From: "Seymour, Janet I - WHS" <Janet.Seymour@wisconsinhistory.org> Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:30:08 -0500 Subject: List Serve FW: Waukesha County Museum Director of Educations Wins Award Message-ID: <488E289A5C909049B0E55F6B651B5B35019EF36BE3D0@MEWMAD0PC01G02.accounts.wistate.us>
Contact: Kirsten Lee Villegas
Executive Director
Waukesha County Museum
262-521-2859 ext. 222
kvillegas@wchsm.org<mailto:cjprcounsel@wi.rr.com>
News Release
Waukesha County Museum Director of Education Awarded Prestigious Emerging M
useum Professionals Fellowship
Only 20 awards were given out of over 130 applicants from around the countr
y this year by the American Association of Museums
WAUKESHA COUNTY, WI – March 17, 2010 – Kristen Matlick, Dir
ector of Education at the Waukesha County Museum, recently received the hig
hly competitive Emerging Museum Professionals Fellowship Award to attend th
e 2010 American Association of Museums (AAM) Annual Meeting in Los Angeles,
California, May 23-26. Only 20 awards were given out of over 130 applican
ts from around the country. The award is valued at $818 and includes a comp
limentary registration to the Annual Meeting ($300), a complimentary ticket
to the EMP evening reception ($18) and a $500 cash award for costs associa
ted to the meeting (travel, lodging, etc.). Matlick will also present at t
he meeting’s Emerging Museum Professionals session: Vision and Conquest.
“I feel so privileged and honored to have been chosen. It validates me as
a young museum professional that others see I have something to contribute
to the broader museum community.” Matlick said. “The annual meeting is
an opportunity to gain understanding on a variety of topics and interact w
ith other museum professionals. I look forward to learning and bringing ba
ck new ideas to further our education and programming goals at the Waukesha
County Museum.” In addition, Matlick plans to organize a Southeast Wisco
nsin EMP group during 2010 that will bring together the many museum studies
students and museum professionals in the area for networking, continuing e
ducation, and mentoring opportunities. Matlick earned a BA in Historic Pres
ervation from Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, VA and an MA in Hi
story with an emphasis in Public History and a certificate in Museum Studie
s from University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee in Milwaukee, WI.
This year's theme, Museums Without Borders<javascript:HandleLink('cpe_43812
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esizable=1@http://www.aam-us.org/am10/upload/LA-Annual-MeetingTheme.pdf')
;>, will explore the connections between cultures from around the world and
in our own backyards. As stated on the AAM Annual Meeting website, “Muse
ums are positioned to be among society’s most active participants in this
new interconnected world. We represent history, culture and knowledge and
are trusted sources of relevant, valuable information. Museums can be the
connectors and bridge-builders, helping visitors of all ages, backgrounds,
nationalities and locations better understand one another.”
Waukesha County Museum Executive Director, Kirsten Lee Villegas, was thrill
ed to learn of the award. “This is another confirmation by the broader mu
seum community that the Waukesha County Museum is filled with talented, ded
icated professionals that are eager to see our organization succeed.” Vil
legas was required to write a letter of recommendation for Matlick as part
of the award application. Part of that letter included the following statem
ent, “Her (Kristen’s) educational background and skills have proven to
be an asset. I am sure that insights and contacts that Ms. Matlick gains at
the AAM Annual Meeting will help in moving our institution to an even high
er level of museum excellence.”
The American Association of Museums (AAM) represents the entire scope of mu
seums and helps develop standards and best practices, gather and share know
ledge, and provide advocacy on issues of concern to the entire museum commu
nity. The AAM Emerging Museum Professionals group offers support to those w
ithin the first ten years of their professional career working in the museu
m field. The Annual Meeting is the largest cultural meeting of its kind, at
tracting over 6,000 attendees from across the United States and 50 other co
untries. For more information about the AAM please visit www.aam-us.org<htt
p://www.aam-us.org/>
About the Waukesha County Museum:
The 1893 castle-like structure at East Avenue and Main Street in Waukesha,
Wisconsin is home to the Waukesha County Museum. Originally constructed as
the county’s second courthouse, the building is owned and operated by the
Waukesha County Historical Society & Museum, Inc., a not-for-profit organi
zation.
Three floors of exhibits cover such topics as the Civil War, early settleme
nt in the county, architecture, toys from many generations, and technology.
The Museum offers educational programs throughout the year including sprin
g and summer camps, Scout programs, and guided tours. The Research Center c
ontains over 28,000 printed documents and over 250,000 photographs for rese
archers to reference.
The Museum’s 75,000 square foot building is a complex of three structures
. The oldest portion is the shell of Waukesha County’s second jail built
in 1885, which had been converted to office space in the 1980s. With its st
unning turrets, the 1893 Richardson Romanesque courthouse captures the atte
ntion of all. Connecting the two older buildings is a 1938 WPA structure, s
tark by contrast in its Art Moderne/Art Deco style architecture. The buildi
ng presents an opportunity to discover and contrast architectural details r
eflecting the culture of the times.
The Waukesha County Museum has been in the same building since its opening
in 1914. The building was placed on the National Register of Historical Pla
ces in 1975. The Historical Society purchased the building from Waukesha Co
unty in 2003.
The Waukesha County Museum is located at 101 W. Main Street at East Avenue
in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Exhibits and the Museum Store are open Tuesday thro
ugh Saturday from 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. For additional information, call
(262) 521-2859 or visit www.waukeshacountymuseum.org<http://www.waukeshacou
ntymuseum.org/>