES, Idaho Museum of Natural History (Pocatello) displayed the Museum on Main Street program exhibition, Water/Ways.

Illinois Peoria Riverfront Museum (Peoria) welcomed John W. Franklin, National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) curator, for An Insider’s View: From Idea to Reality, a public lecture on building the new museum.

Iowa The Dubuque Museum of Art (Dubuque) participated in an En Plein Air distance learning program with the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Maryland The SITES exhibition, Mail Call, was on display at College Park Aviation Museum (College Park).

Missouri Tim Grove, chief of learning at National Air and Space Museum (NASM), was a guest speaker at a member’s event at the Saint Louis Science Center (St. Louis).

Nevada The SITES exhibition, Titanoboa: Monster Snake, captivated visitors at the Las Vegas Natural History Museum (Las Vegas).

New Mexico New Mexico Museum of Space History (Alamogordo) included two Star Trek television series props in a new exhibition inside its permanent gallery, on long-term loan from NASM.

New York The Museum of American Finance (New York) hosted a Smithsonian Associates program, All that Glitters: Gold and Finance in New York, a day-long study tour at MoAF. Ellen Feingold, NMAH curator, lectured on the value of money at MoAF. At a Smithsonian Associates evening program and performance in Washington, D.C., National Jazz Museum in Harlem (New York) director Loren Schoenberg spoke about Duke Ellington.

North Carolina Greensboro Historical Museum (Greensboro) presents I Want the Wide American Earth: An Asian Pacific American Story, a SITES exhibition, through February 2017.

Ohio The National Inventors Hall of Fame (North Canton) annual induction ceremony took place at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery.

Ohio History Connection (Columbus) organized a videoconference program for a local community organization with staff from NASM. To complement The Springfield Museum of Art (Springfield) exhibition The Man Behind the Canvas: Photographs of Norman Rockwell, Virginia Mecklenburg, Smithsonian American Art Museum curator, presented a guest lecture about Rockwell.

Ten Affiliates offered student workshops as part of the third installment of Youth Capture the Colorful Cosmos, astrophotography programs in partnership with Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.

Panama Matthew Larsen, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) director, presented a public program on the history between the Smithsonian and Panama at the Biomuseo Panama (Panama City). Richard Cooke, STRI scientist, also gave a talk on indigenous history in Panama.

Pennsylvania John Gray, NMAH director, gave remarks at the National Museum of Industrial History (Bethlehem) ribbon cutting and was joined at the event by several NMAH and Smithsonian Affiliations staff.

The Senator John Heinz History Center (Pittsburgh) hosted Pittsburgh’s Hidden Treasures: An Antiques Appraisal Show, featuring Manda Kawalczyk, National Postal Museum (NPM) curator.

South Carolina Things Come Apart, a SITES exhibition, was on view at the Upcountry History Museum-Furman University (Greenville).

Seven artifacts on loan from the political history collections at NMAH were included in the museum’s exhibition Sign of the Times: The Great American Political Poster, 1844-2012.

The Cherokee Springs meteorite, on loan from NMNH, was on display at York County Culture and Heritage Museums (Rock Hill).

South Dakota The South Dakota State Historical Society (Pierre) presented four online education programs featuring

re-broadcasts of Smithsonian videos from the Smithsonian American Art Museum and NPM.

Texas The Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, part of the City of AustinParks and Recreation Department (Austin) hosted Bittersweet Harvest: The Bracero Program, 1942-1964, an exhibition developed for travel by SITES. Damion Thomas, sports curator at the NMAAHC spoke at UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures (San Antonio) on African American baseball.

The Perot Museum of Nature and Science (Dallas) borrowed 29 gems and minerals from NMNH for its exhibition Giant Gems of the Smithsonian.

Virginia SITES transferred Hid-

den Life of Ants to the Virginia Museum of Natural History (Martinsville) for long-term display.

Washington Cara Spink, Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture (Spokane) educator participated in Let’s Do History, a professional development program organized by NMAH.