Spring 2015

affiliatethe

News about Smithsonian Affiliates

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Sikhs: Legacy of the Punjab Travels to San Antonio

In February, the UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures welcomed the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) exhibition, Sikhs: Legacy of the Punjab, where it will be on view until January 2016. Unveiled in 2004, the exhibition has “been going strong ever since,” said NMNH Curator Paul Taylor, who directs the Asian Cultural History Program. Every venue has added new content to the exhibition, providing an opportunity to highlight contributions from local Sikh communities, who have “provided immense support for bringing the exhibition to the United States and Canada.”

UTSA ITC opened its doors to the Sikhs through a local community leader, Dr. Gurvinder Pal Singh, who together with UTSA ITC approached Taylor with the idea of bringing the exhibition to San Antonio. “This was one of our first contacts with the Sikh community,” said Angelica Docog, UTSA ITC executive director.

Smithsonian Affiliations

www.affiliations.si.edu

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the affiliate

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1 Sikhs: Legacy of the Punjab Travels to San Antonio

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Two Smithsonian Affiliates on Deck to Preserve a National Treasure

Legend of Lead Belly Debuts at Five Affiliates

5 Affiliate Communities Welcome Spark!Lab

6 The Smithsonian’s History of America in 101 Objects

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Teams Up with Smithsonian for Citizen Science Programs

7 Rising Up: Hale Woodruff ’s Murals Come to Smithsonian

American History Museum Buttons Help Tell Environmental Story in California

8 Smithsonian In Your Neighborhood

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The Pinhead Institute and the Telluride

Historical Museum hosted a Places of Invention Community Day in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for Invention and Innovation.

Editor Elizabeth Bugbee

Writer Cara Seitchek

Designer Brad Ireland

Printing Chroma Graphics, Inc.

Affiliations Staff

Jennifer Brundage, National Outreach Manager

Elizabeth Bugbee, Communications and

Professional Development Manager

Harold A. Closter, Director

Alma Douglas, National Outreach Manager

Aaron Glavas, National Outreach Manager

Laura Hansen, National Outreach Manager

Christina DiMeglio Lopez, External Affairs

Manager

Caroline Mah, National Outreach Manager

Gertrude Ross, Financial Manager

Natalie Wimberly, Management Support

Specialist

© 2015 Smithsonian Institution

The Affiliate is published by

Smithsonian Affiliations. All rights reserved.

For information Smithsonian Affiliations

Smithsonian Institution

P.O. Box 37012 MRC 942

Washington, DC 20013-7012

Telephone: 202.633.5300

Fax: 202.633.5313

affiliations.si.edu

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It took a while for the word “collaboration” to overcome its negative connotations from World War II, but of late everyone has come to recognize that success in all fields — industry, science, and the arts — is predicated on groups of people working closely together as collaborators. Fashion guru Tim Gunn, a recent guest of the Smithsonian Associates, said it best, “life is not a solo act.”

As we approach our 20th year, we take pride in the many collaborations fostered between the Smithsonian and our Affiliate partners, now expanding further into the educational realm. While students in Telluride learn to view the “colorful cosmos” in concert with Smithsonian astrophysicists, budding naturalists are “nestwatching” in Raleigh together with researchers at the National Zoological Park, and young ethnographers are collecting living histories from their Seattle elders in a program launched by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.

The growth of collaborations between Affiliates is another welcome outcome of our program. With greater frequency, we see that Affiliates are reaching out to each other, adding a new level of dynamism to our program as the Affiliate network takes on a life of its own. Let me offer a few examples.

Visit the University of Texas San Antonio’s Institute of Texan Cultures before the end of June and you’ll see the very moving Patriots and Peacemakers, a traveling exhibit from the Arab American National Museum that details how Arab Americans have contributed to our nation in military service, diplomatic missions and through the Peace Corps. Affiliates share collections as well as exhibits. The Museum of American Finance found a partner in the Hagley Museum and Library for housing archival collections that amplify the story of American enterprise, a subject near and dear to both museums. The Burke Museum at the University of Washington has recently teamed with the Museum of Flight to present How Birds Fly, an exhibit that explores bird evolution, anatomy, and behaviors, as well as the impact birds have had on human flight. Youth Capture the Colorful Cosmos, the Smithsonian’s com-bined astrophysics and art program, has created numerous opportunities for Affiliates to engage in mentor/mentee relationships, building “communities of practice” that will inform future similar programs. And just in time for the 400th Anniversary of the Pilgrim landing in 2020, Mystic Seaport has taken on the monu-mental task of a multi-year restoration of the Mayflower II, the sailing centerpiece of Plimoth Plantation.

These are just a few examples that suggest a growing trend, one that makes our program look more like an evolving neural network rather than a one way street. We don’t take credit for each collaboration, but we do believe that we have created a comfortable context for Affiliate organiza-tions to find common interests and compel-ling reasons to work together.

These possibilities serendipitously show up at our Affiliations National Conference, this year June 15 – 17. Please join us — you never know where your next good idea will come from!

Harold A. ClosterDirectorclosterh@si.edu

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We extend a warm welcome to our newest Smithsonian Affiliates

Contents

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Boulder, Colorado

ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum Ashland, Oregon

Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals Hillsboro, Oregon

Upcountry History Museum- Furman University Greenville, South Carolina

Madison Children’s Museum Madison, Wisconsin

Heritage Farm Museum and Village Huntington, West Virginia

Framingham State University Framingham, Massachusetts

Connections

30%

Institute of Texan Cultures

www.texancultures.com

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world cultures

“We tell the story of the people of Texas and we welcomed the opportunity to add this story to our galleries.”

UTSA ITC contacted local historians, professors, and members of the Sikh commu-nity to create a new section of the exhibition that focused on Texan Sikhs. After the exhibition closes, the content of this section will be displayed in a new Sikh temple currently being built in San Antonio. The Sikhs in San Antonio feel that this exhibition shares the essence of their religion. “It is the fifth-largest religion in the world but outside of our faith most do not know much about us,” says Singh. “The interpretation here in San Antonio focuses on humanitarian ideas of service, justice, love and tolerance.”

“Every location has included a local element in the exhibition,” said Taylor. “As a history museum, UTSA ITC inserted historical materials and images that illustrated the story. I particularly like when venues add images of people in their community as a way of saying ‘we are your neighbors.’ By including examples from the local commu-nity, it adds a depth to the exhibition.”

The permanent objects in the exhibi-tion are drawn from a “school collec-tion” — objects not accessioned into the Smithsonian collections. These are supple-

mented by loans from individuals, who provide local examples of textiles, paint-ings, and other objects that not only provide new items to view but also allow others to rest after being on display.

The objects that have been added to the exhibition from various Sikh communi-ties over the years are among many found in a new, richly illustrated book with the same title as the exhibition, by Taylor and another Smithsonian anthropologist, Robert Pontsioen. Published by the Smithsonian’s Asian Cultural History Program, the book serves as an introduc-tion to the Sikhs and their faith, history, and art, while showcasing the co-curator-ship resulting from these partnerships. Every location offered an opportunity for community involvement, future study, and preservation of Sikh heritage. UTSA ITC is the first venue that has displayed the exhibition accompanied by the new book.

The exhibition’s travel is now managed by the Sikh Heritage Foundation, which plans to continue traveling it to museums and venues across the country.

“The exhibition worked out well on so many levels,” said Docog. “It enabled us to be responsive to our local community with our mission of sharing the rich cultural heritage of Texas.”

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Sikhs: Legacy of the Punjab Travels to San Antonio

Cover top After

opening remarks

and performances,

guests were invited

to view Sikhs: Legacy

of the Punjab, and

visit with members

of San Antonio’s

Sikh community.

The opening of the

exhibition was one

of the best attended

exhibit openings the

Institute of Texan

Cultures has ever had.

Cover bottom SANJ

Bhangra dancers from

the San Antonio Sikh

community perform at

the exhibit opening.

Left The San Antonio

Sikh community’s

Tor Punjaban Dee

dancers perform

Gidda, a high-energy

folk dance that also

emphasizes feminine

grace and elegance.

Lower left Pictured

left to right: Rosie

Castro, mother of

U.S. Secretary of

Housing and Urban

Development/former

San Antonio Mayor

Julian Castro and

Congressman Joaquin

Castro; Dr. Singh;

Dr. Ricardo Romo,

President of the

University of Texas

at San Antonio; and

Angelica Docog,

Executive Director,

UTSA Institute of

Texan Cultures.

Below The exhibition

on view at the UTSA

Institute of Texan

Cultures.

All photos are courtesy

of UTSA Institute of

Texan Cultures.

“In Texas, we’re proud of our great cultural diversity. The partnership between the Smithsonian and the UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures focuses an important spotlight on the various contribu-tions of the residents of San Antonio — including the Sikh community, young Korean Americans, and Grammy Award-winning Latino musi-cians. We welcome these important collaborations and we celebrate the fusion of art, culture, and history that makes San Antonio, and the state of Texas, such a vibrant and exciting place to live.”

Senator John Cornyn (R-TX)

Legend of Lead Belly Debuts at Five Affiliates

Legend of Lead Belly, a Smithsonian Channel documentary, debuted during Black History Month in February accompa-nied by screenings at five Smithsonian Affiliates. The premiere was orchestrated with the Smithsonian Folkways release of Lead Belly: The Smithsonian Folkways Collec-tions, a 5-CD box set and book with hours of music, historic photos, and extensive notes.

“This partnership emerged from a hallway conversation,” said Jeff Place,

Smithsonian Folkways archivist. “The screenings were an excellent means to getting Lead Belly’s music out to other communities.”

From Philadelphia to Memphis to Denver, the screenings of the documentary brought the curators, archivists, and filmmakers to a national audience. The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Mary-land African American History and Culture in Baltimore hosted the first screening on February 5 in celebration of Black History Month.

“The film was a fitting tribute to one of

African Americans’ most important contri-butions to our cultural fabric — music — and to one of its most important contributors to the art form,” said A. Skipp Sanders, Reginald F. Lewis Museum executive director. “We invited our museum members to attend this private event, as our way to thank them for their support. It was an ideal collaboration with the Smithsonian, both in terms of programmatic and in-kind support.”

Every screening included a panel discussion with experts who spoke about the influence that Huddie Ledbetter had on American music. His use of a 12-string guitar and recording of America’s most beloved songs are just a few of the ways he inspired future musicians. George Harrison, Kurt Cobain, Bob Dylan, and Led Zeppelin, among others, all cite Lead Belly as an influence.

The Smithsonian Channel partnered with Comcast, Cablevision, and Smithson-ian Affiliations to bring the documentary to communities across the country, especially audiences at Smithsonian Affiliates.

“Many areas of the Smithsonian worked together to bring this to fruition,” said Josh Gross, Channel public relations director. “Combining the documentary with the record release and the collaboration with the Smithsonian Affiliations program created a wonderful model for future outreach.” Dana DeSanto, Channel director of affiliate marketing, conceived the idea of

hosting the Lead Belly program at Smithso-nian Affiliates. “The Channel and Affilia-tions have wanted to build a partnership program model to bring Smithsonian programming to local communities since the launch of the Channel,” said DeSanto. “We are pleased to have co-developed another benefit for Affiliates with this kind of special programming.”

Legend of Lead Belly premiered across the country at the following Affiliates during Black History Month 2015: Regi-nald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture (Baltimore, MD); Memphis Rock ‘N’ Soul Museum (Memphis, TN); History Colorado (Denver, CO); Senator John Heinz History Center (Pittsburgh, PA); The African American Museum in Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA).

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Two Smithsonian Affiliates on Deck to Preserve a National Treasure

Guest authors:

Dan McFadden, Director of Communications for

Mystic Seaport

Rob Kluin, Director of Marketing & Communi-

cations for Plimoth Plantation

Since the time of her arrival on Plymouth’s waterfront in 1957, Mayflower II has greeted millions of people seeking the vessel they have heard or read about since childhood.

Their visits to the ship transport them back in time nearly 400 years and invite them to reflect on their own personal or familial passages. In so many ways, Mayflower II is the embodiment of America’s founding story.

Inspections in 2013 revealed that Mayflower II was in need of a major refit, normal for a nearly 60-year-old wooden ship. Last year, Plimoth Plantation and Mystic Seaport announced a collaborative project to restore Mayflower II. Work on the historic ship is taking place at Mystic Seaport’s Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard. Guided by the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Vessel Preservation Projects, maritime staff from Plimoth Plantation and Mystic Seaport are creating a multi-year, phased restoration plan so that Mayflower II will be shipshape for 2020, the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ transat-lantic voyage.

The restoration plan honors the ship’s original construction with the goal of returning Mayflower II to her appearance and condition when she first arrived in Plymouth in 1957. A comprehensive marine survey, recently completed by Paul Haley of Capt. G.W. Full & Associates, will provide a clear direction for the ship’s ongoing restoration.

Mystic Seaport has vast restoration experience and knowledge of historic wooden vessels. The Museum recently completed the restoration of its 1841 whaling ship Charles W. Morgan, a National Historic Landmark vessel and America’s oldest commercial ship still afloat. The Morgan sailed on her historic 38th voyage this past summer.

“It is great for us to take the lessons restoring and sailing the Morgan taught us and apply them to help a fellow museum,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport.

“Mystic Seaport was the clear choice for restoring Mayflower II. She has been in the best hands with the Museum’s skilled craftspeople and shipwrights in these past months. The staff and boards of both museums share pride in this collaboration and have profound respect for this treasured ship,” said Ellie Donovan, Plimoth Planta-tion’s executive director.

On any given day at the shipyard, the museums’ restoration crews can be found diligently performing complex tasks. Whit Perry, Plimoth Plantation’s Director of Maritime Preservation and Operations, said the Affiliate partners are “making progress not only because of the combined, unique set of skills, tools and trades but because of our mutual respect and passion for the project.”

the affiliate

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Plimoth Plantation

www.plimoth.org

Mystic Seaport

www.mysticseaport.org

Smithsonian Channel

www.smithsonianchannel.org

Upper left Mayflower

II high and dry in

the Mystic Seaport

shipyard. Photo

courtesy of Andy

Price/Mystic Seaprort.

Left Dylan Perry from

Plimoth Plantation’s

maritime department

removes old plank

fastenings from

the hull sides of

Mayflower II. Photo

courtesy of Plimoth

Plantation.

Left Lead Belly album

cover. Photo courtesy

of Smithsonian

Folkways.

Right Reginald F. Lewis

Museum of Maryland

African American

History and Culture

Executive Director,

A. Skipp Sanders,

introduces the

Smithsonian Channel

program. Photo

courtesy of Smithsonian

Affiliations.

history/culture

Berkshire Museum

berkshiremuseum.org

Science City at Union Station

www.unionstation.org/sciencecity

Anchorage Museum

www.anchorage.net/museums

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science

Affiliate Communities Welcome Spark!Lab

Taking the Spark!Lab experience to com-munities outside of Washington, D.C., is incredibly rewarding,” said Tricia Edwards, head of education at the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation at the National Museum of American History (NMAH). “We received so many calls and comments from visitors who say ‘I need one of these where I live’ that we realized we could offer this to new audiences beyond the web.”

Today, the Spark!Lab National Network extends to five museums, three of which are Affiliates — the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, Massachusetts; Science City at Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri; and the Anchorage Museum in Anchor-age, Alaska. All are enthusiastic partners in this effort to bring the “spark” of imagina-tion and creativity to their visitors.

“We knew Spark!Lab was designed to promote creativity and invention, what we didn’t know is how it would help develop a child’s self-esteem and a deeper understand-ing of their child’s potential among parents,” said Van Shields, Berkshire Museum executive director. “Our Spark!Lab hosts tell us they see the ‘I can do this’ spirit bubble up every day, often accompanied by a similar awakening among parents that ‘my child can do this.’ What could be better than that?”

Staff at Science City immediately saw the potential of hosting a Spark!Lab site, which provides complementary activities to their Maker Studio. Spark!Lab encourages participants to invent, while the Maker Studio provides a space to create hands-on prototypes.

“Spark!Lab has had a strong impact on our members and membership,” said Christy Nitsche, manager of education, programs and marketing communications. “We see repeat visitation from members because every time they visit, they see and

learn something new. Our membership numbers have increased substantially since we offered this as a benefit.”

Every installation is accompanied by a repertoire of support from Edwards and other Lemelson Center staff. From the initial conversations to the opening and after, host sites are provided with detailed information on staffing and financial resource needs, hands-on training, email and phone support, and in-person visits. Monthly Google+ Hangouts provide continuing opportunities to brainstorm and share best practices.

“We visit about two months before the opening and give a high-level training for all staff — including development, market-ing, facilities — so that everyone hears the same information and can translate our content to their department,” said Edwards.

One month before the opening, Lemelson Center staff return to provide hands-on training for 10 activities, sugges-tions on how to work with visitors, security and maintenance advice, and how to integrate into school curriculums.

Spark!Lab activities can be easily adapted to the local community. Science City changes the “grab bag” activity to accommodate the theme of the week, which can range from robotics to Earth Day and is also partnering with the Inventor’s Club of Kansas City to create activities that showcase local inventors and inventions. Both the Berkshire Museum and Anchorage Museum staff are working on similar initiatives.

Julie Decker, director and CEO of the Anchorage Museum, said “The Anchorage Museum is very pleased to be able to continually expand the programming it offers to the community. We feel privileged to be home to one of the Spark!Lab satellite locations. The ideas behind it are a good fit with the ideas we explore in the museum related to the North — how extreme environments support adaptation, invention, and creative problem-solving.”

Draper Spark!Lab will open at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., on July 1.

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Middle Children

explore the wonder of

invention at Science

City at Union Station

Kansas City. Photo

courtesy of Union

Station Kansas City.

Bottom Children in

Anchorage, Alaska,

use creative problem

solving at the

Anchorage Museum.

Photo courtesy of

Anchorage Museum.

Top Berkshire

Museum staff ready

Spark!Lab for visitors.

Photo courtesy of

Berkshire Museum.

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North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

www.naturalsciences.org

Smithsonian Science How! programming includes four Affiliates: Patricia and Phillip

Frost Art Museum; Virginia Museum of

Natural History; North Carolina Museum of

Natural Sciences; and The Pinhead Institute. Season two live webcasts began in December 2014 and run through June 2015.

The Smithsonian’s History of America in 101 Objects

What do Martha the last passenger pigeon, a fragment from Plymouth Rock, and Julia Child’s kitchen have in common? Each of

these objects — and 98 others — are part of The Smithsonian’s History of America in 101 Objects. Written by Richard Kurin, Smith-sonian Under Secretary for History, Art, and Culture, the 762-page book chronicles America’s history through selected treasures found in the Smithsonian’s collections.

Kurin is crossing the country to bring the story of these objects to communities both large and small. So far, ten Affiliates have hosted Kurin, who uses artifacts and

historical examples from the book to relate to each Affiliate and its collections.

“These objects tell national stories,” said Kurin. “As I traveled to other museums, I realized that each museum has its own regional treasures and stories that speak to American democracy. A person in every place would point out their most treasured object, which is accessible in the local museum.”

In November, Kurin visited the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia, which is currently displaying a vial of polio vaccine developed by Dr. Jonas Salk, on loan from the National Museum of American His-tory, and highlighted in the book.

“We are so honored to highlight this artifact and the story of Dr. Salk,” said Ivy Barsky, NMAJH director. “The book tells the history of America through a constella-tion of artifacts; this museum similarly takes routine objects to help people learn about history.”

Kurin connected his book with the collections of every Affiliate visited. Neil Armstrong’s space suit tied to the Saturn V rocket at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The South Dakota State Historical Society arranged a visit to the local Grange in South Dakota, where the members sang “Home on the Range,” which led Kurin to talk about buffalo-related objects in the book and in Smithsonian collections.

“I gave a gallery tour through 100 Stories-A Centennial Exhibition at the North-west Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane, Washington,” said Kurin. “As I

walked through the rooms, I used their objects to tie to Smithsonian objects. A mural of Lewis and Clark — who stayed no more than 40 miles from where the museum is — was the perfect opportunity to talk about the Lewis and Clark compass, another item in the book and a treasure in our collections.”

Kurin travels with 3D printed replicas of some of the artifacts, making the images in his presentation truly tangible. At the Durham Museum in Omaha, Nebraska, a 3D copy of the hat Lincoln wore on the night of his assassination became a moving and memorable example of the power of this technology.

Throughout his travels, Kurin heard an amazing array of object-based stories about American history. “I may have to write a book that showcases the many objects held at Affiliate museums,” he said. “But not right now.”

the affiliate

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Teams up with Smithsonian for Citizen Science Programs

Two citizen science programs are connect-ing Smithsonian scientists with colleagues at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (NCMNS). By linking citizens with these data collection projects, the reach of conservation research is multiplied and broadened.

“Each node in these networks contrib-utes to a bigger picture,” said John Gerwin, NCMNS curator of ornithology. “As we gather this data over years and many regions, we gain valuable data that provides a long-term view of the natural sciences.”

Gerwin works on the Neighborhood Nestwatch project, an initiative of the

National Zoological Park’s Migratory Bird Center. Nestwatch participants allow scientists to catch and tag birds in their backyards. Each homeowner then observes the activities of the birds, entering their data in an online database. Participants often see the return of specific birds year after year, their observations adding to a larger data set on bird migrations and breeding.

“We can see how birds survive and reproduce in urban areas,” said Peter Marra, head of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. “And by teaching people how to find nests and observe birds, we also teach people how to observe and appreciate nature. What is especially powerful is that when I take this program to schools, it’s clear that the magic of a bird in the hand cannot be underestimated in creating an interest in birding and nature.”

eMammal similarly asks the general public to record the habits of animals, using camera traps to record animals in their native habitat. This program, coordinated by the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI), uses infrared motion-activated cameras to take images that serve as voucher specimens, quickly recording date, time, and location.

“Collecting photos in this way is a great complement to traditional museum animal collections,” said Roland Kays, director of

the NCMNS Biodiversity Lab. “Storage is much easier, specimens can be sent more easily to colleagues, and we can reach far more areas with the cameras.”

In addition to the scientists and citizen volunteers, eMammal reaches students through several initiatives in local schools. “We engage multiple grades by having older students make a YouTube video to chal-lenge middle school students to join the program,” said Tavis Forester, a conserva-tion biologist with SCBI. “The students learn about cameras and the data collected by the traps is tied to their curriculum to show ecology on a local level.”

Smithsonian Youth Access Grants support both projects and have enabled Smithsonian staff to bring the program to at-risk youth in the Anacostia region of Washington, D.C.

the affiliate

Students participating

in the eMammal

program capture

their own images on

the cameras. Photo

courtesy of eMammal.

Andrew Masich,

President and CEO

at the Senator John

Heinz History Center

holds a 3D-printed

cast of Lincoln’s

hand which Richard

Kurin brought with

him for his lecture

at the Center.

Photo courtesy

of Smithsonian

Affiliations.

history/science

art/history

Rising Up: Hale Woodruff’s Murals Come to Smithsonian

The High Museum of Art, through a unique partnership with a neighboring college, assisted in conserving six Depres-sion-era murals, which are now touring the country in Rising Up: Hale Woodruff’s Murals.

“This project has allowed a fresh

interpretation of the murals,” said Philip Verre, High Museum COO. “It has sparked a lot of excitement not only in the academic community, but also in the general public.”

Talladega College, Alabama’s oldest private historically black college, is the home of six murals painted by Hale Woodruff. Three panels completed in 1938-39 – The Revolt, The Court Scene, and Back to Africa — document the story of the slave ship La Amistad. The other three, not completed until 1942, depict the Under-ground Railroad, the first day of registra-tion at the college, and the building of Savery Library, which housed the murals since their completion.

“I had been researching the muralist movement in New York,” said Verre. “So when I moved to Atlanta, I reached out to the college, which started a partnership that I see continuing long into the future.”

The High Museum raised funds to remove, transport, and conserve the murals. Conservators at the Atlanta Art Conserva-tion Center cleaned and restored the murals, which were then adhered to another piece of fabric and wooden stretchers.

Once restored, the murals have traveled to museums in Georgia, Texas, Illinois, New York, Louisiana, and to Washington, D.C., where visitors could view the original works in the National Museum of

African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) Gallery in the National Museum of American History.

“The effect of the murals was very dramatic,” said Jacquelyn Serwer, NMAAHC curator. “The smaller space made the experience very intimate and people felt like they were in the middle of the drama depicted in the murals.”

A video accompanying the exhibition documented the conservation work on the murals, which uncovered Woodruff ’s colorful brushstrokes and techniques learned from Diego Rivera.

NMAAHC Director, Lonnie Bunch, described the exhibition as, “while artisti-cally beautiful and innovative, these murals also speak volumes about the power of history to inspire and educate. We are so pleased that thousands of our visitors had the unexpected pleasure and opportunity to view what had been a hidden treasure.”

the affiliate

Membership — Connecting Your Local Audience to the Smithsonian

As local ambassadors, Affiliates are making the connection between the Smithsonian and members in their communities through the Smithsonian Affiliate membership program.

As partners, Affiliates steward our joint Smithsonian-Affiliate members, reminding them of local opportunities to experience the Smithsonian beyond Washington, D.C., through direct mail, online, and on-site Smithsonian events.

Sustain Support — Build Smithsonian Membership Levels:

Mobilize the Smithsonian Marketing Toolkit: Developed with input from more than 70 Affiliates, the Toolkit is used to build awareness and engagement. Partici-pants experience the resources of the Smith-sonian first-hand and realize the value of the “two memberships in one” benefit.

Annual Smithsonian Affiliate Membership Drive: November 2015 will kick off the 2nd Annual Smithsonian Affiliate Membership Drive month. Use the Toolkit to shape Smithsonian-focused activities for the annual membership drive. Additional resources will be developed at the Affiliations National Conference, June 15 – 17, 2015. Updates will be delivered to your inbox this summer so you begin planning for the November event.

Touch-points with Smithsonian Affiliate Members: The quarterly mem-bership e-newsletter is sent to our joint members to remind them they have two memberships — a membership to the Affiliate and the Smithsonian. Send us event and exhibition ideas to highlight in the newsletter.

Ideas to Share? Let us know how you are doing: Christina DiMeglio Lopez dimeglioc@si.edu

High Museum of Art

www.high.org

Staff from College Park Aviation Museum, Denver Art Museum, Hagley Museum and

Library, and the Antique Automobile Club

of America attended a Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center workshop.

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Spring 2015

American History Museum Buttons Help Tell Environmental Story in California

Sixteen buttons from the National Museum of American History were featured in the exhibition Hole in the Head: The Battle of Bodega Bay and the Birth of the

Environmental Movement (1958-1964) at the Museums of Sonoma County. “The collection of environmental buttons helped us tell the story of the birth and growth of the modern environmental movement. We connected those buttons to the legacy of the fight over a nuclear power plant at Bodega Bay, California, between 1958 and 1964, which helped usher in the age of modern environmentalism.” — Eric Stanley, Curator of History at the Museums of Sonoma County (Santa Rosa, California)

the affiliate

The Underground

Railroad, 1942, oil

on canvas, collection

of Savery Library,

Talladega College,

Talladega, Alabama.

Smithsonian In Your Neighborhood

Arizona

Two paintings from the Smithsonian American Art Museum were included in the exhibi-tion Beautiful Games: American Indian Sport and Art at the Heard Museum (Phoenix). National Museum of the American Indian Director (NMAI), Kevin Gover, was the keynote speaker at the symposium Stereo-types in Sports hosted by the museum.

California

Museums of Sonoma County (Santa Rosa) displayed IndiVis-ible: African-Native American Lives in the Americas, an exhibi-tion organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES).

I Want the Wide American Earth: An Asian Pacific American Story (SITES) was on view at Riverside Metropolitan Museum (Riverside).

Nora Atkinson, The American Art Museum, spoke at the Sam and Alfreda Maloof Foundation for Arts and Crafts (Alta

Loma), announcing its new affiliation with the Smithsonian.

Elizabeth Weath-erford, NMAI, was guest curator for the Festival of Native Film and Culture presented by Agua Caliente Cul-tural Museum (Palm Springs).

Colorado

History Colorado (Denver) hosted 1968: The Year that Rocked America, including three artifacts from the National Air and Space Museum (NASM). Mike Neufeld, NASM, gave an accompanying lecture The Apollo 8 Mission: First Voy-age to the Moon. Smithsonian Latino Center (SLC) Director, Eduardo Diaz, spoke at the opening of the companion exhibition El Movimiento.

The Denver Art Museum (Denver) organized the Petrie Institute of Western American Art Sym-posium including William Truettner, The American Art Museum curator emeritus.

Florida

Real Lives: Observa-tions and Reflections by Dale Kennington, an exhibition at the Mennello Museum of American Art (Orlando), included a painting from The American Art Museum.

Georgia

Tellus Science Museum (Cartersville) hosted Jeweled Objects of Desire, an exhibition from the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH). Curator Jeff Post, NMNH, spoke about the Hope Dia-mond in conjunction with the exhibition.

Smithsonian scholar, Warren Perry, presented the lecture Guns, Horses, Uni-forms, and More Guns: Themes of American Civil War Visual Culture at the Morris Museum of Art (Augusta).

Indiana

Conner Prairie Inter-active History Park (Fishers) welcomed Tim Grove, NASM educator, to share excerpts from his book, A Grizzly in the Mail and Other Adven-tures in American History. Tom Crouch, NASM curator, presented the lecture Ballooning in the Ante-bellum Midwest.

Maryland

NASM curator Andrew Johnston served on an

exhibition jury panel at Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center (Dowell).

Nebraska

Andrea Lowther, NMAH, provided online docent training to staff at the Durham Museum (Omaha). Amy Henderson, National Portrait Gallery, presented the lecture Katharine Hepburn: Master of Her Own Image at the museum.

North Carolina

The Schiele Museum of Natural History (Gastonia) included two artifacts from NASM in its exhibition The Solar System: A Journey of Exploration.

Oklahoma

NASM loaned five space artifacts to the Stafford Air & Space Museum (Weather-ford).

Oregon

The NASM traveling exhibition, In Plane View: Abstractions of Flight, opened at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum (McMinnville).

Panama

Ranald Woodaman, SLC, presented three talks on best prac-tices and the social relevance of museums at the Museo del Canal Interoceaníco (Panama City).

Pennsylvania

The National Museum of American Jewish History (Philadelphia) participated in the NMAH teaching pro-gram, Let’s Do History.

Puerto Rico

The Museo y Centro de Estudios Humanísticos (Gurabo) received an IMLS grant for museum profes-sional development programs. Camille Akeju, Anacostia Com-munity Museum, Kim Harrell, National Postal Museum, and Harold Closter, Smithsonian Affiliations, partici-pated.

South Dakota

South Dakota State Historical Society (Pierre) organized four online education pro-grams using webcasts from the Smithsonian.

Tennessee

The Museum at 5ive Points (Cleveland) hosted the SITES exhibition IndiVis-ible: African-Native American Lives in the Americas.

Vermont

Tom Crouch, NASM, presented the lecture Lincoln’s Air Force, the Balloon Corps during the Civil War at the Sullivan Museum and History Center (Northfield).

Virginia

The Birthplace of Country Music Museum (Bristol) will serve as the final home for the SITES exhibi-tion New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music.

The Face of the Nation: George Wash-ington, Art, and Amer-ica, a symposium at George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens (Mount Vernon) included Ellen Miles and Wendy Wick Reaves from the National Portrait Gallery.

Smithsonian Affilia-tions Director, Harold Closter, was the keynote speaker for the Thomas Jefferson Awards in Richmond, hosted by the Virginia Museum of Natural History (Martinsville).

Washington

The Museum of Flight (Seattle) displayed Suited for Space, a SITES exhibition.

The Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture (Spokane) welcomed Cecile Ganteaume, NMAI, for a public lecture.

8

the affiliate

Spring 2015

Arab American National Museum, Oklahoma

History Center, Museum of History and

Industry, HistoryMiami and National

Underground Railroad Freedom Center

participated in the National Youth Summit: War on Poverty presented by the National Museum of American History.

News about Smithsonian Affiliates (November 1, 2014 – May 1, 2015)

Top to bottom

Thirteen artifacts

from the National

Museum of American

History, including

“Davy Crocket’s”

fabled cap, starred in

the exhibition Starring

North Carolina! at

the North Carolina

Museum of History

(Raleigh). Photo

courtesy National

Museum of American

History.

The SITES exhibition,

What’s Up Doc? The

Animation Art of

Chuck Jones, was

on view in Texas at

Fort Worth Museum

of Science and

History (Fort Worth).

Duck Amuck (1953)

Courtesy of The

Chuck Jones Center

for Creativity. Looney

Tunes Characters © &

TM Warner Bros.

Smithsonian Books

and Smithsonian

Affiliations teamed

up to offer a special

lecture and book

signing with Rob

Manning, author of

Mars Rover Curiosity:

An Inside Account

from Curiosity’s Chief

Engineer, at Cerritos

Library (Cerritos,

California). Photo

courtesy Cerritos

Library.

Hirshhorn Museum

and Sculpture Garden

Director Melissa

Chiu gave a talk as

part of the Steven

and Dorothea Green

Critics’ Lecture at the

Patricia and Phillip

Frost Museum of

Art (Miami, Florida).

Photo courtesy Frost

Museum of Art.