Road Reports

"New Harmonies" Strikes a Chord with North Carolina

MoMS “New Harmonies” exhibit tugged on a lot of heart strings in Mars Hill, North Carolina. The community welcomed their first traveling exhibit with open arms, and after such a resounding impact, it was tough to let go.

Installed at Mars Hill College, the exhibit became an integral part of the students’ lives. Many helped to assemble the show, acted as docents, and “built their lives around the exhibition while it was here,” reports Program Coordinator Dr. Karen Paar. To accompany to the exhibit, the college created a class called “Introduction to Public History” conducted by Dr. Kathy Newfont, which included lessons in museum studies, a field trip to Raleigh, and a section detailing archival work (taught by Dr. Paar). The class was such an instant favorite among students that the school will likely offer the course in permanent rotation. Students “were just so honored and proud to have a traveling Smithsonian Institution exhibition on our campus, and some even described it as a defining experience of their undergraduate careers,” says Paar. And the setting helped to draw in more people, and many "who generally would not be comfortable coming to a college campus seemed to feel more welcome if their children had already been there to the exhibition.”

 

And like music itself, the exhibit’s programming was a harmony of entertainment, learning, self-expression, and pride. Museum visitors could decorate their own CD covers, and their artwork was then displayed on a wall—culminating in a vibrant mosaic enticing visitors to come back to see what new tiles had been added. According to Paar, one little boy “came every weekend with his father. He drew a new CD cover each visit, and he would tell the docents on his way out the door, ‘See ya next Sunday!’” Roger Howell, fiddle tune collector, hosted another program for children and impressed the importance of keeping local traditions alive. He said, “I learned these tunes from the ‘old people,’ but I guess I’m the ‘old people’ now!”  And Howell was one of the local greats—along with Arvil Freeman, Bobby Hicks, and Paul Crouch—to play a free concert starring the area’s fiddle traditions. Thanks to these big names, the North Carolina Humanities Council awarded a grant to have the concert filmed, with hopes for eventual broadcasting on public television.

But eventually, “New Harmonies” struck its last note in Mars Hill, and many were sad to see it go. According to Paar, one young girl, a daughter of a docent, attended nearly every event and tagged along with Mom during some docent shifts. When her mother told her “New Harmonies” was leaving, the girl burst into tears. But for the consolation of this young this girl (and others!), the success of this exhibit has Mars Hill tuning up for future shows.

 

-- Alexandra Charleston, Museum on Main Street, Washington, DC

A Year in Review

It’s been another great year for Museum on Main Street (MoMS)!  The team charted 73,770 miles and hopped around to 21 states—and this year’s mileage even beats the year we flew to Guam!  Four exhibits are currently on the road and have visited 101 host sites on their tours.

As each Close Out Report (a venue’s summary of the exhibit’s reception, programming, and media coverage) steadily trickles back to our D.C. office, we are continuously amazed by the passion and hard work of each host site throughout the nation.  We hear story upon story of how these exhibits have educated and inspired individuals, brought them together, given them a chance to share their own stories.  These exhibits become more than just panels with words and pictures, more than just an event to fill a weekday evening, but a mechanism to bring a community together and facilitate discussion.  That’s exactly what MoMS tries to do, and it would not be possible without the many people working behind the scenes.  Thank you!

While MoMS exhibits were road tripping throughout the country, the MoMS crew pitched a tent on the Mall during this summer’s Folklife Festival, an annual fair that highlights three cultures.  One of the “cultures” this year uncovered the many—often unseen—departments of the Smithsonian, and MoMS gave many festival-goers a peek into the preparation, production, and execution of our exhibits.

Although excitement culminates when a venue opens an exhibit to the public, the initial buzz begins during the planning process, long before an exhibit’s installation.  This year we held two conferences (one in Annapolis and one in Albuquerque) to help upcoming host states plan and organize installation, exhibition development, events and programming, and advertisement.  Representatives and scholars from each state came together to share helpful hints and bounce ideas off each other, and their collaboration and enthusiasm is bound to make these next years at least as successful as this one. We look forward to what’s to come in 2011!     

-- Alexandra Charleston, Museum on Main Street, Washington, DC

Alaskans Explore Local Contributions to American Music

Residents of Haines, Alaska are still singing the Sheldon Museum's praises! The museum's recent installation of New Harmonies offered their visitors a chance to explore what it means to be an American by featuring the region's diverse music traditions.

In the exhibition, learners of all age investigated their music heritage. A hands-on music corner invited children to explore music with a tactile approach – As kids hammered on the xylophone and tooted the horn, they made friends with one of America’s dearest forms of expression.This innovative local exhibit engaged the senses for what is sure to have been an interactive music lesson worth remembering. Adults on the other hand, were wowed by the museum’s display of “Drink Mallets” from the 1930’s. The Hammer Museum donated these cultural objects as a veritable piece of Haines musical past; these little wooden hammers were once used in Haines nightclubs by audience members who wished to applaud the acts onstage.

                           

Haines residents from all generations united for the exhibit’s opening reception in which Tlingit singers and dancers welcomed New Harmonies to the community. According to museum director Jerrie Clarke, “Tlingit dancers from Klukwan, a Tlingit village 20 miles north of Haines, provided song, drums and traditional dance, as well as stories by elders about music and changes to the music heard, played and sung in the last century in a half.” The Tlingit nation – one of only two federally recognized Native American groups in Alaska – is centered around the southeastern part of the state.

As poignant stories were recounted by Tlingit elders and sacred dances were performed by younger Tlingit nation members, Haines residents were reminded of their region’s unique role in America’s cultural history. “It’s only right that we open this exhibit of American roots music with the descendents of the first musicians in the Chilkat Valley,” said Clarke.The opening concluded with a rendition of “Amazing Grace,” sung in both Tlingit and English. Audience members slowly joined the performers in song during the English translation, tangibly confirming the unity engendered by the exhibition.

                                   

Lastly, musicians from Juneau, Skagway, Tagish, and Yukon Territory came to Haines to perform during New Harmonies’ stay in the region. How wonderful that the exhibit was able to bring exposure not only to the Sheldon museum, but to the significance of American Roots Music in Alaska specifically. In the words of museum director Jerrie Clarke, “What a boost [New Harmonies] gave to the community’s support for the Sheldon Museum. We are still receiving compliments for the concert and the exhibition. And, we had a great time!”

Many thanks go out to Jerrie Clarke and the Sheldon Museum for hosting New Harmonies in Haines!

-- Roxanne Berschler, SITES, Washington D.C.

Between Fences Opens in Minnesota

I'm a bit behind the times with this blog entry, but last week, we had a wonderful installation workshop and training program for Between Fences in Hanley Falls, Minnesota at Minnesota's Machinery Museum. Each of the hosts for the Minnesota tour of the exhibition gathered for two days of exhibition building and discussion. David Grabitske from the Minnesota Historical Society provided docent training for the participants. Genevieve Simermeyer from the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian also joined the group to talk about how to create educational programs for visitors from a variety of cultural backgrounds. And, the Minnesota Humanities Center debuted its companion video for the statewide tour of Between Fences. The beautiful video features Native American perspectives on fences and land use and ownership. Each host site in Minnesota will feature the video along with the exhibition. Check it out.

The museum is housed in the former Hanley Falls High School and the exhibition is on the basketball court in the old gymnasium/auditorium. It's a fun space with a great mural of local farming scenes. Be sure to catch Between Fences in Minnesota. Here's a short video from the workshop and the ribbon cutting.

Special thanks go to Tom Fitzpatrick and the Minnesota Humanities Center for their sponsorship of the tour and amazing coordination of programs and efforts. And, I would like to personally thank David Grabitske (a great friend to me and Museum on Main Street) for showing me around Minnesota as we drove to Hanley Falls. It's always a pleasure.

After the workshop, David and I traveled back to the Twin Cities, where we joined the Minnesota Association of Museums at the Hennepin History Museum for its "Uber Sampler" -- monthly meetings where museum staff gather to talk about various aspects of the field. We had a fun evening chatting and talking about some of the interesting exhibitions and programs past Museum on Main Street hosts have created and about my interests in social media and museums. Hopefully, we'll get a couple of new Twitter and Facebook users from the participants! Thanks to Jada Hansen from the Hennepin Museum for a great visit.

-- Robbie Davis, MoMS/SITES, Washington, DC

Bananas and Mayonnaise -- Podcast on Georgia Food Traditions

To prepare for its ongoing two-year tour of Key Ingredients, the Georgia Humanities Council partnered with the University of West Georgia's Center for Public History to interview more than 75 people across the state to document the state's food traditions. The work done by the Humanities Council and the Center for Public History provides tremendous insight into Georgia's history and culture. Food is central to life. The dishes we grow up with, the traditions we hold dear, and the memories we associate with food and family are extremely powerful. The oral history interviews give us a fun and meaningful glimpse into joys of food.

Over the next several weeks, we will introduce you to Georgia's food traditions through a series of selections from the oral history interviews. Today's program features Rosalind Westmoreland of Claxton, Georgia. Born in 1919, Rosalind endured the hardships brought on by the Great Depression, and recounts some of them for us. Although she freely admits that “money was tight,” Rosalind insists that she hardly recognized her own deprivation, as all of her peers were “in the same boat.” As was the case with most families during the Depression, Rosalind specifies that meat and milk were rarities reserved for Sundays and special occasions… as was macaroni and cheese! She describes some of the home remedies that were invented for items that the family couldn’t afford, describing make-shift meals and cleaning concoctions.

Lastly, part of Rosalind’s interview details some of the food traditions from Southern Georgia, including fond memories from community “peanut boilings” and “cane grindings,” in addition to recipes for “traditional” Banana Salad and Pimento Cheese. Ultimately, Rosalind’s southern flair and fun anecdotes help to make her experiences with Georgia cuisine come to life. Enjoy!

Download Rosalind Westmoreland Podcast (5:23, MP3, 4.93 MB)

Special thanks go to Arden Williams with the Georgia Humanities Council, Ann McCleary with the University of West Georgia Center for Public History, and her students Katie Hicks and Kristi Hartmann Ferguson for giving MoMS an opportunity to make these interviews available. Check out the Georgia website for Key Ingredients at www.georgiafoodtour.org.

-- Roxanne Berschler, MoMS/SITES, Washington, DC