Thursday, December 2, 2010

Small Museum of the Month: Blount Mansion

Blount Mansion

Visiting Information: Open Tuesday- Saturday, 9:30 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. (Closed December 18-February 15, except by appointment)
 
Why we're great:
Blount Mansion was the home of William Blount, a signer of the U.S. Constitution, governor of the Territory of the United States South of the River Ohio, and one of Tennessee’s first Senators. Blount Mansion served as a capital of the Territory and Tennessee for a portion of time and is the only National Historic Landmark in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tours of the property include the Mansion, the reconstructed kitchen, and the Governor’s Office. With a full-time staff of two and regular volunteers numbering around six, it’s not uncommon to receive a tour from the Director or Education Coordinator (who attempt to be highly knowledgeable of the site, despite only being on staff for six months) or see them running around campus fixing plumbing, selling parking spaces for home football games, or attempting to set up an exhibit due to open in five minutes.

Contact: Ashleigh Oatts, Education Coordinator (865-525-2375, educationcoordinator@blountmansion.org)
 
Blount Mansion Association
200 W. Hill Ave.
PO Box 1703
Knoxville, TN 37901-1703

(865)525-2375
(888)654-0016 (toll-free)

Employment Opportunities

Executive Director
John F. Peto Studio Museum
The newly created John F. Peto Studio Museum seeks a dynamic, proactive, collaborative candidate for a full-time, year round Executive Director position. The Museum, located in the historic town of Island Heights, New Jersey, is the recently restored home and studio of the renowned American 19th century still life painter, John Frederick Peto. The mission is to preserve the legacy of John F. Peto by creating and maintaining his studio as a working museum.  The emphasis will be on fostering educational opportunities in the arts, while serving as a partner in the community. This is a unique and exciting opportunity for the qualified professional to help build the Museum from its infancy to a national level stature.
The Executive Director, reporting to the Board of Trustees, is responsible for the successful leadership and management of the Museum according to the strategic direction set by the Board of Trustees.
Principal Duties:
Understanding the need to multi-task in today’s museum world, the Executive Director will have a hands-on role in many facets of the Museum’s operations. The principal duties of the Executive Director include:
  • Lead the Museum in the achievement of its mission and vision by exercising strong management skills, including the supervision of staff and volunteers.
  • Initiate, develop and secure diverse funding and grant sources and maintain relationships with current donors and funding organizations.
  • Oversee overall operations of the Museum including: staff management, volunteer management, policy decisions, and facility management.
  • Work with Board of Trustees to establish goals, policy, strategy and budget
  • Develop a strong volunteer core by recruiting, training and supervising volunteers.
  • Oversee the conservation, exhibition, housing and growth of the Museum’s collections.
  • Manage the Museum’s public relations and communication plan, including advertising strategy, newsletter, web-site and promotional materials.
  • Represent the museum to the public and professional organizations.
  • Travel regionally to expand the Museum’s profile and opportunities.
  • Other appropriate duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
  • Professional training in museum leadership, education, or a related field with a minimum of a baccalaureate degree; master’s degree preferred.
  • Significant experience in a leadership position in a successful organization.
  • A successful and demonstrated track record of fund-raising is highly desirable.
  • An understanding of operations, goal setting, strategic planning, program development, project management, marketing, and personnel management both volunteer and paid staff.
  • Demonstrated financial management skills: administration of funds according to budget, bookkeeping and accounting procedures.
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills required.
  • A demonstrated capacity to engage the community and to facilitate the Museum’s role as an integral part of the community.
  • Ability to work effectively with a variety of stakeholders.
  • Ability to work independently and assume direct responsibility for complex tasks.
  • Physical requirements: Ability to climb stairs-the museum is a restored 2 ½ story historic house without an elevator. Willing and able to move and unpack boxes of artifacts, antiques and small pieces of furniture to set up the Museum.
  • Willing to travel as required to represent the Museum.
Application Submission-Deadline: December 31, 2010
Anticipated start date February 2011. Review of applications will begin on January 3, 2011 and will continue until the position is filled
Application Materials to Include:
  • Cover letter to address: comparable work life and/or life experience and past success, interest in the mission of the museum and fund-raising capacity
  • Current resume
  • Three professional references with contact details
  • Salary requirements
  • Any additional supportive materials
Application materials should be sent by mail or electronically to:
Executive Director Search Committee
John F. Peto Studio Museum
PO Box 1022
Island Heights, NJ  08732
petomuseum@comcast.net
All applications will be treated confidentially until finalists are identified
An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Organization

11/28/2010

November 5, 2010

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Paid Summer Internships at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
Positions for Summer 2011 are in the Art Library, Asian Art, Education, Modern and Contemporary Art, Public Relations, Registration, and Technical Production.
The internship consists of ten, 40-hour weeks from May 27 – August 4, 2011.  Interns earn $11.25 per hour (less taxes) and are paid bi-weekly. Interns are responsible for their own housing (the Museum will assist with locating nearby rentals).
Candidates must be graduating seniors or current graduate students. International students must have a current US Visa and be eligible to work in the US.  The positions require fingerprinting.  The Museum encourages students from all backgrounds to apply and is committed to a culturally diverse group.
Position descriptions and the application are available on at http://www.ringling.org/Opportunities.aspx.
The application deadline is March 1, 2011.
Located on a 66-acre estate on Sarasota Bay, The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is the State Art Museum of Florida. The Museum of Art offers 21 galleries of European paintings as well as Cypriot antiquities, Asian art, American paintings, and contemporary art. The campus also includes Cà d’Zan, the Ringling historic mansion; the Circus Museum; the Tibbals Learning Center; and The Historic Asolo Theater.  As a division of Florida State University, the Ringling estate is one of the largest university museum complexes in the nation.
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Site Name and Address: Purdue University – Department of Agricultural Communication – West Lafayette, IN
Position Title: Exhibit Specialist
Educational Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Technology, Industrial Design, Visual Design, or related field.
Experience Required: Two years experience in exhibit design, fabrication, and installation.    
Position Description: The exhibit specialist is instrumental in all aspects of the department's traveling exhibit program. The exhibit specialist, working as part of a team, is responsible for design, fabrication and installation of museum quality exhibits for the Ag Comm Exhibit Design Center at various locations locally, across the state, and nationally. Develop, design, fabricate and install two and three dimensional educational exhibits from small portable tabletop displays to very large museum exhibits.
Other pertinent information: A check of criminal conviction records will be made for employment in this position.
Application Requirements (resume, cover letter, salary requirements, writing sample?): Purdue application and resume required.
Contact Name: Christine Strawsma
Title: Administrative Assistant
Where to send application packet (e-mail address, street address, fax?):  For consideration, submit resume and apply online at: www.purdue.edu/jobs and reference Job Number: 1001010
Is there a closing date? When should this listing be deleted from the site? 12/10/10

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Judge rules in the never-ending Fisk University/O'Keefe case

Ruling by Tennessee Judge that allows the sale to go forward but says that $20 million must go into an endowment, leaving only $10 million to the university.  Neither the university nor the attorney general are happy with the outcome. I imagine that they are already getting started on appealing the ruling.

Summary of Fisk University/O'Keefe Case:
"In 1949, painter Georgia O'Keeffe facilitated the exchange of 99 paintings from the estate of her husband, Alfred Stieglitz. She made an outright gift of two of her own paintings to the school. These are on permanent display at the University's Carl Van Vechten Galleries.
"In 2005, mounting financial difficulties led the University trustees to vote to sell two of the paintings, O'Keeffe's "Radiator Building" and Marsden Hartley's "Painting No. 3". (Together these were estimated to be worth up to 45 million U.S. dollars.) However, the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, the legal guardians of her estate, sued to stop the sale on the basis that the original bequest did not allow the art to be sold. At the end of 2007 a plan to share the collection with the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art to earn money was being fought in court by the O'Keeffe Museum." - Wikipedia

This case drives home three issues that are critical to many museums: sustainability, donor's intents and deaccessioning. So, I ask, was this the correct decision, and if not, what is? What sort of effect might this have on other museums (or will it only affect those in Tennessee)? In other words, what do you think?

As a reminder, here are the stances of some of the major museum organizations on deaccessioning:

Deaccession stance by AAM: (from the 2000 Code of Ethics)

The disposal of collections through sale, trade, or research activities is solely for the advancement of the museum's mission. Proceeds from the sale of nonliving collections are to be used consistent with the established standards of the museum's discipline, but in no event shall they be used for anything other than acquisition or direct care of collections.

Deaccession stance by AASLH: (from their Statement of Professional Standards and Ethics)

"Collections shall not be deaccessioned or disposed of in order to provide financial support for institutional operations, facilities maintenance or any reason other than preservation or acquisition of collections, as defined by institutional policy."

Deaccession stance by AAMD: (from their 2010 AAMD Policy on Deaccessioning)

"Funds received from the disposal of a deaccessioned work shall not be used for operations or capital expenses. Such funds, including any earnings and appreciation thereon, may be used only for the acquisition of works in a manner consistent with the museum’s policy on the use of restricted acquisition funds."

Monday, November 8, 2010

Employment Opportunity with Purdue University

Site Name and Address: Purdue University – Department of Agricultural Communication – West Lafayette, IN
Position Title: Exhibit Specialist
Educational Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Technology, Industrial Design, Visual Design, or related field.
Experience Required: Two years experience in exhibit design, fabrication, and installation.     
Position Description: The exhibit specialist is instrumental in all aspects of the department's traveling exhibit program. The exhibit specialist, working as part of a team, is responsible for design, fabrication and installation of museum quality exhibits for the Ag Comm Exhibit Design Center at various locations locally, across the state, and nationally. Develop, design, fabricate and install two and three dimensional educational exhibits from small portable tabletop displays to very large museum exhibits.
Other pertinent information: A check of criminal conviction records will be made for employment in this position.
Application Requirements (resume, cover letter, salary requirements, writing sample?): Purdue application and resume required.
Contact Name: Christine Strawsma
Title: Administrative Assistant
Where to send application packet (e-mail address, street address, fax?):  For consideration, submit resume and apply online at: www.purdue.edu/jobs and reference Job Number: 1001010
Is there a closing date? When should this listing be deleted from the site? 12/10/10

Do you have an employment opportunity? Please email it conference@smallmuseum.org. 

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Big Ideas for Small Museums

Earlier this week, AASLH rolled out their quarterly newsletter, Big Ideas for Small Museums, which can be found at http://www.aaslh.org/SmallMuseums.htm. Their first issue focuses on... drumroll please... blogging!
 
They say, "Through this publication, the AASLH Small Museums Committee shares resources that are pretested and approved by actual small museum professionals. The articles are brief and practical – giving you the shortcuts you need when you don’t have enough time, money, or people. The newsletter is sent directly to the Small Museums Affinity Group. Sign up to receive Big Ideas for Small Museums automatically by joining the AASLH Small Museums Affinity Group. The Affinity Group is not a membership organization and there is no fee to join. However, you will need to create a username and password and share your contact information. Go to www.aaslh.org/SmallMuseums.htm and click on “Join the Small Museums Affinity Group” link at the top of the page and then on “Don’t have a Login? Click here.”

Enjoy! 

Monday, November 1, 2010

Small Museum of the Month: Nebraska Firefighters Museum & Education Center




The Nebraska Firefighters Museum & Education Center was just a dream to Nebraska firefighters until it opened its doors on August 15, 2009! Since then, this beautiful new facility has been utilized by kids (and kids-at-heart!) as a place to engage with the proud history of Nebraska’s approximately 500 volunteer or career fire departments, and to learn hands-on about the importance of fire prevention!
Located just off Interstate-80 in the heart of the nation, the shiny restored trucks & apparatus, historic antique equipment & tools, detailed 40-foot timeline of Nebraska’s firefighting heritage since 1856, and bold educational fire prevention exhibits have been seen by thousands of visitors from literally around the world!

Each day, we strive to live out our purpose of preserving Nebraska’s tangible and intangible firefighting heritage, of educating our visitors about the importance of fire prevention and fire safety, and of memorializing Nebraska's firefighters & EMTs.
 
Phase One of the three planned phases of construction was the facility itself, which includes the Don & Ardath Smeal Family Gallery - named for the founders of the Smeal Fire Apparatus factory in Snyder, Neb., our $1,000,000 donors - a community birthday party room and a community conference room. Phase One was completed on August 14, 2009.

In order to showcase as many of Nebraska's fire departments as possible in the current available amount of space, we feature a rotating exhibit system, through which we annually exchange trucks on the floor, bring in new displays, and enhance the more permanent exhibits of the Gallery, including the fire prevention Hazard House.
Phase Two of construction was a stately Nebraska Firefighters Memorial Garden. After raising the funds for this project from private and corporate donors, we proudly broke ground in April 2010, and dedicated the completed landmark granite garden on 10.10.2010 at 10:00AM at the Nebraska Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service! The Memorial Garden is a permanent way to pay respectful homage to the dedicated service and ultimate sacrifices made by Nebraska’s past, present and future firefighters and EMTs by showcasing granite monuments engraved with the names of Nebraska’s line of duty deaths, and the sponsored names of many of our state’s past and present firefighters & EMTs.  May they never be forgotten.

Phase Three will be the expansion of the exhibit gallery by 12,000 square feet, which will more than double our current exhibit space, distributed by 6,000 square feet to the east and to the west of the current gallery building. We will strive to raise the needed dollars to complete these additions, and complete the construction and exhibit installation process in the next few years.



- Summer Hours (Memorial Day-Labor Day)                 
 Open Daily:     9:00AM-6:00PM
 - Off-Season Hours (Labor Day-Memorial Day)                  
Friday – Sunday:   10:00AM-5:00PM                  
Weekdays by Appointment:     Call 308-338-FIRE(3473)

 - Admission:                
 Ages 5 & Under:    FREE!                  
Youth (ages 6-17):          $3                 
 Adult (ages 18-64):        $6                 
 Senior (ages 65+):          $4

Want to be a Small Museum of the Month? Learn more here!

Photo of Museum of the Month will be added to the front page of the SMA website shortly. All photos courtesy of the Nebraska Firefighters Museum.