Haines, Alaska is still singing a
sweet tune after its experience with New
Harmonies this past spring. The museum received incredible community enthusiasm for New Harmonies’ stay in Haines -- twice
as many locals visited the Sheldon Museum and Cultural Center to see the New Harmonies exhibit as had explored
the museum during the same period the previous year.
Jerrie Clarke, director of the
Sheldon Museum and Cultural Center, was optimistic that this exhibit would put
the museum ‘on the map’ in Haines, heightening the museum’s visibility
throughout the community. Endorsements from several local businesses, the
Borough Manager, and local public radio station KHNS, allowed the Sheldon
Museum to organize concerts by local musicians. The Haines community was
honored when the exhibit attracted two bands from other nearby communities – In
the words of Jerrie Clarke, “Coming to Haines from other Southeast communities
involves ferries and planes so it was an investment of time for the non-Haines
bands.”
Lastly, the Haines community added
to Sheldon Museum’s collection of cultural history by recording the local
concerts that supplemented the exhibit. These recordings ranged from old-timey
country songs to singing [chanting?] by a Tlingit man from Tagish in the Yukon
Territory. The pictures below provide some insight into Haine’s lively cultural
exploration of American roots music. Enjoy! "It was a very sad thing to watch the exhibit come down and leave in the big truck. We loved having it here!" - Jerrie Clarke, Sheldon Museum and Cultural Center Director "This was a fantastic experience which will be remembered in the community for a long, long time!" - Karen Meizner Many thanks to Jerrie Clarke, Karen Meizner, and Nancy Nash for this update! -- Roxanne Berschler, MoMS/SITES, Washington, DC
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