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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/23/2016 - Minutes RHSMinutes_02232016_final Page 1 of 7 RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES February 23, 2016 , 2005 , 2005 , 2002 Attending: Laura Clawson, Antoin Johnson, Stefanie McIrvin, Betsy Prather, Alice Stenstrom, Elizabeth P. Stewart, Kim Sweet, Vicki Jo Utterstrom and Lisa Wivag. Absent: Vinod Waghamare. Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 5:32 PM. Oral Communications No oral communications. Board Communications Kim Sweet reported on Board attendance at the Feb. 11 Renton Community Foundation Event, “Celebrate! Love of Community”. Betsy, Stefanie, Liz and Kim all attended for the Board. With partners, we almost filled a Renton Historical Society table. Board members made connections with potential candidates and the Museum received a $10,000 grant from First Financial Northwest Foundation for the lobby renovation. Betsy Prather asked about the exhibit case of historical object at the Renton Transit Center exhibit, which is in dire need of housekeeping. The exhibit was created and installed by an artist under the auspices of 4Culture’s Public Art Program and is not connected to the Museum. However, Liz will try to get them to do something about it since it reflects badly on the Museum. Antoin Johnson visited Museum of Man in San Francisco and was impressed by its breadth and skill of exhibits. Kim Sweet visited Wild Horse Monument near Spokane and recommended that everyone see it. Vicki Jo Utterstrom asked Liz for information about the James Nelsen farmhouse in Tulwila; Liz will get back to Vicki. Correspondence Information was received about the Farmer’s Market Community Booth. Selecting a date will be done during the business portion of the meeting. Consent Agenda (Vice President) Action Item A quorum was present.  MOTION: Kim moved to approve the Consent Agenda with the correction of two typos in the museum report, Lisa seconded. Motion passed, none opposed, none abstaining. RHSMinutes_02232016_final Page 2 of 7 RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES February 23, 2016 , 2005 , 2005 , 2002 Old Business Action Items____ Retreat: The retreat will be held at the Kent Historical Society on Saturday March 12 from 9:30 am – 1 pm. Lisa will be bringing breakfast and lunch. Panera menus were distributed for each person to select their lunch choice. The facilitator will be Lynn Bohart. In addition to the retreat, there will be a tour of the facility. Discussion Action Items____ (1) Annual Agreements: The three documents to be signed annually are Conflict of Interest, Whistleblower, and Ethics Standards. They should be reviewed and signed no later than the March Board meeting. (2) Fundraiser: This year’s fundraiser would ideally be September 28 or October 4. Lisa will check with Renton Senior Center to learn if either of these dates is available. Sponsorship opportunities will be explored. A committee needs to be formed. (3) Annual Meeting: Liz and Stefanie will loop back with Gene about fundraising or sponsorship of the annual meeting or something else. Suggestions for the Custer Award are Terry Higashiyama and Eric Taylor. The Historical Society will ask the City of Renton to appoint a museum liaison. (4) Farmer’s Market Outreach: The goal of having a presence at the Renton Farmer’s Market is to get people to the museum. The idea of free or reduced admission coupons is being considered. The 1st choice date is June 21, the last day of school, or September 20, close to the auction. Dates of note: See Addendum. Mission Moment The staff retreat was the previous Saturday. Accomplishments were highlighted. The 12 – 18 month action plan was created, as was a 1 - 3 year building plan. Reviving the Renton High School project is being considered as is an exhibit partnership with Renton Technical College. There was a discussion about the Little House being a “please touch” space and deaccession of museum artifacts. Adjournment _____ MOTION: Kim Sweet moved to adjourn; Vicki Utterstrom seconded. The motion passed. Alice Stenstrom, Member Board of Trustees, Renton Historical Society RHSMinutes_02232016_final Page 3 of 7 RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES February 23, 2016 , 2005 , 2005 , 2002 ADDENDUM #1 Name "S y n c o p a t e d C l a s s i c , " R e n t o n L i b r a r y ( 1 / 2 5 / 1 6 ) Vo l u n t e e r V a l e n t i n e ' s L u n c h e o n ( 2 / 1 / 1 6 ) Ce l e b r a t e ! T h e L o v e o f C o m m u n i t y e v e n t ( 2 / 1 1 / 1 6 ) N ei g h b o r -to -Ne i g h b o r F o r u m ( 2 / 2 7 / 1 6 ) Ex h i b i t o p e n i n g : R e n t o n T h e n a n d N o w ( 5 / 3 1 / 1 6 ) An n u a l M e e t i n g ( 6 / 7 / 1 6 ) Da v i d B . W i l l i a m s t a l k ( 6 / 1 4 / 2 0 1 6 ) Laura Clawson x Antoin Johnson Stefanie McIrvin x Betsy Prather x Alice Stenstrom Kim Sweet x Vicki Jo Utterstrom Vinod Waghamare Lisa Wivag Elizabeth P. Stewart x x x RHSMinutes_02232016_final Page 4 of 7 RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES February 23, 2016 , 2005 , 2005 , 2002 Addendum #2 MUSEUM REPORT January 2016 Compiled by Elizabeth P. Stewart, Director Sarah Samson, Collection Manager Mark Mulder, Public Engagement Coordinator Operations Visitors in January: 218 Visitor numbers reflect members and researchers as well as paying visitors. In January tours were given to 61 kids from Renton Christian Prep and Tiger Cub Scouts. Administration New Administrator: Terry Higashiyama retired in mid-February after almost 10 years as the Administrator of Community Services. Kelly Beymer, formerly Parks and Golf Course Director, has stepped into the position. Kelly, whom trustees met at the January 2016 Board meeting, brings enthusiasm and extensive experience in the City of Renton to the job, and we’re looking forward to working with her for the good of the Museum. Lobby renovation: City of Renton Facility Coordinator Michael Nolan is awaiting final estimates from subcontractors FORMA to schedule the project. He is aware that the project must be complete at the time of the RHS annual meeting; once it begins, it will move fairly quickly, with closed days minimized. Before she retired Community Services Admin Terry Higashiyama added research room carpet to the project. The Historical Society will need to replace exterior signage and front door canopy in time for the grand re-opening; volunteer Dennis Conte is working on quotes for those items. With a new City Facilities Director, Michael Kirk, on board as of Feb. 15, I will be preparing a list of other major facilities projects that will be necessary in the future. These include: painting and dealing of the building's exterior, replacement of all windows, fixing the east wall of the north RHSMinutes_02232016_final Page 5 of 7 RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES February 23, 2016 , 2005 , 2005 , 2002 gallery, floor coverings for the north gallery and the main gallery, and new lighting system, among other projects. There will need to be a cost -share on the part of the Renton Historical Society for some of these projects, and Museum Director Liz Stewart will be working on a fair cost-share plan. Personnel: Museum Office Aide Laurie Lent resigned in early February to move to Texas. Liz is working with the City's HR Department to replace her; in the meantime Liz is covering membership services and accounts payable. Staff Retreat: Museum staff met on February 6 to review the work plan developed at the last retreat in December 2014 and to begin to formulate a new work plan. In the last 1 4 months, in addition to numerous exhibits and programs, staff have:  Worked to create a more consistent visual identity, with the adoption of a new logo and brand, our first style guide, and new marketing pieces.  Improved our advance planning, with an exhibit calendar planned 18 months out.  Made first steps on creating a more welcoming building, including new banners and planning for the lobby renovation this spring.  Continued to improve collections, with a reconceived Little House, plans to build a stronger education collection, and new acquisitions. Exhibits Frozen in Time: Collection Manager Sarah Samson has begun putting the finishing touches on research for our next exhibit which showcases the collection of glass plate negatives donated to us in 20 06. These negatives feature images of Renton businesses and residences in 1909; Sarah's extensive research has identified the locations and owners of all but three of the 70 images. Frozen in Time will show “then and now” photos of these buildings and explore the research process. The exhibit will open May 31, 2016. Birth, Life & Death exhibit: Public Engagement Coordinator Mark Mulder has developed a tour for our current temporary exhibit, and we continue to schedule guided tours. Tours are the focus of our programming efforts because exhibit takes up so much room in the gallery. Birth, Life & Death will be on display until May 27, 2016. RHSMinutes_02232016_final Page 6 of 7 RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES February 23, 2016 , 2005 , 2005 , 2002 Collections Internships: Sarah is currently supervising Maria Robinson in a grant -funded project to complete the cataloguing of the Custer-Lewis Collection. The Custer-Lewis Collection was a late 2000 bequest of the contents of two houses, including the tools and personal effects of builder George Washington Custer and his family. Intern Steffie Terasaki is also working on cataloguing textiles and grooming artifacts. Sarah is also accepting applications for an M.A. Thesis project to appraise, deaccession, and auction a collection of international costumes. While the collection would be valuable in the right museum, the costumes do not meet our collection policy requirements. This project will provide valuable experience to the right intern, will free up space in our collection storage, and will provide some cash for the acquisition of future artifacts. New acquisitions: Jonas Clarke-Elliott recently donated the Roxy Theatre ticket machine. We also recently received Henry Moses fishing creel and bow from a member of the Kirkman family, passed down after being gifted by Henry Moses. Programs and Events Syncopated Classics Program: On January 25, Museum Director Liz Stewart staffed a table at a KCLS Renton Library program featuring Greg Ruby talking about jazz composer, musician, and educator Frank D. Waldron. Liz brought out some music-related objects from the collection and shared photos and information about Renton musicians. About 40 people attended. Spring programs: Mark and Liz have developed a calendar of events for spring and early summer that will enhance the Frozen in Time exhibit. These include: a book talk by author David B. Williams for his book Too High and Too Steep; a Curator’s Talk by Sarah Samson, about her research on the glass plate negatives; and a Pop-up Photo-sharing Event that will enable participants to share their old photos and learn how to preserve them for the future. Other events include the RHS Annual Meeting on June 8 and a screening of a new film about the Duwamish people, Promised Land, on June 14. Volunteers Valentine Luncheon: On Monday, Feb. 1 we hosted our annual Volunteer Valentines Luncheon; the date was pushed up to include Laurie Lent, who especially enjoyed working with volunteers. About 25 volunteers attended, including Treasurer Laura Clawson. Guests enjoyed a trivia contest, lunch, and a talk about Birth, Life & Death that included clips from RHSMinutes_02232016_final Page 7 of 7 RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES February 23, 2016 , 2005 , 2005 , 2002 oral histories. RenTeens: After helping install last year's exhibit in the storefront at 310 Williams, the RenTeens began working on a new exhibit for the museum about Renton during the Cold War. Mark took them to visit the research collection of the Museum of Flight for insight into available resources, and they will also be exploring Renton newspapers and oral histories. They may also be adding new interviews to our oral history collection. Volunteer Hours and Activities: In January 19 volunteers contributed 97 hours of service on work that included Board service, outreach activities, greeting visitors, office work, and working on collections projects.