CWAM Highlights
Colorado-Wyoming Association of Museums Newsletter
Winter 2010
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From the Editor
By Meghan McGinnes
Happy December CWAMers! I hope you're all enjoying the holiday season and the unseasonably warm weather. I know I am, but wishing for some snow at the same time! There's some interesting news in this edition, as well as listings for all the holiday events that our various members are hosting. If you're interested in becoming more involved in CWAM, make sure to check out the section about the upcoming CWAM elections--we're always looking for new faces at our board meetings.
As always, please feel free to contact me at mmcginne@jeffco.us or 720-497-7650 if you have questions, concerns, or ideas for the newsletter!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Meghan |
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CHAIR REPORT
By Andrea Miller, Vice Chair
Merriam Webster defines community as a: the people with common interests living in a particular area; broadly: the area itself or b: a body of persons of common and especially professional interests scattered through a larger society. The community created by the Colorado-Wyoming Association of Museums serves both meanings. We are a community bound geographically and with a common purpose. Lately, I've been thinking about the growth and sustainability of this community. How do we make it stronger? How do we meet the needs of museums of all sizes, budgets and areas of interest? There are at least three ways that we can create a stronger sense of community - reach out, get involved and share.
Reach out to museums and those colleagues who may not know what CWAM has to offer museum professionals, board members and volunteers. Tell your co-workers about the group and the benefits of being a member. Perhaps share a story about a great annual meeting session you attended or how that one contact through CWAM helped you solve a major collections or education problem. We need to be advocates of our own field and CWAM is the perfect vehicle for promoting museums throughout our states.
Second, get involved in CWAM. Most of our membership attends the annual meeting to learn, network and visit quality museums. Other perks such as the Museum Services Assistance Team (MAST), workshops and the legislative advocacy program are wonderful resources for information and a chance to connect. Communicating your needs and desires for the organization is another method of involvement. We want to hear how we can make the organization better for you.
Finally, share with one another. I wish I had that million dollar idea, but honestly, I've learned from spectacular mentors and other contacts in the museum field. We should feel comfortable to share ideas or as educators often say, "steal ideas." The Facebook group (Colorado Wyoming Association of Museums) is the perfect place to share and learn. We will continue to grow as a community when we pull together with shared thoughts and techniques on preserving artifacts, conducting stellar education programs and fundraising for the future.
I challenge you to accomplish one of the three methods to create a stronger museum community for Colorado and Wyoming before the next annual meeting. Tell someone about the group, attend a workshop or join the Facebook group. We are your community of support in the museum field, geographically and professionally. Let us know what we can do for you. |
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CWAM 2011 Annual Meeting
Rare Flamingo Sightings in the Durango Area
by Jan Postler
Strange things have been happening in Durango since the CWAM conference in Laramie. A pink flamingo was sighted on the second story window ledge of the Strater Hotel room where Louis L'Amour wrote many of his books. The majestic historic hotel, built in 1887, is the conference headquarters for the CWAM annual meeting in Durango on April 14-17, 2011.
A fluorescent pink figure with skinny legs, a big nose, and what appeared to be wings was seen mountain biking down Telegraph Hill in Durango just days after a similar mountain bike sighting near Arches National Park outside of Moab, Utah, just 3 ½ hours from Durango. Further appearances were reported at Chaco Canyon, Canyonlands, Chimney Rock, Aztec Ruins and Salmon Ruins.
Tara Travis, curator at Mesa Verde National Park, reports that a single pink flamingo was seen by hikers at Petroglyph Point, 1 ½ miles from the Spruce Tree House cliff dwelling on Chapin Mesa, approximately 60 miles from Durango.
A large pink bird with a camera was seen standing on one foot simultaneously in Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico, at the Four Corners Monument just 84 miles from town, near the Navajo Reservation.
Leaf peepers driving the Million Dollar Highway, also known as the San Juan Skyway, saw what appeared to be a pink flamingo perched in an aspen tree below Wilson Peak, one of the more than half-dozen Fourteeners visible along the scenic route through the San Juan Mountains. The bird was later seen driving a jeep as it completed the 232-mile trip through the historic mining towns of Silverton, Ouray, Telluride and Rico and back to Durango.
Most recently, a pink flamingo was seen in the first chair of the ski lift on opening day at Durango Mountain Resort. Earlier this summer DMR reported a pink flamingo bathing and chasing children down the Alpine Glide.
An insider at the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, which respects celebrities' rights to privacy, indicates that a "Pink E." has already reserved a train ticket on the CWAM Special for Sunday, April 17, 2011.
Considering the numerous wetlands in the area and in anticipation of a mild winter, the Audubon Society is recruiting additional volunteers for its annual Christmas Bird Count in hopes of confirming these mysterious flamingo sightings in the Four Corners Region.
Make plans now to bring your binoculars to the CWAM conference in Durango. Perhaps you will experience a rare and exotic sighting at one of these sites! |
2011 Annual Meeting Update from the Program Committee
By Nathan Doerr
Over the past several months, the Program Committee has been busy making plans for the 2011 Annual Meeting. From suggesting themes to sharing ideas for possible keynote speakers, there hasn't been any shortage of brainstorming and discussion among committee members.
We received several great suggestions for speakers who would help attendees explore the relationship between museums and tourism. As a result, we've had many great discussions as we sorted through the list. The committee is currently in the process of making final arrangements for the keynote speaker. Unfortunately, we cannot yet make the official announcement about who it will be, but expect an update in the coming weeks!
November19th was the deadline for session proposals and the Program Committee was grateful for the number and variety of proposals that were received. Over the coming weeks, the committee will be reviewing the proposals and making the final selections of those that will be part of the 2011 Annual Meeting in Durango.
The Program Committee is excited for yet another great annual meeting. Make sure to join us April 14-17 as we explore Museums and Tourism: Stopping Visitors in their Tracks! |
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2010 Scholarship Winners
CWAM awarded 13 scholarships to the 2010 Annual Meeting in Laramie. All winners are required to submit an article for the newsletter.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank CWAM and the scholarship committee for awarding me with my second scholarship allowing me to attend the 2010 CWAM Annual Conference: The Promise and Peril of Being Modern which was held in Laramie, Wyoming. As a newly employed museum professional I would not have been able to attend the conference without the emerging professional scholarship so I am very grateful to have been selected as one of the recipients. Every time I attend a conference I am always amazed to see so many hard working and passionate museum professionals gathered together in one place. To a newbie this can be quite intimidating. However, with each session I attend and each person I encounter I always become a little less nervous and more open to the knowledge and experience that all CWAM'ers have to offer. The 2010 CWAM Annual Conference was no different as once again I learned a great deal while having a terrific time. Laramie was a perfect locale choice as it is such a historic and beautiful little town. I was fascinated by the Upstairs/Downtown walking tour as we strolled through Laramie's historic district and learned about the notable architecture, people, and events of Laramie's past and present. The sessions I attended on the development of volunteer programs, how to be greener museum space, and how to deal with a lack of funding and personnel, were all very pertinent to me. I was especially inspired by the 10 Years Online: Lessons Learned session. Creating and maintaining an online presence is incredibly important in this technological world we live in, but with shrinking budgets and staff cuts it can be a difficult topic to get people listening to and established. The case study for the Old Colorado City Historical Society was very interesting to me because I learned that there are so many different avenues and programs to choose from that are free or are practically free out there. I kind of knew these things were out there and now I know how to take advantage of them. Once again, I thank you CWAM for giving me this opportunity. I look forward to attending the conference in Durango.
With deep respect and appreciation,
Lisa Fujita
Director of Security & Facilities
Nicolaysen Art Museum
Casper, WY
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A Hidden CWAM Resource: The CWAM Archives
by Erik Mason
The CWAM Archives is a resource that is available to all CWAM members, in the event that you wake up at 2 am and realize that you need to know where the CWAM meeting was held in 1978 (Jackson Hole - see, now you don't even need to call!). The Archives contains the business papers of CWAM since its incorporation back in 1972, including minutes, newsletters, photographs, and documentation of the many different activities that CWAM has undertaken throughout its history.
More unusually, it contains the story and material culture of our well-traveled and oft-reincarnated flamingo - from the rare pink fossilized Flamingosaurus Rex to his/her rodeo championship-winning costume. What is know about the origins and travels of the flamingo is kept here.
While the CWAM Archives is primarily an internal service, its records are open to all. The Archives contain no great secrets (other than the recipe for the Pink Blur, kept in a special sealed file), but they do document the organization, how it has changed and evolved, and how it has served the museum professionals of Colorado and Wyoming.
For an organization that is still relatively young (38 years old), CWAM has been diligent about documenting its history, but there are gaps that remain. Photographs help to tell the story of CWAM - in all its glorious pink Technicolor, but we are lacking photos from many Annual Meetings, and virtually all other CWAM events. If you have photos or other documents that you think should be in the CWAM archives, please contact the CWAM Historian/Archivist, Erik Mason, erik.mason@ci.longmont.co.us. |
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| Need help with your collections management? Are your collections not as well documented as you would like? Are there gaps in your collection catalog? Are there items that are unidentified, identified only as "found in collection," only partially cataloged? We offer assistance to inventory, catalog or complete the background research on your collections; help compiling catalog and archival records associated with your collections; training classes in cataloging/collections management. Free initial consultation. For more information and a free brochure contact: Collections Research for Museums, 4830 E Kansas Dr, Denver, CO 80246; 303-757-7962; Toll free: 1-877-757-7962 or visit us on the web at http://museumcollectionmgmt.com. |
 Got Pigs?
Remember the plastic piggy banks that CWAM handed out in Laramie? Do you still have yours? If so, we've got a suggestion for you--why not use it to save money for the 2011 Annual Meeting in Durango? Think how many items you can buy in the silent auction with all the money you can save between now and April! |
Project Access
by Joan Muyskens Pursley, Editorial Director, Art Beyond Sight/Art Education for the Blind
Project Access is the first online national database of accessible U.S. arts and cultural organizations. The need for this database was raised at a 2009 White House meeting on Access to the Arts. Art Beyond Sight/Art Education for the Blind (AEB), with the encouragement of the arts professionals and funders at the 2009 meeting, took the lead in creating the free site: www.projectaccessforall.org. Four major organizations are partnering with AEB on the project, each urging its membership to register. They are: American Association of Museums (AAM), the American Association of State and Local History (AASLH), the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC).
We have launched the site, but will not activate its search engine - or promote it to the general public and people with disabilities - until we have a good representation of arts and cultural organizations registered. To date, we have about 50 organizations registered or in the process of registering; they include the Chicago Children's Museum, the Alaska State Museum, NYC's Metropolitan Museum of Art and Museum of Modern Art, the Dallas Art Museum, and the Indianapolis Museum of Art. We hope you'll help us get a good representation from Colorado and Wyoming, too.
In addition to encouraging registration, I hope that you will share information on www.projectaccessforall.org with colleagues at other cultural organizations - zoos, botanical gardens, performing arts centers, all are welcome. There is no charge for registering on the site, it takes just 10 to 15 minutes to fill out the database (which was compiled in collaboration with people with disabilities, agencies that serve them, and a variety of arts organizations), and only the items checked/boxes filled in appear online. In addition, each organization has sole control over its listing and can update it as often as needed. |
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The CWAM Grant Deadline is Friday Feb 4, 2011 at 5 p.m. All grant applications will be accepted electronically. Look for a 2011 application in the next two weeks on the CWAM website. Questions? Please contact Maria Tucker at maria.tucker@pueblolibrary.org |
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Dates to Know!
Feb. 4-CWAM grant deadline
Feb. 18-Spring newsletter deadline
Feb. 18-19-CWAM board meeting, Cheyenne, WY
April 14-17-CWAM Annual Meeting, Durango, CO
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Upcoming Workshops/Seminars
The CWAM workshop committee is looking for potential topics and locations to hold full and half day workshops for 2010-11. If you have an idea for a workshop or are interested in presenting or hosting, please contact Beverly Perkins (WY) at beverlyp@bbhc.org or Kerri Atter (CO) at kerri@atterinc.com
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Environmental Monitoring Kit (EMK)
The EMK can be borrowed by any CWAM member museum for the cost of shipping. The EMK is a small hand held Environmental Monitoring Kit that quickly measures temp, relative humidity and light. The data are downloadable onto your computer from the machine. And... it comes with instructions!
Colorado museums, please contact Kat Neilson at 719-486-1229 or katneilson12@gmail.com.
Wyoming museums, please contact JP Cavigelli at 307-268-2447 or jpcavigelli@caspercollege.edu. |
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Dear Pinky,
You may have had this question before, but I need an answer urgently and cannot remember. We are a small museum with almost no budget (bet you've heard that one before) but we do want to be as professional as possible. I have heard that wooden exhibit cases can damage art by making some sort of gas. I know I can smell something when I open the cover and I have seen some tin soldiers get white and crunchy stuff around their feet. What is happening? What can I do about it?
Stinky in Smalt
Dear Stinky,
I had to seek out the eggsperts on this one, and we put our beaks together for a shared bit of advice. It seems that almost all wood "off-gases" various fumes including sulphur, formaldehyde, and acetic acid to name but a few. These gases can be corrosive and attack paper, fabrics, and especially metals like lead and zinc. Your white crunchy stuff is an example.
Of course, the best thing to do is avoid the problem and not use cases that use wood anywhere inside the exhibit bonnet or cabinet. This includes pedestals, etc. Glass, most metals and plexi are good materials to use instead. However, you said you were on a small budget and, taking you at your CWAM word of honor, you must be "just plain dirt poor" like the rest of us. So, a cheaper solution is offered.
You might try sealing the wood- several CWAM museums have had good results- eggstraodinary you might say! There is an eggcellent (forgive me one more) foil product out there that can be ironed into place called Marvelseal (you can get it from Talas) that creates a seriously good barrier. By far the easiest and cheapest way to go is paint. Start with two coats of a vapor barrier called Insulaid made by Glidden which is available at your local paint store. Then two coats of good quality water-based emulsion paint on top will finish the job. Don't forget to paint inside pedestals too and any other hidden wooden materials. Let the paint dry completely before closing up the objects inside. Letting your case breathe through a few tiny filtered vents is also wise. Remember, my mother always used to say, "If you can't feather your nest, Insulaid it".
Pinky |
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Do you want to see your advertisement here? If so, all you need to do is become a corporate member of CWAM! For the low price of only $50 you can enjoy all these benefits:
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Discounts on annual meeting booth rental fees -
Discounts on preprinted membership mailing lists -
Free listing on CWAM website -
Ability to advertise in CWAM's quarterly newsletter, Highlights ($25/ad per issue; 10% discount if ads are purchased for a full year - $90 for 4 ads)
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Membership Report
By Brooke Rohde
As of November 2010
Student/Volunteer 25 Individual 164 Institutional 167 Corporate 17 Total Members 373
Memberships by State Colorado Wyoming Other States Student/Volunteer 19 5 1 Individual 103 50 11 Institutional 122 40 5 Corporate 12 1 4 Total Members 256 96 21
You can renew your membership online at
www.coloradomuseums.org or www.wyomingmuseums.org
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Announcements/Job Openings
Fort Laramie National Historic Site now has a new online exhibit. Its part
of a joint partnership with the National Park Service, the University of
Colorado Denver, and CyArk. It can be found at the following web address -
http://archive.cyark.org/fort-laramie-intro
The Animas Museum, Durango, announces the retirement of founding director Robert McDaniel and the hiring of director Carolyn Bowra. Carolyn was most recently lead interpreter for the City of Greeley Museums. With a background in history, museum work, volunteer training and event planning, Carolyn is delighted to be welcoming CWAM to Durango in April. Her organizational skills and delightful sense of humor bode well for the conference.
Andrew Spencer has been hired as the new Education Coordinator at Hiwan Homestead Museum, in Evergreen, Colorado. Andy was formerly the Vice President of Education and Volunteer Services at the Denver Zoo. He replaces Sue Ashbaugh, who retired after 19 1/2 years at Hiwan. |
Events and Exhibits
Please contact each individual museum for more information about events and exhibits; some may have registration requirements or fees.
Cheyenne Frontier Days-Old West Museum
307-778-1424
Nov. 5-mid. Feb. 2011-Roy Kerswill paintings
Cripple Creek District Museum
719-689-2634
Through Jan.1-13th Annual Holiday Headframe Lighting
July 16-Jan.16, 2011-"In the Footsteps of Isabella Bird: Adventures in Twin Time Travel"
Fort Caspar Museum
www.fortcasparwyoming.com
307-235-8462
Through Nov. 2011-"Play Time: Toys from the Museum Collection"
Jan. 8-Family Fun Day, with movie Toy Story
Jan. 22-Lunch and Learn: The Spanish Influenza Epidemic of 1918
Feb. 12-Family Fun Day, An Old-Fashioned Valentine
Golden History Museum
www.GoldenHistoryMuseums.org
303-278-3557
Indefinite-"Golden in Focus: Historic Photo Show and Sale" Hiwan Homestead Museum
720-497-7650
Feb. 14-Valentine's Day Tea
Feb. 19-Thomas Jefferson
Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum
303-277-0377
Through Jan. 29-"Home for the Holidays: Historic Red and Green Quilts"
Steamboat Art Museum
970-870-1755
Dec. 17-April 10-"Work of Artist Jim Norton"
Dec. 18-Night at the Museum-A Fundraising Dinner
University of Wyoming Art Museum
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2010-2011 CWAM Board
Jenny Hankinson, Nominations Chair Sarah Baie, CO State Rep Littleton Museum MCA Denver 6028 S. Gallup Street 1485 Delgany Littleton, CO 80120 Denver, CO 80202 Phone: 303-795-3997 or 3950 Phone: 303-295-7885 Fax: 303-730-9818 Fort Caspar Museum CU Museum of Natural History 4001 Fort Caspar Road UCB 218 Casper, WY 82604 Boulder, Colorado 80309 Phone: 307-235-8462 Phone: 303-492-2198 Fax: 307-235-8464 Fax: 303-492-4195 mbahe@cityofcasperwy.com Christina.Cain@Colorado.EDU Maria Sanchez-Kennedy, Grants Chair Bob Hartzell, Chair , Pueblo City-County Library National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum 100 E. Abriendo Avenue P.O. Box 981 Pueblo, CO 81004 Leadville, CO 80461 Phone: 719-553-0205 ext. 205 Phone: 719-486-1229 Fax: 719-553-0329 Fax: 719-486-3927 Laura Douglas, Conn. to Coll. Liaison Christina Bird, Out-going WY State Rep Education a la Carte Historic Governors' Mansion 3236 Newton Street 300 E. 21st Street Denver, Colorado 80211 Cheyenne, WY 82001 Phone: 303-594-7767 Phone: 307-777-7878 Fax: 303-458-7583 educationalacarte@yahoo.com groth_cm@hotmail.com Erik Mason, Historian/Archivist Juti Winchester, Prof. Dev. Team Leader Longmont Museum & Cultural Center Northwest College 400 Quail Road Longmont, CO 80501 Phone: 307-587-6437 Phone: 303-651-8969 bellsonme@yahoo.com erik.mason@ci.longmont.co.us Erica Garcia Lloyd Tina Hill, Wyoming Legislative Chair Programs/Services Team Leader Wyoming Frontier Prison Colorado Ski and Snowboard Museum 500 West Walnut Street 231 South Frontage Road Rawlins, WY 82301 Vail, CO 81657 Phone: 307-324-4422 Phone: 970-476-1876 Fax: 307-328-4004 wfp@tribcsp.comeglloyd@skimuseum.net Beverly Perkins, Workshop Co-Chair (WY), Andine Hennig, Publications Chair, Website Chair WY Connecting to Collections Institute for Plastination Buffalo Bill Historical Center P.O. Box 24694 720 Sheridan Avenue Denver, CO 80224 Cody, WY 82414 Phone: 720-496-4013 Phone: 307-578-4029 Fax: 866-281-9514 beverlyp@bbhc.org tck.andine@gmail.com
Brooke Rohde, Membership Chair Carl Patterson, M.A.S.T University of Denver, Anthropology Denver Art Museum 2000 E. Asbury, Sturm 146 100 W. 14th Ave. Pkwy. Denver, CO 80208 Denver, CO 80204 Phone: 303-871-2543 Phone: 720-865-5029 JP Cavigelli, Wyoming EMK Andrea Miller, Vice Chair, CO Legislative Chair Tate Museum, Casper College Lakewood's Heritage Center 125 College Drive 801 S. Yarrow Street Casper, Wyoming 82601 Lakewood, CO 80226 Phone: 307-268-2447 Phone: 303-987-7853 Fax: 307-268-3308 andmil@lakewood.org jpcavigelli@caspercollege.edu
Karen McMahon, Marketing Chair, Kat Neilson, Colorado EMK Museum Guide Chair, CO Tourism National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum
InfoZone News Museum @ Rawlings P.O. Box 981 Fay Bisbee, Scholarships Meghan McGinnes, Newsletter Editor National Museum of Wildlife Art Hiwan Homestead Museum P.O. Box 6825, 2820 Rungius Rd 4208 S. Timbervale Dr. Jackson, WY 83002 Evergreen, CO 80439 Phone: 307-732-5420 Phone:720-497-7650 toll-free: 800-313-9553, ext. 420 Fax: 303-670-7746 fbisbee@wildlifeart.org mmcginne@jeffco.us Sarah Ligocki, Wyoming Tourism Betsy Martinson, Annual Meeting Chair Wyoming State Museum 987 1/2 Lookout Mountain Rd 2301 Central Avenue Golden, CO 80401 Cheyenne, WY 82001 Phone: 303-526-0744 Phone: 303-777-7021 Fax: 303-526-0197 sligoc@state.wy.us Betsy.Martinson@ci.denver.co.us
Nathan Doerr, 2011 Program Chair, Rebecca Hunt, Academic Liaison Communications & Marketing Team Leader University of Colorado, Denver Sheridan County Museum Campus Box 182, P.O. Box 3364 850 Sibley Circle Denver, CO 80217-3364 Sheridan, WY 82801 Phone: 303-556-3442 Phone: 307-675-1150 rebecca.hunt@ucdenver.edu Fax: 307-675-1151 Lisa Fujita, Co-op Purchasing Chair Kerri Atter, Workshop Co-Chair (CO) The Science Zone Atter, Inc. Denver, CO 80205 Cathy Osterman, Incoming WY State Rep Jan Postler, Local Arrangements Chair 2011 CFD Old West Museum Animas Museum P.O. Box 2720 P.O. Box 3384 Cheyenne, WY 82003 Durango, CO Phone: 307-778-1410 970-259-2402 |
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