Tag Archives: Smithsonian Institution

Thanks to the support of friends like you throughout the country, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture is making terrific progress!

In fact, we are already planning our groundbreaking to happen in 2012. This is exciting as it brings the Museum one important step closer to reality. It’s a testimony to the support we’ve received from men and women like you who share a vision and a commitment to see this museum built.

Of course, there are many good reasons to support the Museum, but perhaps the most important is the opportunity to be part of something that will inspire and educate all generations of Americans far into the future.

Imagine for a moment the Museum standing proudly on the National Mall, the three-tiered copper-colored corona shining in the sun, with visitors from across the nation and around the world lining up to see and experience the African American story as it has never been presented before.

Once they enter, they will be immersed in fascinating exhibitions on each floor showcasing treasures from the collection with activities that will convey the African American experience and its role in our nation’s history. It is a uniquely American story, and it is a part of us all.

I know you are as eager as I am to see the Museum’s doors open in 2015.

That is why I am asking for your financial support today. We cannot build this museum without your additional help.

We must raise $250 million from individuals and other private resources to complete the museum on schedule. We greatly appreciate your past support and, on behalf of the Museum staff, I thank you for your commitment.

Today, as news spreads of this important Smithsonian project, our momentum is growing and we are preparing to break ground in 2012. However, the bottom line is that we need your continued support now.

So, please, take a moment right now to make a contribution to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Again, thank you very much.

Lonnie Bunch, Director

All the best,

Lonnie Bunch

Director

P.S. I just want to remind you of the tax benefit your contribution to the Museum represents. Whatever amount you are able to generously contribute today is tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law. $250 million is a tremendous goal and with your support, we will meet it head on!

P.P.S. If you are not already a Charter Member, I hope you will consider joining today!

~ Culture & History

RACE: Are we so different? …National Museum of African American History and Culture

12/14/2011 Nativegrl77

Race LogoA9RE77.jpg

June 18, 2011 – January 2, 2012.

National Museum of Natural History

Lonnie Bunch, National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) director will moderate a discussion on how the museum will treat issues of race.

Panelists include Clement A. Price, PhD, Rutgers University, Nell Irvin Painter, Professor of History emerita, Princeton University and author of The History of White People, Creating Black America, and Southern History Across the Color Line and Mia Bay, PhD, professor at Rutgers University. Professor Bay is the author of two books: To Tell the Truth Freely: The Life of Ida B. Wells and The White Image in the Black Mind: African-American Ideas About White People 1830-1925.

This program is part of the Smithsonian-wide conversation about race. The exhibition RACE: Are We So Different? will be at the National Museum of Natural History June 18, 2011 – January 2, 2012.

Books will be available for sale and signing at the program.

For more information please call (202) 633-0070

Help us Build Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and
Culture by becoming a Charter Membertoday! If you are already a Charter Member, would you consider helping us with
another donation today?

~ Culture & History, ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

NMAAHC Brings “Treasures” to Houston on October 29 …National Museum of African American History and Culture

10/28/2011 Nativegrl77

National Museum of African American History and Culture

National Museum of
African American History and Culture
Brings “Treasures” to Houston October 29

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Houston Public Library will co-host a program to help Houston-area residents identify and preserve items of historical and cultural significance tucked away in the attics, closets and basements of their homes. The freeevent will feature presentations, hands-on activities and preservation tips.The program will take place Saturday, Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Houston Public Library Central Library, 500 McKinney Street, Houston. Free and open to the public, the event is the 11th in a series from the museum’s signature program “Save Our African American Treasures: A National Collections Initiative of Discovery and Preservation.” All are welcome.

Save Our African American Treasures in Indianola, MS

National Museum of African American History and Culture’s
“Save Our African American Treasures” program in
Indianola, MS in September 2011.
Photo Credit: Michael Barnes, Smithsonian Institution.

Participants may bring up to three personal items for a 20-minute, one-on-one professional consultation with experts on how to care for them. The specialists will serve as reviewers, not appraisers, and will not determine an item’s monetary value. Objects such as books, paper and textiles that are no larger than a shopping bag can be reviewed. No furniture, carpets, firearms or paintings are allowed. Additional information is available at nmaahc.si.edu, by emailing treasures@si.edu or by calling (877) 733-9599.

The “Treasures” program also includes the following activities throughout the day:

The Gregory School: The African American Library at the Gregory School is the newest special collections unit operated by the Houston Public Library. Learn how it developed and about the unique collections and services it provides.
Preservation Presentations: Informal basic preservation sessions will take place during the day. The sessions will provide information on preserving clothing and textiles, family photographs and papers, digital memories and explain the process to establish an object’s provenance. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions.
Hands-on Preservation: In this hands-on activity, participants are invited to learn how to store letters properly, pack garments and prepare photographs for preservation storage and presentation.

As a companion to the series, the museum has produced African American Treasures: A Preservation Guide, a 30-page guidebook that is distributed free to attendees to highlight the importance of proper preservation techniques. The guidebook is part of the “Treasures” kit. Also distributed will be white cotton gloves, archival tissue papers and archival documents sleeves to help people keep their personal treasures safe.

Save Our African American Treasures in Dalllas, TX

National Museum of African American History and Culture’s
“Save Our African American Treasures” program in
Dallas, TX in June 2011.
Photo Credit: Michael Barnes, Smithsonian Institution.

“Save our African American Treasures” is made possible with support from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The grants also support the pre-design and construction of the museum on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., scheduled to open in 2015.

For more information about The National Museum of African American History and Culture, visit nmaahc.si.edu or call Smithsonian information at (202) 633-1000, (202) 633-5285 (TTY).

For further information about the Houston Public Library please visit www.houstonlibrary.org or call 832-393-1313.

~ Culture & History

Your vision propels us forward! a message from NMAAMC

06/10/2011 Nativegrl77

It is a tremendous and rewarding challenge to build something the size and scope of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Your willingness to get involved in this historic project during these early stages is inspiring. It underscores your vision; your ability to see the entire scope of the plan, and the promise of things to come!

Equally important is the work your support makes possible. Just look for a moment at the Museum’s image above. You can see that you are helping to create a truly spectacular museum on the National Mall.

What will be featured inside will be equally exciting. A collection of exhibitions and treasures that will tell the entire, rich story of the African American experience and its role in our history. Simply put, the African American story is America’s story.

You can tell I am proud and excited about this Museum. I believe you share that pride and anticipation.

That is why I am asking for your financial support today. We cannot build this museum without your help. http://go.si.edu/site/R?i=mhj_5OJO7nPU690Zcjf6EA..

The entire project will cost $500 million, with Congress providing half of that amount. The remaining $250 million must be raised via private resources and, most importantly, from individual contributions from men and women who, like you, share the greater vision of what this Museum will be when we open our doors in 2015.

There are many good reasons to support the Museum: the powerful history and culture that will be presented in exhibitions and public programs; the opportunity to be part of something that will inspire and educate future generations; and the telling of this important story in the grand tradition of a Smithsonian museum.

Whatever your reasons, we are honored by your commitment to the Museum. Our campaign to build the Museum continues to gain momentum. With the help of supporters like you we remain on schedule to break ground in 2012.

However, the bottom line is that we need your steadfast support now and are very grateful to receive it. http://go.si.edu/site/R?i=mhj_5OJO7nPU690Zcjf6EA..

So, please, take a moment right now to make a contribution to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Again, thank you very much.

All the best,

Lonnie Bunch
Director

P.S. I just want to remind you of the great tax benefit your contribution to the Museum represents. Whatever amount you are able to generously contribute today is tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by the law. $250 million is a tremendous goal. We truly need and are grateful for your support.

~ Culture & History

NMAAHC Brings “Treasures” to Dallas for Juneteenth

06/10/2011 Nativegrl77

National Museum of
African American History and Culture
Brings “Treasures” to Dallas for Juneteenth

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture celebrates Juneteenth with a two-day program to help Dallas/Ft. Worth-area residents identify and preserve items of historical and cultural significance tucked away in the attics, closets and basements of their homes. Presented in collaboration with the Dallas Public Library, the event will feature presentations, hands-on activities and preservation tips.

The program will take place Saturday, June 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, June 19, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, 1515 Young Street in Dallas. It will feature welcoming remarks by Lonnie Bunch, founding director of the museum, and Dallas Public Library interim director Corinne Hill. Free and open to the public, the event is the ninth in a series from the museum’s signature program “Save Our African American Treasures: A National Collections Initiative of Discovery and Preservation.” All are welcome.

Mary Ballard, senior textile conservator at the
Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute,
inspects an artifact during a “Treasures” event.

Participants can reserve in advance to bring up to three personal items for a 20-minute, one-on-one professional consultation with experts on how to care for them. The specialists will serve as reviewers, not appraisers, and will not determine items’ monetary values. Objects such as books, paper and textiles no larger than a shopping bag (furniture, carpets, firearms and paintings are excluded) can be reviewed. Those wishing to have items reviewed must make reservations by emailing treasures@si.edu or by calling toll free (877) 733-9599. Reservations are only required for those wishing a one-on-one consultation. Additional information is available at nmaahc.si.edu.

“We are extremely proud to bring ‘Save our African American Treasures’ to Dallas during Juneteenth weekend,” said Bunch. “We encourage people to become aware of what they have, to protect it and to preserve it so the story of African Americans in this country can be told. Nineteenth and 20th-century objects — family photographs, military uniforms, farm tools and wedding dresses — can help tell this story for future generations; if we do not act now to preserve these items, the tangible evidence of a critical component of American history will be lost.”

A participant from “Treasures” Atlanta meets with
senior objects conservator, Carol Grissom of the
Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute.
“We are so honored that the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture is bringing this outstanding program to the Dallas Public Library,” said Hill.

The “Treasures” program also includes the following activities throughout the day:

Marion Butts: A Lens on Dallas: Carol Roark, the Dallas Public Library’s manager of special collections, discusses its collection of photographs taken by one of the most important and prolific documentarians of African American life in the city.
Preservation Presentations: Informal basic preservation sessions will take place during the day. The sessions will provide information on preserving clothing and textiles, family photographs and papers, and digital memories. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions.
Hands-on Preservation: In this hands-on activity, participants are invited to learn how to properly store letters, pack garments and prepare photographs for preservation storage and presentation.

On Saturday, from 2 to 4 p.m., participants can meet 94.5 KSoul’s Kelli Simms.

Elaine Nichols, supervisory curator of culture at the
Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American
History and Culture, meets with 99 year old
Amelia Boynton Robinson during “Treasures” Atlanta.

As a companion to the series, the museum has produced African American Treasures: A Preservation Guide, a 30-page guidebook that is distributed free to attendees to highlight the importance of proper preservation techniques. The guidebook is part of the “Treasures” kit. Also distributed will be white cotton gloves, archival tissue papers and archival documents sleeves to help people keep their personal treasures safe.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture was established in 2003 by an Act of Congress, making it the 19th Smithsonian Institution museum. Scheduled for completion in 2015, it will be built on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on a five-acre tract adjacent to the Washington Monument. Currently, during the pre-building phase, the museum is producing publications, hosting public programs and assembling collections. It is presenting exhibitions at other museums across the country and at its own gallery at the National Museum of American History. For more information about the museum, visit nmaahc.si.edu or call Smithsonian information at (202) 633-1000, (202) 633-5285 (TTY).

For information on the many free programs and services available at the Dallas Public Library, visit www.dallaslibrary.org. The Dallas Public Library operates the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, 26 branch locations, Bookmarks in NorthPark Center and two bookmobiles. A library card is free for any Dallas resident.