Charettes, Workshops, Conferences

Charettes are workshops that help humanities organizations upgrade their thinking and practices to dramatically improve visitor satisfaction and increase public participation. If "business as usual" is not very successful, a charette is for you. If you need a more interesting way of operating, a charette is for you. Even if you're good, a charette can help you reach for greatness. A charette opened the door for a giant step forward for one of the best county historical societies in Missouri.

The Charette model is borrowed from the field of architecture. In that field, it is a brainstorming exercise by architects who come together for a brief period of time to think about a community problem. In our field, a charette is a gathering of a few consultants to spend one or more sessions with the leadership core of a local institution...a historic house, a Main Street Association, a museum. The objective is to involve people in "thinking outside the box" so that they can tap new creative energy and adopt practices that spell success.

MHC Director Michael Bouman tailors each charette to the needs of the institution. He will assemble a small consultant group after an initial consultation. Organizations may apply for this service year-round. There is no application deadline and there is no charge. Download and e-mail an application in our "Grants & Docs" area.

Conferences

Techniques of Attracting Repeat Visits by Adults, Families, and Schools

October 3-4, 2008, Independence Missouri. Conference Details.

Previous Charettes

County Historical Societies and Museums

Bates County Museum, Butler
Consultations on the management and development of multiple historical buildings and collections.
Butler County Museum, Poplar Bluff
Conceptualize community-involvement projects and a "Web 2.0" implementation of digital content, using a Content Management System such as Joomla! Never heard of this? Ask for a charette!
Cass County Historical Society, Harrisonville
Evaluate several competing directions for the organization, discussion of managing the acquisition of historic structures, of developing living history programs and of mission.
Clay County Museum, Liberty
Hands-on workshop focused on visitor-centered thinking and seeing the volunteers as the most important asset in the museum.
Livingston County Museum, Chillicothe
Visitor-centered thinking for a museum that hosts bus tours.
Morgan County Museum, Versailles
Consulting on creating more interactive guided tours .
Newton County Historical Society, Neosho
Studied ways to increase membership and develop cooperation with organizations outside of the county seat of Neosho.
Nodaway County Historical Society, Maryville
Make better use of the creativity and teaching experience of the retired teachers on the board of directors. Develop ideas for a year of community history projects.
Osage County Historical Society, Linn
Assess multiple OCHS presentation sites and assets, consider OCHS mission with respect to orienting visitors and travelers, and recommend ways to improve interpretation and cooperation among county institutions in several distinctive towns including Linn (the headquarters), Chamois, Bonnets Mill, and Westphalia.
Randolph County Historical Society, Moberly
Assess multiple properties in Moberly and comment on the potential for improved historical interpretation.
History Museum for Springfield-Greene County
Help the small museum staff think of ways to expand community involvement and local services.

Local Museums

American Presidential Museum, Branson
Affirm what is already wonderful there and contribute ideas to enhance the gift shop and the visitor experience.
Current River Heritage Museum, Doniphan
Create more meaningful story lines and exhibitions for a community museum.
Salem Area Community Betterment Association
Assess the collections at the county museum and the potential for adaptive reuse of a specific property in town. Explore ways of developing better synergy among a number of cultural organizations in town, including a recently-created arts council.
Louisiana Area Historical Museum
Help supporters renew mission, look for focus, and address concerns about archival stewardship.
Friends of Rocheport
Address space needs in the museum and a desire to create more family programming.
Missouri Farm Bureau Foundation, Jefferson City
Brainstorm ways of creating grass-roots involvement in the development of a new agricultural heritage museum in the state capital.
Missouri Verterinary Museum, Jefferson City
Look for ways to connect the membership with the association's museum, and ways for the museum to create outreach activities.

Historic Houses and Properties

Laura Ingalls Wilder Home, Mansfield
Develop ideas to take a world heritage attraction into 21st century practices of visitor-centered thinking.
Mark Twain Home Foundation
Address the geographic problem of upgrading the "old-fashioned" look of several historic properties when the Foundation created a state-of-the-art museum a few blocks away..
Champ Clark House - Honey Shuck Restoration, Bowling Green
Improve focus of interpretive and activities planning.
Hiram Young Health and Heritage Center, Independence
Brainstorming and visioning sessions with community stakeholders to develop scope and vision for heritage activities in a redeveloped local school which had served the African American population.
Wheatley School Historic Preservation Association, Poplar Bluff
Brainstorming and consulting on museum development and mission in the former African American school..
John William Boone Heritage Foundation, Columbia
Complete an interpretive plan that expresses the cultural tourism potential of Blind Boone and American Popular Culture, 1880-1927; also interpretive planning for expressing African American history in Columbia.

Tourism/Downtown Attraction

Downtown Branson Main Street Association
Develop ideas for modernized, "i-pod friendly" content as part of a community history project and enhanced visitor attractions.
Downtown Lee's Summit Main Street Association
Consider what a downtown museum could become with more space.
The Friends of Arrow Rock
Restudy their guided history tour, develop and implement a new plan.
Springfield Urban Development Association
Organizing cultural tourism experiences focused on Route 66 heritage 1926-1966.
Friends of Historic Boonville
Find a new vision of how the Friends can involve the population in the interpretation of Boone, the man, and stories of humanity that are Boonville past and present
Sedalia Area Chamber of Commerce
Identify attractive, appealing uses fo the historic Katy Depot enhancing visitor appreciation of the unique heritage of a "railroad town."
Sedalia Area Chamber of Commerce (Katy Depot Museum)
With Sedalia Heritage Foundation, umbrella sponsor for all heritage organizations in Sedalia, to work on a community-wide interpretive plan.
Waverly Arts Council
Develop ideas for activities that will engage broad community interest in history and heritage for Cultural Tourism outcomes.
Pulaski County Visitors Center, Waynesville
Visioning process for the interpretive style in a museum to be developed in the Visitors Center.

Workshops

Museum Conference on NAGPRA Law, UM-Columbia, Point Lookout, Branson
Workshop for museum volunteers and professionals on the Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). Case studies of Andrew County Museum, St. Joseph Museum, UM Museum, Native American perspectives.
Tri County Historical Society, King City
Hands-on training for museum volunteers in methods of conservation, interpretation, and education