Dear friends,

In regard to shipping MoMS exhibitions, we have tried a few things here
in New Mexico.  Since I've been with the Council we have helped ship
Between Fences by renting a Penske Truck and delivering it ourselves to
the hosting community.  It was very expensive to do, but in the long run
it had a positive impact on the community because it showed them that we
care a great deal about them and the program and we would do what it
took to make sure they got the exhibit in time.

Soon after, we worked with a Trucking School at a Community College and
that went fairly well until we became aware that they were  pretty rough
with the crates and did not use ramps to get the crates into the truck.
I then contacted our Dept. of Transportation with no success in getting
them to partner and help ship the exhibit.  Around this time I asked
Carol Harsh from MoMS how state councils deal with the challenges of
shipping the exhibit.  She made several suggestions on how to handle
shipping and the one that stood out to me was her suggestion to contact
the National Guard.  She said that it had worked very well for one state
council and so I decided to give it a try.

The NM National Guard was responsive and helped ship Between Fences to
its last site.  I consulted with them again for Key Ingredients, and
they helped ship the exhibit to its second destination.  They have
agreed (if all goes well) to ship Key Ingredients to the other remaining
sites on the tour.  We are very excited they have helped and want to
continue to help our communities in NM.  It also makes a great
impression on the communities and demonstrates to them how important and
fruitful partnerships can be.

Please excuse my lengthy response.

Best regards,

K. Michelle Quisenberry
New Mexico Humanities Council
(505) 277-4151