Volume 1, No. 2: February 5, 2004

Monthly E-News from Michael Bouman, Executive Director
Missouri Humanities Council

Contents:

Building a Future at Missouri's Historic House Museums

I'm looking forward to moderating two "charettes" this spring for house museums at opposite ends of the spectrum. Every year various institutions apply for this service, which we broker in partnership with the Missouri Arts Council. We look for institutions that are ready to take a step from which others can learn. I visit the site, talk to the people, and then put together a team of consultants who gather at the site. Three or four sites are selected each year for a day or two of focused discussions.

This year the spotlight is on the Laura Ingalls Wilder/Rose Wilder Home and Museum (Mansfield) and on Honey Shuck, the home of Missouri's almost-President, Champ Clark, in Bowling Green. The Wilder Home rekindles the bonds of affection for many thousands of people who grew up loving her "Little House" stories. Over 60,000 people visit the property each year. The potential clientele is global. The Wilder stories have become part of what defines "America" in the eyes of the world.

On the other hand, few know about the great Missouri statesman, Champ Clark, who contributed to American democracy by leading a quiet revolution within the U.S. House of Representatives in 1910. Clark thought the Speaker's powers amounted to a virtual dictatorship. With support from both parties he put together the votes necessary to re-write the House Rules to reduce that power. He was then elected Speaker, knowing he'd have to live by his new rules, and then became the front-runner for his party's nomination for President in 1912, losing the fight after many ballots to Woodrow Wilson.

The Champ Clark house has been lovingly restored and now it must develop programs, services, and an audience. Its mission is concerned with the national accomplishments of Missouri statesmen. Its physical structure ties it to the life and times of people a century ago. There is no global audience for this institution, and its location suggests that there is lower potential for visitors than at the Wilder home, which is just a few minutes away from the four-lane highway that leads to Branson. The Wilder Home is considering a major step in its development: restoration of the property to the look of a working farmstead in the 1920s. A large and varied team of experts will consider this and other potential opportunities for developing the institution.

Although neither charette is a public program, these activities represent your humanities council's commitment to developing the capacity of local institutions though which the people of Missouri explore America's historical and literary heritage.

"Key Ingredients" and "America, The Bountiful" Deadlines Approach

Our partnership with the Smithsonian Institution continues next year with a tour of an exhibit that looks at 500 years of American food traditions. For a look at details of the exhibit, I recommend the special web site devoted to it at http://www.keyingredients.org/

We've set aside funding to support six Missouri communities who want to host "Key Ingredients," and the deadline for application is fast approaching: March 1 is the date. You can download an application form in WORD format at this web page:
http://www.mohumanities.org/forms/KEYINAPP.doc

Meet Me In St. Louis, Louie!

The St. Louis Public Library has just unveiled a fantastic web site that allows visitors to enjoy its massive collection of images from the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition, otherwise known as the "World's Fair." Although MHC had nothing to do with putting this project together, we can't help but share such a good resource.
http://slpl.org

Shining the Light on People of Accomplishment

We call on our readers again to nominate people for the 2004 Governor's Awards in the Humanities. Each year in October Missouri's Governor recognizes exemplary teachers, writers, and others who have made outstanding contributions to a community's understanding of its heritage. The deadline for nominations is June 3.

We had a wonderful group of nominees last year. Won't you help us recognize the best of Missouri's teachers, the best authors, and the best of the people who toil year after year to make their museum, their library, or their historical society the pride and joy of the region? Information and forms for making a nomination are at this web page:
http://www.mohumanities.org/award.htm

Encountering "Lewis and Clark: The National Bicentennial Exhibit"

After years of anticipation, it was one of the peak experiences of my career to be present at the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis for the grand opening of the national bicentennial exhibit. I was moved to write an essay on the experience, which you can read at your leisure at:
http://www.mohumanities.org/E-News/Feb04/Exhibit.htm

--Michael Bouman

 

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Published monthly by the Missouri Humanities Council, a tax-exempt, non-profit organization affiliated with the National Endowment for the Humanities, a Federal agency.
http://www.mohumanities.org
Phone: (800) 357-0909
Fax: (314) 781-9681
543 Hanley Industrial Court
Suite 201
St. Louis, MO 63144