The Affiliate Newsletter | Spring 2015

Spring 2015

the

affiliate News about Smithsonian Affiliates

Sikhs: Legacy of the Punjab Travels to San Antonio In February, the UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures welcomed the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) exhibition, Sikhs: Legacy of the Punjab, where it will be on view until January 2016.

Unveiled in 2004, the exhibition has “been going strong ever since,” said NMNH Curator Paul Taylor, who directs the Asian Cultural History Program. Every venue has added new content to the exhibition, providing an opportunity to highlight contributions from local Sikh communities, who have “provided immense support for bringing the exhibition to the United States and Canada.”

UTSA ITC opened its doors to the Sikhs through a local community leader, Dr. Gurvinder Pal Singh, who together with UTSA ITC approached Taylor with the idea of bringing the exhibition to San Antonio. “This was one of our first contacts with the Sikh community,” said Angelica Docog, UTSA ITC executive director. continued page 3

Smithsonian Affiliations

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www.affiliations.si.edu

the affiliate Spring 2015

We extend a warm welcome to our newest Smithsonian Affiliates

Connections It took a while for the word “collaboration� to overcome its negative connotations from World War II, but of late everyone has come to recognize that success in all fields — industry, science, and the arts —  is predicated on groups of people working closely together as collaborators. Fashion guru Tim Gunn, a recent guest of the Smithsonian Associates, said it best, “life is not a solo act.�

As we approach our 20th year, we take pride in the many collaborations fostered between the Smithsonian and our Affiliate partners, now expanding further into the educational realm. While students in Telluride learn to view the “colorful cosmos� in concert with Smithsonian astrophysicists, budding naturalists are “nestwatching� in Raleigh together with researchers at the National Zoological Park, and young ethnographers are collecting living histories from their Seattle elders in a program launched by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.

The growth of collaborations between Affiliates is another welcome outcome of our program. With greater frequency, we see that Affiliates are reaching out to each other, adding a new level of dynamism to our program as the Affiliate network takes on a life of its own. Let me offer a few examples.

Visit the University of Texas San Antonio’s Institute of Texan Cultures before the end of June and you’ll see the very moving Patriots and Peacemakers, a traveling exhibit from the Arab American National Museum that details how Arab Americans have contributed to our nation in military service, diplomatic missions and through the Peace Corps. Affiliates share collections as well as exhibits. The Museum of American Finance found a partner in the Hagley Museum and Library for housing archival collections that amplify the story of American enterprise, a subject near and dear to both museums. The Burke Museum at the University of Washington has recently teamed with the Museum of Flight to present How Birds Fly, an exhibit that explores bird evolution, anatomy, and behaviors, as well as the impact birds have had on human flight. Youth Capture the Colorful Cosmos, the Smithsonian’s combined astrophysics and art program, has created numerous opportunities for Affiliates to engage in mentor/mentee relationships, building “communities of practice� that will inform future similar programs. And just in time for the 400th Anniversary of the Pilgrim landing in 2020, Mystic Seaport has taken on the monumental task of a multi-year restoration of the Mayflower II, the sailing centerpiece of Plimoth Plantation.

These are just a few examples that suggest a growing trend, one that makes our program look more like an evolving neural network rather than a one way street.

We don’t take credit for each collaboration, but we do believe that we have created a comfortable context for Affiliate organizations to find common interests and compelling reasons to work together.

These possibilities serendipitously show up at our Affiliations National Conference, this year June 15 – 17. Please join us — you never know where your next good idea will come from!

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Boulder, Colorado ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum Ashland, Oregon Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals Hillsboro, Oregon Upcountry History MuseumFurman University Greenville, South Carolina Madison Children’s Museum Madison, Wisconsin Heritage Farm Museum and Village Huntington, West Virginia Framingham State University Framingham, Massachusetts

Harold A. Closter Director closterh@si.edu

Editor Elizabeth Bugbee Writer Cara Seitchek Designer Brad Ireland Printing Chroma Graphics, Inc. Affiliations Staff Jennifer Brundage, National Outreach Manager

Contents

Elizabeth Bugbee, Communications and Professional Development Manager Harold A. Closter, Director 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

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Sikhs: Legacy of the Punjab Travels to San Antonio

Affiliate Communities Welcome Spark!Lab

Rising Up: Hale Woodruff ’s Murals Come to Smithsonian

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Two Smithsonian Affiliates on Deck to Preserve a National Treasure

The Smithsonian’s History of America in 101 Objects

American History Museum Buttons Help Tell Environmental Story in California

Legend of Lead Belly Debuts at Five Affiliates

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Teams Up with Smithsonian for Citizen Science Programs

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The Pinhead Institute and the Telluride Historical Museum hosted a Places of Invention Community Day in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for Invention and Innovation.

the affiliate Spring 2015

Š 2015 Smithsonian Institution 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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Cover bottom SANJ

Lower left Pictured

Executive Director,

opening remarks

Bhangra dancers from

left to right: Rosie

UTSA Institute of

and performances,

the San Antonio Sikh

Castro, mother of

Texan Cultures.

guests were invited

community perform at

U.S. Secretary of

to view Sikhs: Legacy

the exhibit opening.

Housing and Urban

Below The exhibition

Development/former

on view at the UTSA

of the Punjab, and visit with members

Left The San Antonio

San Antonio Mayor

Institute of Texan

of San Antonio’s

Sikh community’s

Julian Castro and

Cultures.

Sikh community.

Tor Punjaban Dee

Congressman Joaquin

The opening of the

dancers perform

Castro; Dr. Singh;

All photos are courtesy

exhibition was one

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Dr. Ricardo Romo,

of UTSA Institute of

of the best attended

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President of the

Texan Cultures.

exhibit openings the

emphasizes feminine

University of Texas

Institute of Texan

grace and elegance.

at San Antonio; and

Cultures has ever had.

continued from page 1 Sikhs: Legacy of the Punjab Travels to San Antonio

“We tell the story of the people of Texas and we welcomed the opportunity to add this story to our galleries.”

UTSA ITC contacted local historians, professors, and members of the Sikh community to create a new section of the exhibition that focused on Texan Sikhs. After the exhibition closes, the content of this section will be displayed in a new Sikh temple currently being built in San Antonio. The Sikhs in San Antonio feel that this exhibition shares the essence of their religion. “It is the fifth-largest religion in the world but outside of our faith most do not know much about us,” says Singh. “The interpretation here in San Antonio focuses on humanitarian ideas of service, justice, love and tolerance.”

“Every location has included a local element in the exhibition,” said Taylor. “As a history museum, UTSA ITC inserted historical materials and images that illustrated the story. I particularly like when venues add images of people in their community as a way of saying ‘we are your neighbors.’ By including examples from the local community, it adds a depth to the exhibition.”

The permanent objects in the exhibition are drawn from a “school collection” — objects not accessioned into the Smithsonian collections. These are supple-

mented by loans from individuals, who provide local examples of textiles, paintings, and other objects that not only provide new items to view but also allow others to rest after being on display.

The objects that have been added to the exhibition from various Sikh communities over the years are among many found in a new, richly illustrated book with the same title as the exhibition, by Taylor and another Smithsonian anthropologist, Robert Pontsioen. Published by the Smithsonian’s Asian Cultural History Program, the book serves as an introduction to the Sikhs and their faith, history, and art, while showcasing the co-curatorship resulting from these partnerships.

Every location offered an opportunity for community involvement, future study, and preservation of Sikh heritage. UTSA ITC is the first venue that has displayed the exhibition accompanied by the new book.

The exhibition’s travel is now managed by the Sikh Heritage Foundation, which plans to continue traveling it to museums and venues across the country.

“The exhibition worked out well on so many levels,” said Docog. “It enabled us to be responsive to our local community with our mission of sharing the rich cultural heritage of Texas.”

Angelica Docog,

“In Texas, we’re proud of our great cultural diversity. The partnership between the Smithsonian and the UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures focuses an important spotlight on the various contributions of the residents of San Antonio — including the Sikh community, young Korean Americans, and Grammy Award-winning Latino musicians. We welcome these important collaborations and we celebrate the fusion of art, culture, and history that makes San Antonio, and the state of Texas, such a vibrant and exciting place to live.”

Senator John Cornyn (R-TX)

the affiliate

Institute of Texan Cultures

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www.texancultures.com

the affiliate Spring 2015

history/culture

Since the time of her arrival on Plymouth’s waterfront in 1957, Mayflower II has greeted millions of people seeking the vessel they have heard or read about since childhood.

Their visits to the ship transport them back in time nearly 400 years and invite them to reflect on their own personal or familial passages. In so many ways, Mayflower II is the embodiment of America’s founding story.

Inspections in 2013 revealed that Mayflower II was in need of a major refit, normal for a nearly 60-year-old wooden ship. Last year, Plimoth Plantation and Mystic Seaport announced a collaborative project to restore Mayflower II. Work on the historic ship is taking place at Mystic Seaport’s Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard. Guided by the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Vessel Preservation Projects, maritime staff from Plimoth Plantation and Mystic Seaport are creating a multi-year, phased restoration plan so that Mayflower II will be shipshape for 2020, the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ transatlantic voyage.

The restoration plan honors the ship’s original construction with the goal of returning Mayflower II to her appearance and condition when she first arrived in Plymouth in 1957. A comprehensive marine survey, recently completed by Paul Haley of Capt.

G.W. Full & Associates, will provide a clear direction for the ship’s ongoing restoration.

Mystic Seaport has vast restoration experience and knowledge of historic wooden vessels. The Museum recently completed the restoration of its 1841 whaling ship Charles W. Morgan, a National Historic Landmark vessel and America’s oldest commercial ship still afloat. The Morgan sailed on her historic 38th voyage this past summer.

Legend of Lead Belly, a Smithsonian Channel documentary, debuted during Black History Month in February accompanied by screenings at five Smithsonian Affiliates. The premiere was orchestrated with the Smithsonian Folkways release of Lead Belly: The Smithsonian Folkways Collections, a 5- CD box set and book with hours of music, historic photos, and extensive notes.

“This partnership emerged from a hallway conversation,” said Jeff Place,

Smithsonian Folkways archivist. “The screenings were an excellent means to getting Lead Belly’s music out to other communities.”

From Philadelphia to Memphis to Denver, the screenings of the documentary brought the curators, archivists, and filmmakers to a national audience. The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture in Baltimore hosted the first screening on February 5 in celebration of Black History Month.

“The film was a fitting tribute to one of

African Americans’ most important contrihosting the Lead Belly program at Smithsobutions to our cultural fabric — music — and nian Affiliates. “The Channel and Affiliato one of its most important contributors to tions have wanted to build a partnership the art form,” said A. Skipp Sanders, program model to bring Smithsonian Reginald F. Lewis Museum executive programming to local communities since director. “We invited our museum members the launch of the Channel,” said DeSanto. to attend this private event, as our way to “We are pleased to have co-developed thank them for their support. It was an ideal another benefit for Affiliates with this kind collaboration with the Smithsonian, both in of special programming.” terms of programmatic and in-kind support.”

Legend of Lead Belly premiered across Every screening included a panel the country at the following Affiliates discussion with experts who spoke about the during Black History Month 2015: Regiinfluence that Huddie Ledbetter had on nald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland American music. His use of a 12-string African American History and Culture guitar and recording of America’s most (Baltimore, MD); Memphis Rock ‘N’ beloved songs are just a few of the ways he Soul Museum (Memphis, TN); History inspired future musicians. George Harrison, Colorado (Denver, CO); Senator John Kurt Cobain, Bob Dylan, and Led Zeppelin, Heinz History Center (Pittsburgh, PA); among others, all cite Lead Belly as an The African American Museum in influence.

Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA).

The Smithsonian Channel partnered the affiliate with Comcast, Cablevision, and Smithsonian Affiliations to bring the documentary to Right Reginald F. Lewis Left Lead Belly album communities across the country, especially Museum of Maryland cover. Photo courtesy audiences at Smithsonian Affiliates.

African American “Many areas of the Smithsonian worked of Smithsonian History and Culture Folkways. together to bring this to fruition,” said Josh Executive Director, Gross, Channel public relations director.

A. Skipp Sanders, “Combining the documentary with the introduces the record release and the collaboration with Smithsonian Channel the Smithsonian Affiliations program program. Photo created a wonderful model for future courtesy of Smithsonian outreach.” Dana DeSanto, Channel director Affiliations. of affiliate marketing, conceived the idea of

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Plimoth Plantation

Mystic Seaport

Smithsonian Channel

the affiliate

www.plimoth.org

www.mysticseaport.org

www.smithsonianchannel.org

Two Smithsonian Affiliates on Deck to Preserve a National Treasure Guest authors: Dan McFadden, Director of Communications for Mystic Seaport Rob Kluin, Director of Marketing & Communications for Plimoth Plantation

Legend of Lead Belly Debuts at Five Affiliates

Spring 2015

“It is great for us to take the lessons restoring and sailing the Morgan taught us and apply them to help a fellow museum,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport.

“Mystic Seaport was the clear choice for restoring Mayflower II. She has been in the best hands with the Museum’s skilled craftspeople and shipwrights in these past months. The staff and boards of both museums share pride in this collaboration and have profound respect for this treasured ship,” said Ellie Donovan, Plimoth Plantation’s executive director.

On any given day at the shipyard, the museums’ restoration crews can be found diligently performing complex tasks. Whit Perry, Plimoth Plantation’s Director of Maritime Preservation and Operations, said the Affiliate partners are “making progress not only because of the combined, unique set of skills, tools and trades but because of our mutual respect and passion for the project.” the affiliate

Upper left Mayflower

Left Dylan Perry from

II high and dry in

Plimoth Plantation’s

the Mystic Seaport

maritime department

shipyard. Photo

removes old plank

courtesy of Andy

fastenings from

Price/Mystic Seaprort.

the hull sides of Mayflower II. Photo courtesy of Plimoth Plantation.

science

Affiliate Communities Welcome Spark!Lab Taking the Spark!Lab experience to communities outside of Washington, D.C., is incredibly rewarding,” said Tricia Edwards, head of education at the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation at the National Museum of American History (NMAH). “We received so many calls and comments from visitors who say ‘I need one of these where I live’ that we realized we could offer this to new audiences beyond the web.”

Today, the Spark!Lab National Network extends to five museums, three of which are Affiliates — the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, Massachusetts; Science City at Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri; and the Anchorage Museum in Anchorage, Alaska. All are enthusiastic partners in this effort to bring the “spark” of imagination and creativity to their visitors.

“We knew Spark!Lab was designed to promote creativity and invention, what we didn’t know is how it would help develop a child’s self-esteem and a deeper understanding of their child’s potential among parents,” said Van Shields, Berkshire Museum executive director. “Our Spark!Lab hosts tell us they see the ‘I can do this’ spirit bubble up every day, often accompanied by a similar awakening among parents that ‘my child can do this.’ What could be better than that?”

Staff at Science City immediately saw the potential of hosting a Spark!Lab site, which provides complementary activities to their Maker Studio. Spark!Lab encourages participants to invent, while the Maker Studio provides a space to create hands-on prototypes.

“Spark!Lab has had a strong impact on our members and membership,” said Christy Nitsche, manager of education, programs and marketing communications.

“We see repeat visitation from members because every time they visit, they see and

learn something new. Our membership numbers have increased substantially since we offered this as a benefit.”

Every installation is accompanied by a repertoire of support from Edwards and other Lemelson Center staff. From the initial conversations to the opening and after, host sites are provided with detailed information on staffing and financial resource needs, hands-on training, email and phone support, and in-person visits.

Monthly Google+ Hangouts provide continuing opportunities to brainstorm and share best practices.

“We visit about two months before the opening and give a high-level training for all staff — including development, marketing, facilities — so that everyone hears the same information and can translate our content to their department,” said Edwards.

One month before the opening, Lemelson Center staff return to provide hands-on training for 10 activities, suggestions on how to work with visitors, security and maintenance advice, and how to integrate into school curriculums.

Spark!Lab activities can be easily adapted to the local community. Science City changes the “grab bag” activity to accommodate the theme of the week, which can range from robotics to Earth Day and is also partnering with the Inventor’s Club of Kansas City to create activities that showcase local inventors and inventions.

Both the Berkshire Museum and Anchorage Museum staff are working on similar initiatives.

Julie Decker, director and CEO of the Anchorage Museum, said “The Anchorage Museum is very pleased to be able to continually expand the programming it offers to the community. We feel privileged to be home to one of the Spark!Lab satellite locations. The ideas behind it are a good fit with the ideas we explore in the museum related to the North — how extreme environments support adaptation, invention, and creative problem-solving.”

Draper Spark!Lab will open at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., on July 1.

Top Berkshire

Middle Children

Bottom Children in

Museum staff ready

explore the wonder of

Anchorage, Alaska,

Spark!Lab for visitors.

invention at Science

use creative problem

Photo courtesy of

City at Union Station

solving at the

Berkshire Museum.

Kansas City. Photo

Anchorage Museum.

courtesy of Union

Photo courtesy of

Station Kansas City.

Anchorage Museum.

the affiliate

Berkshire Museum

Science City at Union Station

Anchorage Museum

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berkshiremuseum.org

www.unionstation.org/sciencecity

www.anchorage.net/museums

the affiliate Spring 2015

history/science

The Smithsonian’s History of America in 101 Objects What do Martha the last passenger pigeon, a fragment from Plymouth Rock, and Julia Child’s kitchen have in common? Each of

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Teams up with Smithsonian for Citizen Science Programs

these objects — and 98 others — are part of The Smithsonian’s History of America in 101 Objects. Written by Richard Kurin, Smithsonian Under Secretary for History, Art, and Culture, the 762-page book chronicles America’s history through selected treasures found in the Smithsonian’s collections.

Kurin is crossing the country to bring the story of these objects to communities both large and small. So far, ten Affiliates have hosted Kurin, who uses artifacts and

Two citizen science programs are connecting Smithsonian scientists with colleagues at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (NCMNS). By linking citizens with these data collection projects, the reach of conservation research is multiplied and broadened.

“Each node in these networks contributes to a bigger picture,” said John Gerwin, NCMNS curator of ornithology. “As we gather this data over years and many regions, we gain valuable data that provides a long-term view of the natural sciences.”

Gerwin works on the Neighborhood Nestwatch project, an initiative of the

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North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

the affiliate

www.naturalsciences.org

Spring 2015

historical examples from the book to relate to each Affiliate and its collections.

“These objects tell national stories,” said Kurin. “As I traveled to other museums, I realized that each museum has its own regional treasures and stories that speak to American democracy. A person in every place would point out their most treasured object, which is accessible in the local museum.”

In November, Kurin visited the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia, which is currently displaying a vial of polio vaccine developed

by Dr. Jonas Salk, on loan from the National Museum of American History, and highlighted in the book.

“We are so honored to highlight this artifact and the story of Dr. Salk,” said Ivy Barsky, NMAJH director. “The book tells the history of America through a constellation of artifacts; this museum similarly takes routine objects to help people learn about history.”

Kurin connected his book with the collections of every Affiliate visited. Neil Armstrong’s space suit tied to the Saturn V rocket at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The South Dakota State Historical Society arranged a visit to the local Grange in South Dakota, where the members sang “Home on the Range,” which led Kurin to talk about buffalo-related objects in the book and in Smithsonian collections.

“I gave a gallery tour through 100 Stories-A Centennial Exhibition at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane, Washington,” said Kurin. “As I

walked through the rooms, I used their objects to tie to Smithsonian objects. A mural of Lewis and Clark — who stayed no more than 40 miles from where the museum is — was the perfect opportunity to talk about the Lewis and Clark compass, another item in the book and a treasure in our collections.”

Kurin travels with 3D printed replicas of some of the artifacts, making the images in his presentation truly tangible. At the Durham Museum in Omaha, Nebraska, a 3D copy of the hat Lincoln wore on the night of his assassination became a moving and memorable example of the power of this technology.

Throughout his travels, Kurin heard an amazing array of object-based stories about American history. “I may have to write a book that showcases the many objects held at Affiliate museums,” he said. “But not right now.”

National Zoological Park’s Migratory Bird Center. Nestwatch participants allow scientists to catch and tag birds in their backyards. Each homeowner then observes the activities of the birds, entering their data in an online database. Participants often see the return of specific birds year after year, their observations adding to a larger data set on bird migrations and breeding.

“We can see how birds survive and reproduce in urban areas,” said Peter Marra, head of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. “And by teaching people how to find nests and observe birds, we also teach people how to observe and appreciate nature. What is especially powerful is that when I take this program to schools, it’s clear that the magic of a bird in the hand cannot be underestimated in creating an interest in birding and nature.” eMammal similarly asks the general public to record the habits of animals, using camera traps to record animals in their native habitat. This program, coordinated by the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI), uses infrared motion-activated cameras to take images that serve as voucher specimens, quickly recording date, time, and location.

“Collecting photos in this way is a great complement to traditional museum animal collections,” said Roland Kays, director of

the NCMNS Biodiversity Lab. “Storage is much easier, specimens can be sent more easily to colleagues, and we can reach far more areas with the cameras.”

In addition to the scientists and citizen volunteers, eMammal reaches students through several initiatives in local schools.

“We engage multiple grades by having older students make a YouTube video to challenge middle school students to join the program,” said Tavis Forester, a conservation biologist with SCBI. “The students learn about cameras and the data collected by the traps is tied to their curriculum to show ecology on a local level.”

Smithsonian Youth Access Grants support both projects and have enabled Smithsonian staff to bring the program to at-risk youth in the Anacostia region of Washington, D.C.

Smithsonian Science How! programming includes four Affiliates: Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum; Virginia Museum of Natural History; North Carolina Museum of

Natural Sciences; and The Pinhead Institute.

Season two live webcasts began in December 2014 and run through June 2015.

the affiliate

Andrew Masich,

Kurin brought with

President and CEO

him for his lecture

at the Senator John

at the Center.

Heinz History Center

Photo courtesy

holds a 3D-printed

of Smithsonian

cast of Lincoln’s

Affiliations.

hand which Richard

the affiliate

Students participating in the eMammal program capture their own images on the cameras. Photo courtesy of eMammal.

art/history African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) Gallery in the National Museum of American History.

“The effect of the murals was very dramatic,” said Jacquelyn Serwer, NMAAHC curator. “The smaller space made the experience very intimate and people felt like they were in the middle of the drama depicted in the murals.”

A video accompanying the exhibition documented the conservation work on the murals, which uncovered Woodruff ’s colorful brushstrokes and techniques learned from Diego Rivera.

NMAAHC Director, Lonnie Bunch, described the exhibition as, “while artistically beautiful and innovative, these murals also speak volumes about the power of history to inspire and educate. We are so pleased that thousands of our visitors had the unexpected pleasure and opportunity to view what had been a hidden treasure.”

Rising Up: Hale Woodruff’s Murals Come to Smithsonian

interpretation of the murals,” said Philip Verre, High Museum COO. “It has sparked a lot of excitement not only in the academic community, but also in the general public.”

Talladega College, Alabama’s oldest private historically black college, is the home of six murals painted by Hale Woodruff. Three panels completed in 1938-39 – The Revolt, The Court Scene, and Back to Africa — document the story of the The High Museum of Art, through a slave ship La Amistad. The other three, not unique partnership with a neighboring completed until 1942, depict the Undercollege, assisted in conserving six Depresground Railroad, the first day of registrasion-era murals, which are now touring the tion at the college, and the building of country in Rising Up: Hale Woodruff’s Murals. Savery Library, which housed the murals “This project has allowed a fresh since their completion.

“I had been researching the muralist movement in New York,” said Verre. “So when I moved to Atlanta, I reached out to the college, which started a partnership that I see continuing long into the future.”

The High Museum raised funds to remove, transport, and conserve the murals.

Conservators at the Atlanta Art Conservation Center cleaned and restored the murals, which were then adhered to another piece of fabric and wooden stretchers.

Once restored, the murals have traveled to museums in Georgia, Texas, Illinois, New York, Louisiana, and to Washington, D.C., where visitors could view the original works in the National Museum of

Membership — Connecting Your Local Audience to the Smithsonian

American History Museum Buttons Help Tell Environmental Story in California

As local ambassadors, Affiliates are making the connection between the Smithsonian and members in their communities through the Smithsonian Affiliate membership program.

As partners, Affiliates steward our joint Smithsonian-Affiliate members, reminding them of local opportunities to experience the Smithsonian beyond Washington, D.C., through direct mail, online, and on-site Smithsonian events.

Annual Smithsonian Affiliate Membership Drive: November 2015 will kick off the 2nd Annual Smithsonian Affiliate Membership Drive month. Use the Toolkit to shape Smithsonian-focused activities for the annual membership drive.

Additional resources will be developed at the Affiliations National Conference, June 15 – 17, 2015. Updates will be delivered to your inbox this summer so you begin planning for the November event.

Touch-points with Smithsonian Affiliate Members: The quarterly membership e-newsletter is sent to our joint members to remind them they have two memberships — a membership to the Affiliate and the Smithsonian. Send us event and exhibition ideas to highlight in the newsletter.

Ideas to Share? Let us know how you are doing: Christina DiMeglio Lopez dimeglioc@si.edu

Sixteen buttons from the National Museum of American History were featured in the exhibition Hole in the Head: The Battle of Bodega Bay and the Birth of the

the affiliate

The Underground Railroad, 1942, oil on canvas, collection of Savery Library, Talladega College, Talladega, Alabama.

Environmental Movement (1958-1964) at the Museums of Sonoma County. “The collection of environmental buttons helped us tell the story of the birth and growth of the modern environmental movement. We connected those buttons to the legacy of the fight over a nuclear power plant at Bodega Bay, California, between 1958 and 1964, which helped usher in the age of modern environmentalism.” — Eric Stanley, Curator of History at the Museums of Sonoma County (Santa Rosa, California) the affiliate

Sustain Support — Build Smithsonian Membership Levels: Mobilize the Smithsonian Marketing Toolkit: Developed with input from more than 70 Affiliates, the Toolkit is used to build awareness and engagement. Participants experience the resources of the Smithsonian first-hand and realize the value of the “two memberships in one” benefit.

High Museum of Art www.high.org

Staff from College Park Aviation Museum, Denver Art Museum, Hagley Museum and Library, and the Antique Automobile Club of America attended a Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center workshop.

7 the affiliate Spring 2015

Top to bottom

The SITES exhibition,

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Hirshhorn Museum

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and Smithsonian

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Animation Art of

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Chuck Jones, was

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Duck Amuck (1953)

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Smithsonian In Your Neighborhood News about Smithsonian Affiliates (November 1, 2014 – May 1, 2015) Arizona Two paintings from the Smithsonian American Art Museum were included in the exhibition Beautiful Games: American Indian Sport and Art at the Heard Museum (Phoenix).

National Museum of the American Indian Director (NMAI), Kevin Gover, was the keynote speaker at the symposium Stereotypes in Sports hosted by the museum.

California Museums of Sonoma County (Santa Rosa) displayed IndiVisible: African-Native American Lives in the Americas, an exhibition organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES).

I Want the Wide American Earth: An Asian Pacific American Story (SITES) was on view at Riverside Metropolitan Museum (Riverside).

Nora Atkinson, The American Art Museum, spoke at the Sam and Alfreda Maloof Foundation for Arts and Crafts (Alta

8 the affiliate Spring 2015

Arab American National Museum, Oklahoma History Center, Museum of History and Industry, HistoryMiami and National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

Loma), announcing its new affiliation with the Smithsonian.

Elizabeth Weatherford, NMAI, was guest curator for the Festival of Native Film and Culture presented

by Agua Caliente Cultural Museum (Palm Springs).

Colorado History Colorado (Denver) hosted 1968: The Year that Rocked America, including three artifacts from the National Air and Space Museum (NASM). Mike Neufeld, NASM, gave an accompanying lecture The Apollo 8 Mission: First Voyage to the Moon.

Smithsonian Latino Center (SLC) Director, Eduardo Diaz, spoke at the opening of the companion exhibition El Movimiento.

The Denver Art Museum (Denver) organized the Petrie Institute of Western American Art Symposium including William Truettner, The American Art Museum curator emeritus.

Florida Real Lives: Observations and Reflections

by Dale Kennington, an exhibition at the Mennello Museum of American Art (Orlando), included a painting from The American Art Museum.

Georgia Tellus Science Museum (Cartersville) hosted Jeweled Objects of Desire, an exhibition from the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH). Curator Jeff Post, NMNH, spoke about the Hope Diamond in conjunction with the exhibition.

Smithsonian scholar, Warren Perry, presented the lecture Guns, Horses, Uniforms, and More Guns: Themes of American Civil War Visual Culture at the Morris Museum of Art (Augusta).

Indiana Conner Prairie Interactive History Park (Fishers) welcomed Tim Grove, NASM educator, to share excerpts from his book, A Grizzly in the Mail and Other Adventures in American History. Tom Crouch, NASM curator, presented the lecture Ballooning in the Antebellum Midwest.

Maryland NASM curator Andrew Johnston served on an

exhibition jury panel at Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center (Dowell).

Nebraska Andrea Lowther, NMAH, provided online docent training to staff at the Durham Museum (Omaha).

Amy Henderson, National Portrait Gallery, presented the lecture Katharine Hepburn: Master of Her Own Image at the museum.

North Carolina The Schiele Museum of Natural History (Gastonia) included two artifacts from NASM in its exhibition The Solar System: A Journey of Exploration.

Oklahoma NASM loaned five space artifacts to the Stafford Air & Space Museum (Weatherford).

Oregon The NASM traveling exhibition, In Plane View: Abstractions of Flight, opened at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum (McMinnville).

Panama Ranald Woodaman, SLC, presented three talks on best practices and the social relevance of museums at the Museo del Canal Interoceaníco (Panama City).

participated in the National Youth Summit: War on Poverty presented by the National Museum of American History.

Pennsylvania

Virginia

The National Museum of American Jewish History (Philadelphia) participated in the NMAH teaching program, Let’s Do History.

The Birthplace of Country Music Museum (Bristol) will serve as the final home for the SITES exhibition New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music.

The Face of the Nation: George Washington, Art, and America, a symposium at George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens (Mount Vernon) included Ellen Miles and Wendy Wick Reaves from the National Portrait Gallery.

Smithsonian Affiliations Director, Harold Closter, was the keynote speaker for the Thomas Jefferson Awards in Richmond, hosted by the Virginia Museum of Natural History (Martinsville).

Puerto Rico The Museo y Centro de Estudios Humanísticos (Gurabo) received an IMLS grant for museum professional development programs. Camille Akeju, Anacostia Community Museum, Kim Harrell, National Postal Museum, and Harold Closter, Smithsonian Affiliations, participated.

South Dakota South Dakota State Historical Society (Pierre) organized four online education programs using webcasts from the Smithsonian.

Tennessee The Museum at 5ive Points (Cleveland) hosted the SITES exhibition IndiVisible: African-Native American Lives in the Americas.

Vermont Tom Crouch, NASM, presented the lecture Lincoln’s Air Force, the Balloon Corps during the Civil War at the Sullivan Museum and History Center (Northfield).

Washington The Museum of Flight (Seattle) displayed Suited for Space, a SITES exhibition.

The Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture (Spokane) welcomed Cecile Ganteaume, NMAI, for a public lecture.