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NEWSLETTER NUMBER 101 / SUMMER 2006 LOWER HUDSON CONFERENCE AWARDS $105,000 STATEWIDE IN MUSEUM CONSERVATION TREATMENT GRANTS FOR 2006 Lower Hudson Conference of Historical Agencies & Museums (LHC) has awarded $105,000 in conservation treatment grants to 30 organizations, in association with the Museum Program of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), a state agency. These re-granted funds will provide treatment by professional conservators to aid in stabilizing, preserving, and making accessible to the public an array of unique objects in collections of museums, historical and cultural organizations- from Lewiston to Long Island, and from Malone to Manhattan. 2006 grants will support conservation of American and European oil paintings- local and regional landscapes, historic and modernist scenes and portraits created in the 19th and 20th centuries; an original gilded period frame and a gilded mirror; works on paper including watercolors, a historic panoramic photograph, illustrated wall maps and a 19th century lithograph. Funds will also conserve turn-of-the-century childrens wicker furniture. A world-wide diversity of objects funded include a 17th century Seneca Indian carved bone comb, 17th century Japanese NIO guardian figures, 19th century hair wreaths, a 20th century African elephant mask from Camaroon, and painted American carousel horses. Textile treatments will be carried out on 19th century bonnets, American and Palestinian wedding dresses, silk racing drivers caps, and signed 19th century needlework samplers. Grant awards are made for prioritized, urgently needed conservation of objects that, once treated, will impact public interpretive programs, exhibitions and education. Non-profit organizations with stewardship responsibility for cultural collections, (but without their own, in-house conservation staff) were eligible applicants; collections owned by state or federal agencies were ineligible for support. Grant funding available for conservation treatment of paintings, works on paper, textiles, furniture, sculpture, ethnographic, historical and decorative objects, also supported accompanying professional treatment of frames, supports, stands and mounts integral to the final presentation of the object, after conservation. A recent evaluation of the initial five years of the Conservation Treatment Grant Program (2000-04) reports that these grants have led to public impact outcomes beyond the actual conservation of museum objects, including:
Lower Hudson Conference received a record 57 grant applications from collections in 27 counties of New York State, requesting an aggregate of nearly $300,000 in grant support. Thirty (30) awards were recommended by a professional peer panel of conservators and curators. Individual 2006 conservation Treatment Grants range from $525 to $7500. LHC ANNUAL MEETING OCTOBER 6, 2006 HONORS CULTURAL HERITAGE AWARDEE Roger Panetta, and 15 REGIONAL RECIPIENTS OF AWARDS TOWARDS EXCELLENCE At its Annual Meeting, Leading History Museums on the Right Track on October 6, 2006, the LHC Board of Trustees will confer the 2006 Cultural Heritage Award to Roger Panetta, in recognition of extraordinary service through education, inspiration and contextual presentation of Hudson Valley history & culture, and its links to the growth of greater metropolitan and suburban New York. Keynote Speaker, Kristen Laise of Heritage Preservation, Washington, D.C., will address results of the national Heritage Health Index study; a Collections Care Field Forum will profile the microcosm of regional and state-wide conservation, funding and training needs for history collections. Following a buffet luncheon and brief business meeting, LHC will honor 15 recipients of the 21st annual Awards Towards Excellence. Lower Hudson Conferences Awards Towards Excellence Program seeks to recognize and commend exceptional efforts among LHC members. Awards are made to projects and organizations that exemplify creativity and professional vision resulting in a contribution to preservation and interpretation of the historic scene, material culture and diversity of the greater Hudson Valley and metropolitan region. We think you'll see that the fall awards recognize the publicly accessible, educational, often innovative work undertaken by museums and heritage organizations pursuing missions that embrace and enhance the 21st century communities in which they reside. They connect their stewardship of the past to communities as narrow as a single Hudson Valley main street, and as broad as the world wide web. They provide the public with tools for deeper investigation and inquiry into the carefully collected objects and archival volumes residing in any one institution. As a group, the awardees exhibit excellence and professionalism in exhibits, public programs, publications, preservation and collaborative efforts between organizations and newly identified community audiences. On every level, the educational value of our cultural heritage products is clear, and their content widely accessible. We encourage you to call these award-winning institutions, speak with their staffs and boards, ask about how the projects and collaborations worked, and how they were funded. Network through their good work to inform your own missions and add your own communities to the list of those making Keeper's Progress. Congratulations to these 2006 Awards Towards Excellence Winners from Greater Hudson Valley-Metro Region Counties of Bronx, Dutchess, Kings, New York, Putnam, Rockland, Ulster and Westchester: BEDFORD HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Bedford, NY (Westchester) for the exhibition and catalog Bustles & Bloomers: A Costume Exhibit, an exhibit that accomplished twin goals, making the Societys costume collection accessible and bringing local history to the public. BRONXVILLE HISTORICAL CONSERVANCY, Bronxville, NY (Westchester) for the publication The Bronxville Journal, Volume 3, an example of keen scholarship devoted to fostering awareness of Bronxvilles architectural, artistic and cultural heritage. CITY OF YONKERS and STEPHEN TILLY, ARCHITECT , Yonkers, NY (Westchester), for the historic preservation publication, Yonkers Historic Design Guidelines, clear, educational, instructive guidelines that serve to improve efforts to preserve historic neighborhoods in Yonkers. DUTCHESS COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, MARIST LIBRARY PARTNERSHIP & SADIE PETERSON DELANY AFRICAN ROOTS LIBRARY, Poughkeepsie, NY (Dutchess) for the educational program, Travel Through Time, a summer program which motivates, educates and helps children aged 12-14 develop a greater sense of pride of place and understanding of local history. THE GRACIE MANSION CONSERVANCY, New York, NY (NY) for the New School Tour Curriculum and Educator Outreach Program, a comprehensive program that expands community engagement and promotes document-based education. HASTINGS HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY (Westchester) for the public education and interpretive program, Museum in the Streets, a unique, illustrated bilingual walking tour and street exhibition using archival materials and presenting them to citizens, school children, and heritage tourists alike in a direct and engaging way. THE HUDSON RIVER MUSEUM, THE KATONAH MUSEUM OF ART, JACOB BURNS FILM CENTER & WESTCHESTER ARTS COUNCIL, Westchester County, NY, for the programming, Celebrate the Suburbs, a collaboration that brought a comprehensive view of suburbia to the Hudson Valley Region, by linking related topics at each of the four collaborating institutions to promote participation in cultural events. The programming ignited a buzz around the area and moved people around the county. THE HUDSON RIVER MUSEUM, Yonkers, NY (Westchester) for the exhibition and catalog, Got Cow? Cattle in American Art, 1820-2000, tracing a populist theme and its relationship to the latest trends in contemporary art. THE HUDSON RIVER MUSEUM, Yonkers, NY (Westchester) for the exhibition and publication, Westchester: The American Suburb. A scholarly addition to the exploration of suburbia, challenging the prevalent notion of a dull, homogenous, sterile environment and offering more nuanced definition by identifying key issues that place suburbs at the intersection of American values and aspirations. THE JUDAICA MUSEUM OF THE HEBREW HOME AT RIVERDALE, Bronx, NY (Bronx) for community documentation, along with Congregation Ohav Sholaum of Inwood, to promote education about, and return to individuals, cultural property (prayer books) brought to the US prior to WWII. NEW YORK TRANSIT MUSEUM, Brooklyn, NY (Kings) for the exhibition TheTriborough Bridge: Robert Moses and the Automobile Age, educationally right on the mark, making a complicated subject accessible to all ages. NYACK PUBLIC LIBRARY, HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF THE NYACKS, and CARL NORDSTROM, Nyack, NY (Rockland) for the book Nyack in Black & White: Race Relations Over Three Centuries, a scholarly documentation of the history of African-Americans in Rockland County, reflecting the county-wide changes in attitude of both blacks and whites. PUTNAM COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY & FOUNDRY SCHOOL MUSEUM, Cold Spring, NY (Putnam) for the publication, The Gilded Age: High Fashion and Society in the Hudson Highlands, 1865-1914, by Curator Trudie Grace. An informative work that offers a fascinating look at local history and womens fashion, while contributing to fashion scholarship on a national level. SOUTHEASTERN NEW YORK LIBRARY RESOURCES COUNCIL, Highland, NY (Ulster) for the website, Hudson River Valley Heritage (www.hrvh.org), a collaborative initiative among libraries and cultural heritage institutions in eight Hudson Valley counties to provide online access to unique historical materials for researchers, students and the general public. ULSTER COUNTY CLERKS OFFICE, Kingston, NY (Ulster) for the curriculum guide, The Builders of Ulster County, A Curriculum on the History of Immigration, a professional and exemplary educational resource full of document-based materials for students, educators and the public. ______________________ Lower Hudson Conference Awarded NYSCA General Operating Support Grant and Renewed Statewide Conservation Treatment Grant Program Funding for 2007 LHC is pleased to announce notification of grant awards from the Museum Program of the New York State Council on the Arts for FY 2007 totaling $145,750. A third year of General Operating Support ($15,750) and a renewed year of re-grant funding ($130,000) for the statewide Conservation Treatment Grant Program that LHC administers for NYSCA. Next year's Conservation Treatment Program funding includes $110,000 to be re-granted to eligible museum applicants across the state, and supports FY '07 program administration as well. These museum service activities are made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State agency. LHC Fiscal Year 2006 will conclude August 31st. As We Prepare To Present A New Strategic Plan at the Annual Meeting & Awards Program October 6th, We Call For Nominations For Awards Towards Excellence, Due August 1st. click here for awards nomination form .pdf. Award categories, eligibility information and a nomination form are found inside this newsletter. Registration information for this year's annual meeting, "Leading History on the Right Track," hosted by the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame in Goshen, N.Y., offers early-bird and discounted member rates. Take the time to make a thoughtful award nomination of a project, exhibition or public program that has taken place between September '05 and September '06, and send it to LHC, along with support materials, by August 1st. Early-bird Annual Meeting registration rates are valid if received before September 1st. New memberships are welcome at all times. click here for Annual Meeting Registration form. Evaluation of the statewide Conservation Treatment Grant Program is concluding, and will be reported at the October 6th Annual Meeting Field Forum on collections care, as seen against a national overview of the Heritage Health Index. Thanks to 80 of our colleagues, supporters, friends, board of trustees and staff for a memorable June evening Friendraiser / Winetaster / Cruise of the glorious Hudson Highlands at Constitution Island. Member Survey Report and Constituent Profile: Plan and Purpose: What we did- As one important facet of LHCs strategic planning this year, the Board and Staff worked with consultant Leni Preston of Preston & Associates, to draft a survey for our members and constituents. In February 2006 an invitation to participate in the survey was e-mailed to some 300 individuals for a web-based response through surveymonkey.com. A direct link to the survey instrument was made available on www.lowerhudsonconference.org, and hard copy survey forms were mailed to the small number of members for whom we had no e-mail addresses, or who requested the fill-in, paper format. Who responded- 125 electronic responses were recorded on surveymonkey.com, which included responses from 5 hard copy surveys received at LHC and then entered on line. Thats a return of better than 41%, so we are confident in the value of our data, and the detailed profile it allows us to draw of LHCs constituents, members, regional reach, services and challenges in the field. Definition- You have defined yourselves and your place in the museum and history field, and you have helped define the challenges ahead for your organizations, for your professional development and for LHCs professional growth. This survey allows us to report back to you and to the field in qualitative quotes as well as useful quantitative data. We think the museums and historical agencies of the Hudson Valley and greater metro New York area, along with their staff and boards, will be recognized as a formidable microcosm of the field in this 100th anniversary year of museums, as celebrated by the American Association of Museums. Challenges to LHC - You want LHC to be the catalyst that offers direct help and brings history, museum and library personnel together to learn from each other as well as from experts who demonstrate standards of the field. You want LHC to facilitate conversation among all those in the field. You want LHC to provide continuing leadership in addressing the needs of New Yorks history keepers. You want LHC to broaden its geographic definition while linking with regional history groups. LHC shares a struggle with regional planners and environmentalists: an unceasing fight to de-isolate the fiefdoms and balkanized districts and foster cooperation, information sharing, learning that builds on others experience and sees the utility of professional training and joined forces to address the stewardship and teaching of our past. member survey respondent. Lower Hudson Conference Member Profile- Who are LHCs individual members? What is their relationship to the history & museum field? Individuals responding to the survey were encouraged to select any/all titles that best described their relationship to history organizations, sites, museums or libraries from among these: Staff person; Active or Former Board member, Volunteer (unpaid), Independent Consultant/ Contractor; or Other. We recognize multiple crossovers, in that Board members are, in effect, Volunteers; Staff might be paid or unpaid, etc. 56% of respondents identified as Staff; 34% as Active Board members (24%) or Former Board members of organizations(10%) 22% as Volunteers (unpaid staff) 19% as present or former LHC trustees 15% as Independent Consultants 14% as Other, including arts administrators, funder, state government agency staff, filmmaker university or graduate program personnel, park manager ,& retired. Staff persons: Looking closer, among those who identify themselves as staff persons: Nearly half of member staff persons are Directors (77% female; 23% male) 37% of whom have been in the field 11-20 years, while 23% have been in the field 6-10 years. Among the group of Directors, it is interesting to note that 26% guide budgets of $100-249,000, while 23% of them guide the largest organizational budgets of over $ 1 million. Only 7% of this group direct the smallest organizations, where many hats are the proverbial work attire. 44% are Directors/Exec. Directors/Site Mgrs 15% are Curators/Collection Mgrs/Registrars 13% are Librarians or Archivists 11% are Trustee Committee Chairperson 6% are Educator or Director of Education 5% are Development Director/ PR Coord. 5% are Historians (govt. or academic) Board Members (Active (24%) and Former (10%)) 34% of our surveys respondents are active or former Board Members of history, museum or library/archival institutions. Of this group, we acknowledge that Board Members fill the role of unpaid staff in the smallest institutions. In fact, 54% of the Board Member respondents are responsible for organizations with operating budgets of less than $50,000! 42% of Active Board Members responding have worked in the field between 6-10 years; 27% for 11-20 years; 11% for than 30 years; and 8% less than 5 yearswhereas, not surprisingly, 36% of Former Board members of history and museum organizations in our membership have been in the field more than 30 years, and 18% of them have been in each of the other categories. 55% of responding trustees are on boards of Historical Societies; 51% self-identified as History Museums; 34.5% are on boards of Libraries or Archives. While our overall survey respondents were 72% Female and 28% Male, it is interesting to note that among active and former board members, the ratio changes to 60% Female and 40% Male. (The latter proportion holds for only one other group of individuals surveyed: those who work in Historic House Museums). The gender gap is closest in respondents representing organizations with the smallest budgets (under $50,000), where 54% are female and 46% male. 46% of individuals from the smallest organizations have worked in the field 6-10 years. These organizations are a springboard for developing professionalism. Board members of these small, all-volunteer organizations clearly benefit from individual LHC membership which connects them directly to the best practices in the field. And, of course, we are aware that some Board Members of history and museum organizations are also Executive Directors, Library Directors and Municipal Historians, etc., and often serve, as well, as unpaid (volunteer) staff at other institutions in their communities. Board Members of LHC (past or present) (19%) LHC enjoys a strong, supportive underpinning guided by our present board of 22 trustees, but also relies on an extraordinary, continuing network of more than 160 individuals who have been trustees of Lower Hudson Conference since our organizations began in 1979. These trustees thread their work and achievements through the field and the region- remaining valued advocates for responsive, collaborative services, and guides in defining our leadership role in supporting the continuum of history & stewardship in 21st century communities. Independent Consultants/ Contractors: (15%) LHCs individual/ Professional Consultant members have identified themselves by the areas of expertise in which they work with historical agencies and museums: 34% are historians/ art or cultural historians/ lecturers, researchers or appraisers 21% are conservation professionals 17% are curatorial or interpretation consultants 13% consult in the areas of governance or staff development 13% are independent architects, landscape, graphic or web designers, or filmmakers 4% are consultants in development, fundraising or grants writing As a group, 30% of responding independent consultants have been in the field 6-10 years; 26% for 11-20 years, 20% for 20-30 years, 16% for more than 30 years, and not surprisingly only 7% of independent consultants responding have been in the field less than 5 years. How long have LHC members been in the field? LHC individual members are mid-career professionals. 30% 6-10 years 26% 11-20 years 20% 20-30 years 16% more than 30 years 7% less than 5 years Giving Voice to the Next Generation: LHC is determined to connect with and give voice to the newest members of the museum and history community- those directly out of graduate training, or entering museum work from other professions such as teaching, marketing or community involvement. We plan to do this by initiating collaborations with colleges and museum studies programs, through electronic discussion forums and by creating new affiliate groups much like the Hudson Valley Museum Educators Roundtable. What Kinds of Organizations Belong to LHC? LHCs organizational members are overwhelmingly history organizations: museums, historical societies, historic sites and historic house museums, self-described (all that apply) as follows: 31% History Museum 28% Library or Archive 26% Historical Society 25% Historic House Museum 21% Other: artists club, arts council, cemetery, conservation lab, farm, film company, gallery, government archive, graduate school, religious landmark institution, school district archives, science museum, state agency, state historic site, state park, theatre, zoo, 11% Specialty Museum 9% Art Museum 8% Preservation Organization 7% Hudson Valley Regional Organization LHC member and constituent organizations are found throughout the entire Hudson Valley and greater metropolitan New York region: Organizational members of Lower Hudson Conference are found in 20 counties of the Hudson Valley and greater metro New York, reaching from Staten Island and Long Island, north to the capitol district; embracing the entire Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, & enhancing historic communities well beyond the river, from the Catskills eastward to Connecticut. Theres nothing merely lower about Lower Hudson Conference organizations- and there never really was. If anything, LHC has come to represent a greater regional constituency as a network defined by common work and mission that drive shared values of preservation, education and interpretation for public audiences. Heres a geographic profile of these cultural heritage organizations, by county: 20% Westchester 12% Orange 10% Dutchess 10% Ulster 10% New York (Manhattan) 7% Rockland 5% Putnam 4% Columbia 4% Nassau 4% Bronx 2% Albany 2% Kings (Brooklyn) 2% Connecticut 1% Greene 1% Sullivan 1% Rensselaer 1% Richmond (Staten Island) 1% Suffolk 1% Other NYS: Erie 1% Other NYS: Otsego Geographic Profile of Historic Sites Responding: 28% Dutchess 18% Westchester 11% Rockland 11% NYC (Manhattan. Brooklyn, Bronx) 7% Ulster 7% Putnam 7% Columbia 4% Orange Geographic Profile of Historic House Museums Responding: Note: 19% NYC = 7% Manhattan; 7% Brooklyn; 5% Bronx. (see graph) Organizational Operating Budgets: LHC organizations represent the full gamut of budget sizes, and are, in fact, as evenly distributed according to operating budget as American museums, generally . (National museum budget figures from AAMs Museum News, May/June 2006; www.aam-us.org ) 36.3% of respondents have operating budgets of $0 - $99,000 26.5% Under $50,000 (all-volunteer) 9.8% $50 - $99,000 33.3% have operating budgets of $100 - $499,000 LHC: 56% Under 200,000 20.6% $100 - $249,000 *AAM: 44% Under $200,000 12.7% $250 - $499,000 *AAM: 24% $200 - $499,000 30.4% have operating budgets of $500 - $1 million +LHC: 10.8% $500 - $999,000 19.6% $1 million + *AAM: 10% $500 - $999,000 10.8% $500 - $999,000 LHC: 19.6% $1 mil + *AAM: 19% $1mil - $9 mil Your view of LHCs Work: The top choices, among all that apply- 84% of respondents view LHC as a provider of professional services 42% as a regional networking organization 40% as an advocate for history and museums And your impression of LHC today? We are buoyed by your tremendous response: 47% Very Positive 42% Positive 10% Neutral .8% Negative (1) 0% Very Negative LHC Membership Offers Participation and Peer Interaction: LHC members are active participants in their own professional development, engaging in programs individually, on behalf of museums, and through dialogue with LHC staff and colleagues in the field. Heres how you account for your impression of our organization: 73% Based on Participation in a Program, Meeting, or Workshop 71% Based on Personal Interaction with LHC Staff 39% Based on Professional Publications 23% Based on Personal Interaction with LHC Board Members 18% Based on Word of Mouth 10% Based on other: Networking over the phone, What our volunteers tell us who interact with you; at your annual meeting; I have always received assistance and support. Hands-on training and person-to-person connection also weighed heavily in your top reasons for joining LHC as members: 66% joined because of workshops and professional development programs 52% joined for networking in the field 33% joined for access to consultant services and recommendations. The Word: How Constituents Receive Information About LHC and its Programs: 85% from mailings, including the LHC Newsletter 75% from e-mailings 24% from the LHC website: www.lowerhudsonconference.org 22% from colleagues in your organization, in the field or in the community 6% from other sources. Although the LHC Newsletter is published quarterly both in print and on-line on our website, you overwhelmingly prefer to read the printed/mailed version over the web version (which actually contains more, expanded information and classified listings) by 5-to-1. The majority of respondents would prefer to receive the newsletter, announcements and resource information by e-mail, or in multiple (print and e-mail) formats. While the cost of printing and mailing 1000 eight-to-twelve page newsletters quarterly is a financial challenge, we do plan increased and expanded electronic communications with constituents and as a benefit of membership. Your Review of LHCs Programs and Services to date: I. Handling History: Excellent- an ideal model plus great workshop setup; Great Hands-On Training!; Useful, practical information; very strong presentation; LHCs workshops provided me with most of my basic museum studies training; a wonderful introduction to a topic I knew little about.-anonymous respondents. 29% of overall survey respondents weighed-in on their evaluation of Handling History programs. Of these, over 94% were pro, with 2 negative comments (5%) concerning inconvenience of location and ambivalence about a particular workshop speaker. LHC Handling History workshops were created in 1994, and have been recognized through important grant support from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the National Park Service (NPS) and the New York State Library Conservation/Preservation program. These are hands-on programs for mid-level professionals. Most museum and history organization staff who find themselves responsible for collections and buildings in historic communities have expertisebut not necessarily in the particular area of art, history or culture they now steward. A changing faculty of professional curators, conservators, educators and experts demonstrate handling practices that reflect current standards of the field, at host sites where particular collections, exhibits and even storage areas provide a working stage for tackling physical and policy issues for history holdings. II. Technical Assistance: provides direct, responsive help to you, either on-site or off-site. LHCs TA visit was a good wake-up call that moved us into the strategic and long range planning process; Excellent staff input; great suggestions which we took! Technical Assistance makes a difference to organizations, according to active board members of organizations responding who engaged with LHC and benefited from it. (53% of board members surveyed represent organizations with budgets of under $50,000.) 65% responded they had engaged LHC TA on site; 34% had TA off-site: at LHCs office, via e-mail, or over the phone The majority of my experience with using LHCs services comes in the form of telephone conversations with staff. I have found the staff to be approachable and knowledgeable with my inquiries; Very Useful; provided guidance and support to help a small museum within a larger organization focus attention on the collection; (LHC) spent the day and provided a detailed report for our organizations consideration. LHC members make good use of a variety of Technical Assistance formats that respond to their needs, including site visits, assessments, policy reviews, facilitated board discussion, meeting with staff and volunteers, evaluation of collections, preservation & archival practices, consultant recommendations or providing grants information, planning or design resources. 96% reported a positive experience with technical assistance; one respondent (4%) was neutral about an experience with a consultant LHC recommended for TA. III. Annual Meeting & Awards Towards Excellence: LHCs October Annual Meeting is seen by members as a great networking opportunity. The networking is great; The program includes enough information to keep it stimulating, and the socializing with colleagues is enjoyable. 94% surveyed were pro, commenting: always interesting; always encouraging, inspiring; always useful; affordable; dynamic and engaging and very well-organized; a great networking and recognition event. 5% suggested that we beef up the content, shorten the awards presentation portion (or otherwise eliminate the boredom quotient) and enlarge the audience so that more people from more organizations will hear the excellent speakers. This year the October 6, 2006 Annual Meeting, Keeping History on the Right Track, will be held at the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame in Goshen, New York (Orange County). Adjacent to Goshens Historic Track, the outstanding, accredited and award-winning LHC member museum is full of surprises and offers meeting participants examples of model interpretation, traveling exhibitions and collections care. Tours of the museum will be offered at the close of the awards portion of the program. (see www.lowerhudsonconference.org ). IV. Documentary Heritage Program: Archival beginnings for history repositories. Helpful to put first project steps into perspective; validating our system, while suggesting incremental improvements; absolutely needed. 14% of survey respondents commented on Hudson Valley DHP services, having benefited from workshops, site visits and all manner of archival assistance coordinated by Dianne Macpherson with regional archivist Erica Blumenfeld. Specific workshops sited took place in Brewster, Kingston, Ellenville, New Paltz, Newburgh and New City. One respondent complained that there was no convenient location offered (and probably had not requested a free site visit); all others held a pro view of the DHP services that LHC administers for the New York State Archives. LHCs Hudson Valley Documentary Heritage Program serves history keepers & repositories of all kinds (libraries, historical societies, government historians and records offices, archives and museums) in eight counties: Ulster, Sullivan, Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Greene, Dutchess and Columbia. (Due to founding state legislation, Westchester County repositories are served by METROs DHP in New York City.) V. Museum Educators Roundtable: Informal exchanges since 2002. A Great Model; I was amazed to see the interest among this branch of the profession. My favorite workshops are the museum educator workshops- everyone seems so up-beat, the information is great and the networking super! Museum educators cited as outstanding programs those on One Room School Houses, the NYS Social Studies Curriculum Standards, Good Guides, and The American Revolution in the Hudson Valley. Finding Hudson Valley Museum Educators Roundtables very useful; informative and helpful for networking; and a very positive experience. The roundtables were assessed to be a great model. LHCs HVMER participants have come from as far away as Syracuse, New Jersey and Connecticut. To date LHC has engaged over 60 individual museum educators in roundtable programs and in a separate detailed survey, that soundly recognized and acknowledged the wide range of expertise and educational backgrounds in this group of self-motivated young professionals among their museum historic site colleagues. VI. Stone Strategies: Documentation and Conservation of Historic Cemeteries. I refer to the materials and information frequently and recommend this workshop whenever possible. I am waiting to take the next one offered. The workshop was very good, and I used the skills I learned. In 2003 LHC created and has since presented a series of full-day field workshops called Stone Strategies at partner community sites around the state: in Newburgh (Orange Co.), Brewster (Putnam Co.), East Fishkill/Hopewell Junction (Dutchess Co.), Churchtown (Columbia Co.), Troy/Lansingburg (Rensselaer Co.) and upstate in Morrisonville (Madison Co.) and Potsdam (St. Lawrence Co.). Stone Strategies programs are co-sponsored by member organizations, by historians and historical societies, but also co-sponsored by local county and community preservation commissions, bicentennial commissions, and historic religious institutions, with support as well from foundations such as the Fund for Columbia County of the Berkshire-Taconic Community Foundation. LHCs DHP archivists offer presentations on legal issues and access to cemetery records; local historians give case studies on their work in neighboring historic cemetery projects, and Conservator C.R. Jones of the New York State Historical Association, Cooperstown, presents a visual lecture, identifies materials and styles, and takes the workshop participants (a group of 3550) on afternoon cemetery walk-throughs during which hands-on demonstrations of cleaning, repairing, identification techniques and conservation strategizing take place. VII. Conservation Treatment Grant Program: A statewide program LHC administers for the Museum Program of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). a formidable presence among your services for collecting institutions; a vital program; an accessible grant program; The grants we received were extremely helpful in raising grants and gifts from private sources. Additional information about the Conservation Treatment Grant Program, guidelines, application form and lists of past grants (2000-2005) can be found on the LHC website: www.lowerhudsonconference.org. A professional evaluation of this five year old grant program is being completed this year, and will be reported to LHCs membership and to the state at the LHC Annual Meeting, October 6, 2006. Programs and Collaborations you would participate in: (top choices) 61% Collections Management (e.g. access, care & handling, emergency preparedness,) 55% Community Heritage Projects (e.g. cemetery workshops; street signage) 49% Site Matters (e.g. facilities, landscape and building preservation/maintenance) 46% Exhibit Design and Fabrication 46% Hudson Valley Regional Programs 42% Advertising/PR/Marketing (including tourism and community relations) 40% Educational Collaboration (e.g. teacher training, exchange or materials development) 33% Thematic Research & Interpretation 27% Professional Mentorships 25% Internet Programming and Services 17% Advocacy Projects (including collaborative ads) Looking by organizational budget size, here are the programs and services of top priority to LHC organizational members: Budget $0-$50,000 I. Collections Management II. Advertising/PR/Marketing III. Community Heritage Programs IV. Exhibition Design & Fabrication Budget $50-$99,000 I. Collections Management II. Community Heritage Programs III. Site Matters / Educational Collaboration IV. Hudson Valley Regional Programs / Thematic Research & Interpretation Budget $100-$249,000 I. Community Heritage Programs II. Collections Management III. Site Matters IV. Advertising/PR/Marketing Budget $250-$499,000 I. Site Matters II. Community Heritage Programs III. Collections Management IV. Exhibition Design & Fabrication Budget $500-$999,000 I. Collections Management II. Exhibition Design & Fabrication III. Hudson Valley Regional Programs IV. Site Matters Budget $1 million + I. Exhibition Design & Fabrication II. Collections Management III. Educational Collaboration IV. Hudson Valley Regional Programs I think that professional development meetings and workshops are key to the success of a service organization. survey respondent. Other programs, services, collaborations or partnerships you would like LHC to provide include: Programs on financial administration, legal, accounting and insurance topics; fund-raising and grants management; how to formulate a comprehensive game plan Board training for leadership; On-site Board education programs; advocacy Collaborative efforts among libraries and historical societies who often have complementary collections, but different ways of handling them. Collaboration with NYS Historical Records Advisory Board and the Commissioners Advisory Council of Local Historians; Training for municipal historians County-wide collaborations for physical & virtual collections access. Informal Exchanges; Brown-Bag lunches with well-defined topics The Greatest Challenges facing your organizations today: 27% Private Funding 21% Care and Management of Collections 19% Public Funding 11% Need for Trained Personnel 8% Creating Awareness of programs in the community 7% Need for Facilities/ Space 4% Preservation of Historic Buildings 2% Access to collections & facilities Emergency Preparedness Competition for Audience 1% Updating Technology Greatest Challenge Second Greatest Challenge I. Need for Facilities/Space I. Care and Management of Collections II. Public (Gov.) Funding II. Creating Community Awareness III. Need for Trained Personnel III. Preservation of Historic Buildings IV. Private Funding IV.Updating Technology Not only is our museum pressed for space, but there is also a critical need for proper maintenance and funding for repairs and updates to current buildings. Other challenges faced by your organizations: You report challenges in the areas of Public Relations and Audience/Community Awareness; in Long-Range Planning for sustainability; Getting out the story; Teaching the public, and especially children, that culture is important; the interpretation of history; Affordable services for small NYC organizations; Integrating technology with our present work is a challenge; how do we evaluate accuracy and reliability of what is available? Awareness by the general public of the importance to preserve our historical objects. Greatest Challenges you perceive to be facing LHC today: 27% Sustainable funding support 22% Awareness of programs & services 12% Ability to create & project a distinct Identity 9% Participation by traditional constituents AND new audiences 8% Location of programs 5% Updating communications technology ; Need for administrative & program space; Fundraising & membership development 2% Staffing & Leadership Respondents cited the challenge of integrating all facets of the history community; furthering professional connectivity; making progress in enhancing cultural values through education preservation & interpretation; and building awareness of the work of the field among public audiences. We would like your feedback on our survey summary, and will incorporate your continuing comments and suggestions into the final draft of our strategic plan, which we expect to debut at the LHC annual meeting October 6, 2006. Thanks to all the individuals who took the member survey, and for your very thoughtful responses. Tema Harnik Executive Director Lower Hudson Conference _________________________________________ CALENDAR OF OPPORTUNITY, GRANTS, MEETINGS & WORKSHOPS JULY Deadline: Call for Papers, 2007 Small Museum Association Conference (Feb. 26-28). Deadline: IMLS Museum Grants for African-American History & Culture. www.imls.gov. 15 Deadline: Applications for Sept. 26-29 Museum Institute at Sagamore. $350. Contact info@upstatehistory.org; www.upstatehistory.org. Deadline: NEH grants to preserve and create access to Humanities Collections. www.neh.gov Patriot's Weekend: 225th Anniversary of the American Revolution in New York and Washington & Rochambeau in New York, celebrated at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, Cross River (Westchester). Teaching the Hudson Valley Summer Institute: 20th Century Decisions/ 21st Century Choices. The Valley We Live In/The Valley We Leave Behind, at the Wallace Center, FDR Library and Museum, Hyde Park (Dutchess). $90/3 days. 845-229-9116, ext 35; rova_teachingthehudsonvalley@nps.gov.
AUGUST Deadline, Nominations for LHC 2006 Awards Towards Excellence 1 Westchester Arts Council Arts Partner Challenge Grants information and application Workshop at The Arts Exchange, White Plains, 3 pm. 914-428-4220, ext 278. Workshop at the Rye Free Reading Room, Rye, 4 pm. 914-428-4220, ext 278. Workshop at the Sullivan County Museum, Hurleyville, 2 pm. 914-428-4220, ext 278. Sixth Annual Daniel Nimham PowWow at Putnam County Veterans Memorial Park, Kent. 21 DHP Workshop: MARC Format for Historical Records; 9:30-1:30; Ellenville Public Library & Museum, Ellenville (Ulster); $5. Register: Dianne Macpherson/LHC: lowerhudson@msn.com Patriot's Weekend II: 225th Anniversary of Washington & Rochambeau in New York: The March to Victory- Crossing at King's Ferry (Verplank,); Verplank (Westchester) to Stony Point and Suffern (Rockland). For information: www.hudsonrivervalley.org. Stone Strategies Workshop II: Documentation and Conservation of Historic Cemeteries. Morrisville, Madison County. For information: lowerhudson@msn.com; 914-592-6726.
SEPTEMBER New York State Library Conservation & Preservation of Library Research Materials' grant writing and information workshop, 1-4pm, American Bible Society, NYC. Info: Gretchen Smith, Division of Library Development, New York State Library: 518-473-1734; AASLH (American Association for State & Local History) Annual Meeting, Phoenix, AZ; 14-16 10th Annual Salve Regina University Conference on Cultural and Historic Preservation: "Ritual Spaces & Places: Memory and Commemoration in 19th century America." Newport, Rhode Island. www.salve.edu/heritage/annaulconference/index.cfm; for information, contact 21 New York State Library Conservation & Preservation of Library Research Materials' grant writing and information workshop, 1-4pm, Capital District Library Council, Albany. Info: Gretchen Smith, Division of Library Development, New York State Library: 518-473-1734; gsmith3@mail.nysed.gov. For Directions: www.cdlc.org/About_CDLC/directions.shtml. 26-29 Museum Institute at Sagamore: Public Dimension of Museums. info@upstatehistory.org. Council of Community Services of NYS (CCSNYS) Museum Board Empowerment Training, 3 sessions (9-12; 1-4; 5:30-8:30) $15/session, at Philipsburg Manor, Sleepy Hollow. Contact Andrew Marietta, amarietta@ccsnys.org. Deadline, Westchester Arts Council- Arts Partner Challenge Grants for Sullivan, Westchester, Orange and Putnam County organizations. jschroth@westarts.com. FALL HIGHLIGHTS FOR NETWORKING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: 2006 Museum Institute at Sagamore: The Public Dimension of Museums, Sept. 26-29. The goal of this year's institute is to provide participants with the tools to examine their museum's connections to community and audience through public programs of all types. Participants will gain an understanding of current learning theories and learn about a variety of best practices in museums through case studies and discussions. We will explore family learning, programs for teen-agers, the use of storytelling and museum theater, program evaluation and collaboration.
Beginning in 1998, the Museum Institute at Sagamore has brought together New York's museum professionals with a diverse group of presenters including George Hein, Tufts University; planning consultant Dorothy Chen-Courtin; Lynn Dierking of the Institute for Learning Innovation; Elaine Gurian; historian and exhibition developer Christopher Clarke, and other noted museum professionals. The Institute is held at Great Camp Sagamore in the Adirondacks, a National Historic Landmark that provides a unique setting for learning and reflection. To request an electronic copy of an application, please email Linda Norris, Institute co-director, at Linda@upstatehistory.org, or call the Upstate History Alliance office: 800-895-1648. Applications are due July 15, 2006. The cost of the Institute, including all lodging, meals and program materials is $350. GO! Grants for professional advancement are available for professional development opportunities. The Institute is made possible, in part, by support from the Museum Program of the New York State Council on the Arts. Museum Board Empowerment Training, September 29 (Philipsburg Manor, Sleepy Hollow, Westchester) and October 11 (Albany Institute of History and Art, Albany). Sponsored by the Council of Community Services of New York State (CCSNYS), three-part board training workshops will be offered around the state for trustees and directors of museums and historical societies. These new workshops address roles and responsibilities, strategic planning issues and financial accountability issues. Information is available from amarietta@ccsnys.org. LHC Annual Meeting and Awards Towards Excellence Program: "Leading History on the Right Track," October 6, 2006, 9:30 – 3:30, at the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame, Goshen, NY (Orange County). Early Bird Registration to be received before September 1st. See registration information and awards nomination forms. MAAM (Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums) Annual Conference: "Bridging Communities" at the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott Hotel, Brooklyn, NY. October 22-24. www.maam.org. RESOURCES FOR HISTORY KEEPERS IN PRINT AND ON LINE: IMLS Grants for African-American History and Culture. Grants of between $5000 and $150,000 are available for 2007 from this new program of the Institute for Museum and Library Services. Contact senior program officer Christopher Reich, creich@imls.gov; 202-653-4685 to discuss your project, or go to www.imls.gov/applicants/grants/AfricanAmerican.shtm Grants.gov: is a federal website for organizations to electronically find and apply for competitive grant opportunities from all 26 federal grant-making agencies. www.grants.gov/GetStarted requires preliminary registration on line, preferably at least two weeks before grant deadline. You need a grants.gov user ID and a password, obtained during the registration process. The Technical Brief: "Preparation and Use of Historic Structure Reports" is available from the National Park Service Technical Preservation Services division: www.cr.nps.gov/nps/tps. MLN Museum Loan Network Directory of Early American Art has added 500 early American portraits to www.loanet.mit.edu. Contact MLN (loanet@mit.edu; 617-252-1888) for a password to view these works and 16,000 more objects of art and cultural heritage available for loan from museums throughout the U.S. MLN has also launched a new website: Collecting Stories/Connecting Objects, in a museum-community initiative designed to engage communities in cataloguing by connecting oral histories with cultural objects. The new website provides a toolkit, demonstration projects and additional on-line resources: http://loanet.mit.edu. The Regional Alliance for Preservation (RAP), a national network of conservation and preservation nonprofits, has launched a new website- www.PreserveCollections.org- that includes specialized bibliographies to answer common collections care concerns, and other resources and information on training and educational opportunities. Emergency Preparedness and Response Resources: Historic Preservation, FEMA and the NEA have collaborated to publish Before & After Disasters: Federal Funding for Cultural Institutions, a 32 page booklet you can order free from FEMA Distribution Center (call 1-800-480-2520) or read in .pdf version at www.heritageemergency.org. Heritage Preservation's website, www.heritagepreservation.org, offers information on 15 federal grant and loan programs to help cultural institutions and historic sites prepare for and recover from disasters. These programs help nonprofit arts centers, archives, conservation & historic preservation organizations, historical societies, historic sites, libraries, museums and theaters, among other groups. Up to 50 copies can be ordered free from FEMA publications office (Publication #533). NEDCC (Northeast Document Conservation Center) and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners have developed a new dPlan—a free, online program to help institutions write comprehensive disaster plans. The dPlan program provides easy-to-use templates that allow museums of all sizes to develop a customized plan with checklists, salvage priorities, preventive maintenance schedules, contact information for personnel, insurance and IT help, and a list of emergency supplies and services. It can serve the needs of small museums without in-house preservation staff, museum systems that need to develop separate but related plans for multiple buildings and state agencies structuring training programs on disaster planning. Once completed, each instituion's passwork-protected plan is stored on a secure server. An automatic e-mail is sent every six months with a reminder to update the plan. See the program and an introductory demo at www.dplan.org. New in 2005: 4th edition of The Emergency Response and Salvage Wheel, with a new section on electronic records. Also available in Spanish from Heritage Preservation. MAP- Museum Assessment Program, a confidential process of self-study, peer review and implementation, supported through a cooperative agreement between AAM and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), has announced 2006 awards including 48 Institutional Assessments, 33 Collections Management assessments, 28 Public Dimension and 7 in Governance. 44 museums have been placed on a waiting list. 46 of this year's 116 MAP participants are from museums with annual operating budgets of less than $125,000. For the first time, these museums will participate in MAP for free. Others will have a small share of the cost, ranging from $350-$750. All participants have their Surveyor travel expenses and their Surveyor honorarium covered by AAM. At the end of their assessment, participants will receive a resource packet valued at $150 from the AAM Bookstore.
CAP- Conservation Assessment Program: is a program for small to mid sized museums, providing a general assessment of collections, environmental conditions and historic buildings by a conservator. Changes in 2006 will allow more museums to participate and will streamline the application process (still first-come, first-served). Following the assessment, the conservation assessor provides a written report recommending priorities to improve collections care. The report can help in long range planning, fund-raising and education of Board and staff. If the museum has a building over 50 years of age, CAP offers architectural assessment to identify priorities for the care of the building(s). For application information see: www.heritagepreservation.org. Applications are accepted in order received, up to postmark deadline of December 1st. 202-233-0832.
FOLKS IN THE FIELD:
Marlana Cook has been appointed Chief Registrar at the West Point Museum, USMA, (Orange), the oldest federal army museum in the nation.
Deborah Meyer DeWan, former director of Scenic Hudson's Riverfront Communities Program, is Community Preservation Specialist for Hudson River Heritage, Rhinebeck (Dutchess) to advance preservation goals for the Hudson River National Historic Landmark District.
Kim Iorio of Cortlandt Manor (Westchester), a recent graduate of Lake Forest College in history and Spanish, is LHC's summer management intern, supported by a grant from the Corporate Community Jobs Project (CCJP).
Upstate History Alliance Director Linda Norris has announced her departure from the service organization as of January 1, 2007, in order to devote full time to her consulting practice.
Eric Roth, Archivist/Librarian and since April Interim Director, has been named Executive Director of the Huguenot Historical Society, New Paltz (Ulster). The site has recently been re-named "Historic Huguenot Street: Where an American Story Unfolds."
MAAM has announced the departure of Executive Director John Suau, and the transition to new management under Graham Hauck of Hauck & Associates, Washington, DC. _______________________________________________________ ___________________________ Do you or your organization have news of personnel changes and/or Board development to broadcast to your colleagues? Please send it to LHC and we will help introduce new folks in the field to the Lower Hudson Conference community. E-mail: lowerhudson@msn.com.
HISTORY on the RIGHT TRACK:
The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) pilot performance management program for 2007 offers surveys to assess visitor satisfaction in historic house museums and museum education programs. Applications are available in January and June. Contact Cherie Cook, Project Director, 316-721-9956; cook@aaslh.org.
The Historical Society of the Town of Warwick (O) announced this spring that the Adonijah Morehouse Homestead and Barn were listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The property is adjacent to the previously listed Col. John Hathorn House. Using a locally administered Purchase of Development Rights Program, the hillside field viewshed from these two properties, located on a largely unchanged stretch of the colonial "Kings Highway," has been protected from development, as well. The town has so far preserved for future generations nearly 1,200 acres of historic farmstead land using this local and state funded program. For information, Sue Gardner, info@warwickhistoricalsociety.org.
Manitoga, The Russel Wright Center, in Garrison (P) has been designated a National Historic Landmark. It is one of few modern 20th century sites so recognized by the Department of the Interior. For information, see www.russelwrightcenter.org.
Anniversaries for History: Merchant's House Museum (NY) has achieved "70 years of preservation & education" as an historic house open to the public. Congratulations to the Town of Somers and the Somers Historical Society (W) on the dedication of the Elephant Hotel as a National Historic Landmark, and on the 50th anniversary of the historical society. The |