Month: September 2011

Participating in Focus Group Discussing How to Strengthen Smithsonian’s Museums on Main Street Program

This week I participated in a focus group discussing how to strengthen the Smithsonian’s Museums on Main Street (MOMS) program.  The Maryland Humanities Council, the sponsor of the initiative in this state, assembled a panel of stakeholders and subject matter experts to share perspectives on how to strengthen the program.  This cultural initiative serves small town museums, primarily through professionally curated traveling exhibits that draw on the expertise and resources of the Smithsonian.  Specifically the group of museum
professionals from around the state talked about how participation in the
Museums on Main Street program helped the humanities and nonprofit partners develop enhanced opportunities involving the program.  The MOM’s blog, Road Reports, has a piece I wrote when our institution participated in Key Ingredients.  Click here to read “Reinvigorating the Past  in Elkton, Maryland.”

Helping 141-Year Old Newspaper Focus Content on Area’s Heritage

This morning Chesapeake Publishing unveiled its newest publication, “Weekend Whig.”  This feature-rich section is loaded with local stories about the people and history of the county.  As they focus these pages on local copy, the publisher noted that they’re tapping into the interest in Cecil County’s roots and the wealth of information and photographs about the past.  I was pleased to have a chance to work with the paper’s editors as they developed the prototype.  For the roll-out, the publisher held a ribbon cutting and reception at the Elkton office today.  With the paper starting a new chapter in its 141-year history, it was great to be able to attended the reception and hear about more plans for the section as I work to help the Whig with coverage related to the area’s heritage.