Mary Jane,
 
Lucas, Kansas (population 498) hosted Yesterday's Tomorrows this past
September.  During the 6 weeks the exhibit was there, they had about
9,000 visitors - - the largest turn-out for any Kansas site for either
Barn Again or Produce for Victory, I believe. It was incredibly
successful and they were the only host community in Kansas to say at
the end of the 6 weeks, "oh, I wish we could have had it longer.  We
were just getting the hang of it."
 
In this instance, the entire community pitched in.  In fact, months
before when I called the Lucas-Sylvan News to ask permission to use a
photograph of two farmboys standing next to their spaceship made from
two cattle feeders, the editor/reporter told me "we've all gone spacy
up here!"
 
I do think it is something that has to be considered on a
community-by-community basis.  Lucas has a reputation of community
involvement in projects so we were fairly comfortable with the
decision.  They had an excellent downtown facility (Grassroots Art
Center) and an extremely motivated project director.  It worked
beautifully.
 
Julie
 
Julie L. Mulvihill
Director of Programs
Kansas Humanities Council
112 SW 6th Ave, Suite 210
Topeka, KS  66603-3895
785-357-0359 (v)
785-357-1723 (f)
[log in to unmask]
www.kansashumanities.org
 
 
 
On Thursday, December 12, 2002, at 10:09 AM, Mary Jane Thomson wrote:
 
> Hello to you all!
>
> I have a question I'd appreciate advice on related to host site
> selection.
>
> Is it possible for a community to be too small to handle a MoMS
> exhibit?
>
> One of the communities applying for Barn Again! has only 519 residents
> (although it's very close to another small community, which has around
> 900
> residents, so together they come closer to the average size of our
> other
> applicants).  My main concern about this is that, while there is real
> enthusiasm on the part of the museum committee, I am somewhat afraid
> that
> hosting the exhibit might require more work than a community that size
> could
> handle.  Then again, I realize that each community will develop plans
> and
> activities based on their resources and strengths and so a community
> of 500
> could still turn out in full force for an exhibit and find the MoMS
> experience very beneficial.
>
> What kind of experience have any of you had with communities with
> populations under 1,000?
>
> Also, Rozanna, we've moved into a new office and I have a new e-mail
> address.  Could you switch me to [log in to unmask]
>
> Thanks!
>
> Mary Jane
>
>
> Mary Jane Thomson
> Program Officer
> The Humanities Council SC
> PO Box 5287
> Columbia, SC 29250
> 803.771.2477
> 803.771.2487 (Fax)
> www.schumanities.org
>
>