Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 10:08:49 -0600 Message-ID: <eeea499a1002010808q4d4f69f0r9d0ca164cdb24cb2@mail.gmail.com> Subject: Re: Mukwonago Museum anniversary ideas? Tips? From: Russell Hanson <riverroadrambler@gmail.com>
I was part of the 150th anniversary of Sterling Township in 2005. Our local
history society, the Sterling Eureka and Laketown HS (along the St. Croix
River in Polk Co). did several things that were not too hard to accomplish.
Mostly this was figuring out how to "join" the other events going on in the
community during the year and adding a local history flavor to each. We
also had a story each issue of the weekly newspaper giving history and
telling what was happening next. We had only a one-room museum, so were not
aiming our efforts at getting people to come there.
We had a traveling outdoor/indoor booth that we took to events (the County
Fair, local picnics, family reunions, Memorial Day (we did cemetery walks),
etc. We published a book at the end of the year on the newspaper columns
and additional stories and photos. We did events including a town baseball
reunion, a rural school reunion, and old settlers picnic. At the local "Fun
Day" celebration we added an auto/tractor show. We just added a piece to
things that were already happening most of the time. That way the planning
and work is minimal compared to doing celebrations/events totally on your
own
By finding out what is already happening in your community and offering to
do a "program" for them-- a short talk with lots of projected photos giving
the basic history with as much interest as possible, you drum up museum
traffic. We got a lot of free publicity with posters and newspaper stories.
We also found some "collectors" of local memorabilia to create programs
around while getting them to show their collections.
We asked the Township board for money to celebrate the event-- we said "only
$10" long pause "for each year the township has been in existence,
$1500." We also made $1500 on the book sales profits. We had monthly
speakers/programs to bring people in too. Most of our events broke even
because we added a donation jar by the coffee and cookies. Everything was
"free."
A more recent program at the Luck Area Historical Society had a
flint napper demonstrate the process as well as talk about age and value of
stone tools. One event in the area let people bring in their locally found
stone tools/arrowheads and identify and value them. One of our members sold
a spear head for $700 to a collector after finding out the value!
Although we do have many native Americans in our neighborhood and a local
reservation, we haven't had much luck getting speakers or active involvement
in our musuem at Luck, even though we do have a Native American area. One
of the local tribe members has offered to do a traditional Ojibway beading
class--something that should be pretty interesting. We did manage to rent a
nice circulating display for a few months on the NW WI Native Americans.
Russ Hanson
Sterling Eureka and Laketown HS
Cushing, WI
On Sat, Jan 30, 2010 at 12:04 PM, Andy Frank <andyfrank@wi.rr.com> wrote:
> This year the Mukwonago Historical Society's Red Brick House Museum is
> looking for ways to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the grand opening of
> our museum. The museum was created through the generosity of Arthur D.
> Grutzmacher, a Mukwonago resident, whose estate provided the funds to
> purchase the oldest brick residence in Waukesha County. This building is
> now known as the "Red Brick House Museum", and a large room there is
> dedicated to housing Grutzmacher's substantial collection of Native
> American
> stone artifacts. Additional Native American artifacts from other donors
> have also been added to the room through the years, with a particular focus
> on Potawatomi and plains Indian tribes. I joyfully have been the primary
> volunteer caretaker of the museum's Native American collections for the
> past
> year and a half.
>
> I am just beginning the process of planning some Native American themed
> events which would kick off with our museum's summer season, which begins
> June 1. I hope to have some other volunteers at the museum working with me
> to plan and execute this. Thankfully, I do have considerable experience
> from my past professional life in writing press releases, creating media
> events, forming media relations, organizing educational programs, etc. so
> that part of the plan isn't intimidating to me. I also have some contacts
> with and friendships in the Native American community.
>
> I am wondering if any of you have any experience organizing an anniversary
> year celebration? Do you have any special tips about doing so? What has
> worked well or bombed with you in the past? What would you differently if
> you were going to do it again? Do you have any thoughts regarding possible
> general or specific anniversary activities or programs as my fellow
> volunteers and I begin to brainstorm possibilities?
>
> Thanks for your insights and input.
>
> Andrea Frank
> Mukwonago Historical Society
> Red Brick House Museum
>
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