Monthly E-News from Michael Bouman, Executive Director
Missouri Humanities Council
Contents:
- Civil War Era Program Initiative for Museums
- Route 66 or What? We Want Your Ideas for Chautauqua 2008
- Smithsonian Exhibit on Charting America's Coasts
- Speakers Bureau at the State Historical Society
- Julie Douglas on "Developing a Taste for Great Books"
- Congress Looks Into Expanding Trail of Tears in Missouri
- Shirley Brozzo on Food Images in Louis Erdrich's Antelope Wife
I want to let you all know that with the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War just around the corner, the Missouri Humanities Council is taking steps now to create a program initiative on this theme that will help catapult some Missouri museums, historic houses, and historical societies into the vanguard of visitor-centered, experiential learning. Several forms of assistance will be announced in the next few months to help organizations learn about visitor-centered interpretation and experiential learning styles. I have made reference to this style of interpretation in previous E-Passages, with special attention to the outstanding instructional DVD that is available from Conner Prairie. Their "Opening Doors to Great Guest Experiences" is an outstanding introduction and self-training tool.
We are speaking of a "Civil War Era" in recognition of a major interpretive push in Western Missouri and Eastern Kansas to interpret "Freedom's Frontier: The Bleeding Kansas Heritage Area." It is important to help the organizations who are working on that tumultuous era before war broke out between the Union and the Confederacy. (The illustration of John Brown above is Tragic Prelude by John Steuart Curry.)
To reiterate: the "product" of this initiative will be much more effective local organizations. We will introduce guidelines later this year pointing to the kinds of benchmarks that would qualify an organization for intensive help to upgrade interpretive practices and widen the circle of inclusion.
Route 66 or What? Chautauqua Planning for 2008
We are looking at the feasibility of bringing back our touring Chautauqua program in June of 2008, but to do that we need to make a decision about the theme and the historical figures by the end of February 2007! Planning Chautauqua is like turning an aircraft carrier....no, it's like building an aircraft carrier, finding the crew, taking it out, far out, to sea, and giving it lots of space to turn around.
The two themes in contention are "Route 66" and "That's Entertainment." We need ideas from people who are interested in "festival planning." What is the theme, Route 66 about, anyway. Which recognizable historical figures make sense for this program theme? We could, theoretically, make a list of interesting personalities who grew up or came to prominence along the route from Chicago to L.A. Jim Thorpe comes to mind. He was born near Oklahoma City and died in L.A. in 1950. Walt Disney comes to mind. Born in Chicago, lived briefly in Marceline, Missouri; them Kansas City; then Chicago again; and made his fortune in L.A. Who else; and what is this theme about?
That's Entertainment is a bigger theme. It could be about all sorts of things, from Houdini to Scott Joplin. Walt Disney could easily get into that theme. I would welcome your thoughts on this rather than impose my own.
We are building the new Chautauqua program from ideas of "stakeholders" in the program. Ideas need to pile up quickly so that we can see which theme seems the most promising. Please let me know what comes to mind.
Smithsonian Exhibit on Charting America's Coasts
In 1807, President Thomas Jefferson established the Coast Survey, charging it to provide a "complete and accurate chart of every part of the coasts" of the United States. As part of the Survey's 200th anniversary, SITES and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are pleased to offer a special poster exhibit: From Sea to Shining Sea: 200 Years of Charting America's Coasts.
This 20-poster set explores the Survey's history, accomplishments, and
scientific contributions. Richly illustrated with photos, charts, and
artwork held in the Survey's archives, these colorful posters will provide a
foundation for programs and exhibits about your organization's resources and
associations with boating, shipping, and maritime history.
If your organization is interested in receiving a set of these posters, free of charge, please visit the website of the Smithsonian Institution Touring Exhibition Service at www.sites.si.edu/host/fromseatoshiningsea.htm, or send an e-mail to fromseatoshiningsea@si.edu. The deadline for applications is January 31, 2007.
Speakers Bureau at the State Historical Society
The Missouri History Speakers' Bureau provides speakers on a variety of topics and time periods in Missouri history.
Adult not-for-profit organizations, including service and religious groups, can request a maximum of two speakers per calendar year from the Missouri History Speakers' Bureau. There is no charge to the host institutions, but the availability of presentations is limited.
Speakers must be scheduled at least thirty calendar days in advance. Due to limited funds for the reimbursement of speakers’ travel expenses, preference will be given to organizations located within one hundred miles of the requested speaker’s residence.
Details at http://www.umsystem.edu/shs/speakersbureau/speakersbureau.shtml
Developing a Taste for Great Books
My colleague Julie Douglas is a regular contributor here, and since she has provided so many wonderful columns on family reading, we have created a page where you can easily retrieve all of them at http://mohumanities.org/about/pubarchive/douglas_writings.htm
This month she surveys the awards that help guide parents in selecting the best children's books of the past year.
http://mohumanities.org/E-News/Jan07/awards.htm
Expanding the Trail of Tears in Missouri
Ray Burson of Doniphan, Missouri has contributed a story that first appeared under his byline in the Prospect-News on January 3.
http://mohumanities.org/E-News/Jan07/trail.htm
Food Images in Louise Erdrich's Antelope Wife
Sandra Massey, one of last year's contributors to E-Passages, recently called my attention to a food-related article in SAIL (Studies in American Indian Literatures) in 2005. For several years, we printed articles on "food and culture" in connection with a Smithsonian touring exhibition. Since I have read and loved almost all of Louise Erdrich's fiction, I checked the article and contacted the author, Shirley Brozzo, for permission to reprint her study.
Shirley replied, "I chose Erdrich because she is a wonderful role model and an excellent author who is intriguing, authentic, creative, and dynamic. Also, we both share Ojibwe and German bloodlines. I wrote this particular piece after I noticed how many references there were to food within this work. Of course, the food feeds one hunger, but her novel creates so many more instances of hunger."
We reprint her article with permission at http://mohumanities.org/E-News/Jan07/brozzo.htm