OKME Mid-Winter Meeting

February 19, 2010

Oklahoma Museum of History
2401 N. Laird Ave
Oklahoma City, OK 73105

Creative Connections in the Cultural Community: Museums and Perceived Public Value

Guest Speaker, Ruth Ann Rugg

Museum educators play an important role in community engagement. By seeking creative connections with others in the cultural community, museum educators build on positive perceptions of the museum’s public value. Collaboration is smart business—especially in an economic downturn. Beyond the immediate results, creative partnerships can also strengthen a museum’s position for future development. Hear how effective museum educators identify their assets, share resources, and contribute to a museum’s growth.

AGENDA

11:00 – 11:30 OKME Business/Welcome

11:30 – 12:30 Lunch

12:30 – 3:00 Presentation & Audience Participation

Registration is available online at https://payments.auctionpay.com/ver3/?id=W035893.

Registration fee is $25.00

You must be a member of OKME to register. Become a member today!

More about our guest speaker:

Ruth Ann McBeth Rugg began her career in the museum field in 1980 at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth Texas, as a Communications Assistant, thereby putting her double major in Journalism and English immediately to work. (Ruth Ann graduated from Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, earning a Bachelor of Arts cum laude, December 1979.) In two short years, she was promoted to a senior staff position, serving as the Assistant to the Director for Public Relations. In this capacity, Ruth Ann was responsible for a multi-faceted public relations program designed to maintain the Kimbell’s national and international image. She functioned as an institutional press agent, managed the media, positioned key spokespersons, and drafted public statements. She also researched, wrote, and distributed press information. Ruth Ann also instituted and managed the Kimbell Art Museum’s first membership program.

In 1991, Ruth Ann moved to the Amon Carter Museum, serving as the Public Relations Manager for eight years before taking the job of Program Communications Manager. In April of 2004, Ruth Ann was employed as the Acting Executive Director of The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, in Dallas. Serving as the chief administrator of the museum during a transition period, Ruth Ann simultaneously performed duties of Director of Interpretation and Executive Director, which entailed managing a staff of 50 in a $3.9 million operation that was fiscally self-supporting and hosted 375,000 visitors annually, including almost 60,000 school children. Prior to, and following the temporary position of Acting Executive Director for The Sixth Floor Museum, Ruth Ann served in the capacity of Director of Interpretation, with responsibility for creating and implementing the interpretive programs of The Sixth Floor Museum. Ruth Ann reported to the Executive Director and supervised six full-time staff members. She also managed activities relating to collections, exhibitions, publications, and education while representing the Museum in the national and regional professional museum community.

Well, if that isn’t enough museum work for anyone, I don’t know what is! Yet, at this time Ruth Ann stepped into the world of museum exhibit design and fabrication, working as an interpretive consultant for Museumscapes in Richardson. Ruth Ann was responsible for concept research and development, project planning, narrative arts, and interpretation for museum clients. From 2006 to 2008, she worked independently as a consultant for regional museums to facilitate strategic planning, professional development for board of directors, education, interpretation, and other projects. Somewhere in between all of this, Ruth Ann also served as part-time Director for the Texas Regional Office of Partners for Sacred Places.

Currently, Ruth Ann is the Executive Director of the Texas Association of Museums. As the chief administrator of the non-profit museum membership association with 700 members her responsibilities include executive management of the organization’s operations, educational program development, and implementation of training opportunities for museum professionals.

OKME

The Oklahoma Museum Educators (OKME) is a standing professional committee of the Oklahoma Museums Association. OKME represents the concerns and needs of museum educators within OMA by participating in policy and decision-making discussions at the statewide level and by selecting and planning programs for annual state and regional meetings. OKME promotes communication among museum educators statewide through an annual luncheon and mailings. OKME encourages high professional standards for museum educators, advocates the support of museums and their educational purpose, and promotes excellence in museum learning. OKME members share a mutual concern for museum learning, research, evaluation of programs, and/or exhibition development. OKME also has an online community.

OMA members can join OKME by paying $10 OKME membership dues. OKME dues may be mailed to OMA or you can pay online by clicking here. For more information on OKME, contact: Jana Brown, Museum of the Great Plains, 601 NW Ferris Avenue, Lawton, OK 73507, 580.581.3460, or Susan Green, Philbrook Museum of Art, 2727 S Rockford Road, Tulsa, OK 74114, 918.748.5375.

Photgraphs from MGP Visitors

A kind visitor shared photos from her recent visit to the Museum. She took some great pictures of the pond lilies, train, sculptures and trade post.
I didn't get her name, but here she is with Living History Interpreter Tim Poteete.
I just want to say THANKS!

Pictures from 2007 Fall Encampment

I love going through the photos from our 2007 Fall Encampment. One reason being that that was the year I met Tonda Harrup and Patsy Harper, two living history interpreters from south Texas who just appeared that year with the "usual" south Texas bunch. They set up a beautifully furnished tipi on the grounds of the Museum, just outside the Fort. Tonda and Patsy talked about women's role in the fur trade to hundreds of Museum visitors for two full days, and then dissappeared into the sunset, just as quietly as they had appeared. I'm hoping they will come again soon!
Their personal stories of how they became interested in history can be found here.
Oh, and as far as the "usual" south Texas bunch goes...I was just kidding. We don't really have any "usuals" around here...at least not when the Fall Encampment begins! As long as these members of the American Mountain Men Association choose to be here with us, you'll not find a better presentation on the southern Plains fur trade.

Fall Encampment 2009

Planning Underway for the Museum of the Great Plains

Annual 1830s Fall Encampment

September 29 – October 3

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day

Free to Museum Members

Tim Poteete, living history interpreter for the Museum of the Great Plains, has begun planning for the Museum’s annual 1830s Fall Encampment, which is always scheduled around the first Saturday in October. As is usual, Tim begins by sending out a letter to all AMM (American Mountain Men) members who have helped in the past. The letter is written in an old style that was customary at that time among merchants, trappers and traders, though it appears to us today to be full or grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. Tim has researched many primary sources over the years to include letters and journals in order to emulate the style. Not only are the letters historically accurate and period appropriate, they’re also interesting and fun. We hope you’ll find the letter of interest too. It is attached below. (Please don’t overlook the silent auction discussion. We hope to see you there.)

Friday, July 17, 2009

Coffee's Station, on Red River

Near the Mouth of Cache Creek

In the Comanche country

To all to whom these presents shall come,

Ladies & Gentlemen, Ne'r-do-wells, & other interested parties:

I take pen in hand to Extend Greetings to one & all, hoping that good health attends you & that a Kind & Munificent Providence will shine light upon your path, & thus ease an other wise difficult passage.

To my dismay, I am only just now relaying this missive. As we have had an inordinate amount of rain at this place, no communications have been able to go or arrive, due to creeks & rivers running bank-to-bank. That, & the "electronic mail" machines at this place are as independent as a hog on ice. They do as they please, when they please. It is well said, "Technology is great. When it works."

On a related note, if all who actually receive this missive will be kind enough to pass it along to any you feel will be interested, Cols. Coffee & Colville will greatly appreciate it. I have sent it to as many as I still have addresses for. Unfortunately, there are many stalwarts of the brigade whose information I lost recently while crossing the Little Washita when we had to cut a mule loose from its pack to keep it from drowning. (We did loose another mule & a horse during that same crossing.

As many of you will recall, last fall when the Red River Brigade congregated at Coffee's Station, an impromptu silent auction was held, & the money thrown into the log-replacement pot. (To date, we have purchased $4,800 worth of logs - enough to replace the southeast & northwest walls.)

Mr. Cuz Trumble, Shiner, Republic of Tejas, has suggested we hold another silent auction at this year's gathering, using talents of RR Brigade members. Each Brigade member will make one fur trade related item and put it on the block. The auction will occur during the day Saturday (October 3), and will be open to the public. As last fall, money raised will go into the "log pot." The general public will be able to see - and buy - AMM handiwork. Hopefully, by opening it to the public, we will generate more. More money for logs, more interest in the AMM, more interest in Coffee's Station, & more interest in MGP.

On a related note, there are tentative plans for entertainment at this year's gathering, to be provided by a group of itinerant musicians billing themselves as "The Falderal String Band." Their performance is not scheduled until 6 or 7-o'-clock on the 3^rd instant. As this is meant as a gesture of appreciation, we hope none take exception to the time of the performance.

Contact from Ft. Smith last spring contained price information from STL. Prime beaver were listed at $1.85/lb; otter $1.78 each; fox $1.73 each; 'cat & 'coon $1.67 ½ each, with prices expected steady or to decrease slightly as more bales were brought in. Ah, for the days of $9.00 / lb beaver! We may never see them again, I am sad to say.

As we are preparing to quit this place & return to Ft.S with this year's furs, I must now close & go help with the doctoring of one of our mules inflicted with a boil-type sore upon hiz person, as it were. Methuselah is old, steady & dependable, (would that ALL of Col C's employees were as good as him! Or as brite!!) & possessed of a sore upon his neck, which we have nearly healed up with diligent care & attention. He seems to know what we are about, & so lets us handle him with out difficulty, tho he seems to delight in playing mischif upon the un-suspecting. I will try to write again when we reach FtS, & until then wish to humbley remaine yore obeedient sarvant,

Tim Poteete

Spring Encampment April 20 - 25

Tim Poteete, the Museum's Living History Interpreter, has spent the last two days in Wichita Falls meeting with teachers and delivering posters to all the public schools he can. He wanted to be sure everyone down that way knew about the upcoming Spring Encampment. The program would make an excellent end of the year excursion following end of the year testing. Several schools have already made reservations, but we still have room for more. We can accommodate around 100-125 students per hour, because we have several re-enactors who can each present to 25-30 students. We have excellent re-enactors. Every time I stop to think about them, I feel so completely indebted to them, with no chance in sight of ever being able to pay them back for the service they provide. They are so knowledgeable of the 1830s -1840s Southern Plains history. Our community is extremely lucky to have them.
We're also lucky to have support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Oklahoma Arts Council, the Lawton Arts and Humanities and the City of Lawton.

Local Historian Wallace C. Moore, Sr.

Wallace C. Moore, Sr. was a guest speaker at the last GSCOAS meeting. He was terrific, as usual. Members and guests had a great time listening to his creative presentation on "Negro Scouts of the West". I can't wait to listen to the interview we recorded with Wallace after his presentation. It should be available soon. You can find it on the Chapter's website at www.gscoas.org

The Museum's Second Annual Bike Fest May 2nd

Photo Album of MGP Friends

I'm thinking about creating an online album of friends who visit the Museum. I think it would be really neat to have a collection of photos from our visitors for a few different reasons. First, I don't get to visit with or see many visitors unless they've signed up for a program, so I'm not sure how they interact with exhibits or which areas they spend the most time in, or which exhibits they most enjoyed. We have exit surveys and we collect zip codes, but seeing a picture of visitors enjoying the Museum would just be a great way to connect on a more personal level.

What do you think?

I was thinking I could simply post a request....something like this:

Have you visited the Museum of the Great Plains? If you send me a photo of your visit, I’ll post it on our new “MGP Friends From Around the World” online album. Be sure to include your name(s), and where you’re from. You might also write a caption. Oh, and please state that you give the Museum of the Great Plains permission to post your picture in the public online album.

Sound good?

Who can make the biggest bubble?

 

Transparency and Museums

Megan Smith is an education specialist at the National Museum of American History. In her latest blog she writes about President Obama’s call for transparency among government agencies and shares her thoughts on how Dr. Maxwell Anderson, Director of the Indianapolis Museum of Art, has lead his museum toward total transparency by creating a dashboard on their website that gives real-time statistics for their institution—everything from the number of visitors in the building, to the kilowatt hours used, to the current size of the museum’s endowment.

Also, you must read these excellent articles on museums in the NYT.

Jacob Demonstrates Bubble-Making Techniques

 

Spring Break at the Museum of the Great Plains

Jacob Scroggins, a MacArthur Middle School student and member of the Museum's Youth Advisory Council, was at the Museum today ready to help out in any way he could. That's because the Museum is offering more hands-on stations for visitors this week for Spring Break.
Jacob's been helping out at the Museum for going on two years now! He's helped us plan fun events like Surprise Sundays and the Christmas Celebrations, and he's pitched in during other big events too, like during The Big Read Kickoff!
So, I just wanted to say, "Thanks Jacob!"

Webinars and Professional Development

These webinars are just the best! I don’t know if they’ve been around for very long or not. I don’t think they have. It seems like they just appeared in full force overnight! Since January, I’ve “attended” two as a paid participant, and two as a non-paid participant. The advantage of being a paid participant is that you have the opportunity to interact with the panelists and participants, and although I hesitate to jump in, I love being there for the real time conversations.

My first webinar, “Excellence and Equity-Then, Now and Next: Education and the Public Dimension of Museums”, was presented by the American Association of Museums. After just a few clicks on the computer, MGP’s registrar Jim Whiteley, the Living History Interpreter Tim Poteete and I found ourselves with colleagues from across the nation… and incredible presenters such as Elaine Heumann Gurian, who has accomplished so much in her life. She received the American Association of Museums “Distinguished Service to Museums Award” (2004); the “Outstanding Learning Disabled Achiever Award” for the Lab School of Washington (1993); “The Distinguished Service Alumni Award for the Class of 1958” from the Brandeis University; and the “Museum Educator’s Award for Excellence” (1985). This webinar was of particular interest due to the fact that it was all about the first attempts made by museum professionals (early 1990s), to define the role of education in museums, which in turn resulted in the “the first major report on the educational role of museums ever to be issued by AAM—a report that continues to stimulate and challenge multiple generations of museum professionals” (Pitman) and led to refocusing on major AAM programs and initiatives, including the evolution of accreditation, the Public Dimension Assessment of the Museum Assessment Program (MAP), and Museums and Community.

These webinars are such a great opportunity to connect and learn from top notch professionals from around the nation (and sometimes from around the world), get in touch with current trends and new directions, make some new freinds....all in an afternoon or two, without spending time or money on travel, without missing a beat at work... they are just the best!

The Museum's Gift Shop

The Museum has an amazing assortment of books for sale, from David Rickman's educational coloring books to Sarah Eppler Janda's analysis of two incredible women - LaDonna Harris and Wilma Mankiller - in, Beloved Women: The Political Lives of Ladonna Harris and Wilma Mankiller. Sarah Eppler Janda, Ph.D., Associate Professor of History and Government at Cameron University has often assisted and/or provided the Museum with fresh insight and research on exhibited items from the collection.

OKME Mid-Winter Seminar

The Oklahoma Museum Educators (OKME) Standing Professional Committee met this past February 6th at the Philbrook Museum in Tulsa for our annual Mid-Winter Seminar. Our guests this year were Kris Wetterlund and Scott Sayre, two extremely talented and dedicated individuals who spoke to us about the many ways in which technology is being used in the area of museum education. During the seminar we were introduced to different types of software that would allow a user to access digital files or photos of their collection and place them into various interactive learning experiences. Pachyderm was one such program. Examples of how this works can be found at ArtsConnectEd, or here at Sandbox Studios. OKME members also enjoyed learning about the Philbrook's collection and educational programming by taking part in a tour hosted by Susan Green. You can find out more about OKME at the Oklahoma Museums Association website. I personally don't know what I would have done without the excellent professional development and networking opportunities they offer. I'm so thankful that our Museum of the Great Plains stays so connected to this highly supportive organization. And by the way, the OMA 2009 Annual Fall Conference will be here! in Lawton! MGP will be the host site!

A letter written in an old style that was usual for the 1840s merchants, trappers and traders.

26 FEBy, 2009
Coffee's Station
on Red river, at the mouth of cache creek
in the comanche country

Ladies & gentlemen, ne'er-do-wells, & other interested parties,

I take pen in hand, hoping a kind & munificient Creator bestoes health & joy & good fortune upon each & all.

I recently passed thru NE Texas, returning from Ft. Smith, on a trip refered to in a previous missive. I encountered several Caddos & some Wichitas along my way, & even travelled in their company when we both advanced the same direction. They were pleasantly dissposed individuals, & were fine travelling companions. But the most enjoyable portion of the entire foray occured, when, on the return segment of the trip, I happened, for a brief time, to throw in with a Red River fur brigade, out-bound for the Double Mtn & Clear Forks of the Brazos. Though the majority were scoundrels, they made fine companions, nontheless, & I count myself fortunate to have traveled in their company, even if for such a short interlude. Among their number was a Cajun fellow, who was the cheif cook for the entire party, & was very adept at culinary concoctions. I was invarialby invited to their mess with an open-handed generosity, and consider the fare set before me as "Fust Rate Doin's!"

Also in the "previous missive", alluded to above, I mentioned Col Coffee had procured some building materials, & that I wood advise upon their arrival at this place. They are here. The freighter conveying said materials crept upon us with all the stealth of a bobcat prowling for supper. We had no idea said materials were even in the area; yet this AM, here they were. The freighter, who was driving several fine yoke of mechanical oxen, was a Choctaw. He conversed quite capapbly in both his natural tounge and English, and was dressed as is common among Americans occupied in the same enterprise. He also was well versed in both Chickasaw and Comanche, a result, he explained, of frequent business interactions with those people & hisself. He had quite a sense of humor about him, & it Seems he first became acquainted with Mssrs. Colville & Coffee in Ft.Smith several years ago, due to sundry business arraingments between the 3 men. As I am unaware, exactly, of the nature of this business, other than it was mutually profitable for all parties involved, I will with hold comment or speculation upon it. As for this most recent transaction, said acquaintence was, as those prior, to mutual advantage of all concerned, as is, I suppose, evident in the fact that the logs are here.

From here, the Choctaw fellow related, he was bound for the Washita, to fullfil yet another business obligation, engaged in with others thayn the proprieters of this place, & for which, he indicated, the remuneration would be handsome. No small wonder, considering the types of goods, distance, rough country & risk involved.

Many have been anxiously awaiting the arrivel of these logs and this news. I request that, at your convience, you would inform me as to when the handling of these logs would be most suitable & best coincied with your social agenda. I will anticipate your reply with the return post. As the few Wichita women who were here to trade this morning have concluded their business, I shall venture out into the sunshine, which is bathing the trade room porch with a brite warmth, unseasonal for FebY. There I will enjoy myself a pipeful, wishing that you are ever mindful that I am

Sincerely yores

Tim Poteete

Planning the Spring Encampment 2009

Lawton Public School's Executive Director of Public Relations and Communication, Keith Mitchell, helped me to distribute yet another survey to teachers last week. This one to inquire which week in April we should have the annual Spring Encampment program. So far April 20-25 has the most votes. This living history program is really neat, if I do say so myself! There's absolutely nothing like it for miles and miles around. One reason being that the program takes place in a replicated southern Plains trading post! I mean, this trading post was built according to a actual description written in the diary of a 1840s traveler! It's as close to the real thing as you can get! And, the trade store is full of the actual sorts of 1840s trade items you would find in such a place. Strings of red, yellow, white and turquoise glass beads hang from hooks nailed into the ceiling beams, (I think they're ceiling beams...). Also hanging along the beams are light weight tin lanterns and heavy metal traps. On the shelves behind the counter are little round mirrors, triangular packets of red rouge, hair combs made of bone, playing cards and dice. On the other end you'll find sacks of coffee, sugar, and flour; red and black wool blankets, and calico printed fabric. That's not all, but I won't go on. You really should see it for yourself! The only thing else I must say is concerning the interpreters, who will always be the most amazing part of the whole event. Not only because of their expertise on the history of 1830s-1840s fur trade in the southern Plains, and their ability to relate this history to guests of all ages, but because of their unbelievable generosity. I'll tell you right here and now, we have never and will never have the money to repay them for their time and worth. We are truly indebted to them.

More History on the Museum

This research on the Museum's history has really been interesting. According to "Our Historical Society Heritage or How We Started" by Arthur R. Lawrence, written for the Chronicles of Comanche County, the Museum can trace its beginnings back to the Comanche County Historical Society, which you could say traces its beginnings back to 1930 when the first efforts to establish such a society was made! These dates and activities were confirmed by articles printed in the Lawton Constitution. Such as one dated April 11, 1930 which reads, "first steps in the formation of a Comanche County Historical Society were made at 4 o'clock Thursday afternoon when a temporary organization was created at a meeting held in the Chamber of Commerce headquarters." The article goes on to list the temporary officers as John Shields, chairman and Harry Stroud, secretary. The article also notes that a committee comprised of John Hopps, Dan Becker and Harry Stroud was selected to draw up a constitution and by-laws; the membership committee included Arthur Lawrence, C. E. Price of Cache, and Fred Call. While off to a great start - fine banquets, outings to the Wichita Mountains, interviews of old prospectors and miners of the mountains-the society did not last much longer than a couple of years. Perhaps the depression years had something to do with it. More than twenty years would pass before "a foutunate occurance" led to the re-establishment of the Commanche County Historical Society.

MGPs History

I'm currently working on a General Operating Statement for the Museum which has given me reason to investigate more thoroughly, the Museum's origins. I thought I'd share this interesting excerpt from a Great Plains Journal. (This was written shortly after MGP opened in 1961.)


"RESEARCH CENTER: MUSEUM OF THE GREAT PLAINS
Great Plains Journal - published in Lawton, Oklahoma by the Great Plains Historical Association
1/1
A.M. Gibson, Head, Manuscripts Division, University of Oklahoma.

The Great Plains as a socio-economic region is coming of age. Evidence of this emerging maturity is becoming increasingly apparent - a notable example being the very concept of the Museum of the Great Plains and its stated objectives. Finally a synthesis of regional culture will be provided where before there has been a curious and misleading dissection. At long last through the Museum of the Great Plains there will be a vehicle to explain this land, its history and people."

Picture of the Museum's soon to be, new palisade!

Finally! After a few days of working through some computer problems, here is the picture I promised!

The Logs Are Here!

The logs are here!
They were delivered today! Well, not all 500, but 150 of them ! They were delivered today from Comanche Lumber! (I'll post a picture tomorrow.)

These are the logs that were purchased by the students (teachers, counselors, principals and parents too) of Pat Henry, Lincoln Elementary, John Adams, Brockland, Country Club Heights, Sheridan Road, Almor West, Eisenhower Elementary, Jackson, Elgin Elementary and High School, Horace Mann and Plato in Duncan, Indiahoma, Elmor City-Pernell, Ardmore High School, and HERO Homeschool, Faithwalkers Homeschool, CHESCO Homeschool, (and others) to be used to rebuild the Trading Post stockade.

I'll have more on this tomorrow!
Thanks to everyone who has helped us with this project! Thank you, thank you!