Just a quick *Amen!* to Jama's response from Colorado Humanities staff. We are polling hosts to find out what they think, too. Thank you! Josephine *Josephine Jones* | Director of Programs & Center for the Book | Colorado Humanities [log in to unmask] | coloradohumanities.org 7935 East Prentice Avenue, Suite 450, Greenwood Village, CO 80111 p 303 894 7951 x15 | f 303 864 9361 <https://twitter.com/cohumanities?lang=en> <https://www.facebook.com/Colorado-Humanities-Center-for-the-Book-121288547908926/> View the *Colorado Book Awards facebook stream <https://www.facebook.com/cohumanities/videos/1325306114173824/> *at https://www.facebook.com/cohumanities/videos/1325306114173824/ . On Wed, Jul 26, 2017 at 1:46 PM, Jama Best <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Hi Carol, > > Great idea! The MoMS Exhibition Starter Kits would offer a greater number > of small museums a wide variety of exhibitions that are affordable and less > spatially challenging for some. > > At the Arkansas Humanities Council we offer traveling exhibitions on > loan. These are very popular and museums are always looking for new topics > to showcase within their museums. With a MoMS Exhibition Starter Kit I > believe these would be even more appealing given they would be partnering > with the MoMS which brings prestige, excellent content, and resources. The > accompanying community specific exhibition, events, and programming is the > icing on the cake. We've certainly seen this over the course of the last > few weeks while hosting *Hometown Teams *in Arkansas. > > If the cost is kept at a minimum, this should allow more museums with > small budgets to acquire funds through fundraising efforts, grants, and/or > donations without time constraints. > > State councils can be involved through promotion, financial support > through grants or partnerships, and organizing professional development > opportunities. If not, I still believe small museums would be very excited > about the possibilities of a MoMS Starter Kit without a doubt. > > > 1. Do you want to be involved in promoting these kits within your > state? *Yes.* > 2. Do you see this as an opportunity for accompanying humanities > public programs and to reach more communities? *Absolutely!* > 3. Do you worry that these exhibits would compete against MoMS > traveling exhibitions? *No. * > 4. We anticipate the exhibition fee to license this content for the > host museums would be about $500 per venue, plus construction costs. Does > this seem reasonable for the size and budgets of typical MoMS venues? > *Yes.* > 5. Should we be thinking about a way for MoMS to develop exhibitions > like this for councils to travel statewide? *Yes. *Or, do you like > this model that results in non-traveling venue specific exhibitions that > require less council support and staff time? *Offering the option for > councils to have one or more kits available for loan would be an option. > This would be good in case there are small museums who lack the funding > and/or staff to adequately fund raise. I think it's also good to offer > small museums the ability to acquire kits that they can purchase and use > initially and in the future.* > > > Again, this is an excellent idea...full steam ahead! If there is anything > I may do to assist please don't hesitate to contact me. > > Jama > > > Jama Best | Senior Program Officer > Arkansas Humanities Council > 407 President Clinton Avenue, Suite 201, Little Rock, AR 72201 > E: [log in to unmask] | P: 501.320.5761 <(501)%20320-5761> | F: > 501.537.4550 <(501)%20537-4550> > Arkansas Humanities Council > www.arkansashumanitiescouncil.org > > > > > > ------------------------------ > *From:* "Harsh, Carol" <[log in to unmask]> > *To:* [log in to unmask] > *Sent:* Wednesday, July 26, 2017 11:43 AM > *Subject:* MoMS Exhibition Starter Kits - need your guidance > > Hi all, > > In an effort to find cost-effective ways to provide services to our small > museum partners, the MoMS team has been thinking for quite some time about > what we can do with content from past MoMS exhibitions. We would love to > get your reaction to the idea of MoMS Exhibition Starter Kits. We need your > input about what role state humanities councils could play in this endeavor. > > Drawing on content from past MoMS exhibitions, these skeletal, > build-it-yourself exhibitions would be designed for small museums. MoMS > would provide the curatorial framework for the exhibition and host museums > would be invited to add additional content--such as historical images, art > and artifacts, video clips, and quotes from oral histories—that feature > their local history and culture. The end result would be a unique > exhibition developed in partnership with the Smithsonian that features > collections and stories in an exhibition framework that gives national > context to a local story. > > The MoMS Exhibition Starter Kits would be a digital suite of items and > instructions for developing exhibition and include such things as: > · Digital files for curated text panels with a national scope > · Sample photographs to supplement local collections > · Digital audio-visual content relevant to the exhibition theme > (hardware would be provided by the host museum) > · Graphic package of design elements (such as logos, paint colors, > build-it-yourself instructions) > · Sample quotes for printing on vinyl for wall applications > · Exhibition teacher guides > · Suggestions for local research, story collection and suggested > list of artifacts to include > · Bibliography for books for adults, young readers, and children > · Filmograhy, educational resources, and program ideas to > complement the exhibition > > By using MoMS Exhibition Starter Kits, host museums would have the > opportunity to keep the exhibitions up for an extended period of time and > plan to host other build-it yourself exhibitions in a rotating basis, in > addition, of course, to hosting MoMS traveling exhibitions. > > First, we would love to hear your reaction to this idea and how you > believe host museums could or would use such a resource. > > Secondly, we want to explore with you how state humanities councils could > be involved. If it is decided that we move forward with these MoMS Starter > Kits, > > 1. Do you want to be involved in promoting these kits within your > state? > 2. Do you see this as an opportunity for accompanying humanities > public programs and to reach more communities? > 3. Do you worry that these exhibits would compete against MoMS > traveling exhibitions? > 4. We anticipate the exhibition fee to license this content for the > host museums would be about $500 per venue, plus construction costs. Does > this seem reasonable for the size and budgets of typical MoMS venues? > 5. Should we be thinking about a way for MoMS to develop exhibitions > like this for councils to travel statewide? Or, do you like this model that > results in non-traveling venue specific exhibitions that require less > council support and staff time? > > > We look forward to hearing your good ideas and counsel as we think this > out. Responding on the listserv will allow a good exchange of ideas. > However, if you prefer to reach out to us directly you can certainly > respond to me at [log in to unmask] (please cc Selwyn Ramp at [log in to unmask]). > > With warm regards, > > > Carol G. Harsh > Director, Museum on Main Street and Special Projects > Smithsonian Institution, SITES > P.O. Box 37012 MRC 941 > Washington, D.C. 20013-7012 > > Deliveries > 470 L’Enfant Plaza, SW > Suite 7103 > Washington, D.C. 20024 > > Tel: 202-633-5333 <(202)%20633-5333> > Fax: 202-633-5344 <(202)%20633-5344> > www.museumonmainstreet.org > > > > >