Current Students | Faculty and Staff | Alumni | Parents

LIFE/Elderhostel

March Museum Series

Museums: Behind the Scene of Small and Large

March 5, March 10, March 19.

Series Class Fee:  $25 for three class series

                             $10 for individual class

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Tracking Your Artifacts from Attic to Archives

Presenter: Janda Volkmer, Director of Lakewood Historical Museum

Location:   DuPont Historical Museum and Society

                    207 Barksdale Ave./DuPont  Exit 18 from I-5 /964-2399

Time:    10:00

Ms. Volkmer has worked with the establishment of The Lakewood Historical Museum which opened in October 2006 .  Since that museum is under renovation the class will be held at the DuPont Historical Museum.

DuPont is call the cradle of Euro-American civilization in Washington. The museum was created to preserve DuPont’s rich cultural heritage. The museum opened in June 1977 and the museum has been improved over the years by hard working volunteers.

In 2005 the city hired its first museum manager, Johanna Jones. Check out their website: www.dupontmuseum.com



Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Steilacoom Historical Museum: A Visit To a Small Museum

Location:     Steilacoom Historical Museum           

Presenters: Joan Curtis, Lenore Rogers, Judy Hopkins and other docents

Time:           10:00

The Steilacoom Museum reveals an extensive history of the town and the surrounding area. The community itself  has many preserved homes and businesses dating back to the mid 1800's. The Steilacoom Historic District has 68 contributing properties.

This class meets at the town's museum to get an idea of how small museums are  organized and curated. After an introduction to the museum docents will take participants on tours of the museum, the Nathanial Orr Home and the Blacksmith's Shop.

In 2004 the Town of Steilacoom celebrated its 150th anniversary of the first  incorporated town in Washington Territory.

 


Thursday, March 19, 2009

What It Takes to Put Together and Maintain a Large Museum

Presenter:  Stephanie Lile, WA State History Museum, Head of Education

Location:   WA State History Museum/Tacoma

Time:         2:00 p.m.  Please note the afternoon time!

 The Washington State History Museum opened to the public in 1996 as part of the revitalization program for downtown Tacoma. The museum encompasses 106,000 square feet. The museum's rolling arches and concave amphitheater mirror the forms of the railroad terminal located to the north, while its brick facing match the warehouse buildings nearby.

Ms. Lile will share with the class how the exhibits in the museum were selected and how artifacts are selected for display. After this class participants will be able to understand the differences between the formation and curating of small versus large  museums.