Visiting Mr. Collins

This week Karin and I went to the Museum of Natural History for a meeting and took an opportunity to lure Paul Collins, CMAP Manager out for lunch in the Halifax Public Gardens.

Lunch breaks are a rarity at the ANSM office, but a chance to see the gardens in their summer splendor while catching up on museum happenings was not to be missed.
A major topic of our lunchtime conversation was the Passage DB software and the imminent - really imminent need - for its upgrade.

The SDI program - managed by Paul as part of his CMAP program - has always been an important support for the community database project known as the Passage Project.
The 2010 SDI deadline is fast approaching and ANSM staff are working hard towards a working solution for the future of the collections management database. So far things are looking good.... now we need to pull our proposal together.....

Committee on the Road

Last week the Information Technology & Collections Management Advisory Committee (fondly referred to as the Itchy Committee) met up at  Randall House Museum. We were hosted by committee chair, Derek Watts of Wolfville Historical Society in this fine heritage building in downtown Wolfville. We carpooled from various parts of the province and committee members appreciated the opportunity to visit a fellow museum site while undertaking some committee business. As ever, the committee worked through a full agenda with several hot topics for consideration. Check out Karin's blog for regular updates on all things IT and Passage related.

Committee members include (LtoR) Me, Dayle Crouse of  Pictou Heritage Society, Aidan Norton of Colchester County Museum, Derek Watts of Wolfville Historical Society, Valerie Lenethen of NS Heritage Division, Karin Kierstead of ANSM.
Missing from the photo are Gail Magee of Fultz House Museum (joined us via Sykpe), Linda Rafuse of Queen's County Museum & Jim MacLean of Port Hastings Historical Society.

South West Mission

Last week saw the annual CMAP evaluation teams' migration from their training site to CMAP museums around the province. This year, our willing training camp was the Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum www.atlanticcanadaaviationmuseum.com. Following our orientation session, we went on a tour with Mike Garvey, long time supporter of the museum plus former pilot for several of the aircraft on display. A great tour and very much appreciated by the evaluation gang. Thanks Mike.

Sustained with lunch and cookies for the road, we launched ourselves on our various missions.....

My team included Julie Morand of Canadian Heritage and Aidan Norton of Colchester County Museum. We had some time to spare when we arrived in our overnight location, so went to visit some nearby sites.
North Hills Museum http://northhills.museum.gov.ns.ca
is a real little treasure located just outside Granville Ferry. Beautiful early Nova Scotian home in a lovely location. We toured the house with well informed and enthusiastic Interpreter, Wayne Smith. I wanted to move in.

Because it was sunny evening and so close by, we went for a quick look around the grounds of Port Royal National Historic Site http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/ns/portroyal/index.aspx just at closing time.  My last visit was at night in the fog, and so received a completely different impression of the site. It is situated on a headland over looking the Annapolis Basin and offers a fabulous view. Canada's earliest reconstruction of a heritage site, it provides a rich glimpse into early French habitation on the North American continent. Port Royal was a recent participating site in the Membertou 400 celebrations. Check out Ryan Scranton's blog http://annapolisroyalheritage.blogspot.com/2010/06/membertou-400.html. This photo is of the main entryway to the fort - it is my photography that is crooked - not the fort!

The next day we began our evaluations and travelled right around the coastline of South West Nova Scotia. Our adventures included ferry trips, travels in and out of the fog, really great food, and an unfortunate incident during which I left the car key inside one of our evaluation sites at the end of the day and had to be rescued. Slowed us down somewhat, but a great example of rural Nova Scotia in action. I went next door confident the neighbour would know who I needed to contact. She did, with the phone number conveniently located right by her phone and rescue was quickly dispatched. Thanks again to Dorothy's husband and neighbour, Jane, for rescue support.

We enjoyed supper and a visit with Cheryl Stanton of Admiral Digby Museum http://www.admuseum.ns.ca
Lots going on at her site over the summer months with regular farmer's market on the grounds plus tea party events and art openings. Also acted as a donation delivery agent for the museum. Multitasking is the name of the game.

Made our weary way back to Halifax arriving in the city late Friday evening with our mission accomplished. General agreement amoungst Team 3 and everyone I have spoken to that participating in the evaluation process is as much a valuable experience for those evaluating as for those being evaluated. Definitely lots of food for thought. Thanks to Julie and Aidan for being great travelling companions as well as professional and diligent team members and to all at the participating museums for their welcome and cooperation - you know who you are....

Cape Breton Travels

I recently traveled to the Sydney area and participated in a special one day workshop lead by Dr. Candace Matelic and hosted by a partnership of Heritage Cape Breton, Louisbourg Institute, CBU Shannon School of Business & Fortress of Louisbourg NHS.

The workshop was titled "From the Heart: Engaging Community & Interpreting What Matters" and was focused on building relationships between museums and their communities. Candace's position that developing healthy community engagement through a vital interpretation program as part of a strong strategic plan was presented in a compelling and well informed workshop. Definitely food for thought for those in attendance and I know Candace and the presentation partners are interested in providing a more in depth opportunity to explore the subject for museum workers next spring.

Click here  to view her full resume. Candace has recently developed a new Template for Strategic Interpretation and Program Planning and a new planning tool, Cardinal Rules for Visitor-Centered Historic Site Development.

Next day I meet up with ANSM President, Pauline Thomson, and we went for a visit around several museum sites in Sydney's historic north end. Its a treasure trove of heritage buildings in a special part of the city.

Peyton Chisholm of the Old Sydney Society, meet us at the Cape Breton Centre for Heritage & Science in the old Lyceum Theatre building. Several recent upgrades have been made to the centre, in particular in the provision of disabled access to the building and its facilities. Looking really good.

We also went with Peyton to see Saint Patrick's Church, which is also operated by the Old Sydney Society. This venerable stone structure was built in 1828 and is something of a hybrid of church architectural styles. Currently, it is home to furnishings and fittings from churches related to a variety of denominations in the Sydney area as well as a series of well presented interpretaion panels. During summer opening months, local theatre productions will use the church as a venue.

Jost House was next on our list. We received a warm welcome and while I toured the house with volunteer Ray, Pauline caught up on the news with Eileen and then we had tea. Jost House is a treasure and clearly well loved by the Jost House Society members who operate it. The house is interpreted on two floors to represent its early use with the top floor used for local history displays and Jost family history. Architecturally, the house is very similar to Cossit House across the road and Quaker House in Dartmouth.

We finished our tour at Cossit House. This site is part the Nova Scotia Museum family and is operated on behalf of the province by the Old Sydney Society. The house features a fine selection of period furnishings and includes material, most notably a journal, owned by original occupants of the house. Another link to Quaker House in Dartmouth, aside from strong architectural familiarities, is the presence of concealed foot ware in the house walls. This tradition originally came from England and has been found practiced throughout the Maritimes and New England States. Families would conceal a single, well worn shoe in the walls of a new home as a charm towards health, wealth and happiness. The back yard features traditional raised beds which staff tend with heirloom veg & flowers over the growing season. In true museum worker fashion and in the standing tradition of dedication which typifies those who work in the province's museums, the seedlings are started and tended at home well prior to site opening for the year.

Back to the Blog

Its been ages since I last "blogged" and lots has been going on at ANSM. Here's a sampling of meetings and events attended during the late winter & spring.

We (Karin & I) went to the national meetings in Ottawa hosted by CHIN & CCI. Great to meet staff from the other provincial museum associations and hear whats going on around the country. The staff at CHIN and CCI are genuinely interested in helping museums in Canada and I think there's lots of potential for partnerships in the future. Visit Karin's blog (accessible from our website) to read her Ottawa report.

We also attended the CMA national conference in Saint John's, Newfoundland in May. Excellently organised with great sessions and with the backdrop of Saint John's to add colour and a dash of snow. Intangible Culture was the theme this year. Newfoundland has been particularly active in the preservation and interpretation of its intangible culture and so a very apt venue for the conference. Nova Scotia was well represented with career accolades going to Robert Frame and Susan Gibson Garvey for their contributions to the museum field. Creamery Square of Tatamagouche received an award of excellence for their community project. Bill Greenlaw, Stephanie Smith, Rodney Chaisson, Maggie MacIntyre and Dorothy Outhouse were Nova Scotian presenters for a variety of sessions.

We have also been busy attending the regional meetings taking place over the past several weeks. During April & May, we attended the South West Curator's Group meeting in Liverpool, the Central Region

meeting in Dartmouth, Heritage Cape Breton (formerly Iona Connection) in Saint Peter's and Cumberland County Heritage Network in Amherst. Its good to get out and see whats going on around the province and there's always lots going on....

I've participated in a number of singular events as well. The variety is completely illustrative of the range of theme and activity represented by museums in the province. Some examples include a workshop with the Black Loyalist Heritage Society to explore interpretation for their Birchtown site, an evening reception complete with dress uniforms to launch the Army Museum's summer season, a stem to stern tour of Maritime Command Museum with Industrial Heritage of Nova Scotia, a reopening celebration at Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History accompanied (far too closely) by really large insects, site visit to Shubenacadie Tinsmith Museum to tell them about ANSM and tour their site. Plus more....

I have also visited the Tatamagouche area with President, Pauline Thomson and NE representative, Enid Copper. Its the North East region's turn to host next year's spring conference and Tatamagouche area is stepping up to form the local arrangements committee and plan a grand event. They have lots of good ideas and a wonderful area brimming with sites and dedicated individuals from which to draw. Conference 2011 stands to be a grand event.

Its a busy time and always will be. Now starts the summer season and travels about the province to visit museums and learn about their tribulations and trials. I resolve to check in and blog more often. I also resolve to remember to use the camera I travel with....

Onwards & upwards

Beneath the still surface....

.....is a hive of activity.

There's lots of action behind the scenes at ANSM this winter. Staff, board and committees are diligently working away on a number of fronts.

Here's a sampling of whats on the go....

The new website is under construction. We are in the process of building the various sections and adding content, fine tuning design and figuring out the kinks of links, on line forms and payments, staff blogs, member profiles and more. Visit the site often and please give us feed back - we are interested in what you think of the changes and your suggestions for other additions.

The new ANSM Training Plan is in the concluding stage of its development. The board will receive a presention from A.L Aarbic Consultants at their meeting on February 5th and following their approval, we will make the plan available to members via the website and hard copy as requested.

Spring Conference plans are being fine tuned and we will shortly be putting conference information and registration up on the website. This year the conference is in Port Hawkesbury and is on the theme of "Building Sustainable Museums". Lots of good grist for the mill is planned plus some serious Cape Breton hospitality - stay tuned.

Karin Kierstead is back at home in the ANSM office and has this year's project support services well under way. Check out Karin's blog to catch up on her latest activities. A reminder for project partners - the contracts have gone out - please remember to return them with payment.

The CHIN Data Enrichment project is coming to a conclusion. Jen is just finishing up the last downloads from project participants and is pleased to report that our goals were achieved. Congrats to all and thanks for participating in this National initiative.

We are looking into a couple of new services for members. Possibilities for 2010 are an IT bulk buy service to help members significantly reduce equipment costs. We are looking into developing a provincial insurance program for museums. These initiatives are in the exploratory stages - we'll keep you posted as things progress.

The Board is hard at work tightening up policy and getting ready for the AGM. The Nominations Committee is active and don't forget, if you have a hankering to serve, do contact Enid Cooper, committee chair. We are also reviewing our financial structure and reporting process and will have a new, improved and easy to understand system in place for the next fiscal year.

Festive Times at Nova Scotian Museums

Many of Nova Scotia's museums participate in the festive season. Programs range from special exhibits, workshops, children's events and fundraising sales. Some museums simply use it as a time to say "Thank you" to the community members who offer their support in very many ways over the course of the year.

Staff and volunteers fling themselves into the spirit of the season and some inspiring results follow.

The current trend to "Buy local" has served Christmas craft sales at museums well and reports say attendance and sales have been very good.

Children's programing focuses on the lighter side of the season. Queen's County Museum in Liverpool has a tradition of its own to create a festive array of lights and decorations that delight young visitors. Staff have been adding to the collection of hand cut snowflakes that are a special part of the display over several years.

O'Dell House Museum, Annapolis Royal is dressed in period greenery by a corps of volunteers for a series of festive events. Several museums in the province use the period rooms & buildings as backdrops for seasonal programing.

Mahone Bay Settler's Museum takes this approach and also participates in the town's Father Christmas Festival. All part of community participation and partnering.

Best wishes to all for a safe & happy festive season!