Meet Virgil the VAM Gnome!

Virgil Visits the Science Museum of Virginia

Virgil is a history buff, and art aficionado, and a part-time lawn ornament (especially when visiting botanical gardens)! When he isn’t lounging around, Virgil is traveling the globe – or at least Virginia. Virgil’s passion for traveling is unmatched. There isn’t a place he won’t go to. In addition, Virgil’s bravado is awe-inspiring and he’s never met a stranger who didn’t become his friend.

Due largely in-part to Virgil’s inspirational personality, he has been appointed VAM’s newest travel buddy. This means he’ll be joining the rest of the VAM staff at various functions throughout the state, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for him whenever you’re at a VAM related workshop, meeting, or conference.

Virgil Visits Chihuly at the VMFA

So if you see Virgil at an event, be sure to say “Hi!” and maybe even snap a picture with him. Just remember: no short jokes (Virgil hates those!).

Want the gnome to visit your neck of the woods? Contact VAM if you are interested in hosting a workshop, a member networking event, or an emergency preparedness meeting.

Grateful for Amazing Friends

As we hurl headlong into the final hour of The Amazing Raise, Richmond's 36-hour giving challenge, we at VAM are so grateful for all the support we've seen in the past day and a half. Our Circuit Riders program supports conservation efforts throughout Virginia and DC, many times at the smallest and most vulnerable collecting institutions. As the Heritage Health Index Report points out, 50% of US collecting institutions do not have a written, long-range plan for the care of the collection; and nearly 80% of archaeological collections are in unknown condition or in need. We know that you understand the importance of collections care and conservation, and we thank you for trusting us to be good stewards of your donations.

For those of you who may still be considering whether, or how much, to give, please consider the following:

• Circuit Rider sites do not have to pay for the Circuit Rider visit. We'd like to keep it that way.
• We are currently funding 10 Circuit Rider visits per year through an IMLS Connecting to Collections Statewide Implementation grant. When the grant period is over, the visits will end without your support.
• Each Circuit Rider visit costs $500, which covers the cost of sending an archivist and a curator to a site visit at a collecting institution, and provides the institution with their written report to help the organization's leadership set priorities for collections care.
• The Circuit Rider program addresses many of the same stewardship areas as the American Association for State and Local History’s StEPs program and is based on the American Association of Museum’s Collections Stewardship Assessment Program (CSMAP) and Heritage Preservation’s Conservation Assessment Program (CAP); consequently, participating in Circuit Riders can help collecting institutions prepare to pursue the StEPS program or determine your readiness for a more comprehensive CSMAP or CAP. 
• Circuit Riders helps small collecting institutions develop preliminary strategies for improving collections care by identifying and prioritizing actions to implement improvements.

Plus, your gift is tax deductible and supports conservation throughout Virginia and Washington, DC.
If you make a tax-deductible gift of $50 or more, VAM will send a coupon code (via email) good for $25 off of conference 2013 registration. Conference 2013 will be held at The Homestead from March 9 - 12th. The Homestead is generously offering conference-goers the super-low room rate of $95 a night.

So as we head into the final "Procrastinator's Hour" of The Amazing Raise, we thank those of you who have already shown your support, and we ask the rest of our fantastic friends to consider giving if you can. Give online by 6pm at VAM's Amazing Raise Donation Site.

WWII Memorial Garden a Victory for Cross-Curricular Integration, STEM learning, Physical Education, Nature Education, and Health Education!

National D-Day Memorial Victory Garden Project Produces Much More than Vegetables

“Wow, are we lucky today!” chirped a little girl embracing a bulging bag of green beans.  Her companion had just husked an ear of corn, and the pair beamed as they bounced through the gate of W. E. Stevens Family Victory Garden at the National D-Day Memorial.  A few weeks earlier, they and their fellow gardeners had filled a wheelbarrow with tender, new ears.  After that, they picked bags of zucchini, squash, green peppers, and tomatoes.   

The Memorial’s sixth season of victory gardening is drawing to a close and one thing is very clear: this garden has produced much more than vegetables.  The concept of using a victory garden as a teaching tool took shape in 2007.   Throughout the war years, families, individuals, and groups had planted gardens similar to the Memorial’s Victory Garden, thereby reducing homefront pressure on the food chain and making more commercially grown food available to the frontlines.  Often, victory gardens were cooperative efforts, planted and maintained by churches, clubs, neighborhoods, small businesses, and students at school.  If the food they grew helped satisfy a basic physical need, the physical effort they spent growing it helped satisfy a basic emotional need to participate actively in the battle against the Axis.  Persuaded that the Memorial would serve as a good backdrop for present-day victory gardeners to experience the same sort of satisfaction, the National D-Day Memorial decided to find a way to create one.

 

Following so many historical examples, the Stevens Garden came into existence as a result of a cooperative effort.  Dedicated in March 2007 in tribute to a Bedford farming family and their D-Day-veteran twin sons, this project has engaged a dozen different agencies and organizations from both the public and private sectors.  The Bedford Cooperative Extension Service and 4-H provide gardening and ecology lesson plans, as well as hundreds of volunteer hours from tilling through harvest.  Assisted by members of the Kiwanis Club of Bedford, the Bedford Master Gardeners present a range of garden-based craft activities to young gardeners each week from March to August.  Countless other agencies have provided financial support and supplies. 

The most satisfying part of the project is watching would-be gardeners, many of whom have never held a spade, break ground in the spring and then continue to plant, weed, and harvest in the coming months.  The victory gardeners discover what conditions and care plants need to grow well, and they also learn the details of garden design.  After lessons about soil, composting, mulch, and garden tools, they are ready for a trip to the greenhouse to pick out their plants. The youngsters’ anticipation is palpable and their excitement contagious as they plant everything from corn, tomatoes, green beans and strawberries to marigolds, herbs, and a host of other flowers and vegetables. 

The children visit the garden weekly to weed, water, and learn more about historical gardens and ecology through activities and crafts. The lessons, ample and varied, range from recognizing beneficial insects and birds to distinguishing a weed from a vegetable.  In the process, they make birdhouses, stepping stones, and memory boxes. They pick flower and herb bouquets to give to loved ones, learn how to prepare the vegetables they raise, and of course, each week they take home the harvest to share with their families.

They take home other things, too.  A sense of teamwork soon appears, as older children help younger ones and sharing becomes commonplace. Friendships form between young gardeners and adult volunteers.  Jokes are shared around tomato plants; impromptu games of hide-and-seek between the corn rows break out.  New discoveries abound: watermelons hiding beneath giant green leaves (“We forgot one!” comes a small voice from across the garden), corn silk sprouting (“Look, it’s like hair!”). New attitudes show themselves, too: motivation, curiosity, a sense of pride and ownership. How else does one account for an 8-year-old victory gardener traipsing around in 100 degree heat to pick four strawberries and a bouquet of lemon grass?

The Victory Garden Program concludes each year in August with an end-of-season picnic, featuring foods grown in the Victory Garden.  People gather to recognize the hard work that goes into the project, reflect on what has been gained, and to celebrate the success of their combined efforts.  The Memorial’s garden won a national award in 2008 for being one of the best youth gardening programs in the country.

World War II ended in 1945, but the victory garden, as a vehicle for discovery, has immediacy still. 

Nutritious food, outdoor exercise, increased self-confidence, teamwork, ecological awareness, the wonder of watching a seed become a foot-long carrot − those are the products of the National D-Day Memorial’s Victory garden.  Remembered by those youngsters and perhaps, in due time, refreshed and enriched in garden plots of their own, those experiences will continue to bear fruit long after the season’s soil is turned under in the Memorial’s Victory Garden. The value on a harvest like that is beyond measure.

by April Cheek-Messier
Vice-President for Operations and Education
National D-Day Memorial

 

Day 4 – Drewry’s Bluff, Richmond battlefields and a fond farewell

I must confess, after three chock-a-block days I was dragging a mite when I picked everyone up at the Linden Row Inn this morning.  But we had a LOT to see and only one day left before my gentlemen left me.  To complicate matters, the weather forecast was for severe thunderstorms later in the day, so we got right on the road to our first stop, Drewry’s Bluff.

This is one of my favorite Civil War sites in the area – or maybe of anywhere.  If you have not made the trek, you should do so.  (And it is a bit of a hike, but very easy.)  The earthworks are awesome, and they have done an incredible job of making you feel like you were there for this very important battle that stopped the Union naval advance on Richmond.  Did you know that the Monitor was part of the naval group that sailed up the James that May of 1862?  I didn’t.

Following the very clear directions given me by the battlefield visitor center, we started out to cover all of the battle sites of the 1862 Seven Days Battles and the 1864 Peninsula Campaign.  In a hurry to get to Cold Harbor as the storm clouds gathered, we zipped by Chickahominy Bluff and Beaver Dam Creek.  We checked in at the Cold Harbor visitor center, saw the movie and grabbed a map.  There were two tour groups outside content to listen to their guides and just stare at the battlefield.  Hah! Not us.  We set out across a field toward the tree line, and spent an hour walking the trails and stopping to read about the battle’s ebb and flow.  Tip #14:  Don’t forget insect repellent if you are going to be doing any hiking.  Trust me on this one.

With that number one goal out of the way, we back-tracked to the Garthwright House which is privately owned – they do have a parking area and a trail, but you are cautioned not to trespass near the house.  Next stop was Gaines Mill (Watt’s House), then on past the site of the Grapevine Bridge and past Fair Oaks to search for the site of the famous Seven Pines battle.  We followed the directions into and out of Sandston, turned around and went back, drove around for a while and finally pulled over to check the maps – where was it??  This was a MAJOR battle but all we found was the cemetery.  It slowly dawned on us that we were basically on the battlefield – Sandston had been created on top of it.  It was an ahah! moment in the case for battlefield preservation.

Lunch was fried bologna burgers at the Sandston Grill and Treasure House, and thanks to Mary for the wonderful treat.  Tip # 15:  Seek out the local places and avoid the fast food chains for a real appreciation of the character of small towns.  Revitalized, we headed back along the NPS battlefield route.  We drove through White Oak Swamp to our next stop, the newly opened Glendale/Malvern Visitor Center at Frayser’s Farm.  It featured another one of those fascinating topographical maps with the lights indicating the various troop movements while a narration is given, as well as many interesting exhibits.  So interesting, in fact, that we lingered a bit too long and the storm clouds were darkening the sky as we left.

Too bad – according to the signage, the Malvern Hill battlefield is one of the most perfectly preserved battlefields in the US.  We were itching to hike the 1 ½ mile trail when the clouds opened up and it started pouring rain.  A race to the car and we were reluctantly on to the next stop, the Fort Harrison Visitor Center (with brief pullovers at Battery IV and Fort Hoke).

The rain was coming down pretty hard when we pulled into the Fort Harrison parking lot.  We scrounged for jackets and umbrellas and decided to wait to see if it would abate somewhat.  Then suddenly Henry opened the car door and yelled out “Come on!  Let’s go!”  Russ and I immediately obeyed and started running in the torrential downpour.  Poor Brad got locked in the car and had to be rescued by Russ, then he got drenched as well.  Safe under the shelter of the porch, we peeled off our wet outerwear as the sun broke through.  If we had only waited.  Tip #16:  If you think you might get caught by rain, in addition to umbrellas it’s a good idea to pack some dry clothes.  Unfortunately, we didn’t.  So we squeaked and dripped as we walked around.

Later, it was Russ who pointed out how that mad dash somehow helped explain why Civil War soldiers on both sides would doggedly obey their commanders or whoever picked up a dropped flag and yelled “Forward!” into a line of blistering fire.  We knew the smart thing was to wait in the car, yet when Henry rallied us…… 

The lonely gent on duty at the NPS Fort Harrison visitor center (it was late afternoon and we were his only visitors that day) could not have been nicer or more helpful.  We watched the orientation video, viewed the exhibits and then walked around the perimeter of the fort slowly drying out in the sunshine.  It proved to be a short respite, however, as the dark clouds began forming once again as we headed back to Richmond.

For our final cap to the tour, I drove by the site of the old Robt. E. Lee Camp for Confederate Veterans (now the site of the Virginia Historical Society, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and United Daughters of the Confederacy).  I pointed out the old Home for Confederate Ladies (VMFA’s Pauley Center and now also home to the VAM offices) and the Confederate Chapel, then drove along Monument Avenue for a parting wave to the stone generals.  Exhausted and thirsty, we headed back to the Capital Ale House for rest and libations.

When the time came to say our final goodbyes, I was truly sad to see the adventure end.  Over the past four days, I had seen sights in Richmond that I had always meant to visit but just hadn’t gotten around to – and I was so grateful for the opportunity to see them with such fine, interesting, fun, smart, witty, generous, thoughtful, and noble gentlemen.  Sometimes it really takes seeing things through another’s eyes to bring home the richness around you.  My final tip:   Carpe diem.  Don’t put it off – invite someone to visit and explore with you this summer!  Life really is too short – and the Civil War Sesquicentennial provides the perfect opportunity to invite friends and family to Virginia.

Day 3 – The Monitor (or how to make grown men giddy as schoolgirls!)

While I was putting in some needed office time, my guys went back down to Dinwiddie to finish their tour of Pamplin Park.  They were most interested in the fortifications, earthworks, redans and redoubts (what the heck are those??) and the soldiers’ encampment.  We met back up at noon and headed east toward Newport News and The Mariners’ Museum, where I had a special treat waiting for them (see Tip #5 – it pays to know people!).

After lunch at another famous Virginia eatery (Pierce’s BBQ by Williamsburg), we arrived and were ushered into the Monitor Center area by Dr. Anna Holloway, the Archer M. Huntington Chair for the Study of Maritime History at The Mariners’ Museum (prize awarded for the longest title ever).   She personally gave us a tour of the conservation lab where the Monitor is being carefully conserved – in pieces.

The Monitor lab is a huge facility – it has to be, because many of the pieces themselves are huge.  We were in luck because they had just drained the tank that held the Monitor’s engine (only done twice a year) so we were able to get a VERY up-close and personal look at this incredible machine.  Tip # 11:  Make sure you all have cameras – you never know when an opportunity for a unique shot will arise.  I’m so used to not being able to take pictures in museums, this was truly an opportunity not to be missed. 

Conservators Eric Nordgren and Will Hoffmann were very generous with their time and explained the various processes to us as we moved from tub to vat to tank.  Anna helped us to get a sense of what each piece was and where it had been placed on the Monitor.  This may seem strange to say about heavy metal, but many of the objects were works of art and it was just plain awesome to see them in various stages of coming back to life.

The highlight was when we were allowed to climb the side of the giant tank that holds the Monitor’s turret.  I was the last one up, and when I got to the small platform where Brad and Russ were standing agape they didn’t even notice or offer me a hand.  But when I saw the look on Russ’s face I was so tickled I didn’t bother giving him a hard time.  Talk about lit up like a kid at Christmas!  His hands were shaking so, I thought he would drop his camera in the water.  Tip #12:  If you can arrange a special experience, it will create memories for a lifetime.

On the second floor of the lab, we saw something truly unique – a coat that had been a wadded-up mess in the wreck that had been carefully reconstructed.  They are hoping to be able to put it on display soon, so look for it the next time you visit The Mariners’!

We finished our visit by touring the Monitor exhibits and other exhibits at The Mariners’.    Having seen the actual thing up close and personal, it was fascinating to see the recreation of the crew’s and captain’s quarters, the turret the way it was found and the way it would look new, and to walk out on the life-size model. 

We made it back to the security desk and out of the building literally as they were closing the doors.  All of the way back to Richmond my guys were chattering away and going over what they had seen.  Lots of “ooh, remember the….” and “holy cow did you see the…….” and “wasn’t the …..amazing?!!”.  Tip #13:  If you drive, your visitors can concentrate on the experience.  Half of the fun is recounting the adventure!

Our pick for dinner this evening was the new restaurant at Davis & Main Streets, “Mint”, owned and operated by the same folks that created one of my favorite restaurants in Richmond – Julep’s.  Locavore southern cuisine meets casual, it was the perfect spot to rehash the day’s highlights.

Tomorrow – on to Richmond!  Our intrepid group tours the Richmond area battlefields.

Day 2 of the 2012 Terrier Campaign – weather changes our plans

Wednesday, May 30 dawned with a pretty nasty forecast of rain and thunderstorms.  Our original plan was to spend the day doing the Richmond battlefields – both 1862 Seven Days Battles and the 1864 Overland Campaign – but discretion being the better part of valor we opted for a day inside a car and museums.  The trip to Appomattox was to be the end of our tour (fittingly), but got bumped up in the plan.  Tip #7:  Be flexible and have a back-up plan with a mixture of indoor and outdoor activities.  And pack umbrellas!

The new Museum of the Confederacy branch museum is just off of US 460 – a very easy find with plenty of parking.  It’s a beautiful building and the exhibits are top notch (kudos to Riggs Ward Design and EXPLUS).  It was a busy place when we got there – several school groups and odds and ends of tourists (we being the odd bunch).  I was particularly fascinated by the flag exhibit (“Colors of the Gray”) which explained the evolution of the Confederate flag and distinctions between various battle flags, as well as the flag in popular culture.

I was trying to get my little group back on the road to keep to our schedule, but Brad convinced me to go listen to a first-person interpreter who held visitors enthralled with his demonstration of the things a soldier carried (although I do not believe for a minute that - tooth powder and horsehair toothbrush notwithstanding - they had better teeth back then than we do).  Tip #8:  Don’t miss the human element – it’s worth the time to listen!  The gentleman was most convincing and had the kids in the group fascinated by his descriptions of the life of an ordinary soldier.  He had some of the adults itching to get their hands on the artifacts, too….. 

Our next stop was the NPS Appomattox Court House site where Lee surrendered to Grant.  The visitor center provided a great introduction to the site, and with exhibits both up and downstairs.  Another first person interpretation program was about to begin and we waited to see how this one would be.  Unfortunately, we decided to disobey Tip #8 as the program was going to be a long one and quite frankly we were hungry.  Instead, we sought out the McLean House which seemed a humble spot for such a momentous occurrence.  The rangers on duty were very patient and knowledgeable as we peppered them with questions. 

But the rain had stopped and the day was just beautiful, with grassy lawns and lanes, white picket fences, big old trees and a few well-preserved town buildings.  It was well past lunchtime and we found a quiet spot by the cemetery for a picnic lunch.  Tip #9:  In Virginia, the best fried chicken is served up at gas stations.  My guys didn’t believe me at first, but the chicken at Natour’s (just past the intersection with US 460) was fresh out of the fryer and oh-so-tasty!

We were now in a race against time as we headed back down US 460 to Petersburg and Pamplin Park’s National Museum of the Civil War Soldier.  One of Dinwiddie County’s finest reminded us that it is inadvisable to try to make up time on the highway – but he let us off with a warning when he saw the car was jammed with Civil War brochures, maps and picnic gear as well as four obvious tourists (I wonder if VTC has asked troopers to go easy on CW visitors??)   Tip #10:  It’s tempting to try to “see everything”, but be realistic about time and distance.

We arrived at Pamplin just a half hour before closing, with only enough time to take a quick look around before heading to the Petersburg National Battlefield.  Luckily, we made it to the Eastern Front Visitor Center before they closed (another stamp!) and the park itself was open until dusk.   It was quiet and still, with hardly any other visitors as we drove from fort to fort, many just vague outlines of what had been.  We ended at the site of the bloody Crater battle.  Dusk was settling in, and the mood was eerie …. spectral.  The engineering aspects of the tunnel dug under the Confederate lines was fascinating, but the thought of so much carnage was unsettling.  We all were pretty quiet as we walked around the site – except for the rather heated debate on whether the black specks in the distance were cows or bears.  Turns out they were turkeys – very fitting.   Time to head back to Richmond.

The day ended at another of my favorite eateries, Penny Lane Pub on Franklin at 5^th Street.  The Civil War theme was temporarily abandoned in favor of Liverpool and the Fabulous Four, fish & chips and steak & Guinness pie.

Tomorrow - it's on to Newport News and the Monitor Center!

Hey! We’re coming to Virginia to tour Civil War stuff, can you show us around?

With the Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War in full swing, I imagine many of you are hearing this from family and friends.  I want to share with you some ideas for showing off our wonderful museums and historic sites while showing your visitors a great time!

My adventure began at my recent high school reunion, when classmates that I would not have pegged for Civil War buffs started talking to me about Virginia’s many CW sites.  I invited them to visit, and lo and behold this past week they took me up on the offer!  Tip #1:  Don’t offer unless you are serious – these CW aficionados WILL jump at the opportunity!  Since my favorite thing in the world is visiting museums and historic sites, and my immediate family run when they see that gleam in my eye, I was excited.

My three friends only had a few days to spend in Richmond and wanted to focus on the Richmond battlefields, particularly the 1862 Seven Days Battle sites.  After many emails and tentative itineraries vetted, we arrived at a plan of action that would include Richmond museums and battlefields, Petersburg battlefields, the new Appomattox Museum of the Confederacy outpost and McLean House NPS site, and added at the last moment – the Monitor Center at the Mariners’ Museum in Newport News.  A bit off the main trail but one of my friends had a fascination with the Monitor that dated to childhood so we managed to squeeze it in.  Tip #2:  If you are going to try to “do it all”, plan a couple of days’ bed rest after you are done.  You will be exhausted!

They were to arrive late on Monday.  I was delighted to find rooms for them at the Linden Row Inn in downtown Richmond, because it has a connection to Civil War history (some were owned by Confederate soldiers).  The Inn staff kindly let me stock the rooms with cold local beer and bags of Bugles (get it?) to welcome them.  The next morning I picked them up and we began what I had dubbed the 2012 Terrier Campaign (after our high school’s mascot). 

First stop was the Richmond Battlefield Visitor Center, run by the National Park Service, located at Tredegar on the James River.  We saw the orientation film, perused the exhibits, and gathered brochures and maps.  BTW they have an incredible topographical map model with lights to explain the different battles and army lines.  Tip #3:  Be sure to ask for suggestions and directions from the Park Service staff.  We got some fine advice from the rangers and they gave me turn-by-turn directions for setting out on the battlefield trail.

My gentlemen:  Russ Ragsdale (Fort Collins, CO), Brad Bain (Kansas City, MO) and Henry Granberry (Nashville, TN)

Next of course we advanced on the American Civil War Center at Tredegar.  This great museum is organized to examine the full impact and import of the Civil War on our nation from three perspectives: the Union, the Home (South), and Freedom (the African American experience).   What amazed me is that while we all four walked through the displays relatively together, and read all the panels, we each came away with tidbits that the others had missed – so the museum experience was extended over lunch as we compared notes.  I’m not sure that P.G. T. Beauregard had anything to do with it, but keeping with our theme I took them to Beauregard’s Thai room at 103 E. Cary St. (no surprise to those who know me – I LOVE that place).  Tip #4:  Be sure to factor in plenty of food, whether at restaurant stops or stocking the car with cookies, candy, snacks and bottled water.  After all, an army travels on its stomach!

After a stop to look at the site of Libby Prison (between Dock and E. Cary St. , S. 20^th to 21^st St.) we made our way to the Museum of the Confederacy and the White House.  I had not visited in a while and was blown away by the degree to which VCU Medical Center has swallowed up that part of Court End.  You have to REALLY want to find it – bless them for making all kinds of signage to guide visitors.  We were met by dear friend Eric App, Director of Museum Operations for a brief orientation before we toured the exhitibits and White House.  He in turn connected us with Cathy Wright, Collections Manager and flag guru, who gave us a wonderful tour of the flag storage area.  This was particularly special as one of my gentlemen had brought a flag purported to be a Confederate battle flag he had purchase from some scurrilous antique dealer.  Alas, it was not to be.  But, as Eric said so tactfully “It IS a flag.”  Just not from the Civil War.  Tip #5:  It pays to know people.  Eric and Cathy made our visit so incredibly special, and they were so generous with their time and expertise.  My tip #5 ½ is to get more involved with VAM and get your networking mojo going!

Our final stop of the day was to visit the site of the Civil War Chimborazo Hospital complex and the medical museum there, also an NPS site.  Over 75,000 patients went through Chimborazo during the course of the war.  They had great exhibits about medicine during the Civil War and the hospitals in Richmond (Chimborazo, as huge as it was, was not even the largest – Richmond became quite the hospital complex during the war). My favorite exhibit was on advances in medicine contributed by the Confederate doctors.  The NPS staff was helpful, friendly and very informative.  Tip # 6:  If you don't have one, get an NPS Passport book to collect stamps - it adds a bit of fun.  It was 5pm at the end of a long day, however, so we let them close up and just like soldiers on leave headed for respite at the nearest public house (Capital Ale House in this case). 

Check back tomorrow for more adventures in Virginia history tourism!

Tips for Top 10 Nominees - 2012

Hello! If you are reading this, you may be considering whether to nominate an artifact to Virginia's Top 10 Endangered Artifacts 2012. Nomination forms will be online from June 1st - June 15th, so don't miss out on this opportunity to be a part of this award-winning program! Here are just a few tips for nominees that might help you get inspired to make this a winning year for conservation at your institution!

ENGAGEMENT = INTEREST = INCREASED DONORS AND FUNDING!

• Utilize social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest) to encourage voting within all constituencies (employees, visitors, donors, board).
• Promote voting via all communications vehicles: website, email blasts, newsletters, blogs, facility signage, direct mail, etc .
• Create a handout that directs people to vote.
• Post a YouTube video to website and Facebook.
• Talk about voting at meetings, in classes, and at special events.
• Host a function – vote in person, $10/vote/offers chance for “conversation around conservation.”
• Identify national story trends, anniversaries, events that relate to your item – for publicity, or just a way to call attention to
your item and the need.
• Create a special interest group for fundraising and a measurement tool (thermometer) for informing your constituencies
about fundraising progress for the object. Post everywhere.
• Sponsor a quarterly “Top 10” contest displaying potential nominees for next year; $10/vote, executed through Facebook or
on your website.
• Develop a special acknowledgement for the donor(s) who pay for conservation of the item, with certificate or other
item…great hook for media coverage as a follow up.
• Report on item conservation. Show progress reports online, in person at your museum, showing conservation at work.
• Develop an event themed around your particular item, held on a significant date for the item.
• Think about gift shop opportunities: Create a mouse pad, t-shirt on your artifact. Proceeds go to conserving it. Give this
item to donors who give more than a certain amount.
• Display your item at community events (if possible; if not, display photos).
• Find opportunities to bring the item into educational venues.
• Keep your donors informed!
• Develop a special appeal for donors and include this in as many outreach areas as possible.

We hope to see your nomination soon!

Open Space Workshop & Free-Flowing Formats

Unfortunately, I missed being a fly on the wall at yesterday's Open Space Workshop at the Virginia Historical Society in Richmond (sadly, I had succumbed a stomach bug, thanks to my loving children). One attendee responded that this was the most helpful workshop he had ever attended. NICE! Rather than following a set agenda and positioning experts at the front of the classroom with attendees playing a more passive role, this format was much more free-flowing and interactive. More work on the part of the attendees, for sure, but also more engaging and, well, social (for lack of a better term). These days, networking meetups and "open" concept professional development help to blur the line between networking and professional development. Indeed, do we need to make a sharp distinction? Both professional networking and skill development are critical to a healthy and vibrant career, after all.

Have you been involved in a recent networking group, meetup, or professional development experience that you have found energizing to both your career network and your career knowledge? If so, we'd love to hear about it here! As for VAM, I don't think we've seen the last of "Open Space" workshops! 

*Note: our generous facilitators, Melissa and Jim York, FoxHedge LTD, donated their time for our recent workshop. Thank you Melissa and Jim!

 - Heather

Observations from VAM's VCU Work-Study Students

The American Civil War Center at Tredegar and Virginia Historical Society provide detailed, yet different, views of the American Civil War. The Virginia Historical Society specifically examines battles and historical figures while the American Civil War Center analyzes the effects of the war on the Union, the Confederacy, and African-Americans. The Virginia Historical Society makes the viewer aware that the American Civil War was not solely about slavery. The exhibit focuses on important people that influenced and events that occurred during the war. The information provided is thorough and can easily keep attendees occupied for a large sum of hours. Visitors are certain to be engaged while browsing the exhibit thanks to the multiple means of interaction present throughout the building. There are “lift and reveal” plaques disclosing interesting facts, an area where visitors are able to wear costumes from different eras, and audio/video aids placed about the museum.

The American Civil War views the impact on both sides (Union and Confederate) as well as how African-Americans were affected. These three viewpoints presented by the exhibit allow vistors to better empathize with each individual group. The amount of information available at The American Civil War Center is staggering. Two floors hold countless facts about the war that stretch around the room in a circular fashion. If historical architecture is of interest, a visit here could prove worthwhile as the exhibit consists of the remaining buildings from the old ironworks site.

Both the American Civil War Center and the Virginia Historical Society do an excellent job at showcasing the American Civil War. Both provide fascinating details of the war. The best decision for anyone, regardless of his/her knowledge of American history, would be to attend both sites. For more information about either site, please visit their websites at http://www.tredegar.org/ & http://www.vahistorical.org/

Ready or Not....

Below are three videos that comprise the Ready or Not... session from the VAM 2012 Annual Conference. The speakers were Mike Henry, Site Administrator, Fairfax County Park Authority; Tracy Gillespie, Historic Site Supervisor, Aldie Mill Historical Park / Mt. Zion Historical Park/ Gilbert's Corner Regional Park: Properties of Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority; Scott Harris, Director, James Monroe Museum; Doug Harvey, Director, Lynchburg Museum System; Robin Reed, Executive Director, National D-Day Memorial Museum.

The session description goes a little something like this: Change is a constant. Managing change in new situations and positions requires skill, flexibility and adaptability. Panel members (no strangers to change) will share what new challenges they encountered and what lessons they learned as they managed the mutable aspects of museum careers. Thinking about a job change or maybe heading in a new direction? This session will help you get ready.

We hope you enjoy this little freebie from #VAM2012. We hope you consider joining us for #VAM2013 at The Homestead, where we'll all be treated to a room rate of just $95 a night! We can't wait! :)

KIDS CARING ABOUT COLLECTIONS-- PART 2

“I’m melting again!”  “I’m stuck in sediments.”  “Yeah, I FINALLY metamorphosed.”  These are just a few of the comments heard one day from the eight students in the Kids Caring About Collections (KCC) program at the Virginia Living Museum as they went through a Rock Cycle activity.

The mission of the Virginia Living Museum is to educate and  Deer Park ES wanted the students to learn about career opportunities, so when the KCC program was being developed we crafted it to have two aspects- work in the collections and short fun informational mini-classes every other week, dealing with different aspects of geology and careers in geology.  I enlisted the help of the educators and volunteers with background in geology to become the presenters.  The Rock Cycle activity mentioned above was one of these mini-classeses.  After a brief introduction by Education Associate Betsy Wolin, the students became rocks.  Rolling a special die they moved through stations representing stages of the rock cycle.  Along the way they collected beads to record their journey.  It was one of their favorite activities and introduced them to the different types of rocks they would be rehousing.

Another favorite topic for kids is paleontology (dinosaurs and fossils).  Judy Molnar, a Education Associate, has spent three summers in Montana with the VA Museum of Natural History digging dinosaur bones.  Her slide show, detailing the steps in finding, extracting and packing dinosaur bones really captured the attention of the students.  Although this group was not working on fossils, we wanted them to see what kind of cool things you could do in the field of geology.

Roseann Carlson, a geology professor and VLM volunteer added to their store of knowledge about geology and geologic careers. She taught them about sedimentary rocks, what education you need to become a geologist and related some of the experiences she has had working in many aspects of geology over her distinguished career as a geologist.

To introduce the students to the importance of minerals in their lives we gave them magnifying glasses and hardness test kits to learn about some of the properties of minerals. We also set up a display of minerals and a display of everyday things that are made from minerals.  We had them try to match the mineral to its product.  Many of the students were surprised to find minerals in their toothpaste, cold lozenges and baby powder.

Capping off the mini-classes was a spirited competition between the boys and girls in a game of Geology Concentration.  The students had to match the name of a scientist working in a geology career with a card that said what that scientist did. (Ex. Astrogeologist matches the cards “Studies and creates maps for other bodies in the solar system”.). This game, designed by Susan Summers a Education Associate at the museum, introduced them to eight different careers in geology, many of which they thought would be really fun to do.

By the end of the program the students had increased their knowledge of rocks, minerals, fossils, and careers in geology. They also walked away with a better understanding of what the VLM collects, why we collect and how we take care of our collections.  This program connected them to the collection and gave them ownership.  In return the students rehoused the contents of 51 drawers of rocks and minerals, replacing 738 acidic boxes with acid free boxes.  In addition they noted discrepancies, objects with no catalog card and even found one object that had been listed as “missing”!

For these eight students, geology stepped out of the text book and into their hands. They left with comments like “The VLM is very fun”, “This class was a great learning experience” “Its vary helpful! I love it. really much! (sic) and “I think this is the best enrichment, I love it.” According to the kids in the program, “Rocks Rock!”

Jody Ullmann
Collections Manager (aka, Queen of the Dead)
Virginia Living Museum
Newport News, VA
www.thevlm.org

KIDS CARING ABOUT COLLECTIONS (PART 1 OF 2)

A recent webinar stated that in order to get recognition and money for the things museum collections need, people need to feel connected to the collections.  Here at the Virginia Living Museum, the live collection takes center stage and few know that we even have a non-living collection as well.  Hidden away behind closed doors, with limited access by the public, makes us invisible and we were missing out on connecting with people in the same way that our live collection can.  After all, it’s hard to compete with warm, cute and fuzzy animals.
The local environmental science magnet elementary school, Deer Park ES, contacted the museum looking for ways to connect the kids to the museum and have them learn about job opportunities in the museum field.  Here was the perfect opportunity to connect these kids to a collection that they were going to be studying in school- rocks and minerals.  So the idea of Kids Caring About Collections was born. 

Every Wednesday a group of eight fifth graders enthusiastically leave their school and walk the two blocks to the Virginia Living Museum to work in the museum as part of this program. Combining learning with work, the students arrive about 9:30 and have a short lesson then they work for the next 20 minutes rehousing the geology collection in a classroom near the Collections storage area. They carefully remove all of the boxes of specimens, determine what size acid free box they will need and then carefully move the contents of the box from the old box to the new one, making sure that they also move all labels and tags in the box.  This may seem scary to most Collections Managers, but these kids are hand-picked from many kids that apply for this opportunity. We also insisted that the school provide two adult volunteers.

With our staff and the teacher, that ends up being one adult for every two students, a great ratio. While the students are rehousing the objects, they are also learning about the rocks and minerals, where they can be found and sometimes even that they have unique properties.  At the end, I ask them to tell me about their favorite rock or mineral or to look up an exotic place they have never heard of that was listed on a tag. Among their favorites was purple and yellow fluorite, the green malachite and the sparkling Herkimer diamonds.

"Before"

"After"

Jody Ullmann
Collections Manager (aka, Queen of the Dead)
Virginia Living Museum
Newport News, VA
www.thevlm.org

A Message from AAM Ahead of Museums Advocacy Day

We are using this space to pass along the following message from AAM. We hope to see you next week in D.C.!

Museums Advocacy Day 2012 Webcast
The American Association of Museums will be webcasting portions of the two-day event. We invite you to visit http://www.speakupformuseums.org/video.htm to watch a LIVE webcast of these Museums Advocacy Day events:

• Monday, February 27, 9:00am-11:30am ET – Advocacy Essentials
• Monday, February 27, 12:30pm-2:00pm ET – Federal Agency Speakers
• Monday, February 27, approximately 6:45pm-7:30pm ET – Congressional Reception**
• Tuesday, February 28, approximately 8:15am-9:30am ET – Congressional Breakfast

We hope that these programs – and the accompanying materials on this webpage – will provide your members and colleagues an opportunity to advocate from anywhere. We also invite you to join the conversation on social media channels (using the #museumsadvocacy hashtag).

With your help, we can make Museums Advocacy Day 2012 a truly national event.
**As of this writing, technical issues may prohibit our live streaming the Congressional Reception.

American Association of Museums
1575 Eye Street NW, Suite 400 | Washington DC 20005
www.aam-us.org

A Video Snippet in Case You Missed It!

#vamadvocacy