Local Focus

Last week, I promised to focus on smaller museums after writing a bit about the re-opening of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. So, to that end, I decided to write a bit about my new hometown, Portsmouth.

Portsmouth is a city with a fascinating history & there are many organizations in town to tell that history. Here are the results of a Google search for "portsmouth nh museums." In some ways, the fact that there are so many museums & historical organizations in town can be tricky. All of these institutions rely on the same population for membership & fund-raising, for example.

However, in many ways, the benefits of the diversity and wealth of historical organizations in this city outweigh the downsides. For example, staff at many of the organizations are planning a city-wide exhibit on textiles for 2009. This collaborative effort will make it possible for some of the best pieces throughout the city to be displayed. More importantly, the educational and programming supplements to the physical exhibits will showcase some of the interesting research that is being done in Portsmouth.

From a more practical perspective, the cross-marketing of the year-long event will benefit all of the organizations involved, from the smallest historic house museum to the largest institutions. If you work for a smaller museum in a city rich with other historical institutions (I'm thinking of places like Salem, Gloucester, Portland, Providence, etc.), it's worth looking into the possibilities opened up by collaborative work. And be sure to come to Portsmouth to check out the upcoming "NeedleArts" exhibits and let us know what you think!

Thanksgiving

Short post this week due to the holiday, but here's the New York Times' review of the re-opening of the National Museum of American History. I apologize for the focus on the Smithsonian over the last couple of weeks, but the re-opening of this museum is certainly a big deal. Perhaps next week I'll try to shift my focus to smaller-scale museums to balance things out.

This Week's Museum News

• Pact Will Send Artifacts to Italy from Cleveland

• The Dead Tell a Tale China Doesn't Care to Listen To

• Bush Reopens Renovated American History Museum

• At Meeting, Smithsonian Practices New Openness

• Art Museum Unveils Expansion
  

NEMA 2008

I've just returned from the 2008 New England Museum Association Conference and as with last year, it was a rewarding and interesting experience.

I thought the sessions were generally well presented and worthwhile. One of the real strengths of NEMA, though, is the networking that happens on the coffee breaks and at the after-hours drinks. It was great to run into some of my colleagues from various museums and meet other people that have connections to these institutions in some way.

This post is a little vanilla and I apologize for that. However, given that anyone from the conference could conceivably read what I write, I'll confess that I've chosen to steer clear of a more critical analysis. However, if it's honest, constructive criticism you're looking for, be sure to check out CT Museum Quest, a site written by a guy who decided to visit all 400+ of Connecticut's museums! He presented in the last session I attended, on Friday morning and his candid assessments of how museums are serving their visitors are worth checking out.

This Week's Museum News

• Museum in St. Paul Feels Wall Street Woes

• New Museum Adds Michelle Obama Portrait

• In the Temple of the Wild Blue Yonder

• A Museum with No Exhibits, but Plenty of Ideas

• Unveiling a Museum, a Pennsylvania Town Remembers
  

Tighten those Belts

and get ready. Museums Fear Lean Days Ahead.

Two Brief Stories

Two interesting stories from this week's NY Times. I apologize for the sparse posting here the last few weeks. Such is the life of a graduate student in the middle of the semester!

• Exhibition Review: 'Climate Change' at the American Museum of Natural History

• Harvard Art Museum Receives Pulitzer Gift