Tag Archive for: adler planetarium

kudos Affiliates! february 2013

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2013 begins with success for our Affiliates!

Funding

Science Museum Oklahoma (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) announced the museum has been awarded a $12 million grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation and plans to open a new exhibit area for young children. The new 21,000-square-foot exhibit space will be devoted to children between 3 and 6 years old. The museum also plans a new main entrance and lobby along with improved parking and updated landscaping.

Mystic Seaport (Mystic, Connecticut) was awarded a $100,000 grant by the Beagary Charitable Trust which the museum will use to create activities and learning tools for use in school, at the museum and online.  The funding will be used to develop educational programs to coincide with the completed restoration and 38th voyage of the museum’s 1841 whale ship, Charles W. Morgan. The designation will afford students across the state an opportunity to learn about Connecticut maritime history, the significance of the whaling industry and the importance of the state’s maritime heritage.

The Arab American National Museum (Dearborn, Michigan) received $750,000 as part of the investment in Detroit arts and culture from the Knight Foundation. The grant will enhance the annual Concert of Colors free global music festival, of which the museum is lead producer. In particular, the Knight funding will restore the summer festival’s annual Forum on Community, Culture & Race and help rebuild the Cultural Exchange Network of 50 arts groups that originally facilitated the Concert of Colors.

Pennsylvania Humanities Council recently funded a film and art series to complement “Beyond Swastika and Jim Crow: Jewish Refugee Scholars at Black Colleges,” at the National Museum of American Jewish History (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). The exhibit focuses on the story of Jewish professors who fled Nazi Germany in the 1930s and found positions at historically black colleges and universities in the Jim Crow South.

The Museum of Latin American Art (Long Beach, California) received a $25,000 donation from Hyundai Motor America that will go toward the purchase of a bus to be used to provide free tours and art workshops to students from the Los Angeles area.

AAM Accreditation

The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) announced that 10 museums have been newly accredited and 13 museums earned re-accreditation at the November 2012 meeting of the Accreditation Commission. Accredited status from the Alliance is the highest national recognition achievable by an American museum. The following Affiliate museums were awarded accreditation.  Congratulations!

Executive Transitions

  • Smithsonian Affiliations would like to extend our best wishes to Robert Ellis, who served 35 years at The Air Zoo (Portage, Michigan).  Former Da Vinci Science Center executive director and CEO, Troy Thrash has been named new chief executive at The Air Zoo.
  • We bid a fond farewell to Paul Knappenberger  who served 22 years at the Adler Planetarium (Chicago, Illinois). Astrophysicist Michelle Larson has been named as the next president of the Adler.
  • Affiliations welcomes Mark Lizewskie, new executive director at the Antique Automobile Club of America Museum (Hershey, Pennsylvania).

coming up in affiliateland in june 2012

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CALIFORNIA
The San Diego Museum of Man will be hosting a reception for the Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies during the International Society for Technology in Education in San Diego, 6.25.

MICHIGAN
The Michigan State University Museum will be represented in the Community and Culture Program of the 2012 Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington D.C., 6.27-7.8.

Following a week of training in June in Washington, D.C., the Smithsonian Latino Young Ambassadors will be interning for a month at the following Affiliate host sites:  California Science Center, Museum of Latin American Art, Chabot Space and Science Center, Miami Science Museum, Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, Ft. Worth Museum of Science and History, International Museum of Art and Science, and The Museum of Flight, 6.24-8.3.

Coming together in Minneapolis!

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Are you going to the AAM Annual Meeting in Minneapolis this year?  So is Affiliations’ own National Outreach Manager for the midwest, Aaron Glavas.  Reach him at glavasc@si.edu or 202.633.5309 to let him know where you’ll be!

 

 

 

 

 

Support your colleagues and check out these sessions featuring Affiliate and Smithsonian staff!:

Bringin’ It All Back Home: Acknowledging Your Online Support Community
Presenter: Sebastian Chan, Director of Digital & Emerging Media, Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, New York, NY

Communities Create: Approaches to Native American and Other Community Exhibitions
Chaired by: Zahava Doering, Senior Social Scientist, Policy & Analysis, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
Presenting: Carolyn Rapkievian, Assistant Director, Education & Museum Programs, National Museum of the American Indian, Washington, DC

CRAFTing a Community
Chaired by: Katie Crooks, Public Programs Assistant, American Art Museum Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC

Engagement Tools for Building Creative Communities, Placemaking, and Partnerships
Presenter: Ethelyn Abellanosa, Deputy Director for Operations, Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience, Seattle, WA

Measure What? Metrics to Engage Stakeholders and Achieve Strategic Goals
Chaired by: Amy Bartow-Melia, Director-Department of Public Programs, National Museum of American History Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
Presenter: Janet Abrams, Senior Advisor for Organizational Excellence, Smithsonian Institution Office of The Secretary, Washington, DC

Trauma: Creating Shared Communities in Cultural/Natural Heritage Risk Management
Chaired by:  Richard Kurin, Undersecretary for History, Art & Culture, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC

Come Together:21st-Century Museum Leadership in China and the U.S.
Chaired by: Carole Neves, Director, Office of Policy & Analysis Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC; Daisy Wang, Project Manager for Chinese Art, Freer Gallery of Art & Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC

Linking Young People to Museums: Nothing but the Truth
Chaired by: John Franklin, Director of Partnerships and International Programs, National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington, DC

Museums and Academic Parent Organizations: the Good and the Ugly
Chaired by: Ellen Rosenthal, President & CEO, Conner Prairie Museum, Inc., Fishers, IN
Presenters: Berkley Duck, Former Chairman of the Board, Conner Prairie Museum, Inc., Fishers, IN;
Cameron McGuire, Associate Director, National Museum of the American Indian, Washington, DC

75 Ideas in 75 Minutes: Worst, Best, Next
Chaired by: Charles Katzenmeyer, Senior Vice President for External Affairs, Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, Chicago, IL

Chinese and U.S. Perspectives on Exhibitions as Catalysts of Creativity
Chaired by: Daisy Wang, Project Manager for Chinese Art, Freer Gallery of Art & Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC

Communities of Conversation Around Exhibitions
Chaired by: Barbara Stauffer, Chief of Temporary Exhibitions, National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC

Stop, Collaborate and Listen: Harnessing Technology to Build Creative Communities
Presenter: Amy Homma, Education Technician, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC

Talking Shop: Roundtable Discussion with Volunteer Managers and Docents
Presenter: Maretta Hemsley-Wood, Docent Program Manager, Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum , Washington, DC

Creative Practices in Education and Public Programs in China and the U.S.
Chaired by:  Nik Apostolides, Associate Director, National Portrait Gallery Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
Presenters: Ryan Hill, ART LAB + Program Specialist, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC;  Carole Neves, Director, Office of Policy & Analysis Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC

Games: Creating Connections to Collections
Presenter: Georgina Bath Goodlander, Interpretive Programs Manager, Luce Foundation Center for American Art, American Art MuseumSmithsonian Institution, Washington, DC

Keeping Safe: Discovering and Handling Hidden Collection Hazards
Presenter: Kathryn Makos, Industrial Hygienist, Smithsonian Institution’s Office of Safety, Health and Environmental Management, Washington, DC

Using Creative Problem-Solving to Cultivate Future Leaders
Presenters: Ryan Hill, ART LAB + Program Specialist, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC;  Megan Smith, Education Specialist, National Museum of American History, Washington, DC

Pacific Standard Time: The Ultimate Cultural Collaboration, California Style!
Presenters: Edwina Brandon, VP of External Affairs, Museum of Latin American Art, Long Beach, CA; Gina Adams, Vice President of Development, Museum of Latin American Art, Long Beach, CA

Solutions Lounge: Sustainable Operations Tool Kit
Chaired by: Jim Richerson, President & CEO, Lakeview Museum of Arts & Sciences, Peoria, IL

Collaboration and Education
Chaired by: Christina Schwartz, Head Registrar, Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service-SITES, Washington, DC

Connecting Global Communities: Striking Successes, Fabulous Flops, and Lessons Learned
Presenter: Laura Anderson, Assistant Archivist, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Birmingham, AL

Show Me the Money: Straight Talk About Museum Business Models
Presenter: Ellen Rosenthal, President & CEO, Conner Prairie Museum, Inc., Fishers, IN

Transforming Museum Volunteering 101: Back to Basics
Chaired by: Robbin Davis, Director of Visitor Services, Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City, OK

Dangerous World: Our Role During Armed Conflicts and Other Disasters
Presenter: Richard Kurin, Undersecretary for History, Art & Culture, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC

How to Pitch Technology to Your Board: Strategy to Implementation
Presenter: Michael Edson, Director of Web and New Media Strategy, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Washington, DC

Social Media Metrics 101
Chaired by: Sarah Banks, Audience Engagement Specialist, National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
Presenter: Victoria Portway, Chair, Web & New Media, National Air & Space Museum Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC

Transforming Museum Volunteering 201: Beyond the Basics
Presenters: Maria Christus, Volunteer Program Manager, Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, Chicago, IL; Carly Ofsthun Shaw, Volunteer Coordinator, Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix, AZ

U.S. and African Exhibits: Creating and Linking Communities
Chaired by: Kinshasha Holman Conwill, Deputy Director, National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington, DC
Presenters: Marsha MacDowell, Curator, Michigan State University Museum, East Lansing, MI

Idea Lounge: The Future of Museum Education
Presenter: Timothy Rhue, Explainers Program Coordinator, National Air & Space Museum Smithsonian Institution, Fairfax, VA

Dine and Dialogue: What’s Going On with Little Ones in Museums?
Chaired by: Betsy Bowers, Deputy Director of Museum Education, Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center, Washington, DC

Building a Healthy Future: Museums and Communities Tackle Issues of Wellness
Presenter: Lisa Falk, Director of Education, Arizona State Museum University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

Citizen Science and Museums: Models of Partnership and Engagement
Chaired by: Karen Carney, Associate VP for Visitor Experience and Learning, Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, Chicago, IL
Presenters: Jason Reed, Online Engagement and Motivation Researcher, Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, Chicago, IL; Arfon Smith, Director of Citizen Science, Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, Chicago, IL

Linking Data Across Libraries, Archives and Museums
Presenter: Martin Kalfatovic, Assistant Director, Digital Services Division, Smithsonian Institition Libraries Acquisitions, Washington, DC

Wikipedia and the Museum: Lessons from Wikipedians in Residence
Presenter: Sarah Stierch, Wikipedian in Residence, Smithsonian Institution , Washington, DC

Young, Informed, Engaged: Innovation in Creating Sustainable Global Youth Communities
Presenters: Priscilla Hancock Cooper, VP, Institutional Programs, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Birmingham, AL

Decoding Diversity and Inclusion Strategy: A Sustainability Necessity
Presenter: William Harris, Senior Vice President of Development and Marketing, California Science Center Foundation, Los Angeles, CA

Future Engagement: The Latest From Brands, Games, and Entertainment
Chaired by: Judy Gradwohl, Associate Director for Education and Public Programs, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC

Coming Up in Affiliateland in June 2011

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Summer is in full swing with great events at Affiliates!

NATIONWIDE:
The Smithsonian’s Latino Center hosts its Latino Young Ambassadors in June, which brings students to Washington, DC for a week of cultural enrichment programs.  Following their Washington week, the Ambassadors will return to Affiliate sites for month-long internships in their home communities. 
Participating Affiliates include: Museum of Latin American Art (Long Beach, CA); California Science Center (Los Angeles, CA); Chabot Space and Science Center (Oakland, CA); Miami Science Museum (Miami, FL); Adler Planetarium (Chicago, IL); Museum of Flight (Seattle, WA); Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico  (San Juan, PR); International Museum of Art and Science (McAllen, TX).

Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture

WASHINGTON:
The Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture celebrates 10 years as an Affiliate with an award ceremony featuring Affiliations Director Harold Closter in Spokane, 6.2.

GEORGIA:
At the Controls exhibition of cockpit photographs of aircraft and spacecraft from the National Air and Space Museum opens at the Tellus Science Museum in Cartersville, 6.4.

CALIFORNIA:
National Museum of Natural History Museum scientist Rusty Russell leads a citizen science program with the Riverside Metropolitan Museum in Riverside, 6.11 

PUERTO RICO:
A workshop on “Linking the Museum to the Classroom through Education” will take place at the Universidad del Turabo in Gurabo, 6.23-25.

NEW YORK:
Monica Smith, Exhibition Program Manager at the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation, will give a public lecture on the history of the electric guitar at the Long Island Museum in Stony Brook, 6.26.

NASA + Smithsonian + Smithsonian Affiliates = Blissful retirement for space artifacts

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Space Shuttle Endeavour is moments away from touchdown at the Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, bringing to a close the STS-113 mission to the International Space Station. Image credit: NASA

On April 12, 2011 NASA announced new homes for three space shuttles soon to be retired from the space program at the end of this summer. The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center   will receive the Discovery and the California Science Center  a Smithsonian Affiliate in Los Angeles, California,  will receive the Endeavour.  

But NASA isn’t just retiring the gigantic shuttles.  Hundreds of space artifacts are also included in the retirement plan and several more Smithsonian Affiliates will have the honor of exhibiting them.   

 These NASA objects join Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM) artifacts already on long-term loan to these Affiliates and enjoyed daily by museum goers across the country.

The Saturn V Rocket at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. Photo courtesy U.S. Space and Rocket Center.

  • At the Adler Planetarium, visitors can see the Gemini 12 Space Capsule flown by Jim Lovell and Buzz Aldrin in 1966.
  • The Aerobee 350 Sounding Rocket has recently been conserved at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum and will be on view for visitors to the museum soon. 
  • From space food to drawings to space suits, The Museum of Flight has delighted visitors to the museum with NASM artifacts for many years.
  • The U.S. Space and Rocket Center is home to the Saturn V Rocket and many other artifacts such as space instruments and technical devices.

 Of course, the history of the American space program and many more historic artifacts from the National Air and Space Museum can be can be seen in numerous Smithsonian Affiliate museums from Portage, Michigan to San Diego, California.  There are 168 Smithsonian Affiliates in 40 states, D.C., Panama and Puerto Rico.  More than 1,000 artifacts are currently on view at Affiliates across the country just waiting for visitors to experience the Smithsonian in their own neighborhood.  Visit a Smithsonian Affiliate in your community today!

Gemini 12 at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago. Photo courtesy Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum.

Kudos for December 2010

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Great job Affiliates for ending the year on a high note!  and congratulations to all Affiliates for their accomplishments this year.   Bravo!

Big congratulations to Conner Prairie (Fishers, Indiana) and Japanese American National Museum (Los Angeles, California) for being two of 10 museums and libraries to receive the 2010 National Medal for Museum and Library Service from The Institute of Museum and Library Service. The National Medal is the nation’s highest honor for museums and libraries that make extraordinary civic, educational, economic, environmental, and social contributions. In addition to the National Medal, each institution receives a $10,000 award.

 As part of the Illinois Public Museums Capital Grants Program, the Adler Planetarium(Chicago) will receive a $750,000  grant towards new and expanded facilities, exhibits and infrastructure improvements.

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has awarded a new $3 million grant to  the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art (Biloxi, Mississippi) to complete the structure for the gallery that displays the work of the celebrated Mississippi potter, George Ohr. The new addition will be named the John S. and James L. Knight Gallery.

The Heard Museum (Phoenix, Arizona) recently won two grants to help support free school admission for students to tour the museum during field trips. The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, awarded the museum $75,000 to support school tours, while the Orange County, California, Community Foundation’s S.L. Gimbel Foundation Fund gave a $7,500 grant to support student programming.

PPL Montana Community Fund awarded the Museum of the Rockies (Bozeman, Montana) a $2,500 grant to allow eligible Head Start families a free annual museum membership, part of a team effort between the museum and Head Start to provide financially disadvantaged children the opportunity to visit a museum.

The New York State Museum (Albany, New York) has received a $1 million federal grant to conduct a new research project aimed at protecting endangered species of native freshwater mussels from the lethal fouling impacts of invasive zebra mussels. The grant from the  Environmental Protection Agency, through its Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, will allow museum scientists to use their environmentally safe invention to continue their research with a new emphasis on open-water applications.

Museum of Design Atlanta (Atlanta, Georgia) received a $50,000 grant from the Charles Loridans Foundation to help support its move from downtown to Midtown, where it will open across Peachtree Street from the High Museum of Art in February.