Closing the Museum?: News and Commentary

NATIONAL AWARD NOMINATION

The Washington State History Museum is pleased to have been nominated by Congressman Norm Dicks (WA-06) to receive the National Medal for Museum and Library Service which recognizes core commitment to public service through innovative programs and active partnerships that address the changing needs of the communities they serve, and connect people to information and ideas.

MEDIA

Bill to save Tacoma museum passes out of committee

KATIE SCHMIDT - The News Tribune
April 6, 2011

A bill in the Legislature to save museums in Olympia, Tacoma and Spokane made it out of committee today, but it could still face some tough political resistance.

In a 6-5 vote, the House State Government and Tribal Affairs Committee passed House Bill 2033, which would create a Department of Heritage arts and Culture and set aside money to keep state museums open, though it went through amendments that reduced the state programs that would make up the new department.

What’s at stake in the bill is finding money for three state museums, including Tacoma’s State History Museum, that Gov. Chris Gregoire’s budget proposal would have funded at such low levels they would not be able to stay open to the public.

House budget would keep Tacoma museum open

KATIE SCHMIDT - The News Tribune
April 5, 2011

State legislators plan to try to keep the State History Museum in Tacoma open, based on the budget proposal released by the House of Representatives today.

In the two-year operating budget bill, House Bill 1087, representatives included a proposal to find funding for the museum by merging several state programs into a new Department of Heritage Arts and Culture and taking money that would go to a Heritage Center on the Capitol Campus, a move museum advocates and Tacoma officials applauded.

Lawmakers moving closer to saving Tacoma's Washington State History Museum from closure

JORDAN SCHRADER,Staff Writer - The News Tribune
April 1, 2011

One way or another, budget writers in the Legislature are moving closer to saving the Washington State History Museum in downtown Tacoma, along with the state’s other history museums, from cuts laid out by the governor.

House budget vice chairwoman Jeannie Darneille of Tacoma said Thursday she expects that the spending plan being developed by House Democrats will include her proposal to preserve the museums. She would merge them with other cultural programs and pay for them by raiding money from a planned construction project in Olympia.

A committee vote scheduled for this morning will give a clue as to how much support her idea enjoys. Even if it falters, Republican Secretary of State Sam Reed, an opponent of Darneille’s proposal, says the museums and the State Arts Commission aren’t in as much danger as it may seem.

Bill would save existing museums instead of planning for new one

JORDAN SCHRADER,Staff Writer - The News Tribune
March 24, 2011

Supporters of the threatened state history museums in Tacoma, Spokane and Olympia have found money that might keep them running.

But tapping the funding source requires stepping on some closely guarded turf: Plans to build a Heritage Center on the Capitol campus, which were made in better economic times and have yet to get off the ground.

It’s one of many tradeoffs lawmakers are considering as they try to bridge a budget shortfall that grew last week to $5.3 billion, a process that State Historical Society Director David Nicandri noted is "virtually a zero-sum game."

"For us to get a dollar means somebody’s got to lose one," said Nicandri, whose agency runs the Washington State History Museum in downtown Tacoma and Olympia’s smaller State Capital Museum. "It just makes it very difficult."

History museum in Tacoma would close under budget plan

JOANNA NOLASCO - The Seattle Times
March 15, 2011

TACOMA — The Washington State History Museum was among the first projects that helped spark redevelopment of a downtown Tacoma neighborhood once known for empty warehouses and vacant store fronts.

Since the museum opened on Pacific Avenue in 1996, the area has become home to a University of Washington campus, the Tacoma Art Museum and the Museum of Glass. Next door, a new federal court house has been carved from the old Union Station.

Now, the museum is threatened with closure because of the massive state budget shortfall.

Washington state museums must move forward with community support

Editorial Staff - The Seattle Times
March 15, 2011

The Washington State History Museum is a terrific state resource and a boon to Tacoma, but the time has come to wean it from all but the most minimal state funding.

The same challenge extends to Spokane's Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture and Olympia's smaller State Capital Museum.

Gov. Chris Gregoire took the first step by proposing to cut the state contribution to the agencies that run the museums by about half in the next two years.

Museum closure damage can't be undone

GEORGE L. VOGT - The News Tribune
February 27, 2011

George L. Vogt is the Executive Director of the Oregon Historical Society

These are tough times for cultural organizations, and none is having a tougher time than the two major historical organizations in Washington.

Gov. Chris Gregoire’s proposed state budget threatens to close both the Washington State Historical Society’s museum in Tacoma and the Eastern Washington State Historical Society’s Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane. Closed, as in shut, locked up, out of business. Kaput.

Sure, some will say that "hibernation" might be a better description of the draconian budget proposal, but state support, once withdrawn from a cultural institution, is very difficult to re-establish. And staff expertise in the collections, once lost, is almost always gone for good.

What makes this tough to take is that these venerable institutions, both formally designated as trustees of the state, survived the Great Depression, grew and prospered. Now, in a receding recession, the government is telling these organizations, "You’re history." Literally.

Annual fees sought for state history museums

JORDAN SCRADER, Staff Writer - The Olympian
February 2, 2011

If Washingtonians are going to pay more for nature, why not for culture?

Rep. Kevin Van De Wege, who introduced a bill Tuesday to charge $30 a year for parking at state parks, wants to amend the measure to add another perk to the permits: access to the state’s history museums.

Gov. Chris Gregoire proposes to mothball the museums in Tacoma, Spokane and Olympia to save the state $5 million over two years. She also has proposed eliminating the state arts commission. Lawmakers are looking for alternatives.

"I’m definitely trying here to find a way to keep them open," said Van De Wege, a Sequim Democrat who co-chairs a group meeting in the Legislature that calls itself the Heritage Caucus.

Washington State History Museum takes hard hit with budget cuts

OLIVIA AIKALA, Staff Writer - The Ledger, University of Washington Tacoma
January 25, 2011

"Every day is museum day in Tacoma," state capital museum manager Susan Rohrer said. Located in the heart of downtown Tacoma, the Washington State History Museum (WSHM) is one of three museums on Pacific Avenue, the two others being the Tacoma Art Museum and the Museum of Glass. Established in Aug. 1996, the 106,000 square-foot building has played an intricate role in the revitalization of downtown Tacoma.

"There has been a large scale community effort to revitalize Tacoma and a lot of people which predate me had worked specifically on establishing the state history museum,"" executive director of the Executive Council for a Greater Tacoma, Tom Luce said. The museum has come a long way since then with three permanent exhibits and featured exhibits that are on display periodically throughout the year.

More recently, on Jan. 29, the Washington State History Museum will offer a preview to members of their new exhibit "WRAPPED! The Search for the Essential Mummy," which will remain open to the public through Sept. 11. However, this exhibit's display will be cut short and closed with the rest of the museum on Jul. 1 if Governor Chris Gregoire's proposed budget is approved by the Washington State Legislature.

State's history may be lost in budget cuts

JOHN DODGE, Staff Writer - The News Tribune
January 23, 2011

The former Lord Mansion in Olympia’s South Capitol neighborhood will celebrate its 70th anniversary next year as the State Capital Museum.

Chances are, it won’t be much of a celebration.

The museum is targeted for closure in Gov. Chris Gregoire’s 2011-13 budget, as are the other Washington State Historical Society museums, in Tacoma and Spokane.

Dismiss history, heritage? Things cannot be that bad

PETER CALLAGHAN, Staff Writer - The News Tribune
January 9, 2011

In the midst of the Great Depression, which makes what we’re going through now seem like a hiccup, history wasn’t considered part of the problem.

"A Guide to the Evergreen State," published in 1940, was sponsored by something called the Washington State Historical Society, which had been based in Tacoma since 1891.

"During the Great Depression, it was perceived that investing in history and culture was a means of addressing civic malaise," said David Nicandri, the current executive director of the society. "It was done so people would have faith in the future."

History museum would be an inconceivable loss

The News Tribune
January 9, 2011

Advocates of the Washington State History Museum are making a compelling case against Gov. Chris Gregoire’s new proposal to mothball the building.

The Legislature has preserved the museum, as an institution, through worse times than these. Lawmakers have kept it open through two world wars and the Great Depression. The reason: History is important. It’s important to tell the state’s story to adults and critical to pass it on to the young.

Museum, cornerstone of downtown Tacoma's redevelopment, would close under budget plan

ROB CARSON and JORDAN SCHRADER - The News Tribune
January 9, 2011

Efforts to save Tacoma's Washington State History Museum from the budget ax gained considerable political momentum last week, with several new interest groups joining the cause and a top lobbyist enlisted to argue theirase in Olympia.

"We're putting together an effort from anybody and everybody who wants to be involved," said Tom Luce, executive director of the Executive Council for a Greater Tacoma. "There's going to be a very large push in Olympia to let them know how important this is."

This article was also reprinted in The Seattle Times.

We'd lose much more if museum closes than small amount saved

Editorial by Dave Edwards in The News Tribune
January 6, 2011

Dave Edwards is the former president of WSHS

The size of spending cuts recently proposed by Gov. Chris Gregoire are stunning but understandable. State government faces the most pressing financial crisis in a generation. Judiciously applied belt-tightening, while uncomfortable, will help us preserve our most essential government services and programs.

Among the governor’s recommendations is to close the Washington State History Museum. In my view, that step would be ill-advised. A cost/benefit analysis will show that the value of the museum to the state far outweighs the savings that would result from its closure.

Let’s take a page from history to see what lessons might be learned.

Three times in the past, when faced with economic challenges, our state’s leaders resolved to preserve and sustain the operations of the Washington State History Museum. A state asset since 1907, the museum has been continually funded through World War I, the Great Depression and World War II. On each occasion, there could have been great temptation to close it in favor of more "critical" needs. But it remained.

What did prior generations of state leaders bring to their deliberations that Gregoire might be missing? The answer is straightforward. They understood the importance of state history to preserving our civic awareness, our cultural legacy and our understanding of Washington’s place in the world. These are the values they cherished that we must emulate:

Tacoma passes resolution asking state to reconsider museum closure

by CHRIS DANIELS / KING 5 News
January 4, 2011

TACOMA – The Tacoma City Council voted unanimously on a resolution asking the state to keep the Washington State History Museum open.

To read the full story, visit King5.com.

This article was also reprinted on MSNBC and Northwest Cable News - NWCN.com.

Looming budget cuts may derail model train festival

by KING 5 News
December 28, 2010

TACOMA – It's a tradition that could be coming to an end. Funding for the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma is on the chopping block in Governor Gregoire's new 2011 budget.

Is History Museum History? Governor's budget proposal would close state museum in Tacoma

Tacoma Daily Index
December 15, 2010

Governor Chris Gregoire released a 2011-2013 biennium budget proposal today that would close the Washington State History Museum in downtown Tacoma. According to the plan, the state museums in Tacoma and Spokane would close, state-funded educational programs and outreach activities through the state historical societies would be eliminated, and "skeleton staffing" would maintain facilities and secure collections. The move would save $5.2 million.

The governor's budget addresses a $4.6 billion shortfall created by dropping revenue due to the national recession affecting virtually every state across the country, and rising costs to provide basic services such as kindergarten-through-12th grade education and health care.

Museum, cornerstone of downtown Tacoma's redevelopment, would close under budget plan

JORDAN SCHRADER; Staff writer, The News Tribune
December 15, 2010

Advocates complained today that Gov. Chris Gregoire’s austere budget has dire consequences for Washington’s future. They could say the same about the state’s past.

The Washington State History Museum, a cornerstone of downtown Tacoma’s redevelopment, would shut its doors under the two-year budget proposal.

Gregoire slated the museum for a cut of $2.9 million, more than half its state funding. If state lawmakers approve the cut, the museum would have to either raise dramatically more money from the public or mothball its collections.

"It would be just another step backward for the city which seems to have taken quite a few of them lately," said David Nicandri, director of the State Historical Society that runs the museum.

RESOLUTIONS/LETTERS OF SUPPORT

Top

Letter of support from the City of Long Beach

Sent to Representatives Dean Takko, Brian Blake, and Brian Hatfield

"Governor Gregoire's 2011 biennial budget is proposing large scale reductions to the Washington State Historical Society (WSHS) including "mothballing" the State History Museum and elimination of all statewide services provided by WSHS."

"Given the seriousness of the funding crisis facing the state, as Mayor of the City of Long Beach I ask you to support current funding levels and please provide sufficient basic so that the Washington State Historic Society and the History Museum can remain operational and continue providing its valuable services."

Letter of support to the Ways and Means Committees

Legislative Delegation, Pierce County, Washington
February 8, 2011

"We recognize the very difficult task we all face in the addressing the shortfall for the 2011-13 biennium. However, we must respectfully request funds sufficient to keep the State History Museum Operating as [a] resource for our children and the citizens of the state of Washington."

Pacific County Resolution No. 2011-0002

Board of Commissioners, Pacific County, Washington
February 8, 2011

"NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED in recognition of the vital leadership the Society has displayed for the benefit of our county and for future generations, and its many contributions to citizens across the state, that the Legislature maintain the Society's current level of operating support necessary for the timely completion of the park and adjunct projects to follow."

Pierce County Resolution No. R2011-10

Council of Pierce County
February 1, 2011

"NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED by the Council of Pierce County: The Pierce County Council expresses its strong support for the State's continued operation of the Washington State History Museum. "

Broadway Center for the Performing Arts

Resolution of the Board of Trustees
January 27, 2011

"On behalf of the 22 members of the Broadway Center Board of Trustees, staff, and many of the more than 250,000 attendees annual to Tacoma's Theater District, I write to you to respectfully urge you to support funding the Washington State Historical Society at a level sufficient to keep their facility and programs operating as an essential state resource."

City of Vancouver

Timothy D. Leavitt, Mayor
January 14, 2011

"One of the services provided by the WSHS is a $10,000,000 biennial grant program that helps protect and restore historic structures. Fort Vancouver was on the list to receive over $600,000 in funding for Officers Row this biennium. Given the seriousness of the funding crisis facing the state, the City of Vancouver is not advocating for the grant program to be funded. Instead we are asking you to please provide sufficient basic funding so that the Washington State Historic Society and the History Museum can remain operational and continue providing services."

City of Tacoma Resolution No. 38173

By request of Mayor Strickland
January 4, 2011

"BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TACOMA: That the City Council expresses its strong support to keep the Washington State History Museum open."

LETTERS TO EDITORS

Top

Washington State History Museum is a precious gem

CONNIE MANSON, Olympia- Letter written to the editors of The Olympian
February 22, 2011

I was surprised to read Steve McKnight's letter about the Washington State History Museum. I can only assume that he hasn't visited it.

I’m a fiercely proud Washington native. But I’m ashamed to admit that I only went to the Washington State History Museum for the first time recently.

I’ve been to many museums in the United States, Canada, Europe and Egypt. The Washington State History Museum in Tacoma blew me away. It is as good, or better, than any museum I’ve ever seen. The artifacts and presentations are as good as I’ve seen at the Smithsonian, the British Museum or the Louvre.

Museums vital to our quest for answers

SHEILA M. CAREY, Enumclaw- Letter written to the editors of The News Tribune
February 17, 2011

Who are we as a people? This is the age-old question generations have long asked and sought to answer.

History is where we, as humans, look for our answer, for something to identify with. Each culture has its own way to preserve and teach this identity, be it through oral tradition, written language or physical culture. An important way the culture in which we live shares its history is through museums. These are places where young and old alike seek answers to their questions, learning about the past and how it relates to their lives in the present and the world of the future.

Museums are a vital way to teach and to learn. Without these institutions to preserve our past, we are lost, with no place to seek answers.

Closure of museums would be a mistake

KEN SCHLICHTE, Tumwater - Letter written to the editors of The Olympian
February 17, 2011

The story, "State's history may be lost in cuts" discussed the proposed state budget cuts that would close the State Capital Museum and the State Historical Society museums in Tacoma and Spokane.

These historical museums provide exhibits and educational programs that are important for educating students about Washington’s history, but these exhibits and programs would be hard to resurrect if budget cuts require their closure.

State budget cuts that close these museums may deprive our Washington students of important historical information and, in the long run, provide confirmation of George Santayana’s famous quotation that, "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

MUSEUM: State history too important to mothball

M. JEAN SIENKO, Tacoma - Letter written to the editors of The News Tribune
January 21, 2011

Closing the Washington State History Museum would be pure stupidity. Our state history is important to all of us, especially the schoolchildren. If the museum were located in Seattle instead of Tacoma, the governor would not even consider closing it.

It is sad that most of the residents of Seattle and King County feel that they are the state of Washington. Those of us who live in the rest of the state resent the implication.

As a great-granddaughter and granddaughter of very real pioneers of this state, I say, "Shame on you, Gov. Gregoire."

Teachers rely on museum for Northwest instruction

SUZANNE COFER, Lacey - Letter written to the editors of The Olympian
January 11, 2011

I recently read the governor wants to close the Washington History Museum.

The Washington History Museum offers classes for teachers about how to teach Northwest history, professional museum educators to lead student tours of the museum and to provide hands-on instruction for students in the history lab.

Teaching students to use primary resources – such as artifacts, historical maps and diaries – in the research process is one of the principal requirements of a well-designed social studies research unit.

WEBSITES & BLOGS

Top

More About The Proposal That Could Shutter Cultural Hubs

LAUREN LYNCH - City Arts
January 27, 2011

"It’s hard to face," says Susan Rohrer in regards to the governor’s proposal to cut museum funding. As the manager of the State Capital Museum in Olympia, Rohrer emphasizes that her facility is not just a museum, but also the outreach center for the state’s historical society.

While it may not attract as much foot traffic as the Mac or the Washington State History Museum, it provides the general public with numerous programs that help educate as well as build strong ties within the community. The museum’s Washington History Day program is just one of the offerings that could cease to exist if the proposal gets passed. Run like a science fair, children have the opportunity to compete in the state competition that oftentimes gains them national recognition. According to Rohrer, terminating such a program would be taken personally by each of the six-thousand children who participate each year.

Far From Dead: Washington State History Museum Enthusiastically Opens Wrapped!: The Search for the Essential Mummy

JAMIE HINZ - Marketwire, Press Release
January 24, 2011

Special Exhibit Preview on Jan. 29 Invites Public to Show Support for State Museum Under Threat of Closure; Exhibit Unwraps Ancient Egyptian Mysteries Through Forensic Portraits, Coffin Paintings and the Story of Local Mummy Ankh-Wennefer

TACOMA, WA--(Marketwire - January 24, 2011) - The mystery of mummies will finally be laid to rest as the Washington State History Museum launches "Wrapped!: The Search for the Essential Mummy" on Jan. 30, yet the museum's future itself still remains unknown. The immortality-themed exhibit arrives at an interesting time for the museum, as recently proposed state budget cuts have the cultural hub facing the prospect of its own closure. A special Member Day on Jan. 29 will give concerned citizens the chance to purchase an annual membership, or a premium "Member for a Day" pass, and enjoy exclusive early access to the exhibit, as well as special one-time-only exhibit programming and events, including photo opportunities with a real camel.

"We appreciate the outcry of support from our community amid the budget talks in Olympia to close the Washington State History Museum," remarked Dave Nicandri, Director of the Washington State Historical Society that runs the popular museum. "Everyone is asking 'what can I do to help?' Purchasing a membership is the best thing anyone can do, either through our regular annual membership or our special Member for a Day. It is a positive way to show support and provide crucial funds to the museum, while also experiencing an incredible exhibit. We remain very optimistic about the museum's future and its important place in our state's history and culture."

Washington State Museums Face Proposed Funding Cuts and Furloughs

HEATHER FERRELL - Western Museums Association
January 29, 2011

In a proposal released to the public in December, Gov. Chris Gregoire recommended cutting state funding for Spokane’s Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture’s (MAC) state by just over forty percent. According to a January 24, 2011 article by Lauren Lynch— this would be enough to maintain minimal staff for building and artifact care, but prevent the museum from being open to the public. Lynch’s article in Spokane’s City Arts Magazine goes on to say that

"According to [Governor] Gregoire, mothballing the MAC, the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma, Olympia’s Capitol Museum as well as cutting numerous outreach programs fed through local historical societies would total up to $5.2 million in savings. The community, however, doesn’t seem interested in the numbers. Instead, they look at it as a possible disaster that would disable the only cultural hub on the East side. "Read more about [the City Arts] article.

Living history at the Washington State History Museum

ROSEMARY PONNEKANTI - The News Tribune
January 17, 2011

The Washington State History Museum is in danger, and thank goodness Tacomans are rallying around to save it from state budget cuts. If ever an institution worked hard to make us remember that history is a living part of the present, it’s this one: The "In the Spirit" Native arts festival and Washington state history dioramas, the upcoming mummy exhibit "Wrapped" with current imaging technology, and today’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day programs are all great examples.

Heritage gets hammered in Gregoire's budget

KNUTE BERGER, Crosscut.com: News of the Great Nearby
December 16, 2010

Washington state heritage, it's so 1990s.

The Washington State History Museum opened with great fanfare in 1996 and might live to celebrate its 15th anniversary this coming summer. The taxpayer-funded museum was the new headquarters of the Washington State Historical Society, a state agency founded in 1907. It was designed to showcase our collective heritage, educate the kids with fabulous exhibits, and be a key link in the latest revitalization of downtown Tacoma, which has relied heavily on historic preservation. The museum has been a literal bridge between projects: to take the skybridge to Tacoma's iconic Glass Museum, you pass through the history museum site.

But that is all now in serious jeopardy with Gov. Chris Gregoire's new budget proposal. Heritage is not the only thing being slashed, and most would likely say not it's the most crucial, but it is a dark day in state history for state history. As one heritage professional I spoke with said, "it's looking into the abyss."

FACEBOOK

Like the Washington State History Museum on Facebook

SCHOOL CHILDREN

Top

Thousands of Washington students participate in field trips to the Washington State History Museum. These maps show the reach of our school programs throughout the state.

Many schoolchildren write letters to tell us what they liked about the history museum. This Powerpoint presentation highlights a few of these letters we have received in recent years. You may also view the letters in a PDF format, if preferred.

Adobe Acrobat

EDUCATORS

Top

Sent by Althea Cawley-Murphree, Director of Communications, Charles Wright Academy:

[Emailed February 15, 2011]

The following is excerpted from a letter sent to both the Senate and the House Ways and Means committees.

Thank you for your service to 22nd LD and the people of Washington state. I know this is a difficult legislative session and I sincerely appreciate your thoughtful approach to addressing the state’s budget crisis. I am writing to urge you to support the Washington State Historical Society as you craft the state budget. Please find a way to keep the Society’s museums and research centers open and to continue the educational programs that the Society supports, including Washington State’s National History Day program for middle and high school students.

I don’t know if you’ve ever visited the Washington State History Museum, but I have been there on several occasions. It’s one of the reasons I encourage friends and family visiting Washington to get out of Seattle and come visit the South Sound. Although I live in Olympia, I work in Tacoma and I’ve seen how important the Museum is to downtown economic development strategy. The state has already invested millions to house the museum, care for its collections, and develop its outreach programs to communities across the state. Even in these tough economic times, the state simply cannot afford to undercut the very institutions that stimulate private investment, draw in tourists, educate our citizens, and promote what is unique about our communities. The Museum’s staff and supporters have been working hard in recent years to develop alternative funding sources, but all that work will be lost if the Museum is mothballed.

As a middle school student, my interest in history was first piqued when my teacher encouraged me to enter the National History Day contest. Through the Society, the state supports this state-wide program with just $60,000 a year. Students pay small contest fees. Teachers, parents and judges volunteer their time. School districts pay for buses and support this program in many other ways, even as they struggle with their own budget woes.

Why? Because History Day works. It challenges and rewards students for reaching their intellectual best. It encourages and rewards research, analysis, and writing. It’s not a quiz competition that requires you to memorize dates and facts, it’s a research competition that requires you to think critically. Just as in athletics, the promise of a state championship motivates students to expect more from themselves and their teammates.

A recent national study shows that students who participate in History Day perform better on high-stakes tests, are better writers, more confident and capable researchers, and have a more mature perspective on current events and civic engagement than their peers. Participants also show a greater ability to collaborate with peers, manage their time and persevere – all skills employers say are lacking in today’s workforce.

Comments forwarded from the Teen and Childrens Librarians, King County Library System

Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2011 12:03 PM
Subject: COLUMBIAKids

Hi everyone,
I just stumbled over something new to me -- a Washington State History website for kids called, COLUMBIAKids.It's produced by the Washington State History Museum. It has been in existence since 2008, but there are only 4 issues so far. They're all worth looking at, however. I rarely come across an online resource this good, so I wanted to share this with folks who haven't seen it yet. Ironically, the museum is under risk of losing its funding.

I received a Washington State History Lab to Go book from a friend. It is amazing! I believe it will be a real asset to my classroom. My colleagues and I have been asked to teach Washington State History to our 7th grade students beginning Jan 21st. After looking through this book, I think that it will be essential to helping us to do a great job.

We don’t have funds to be able to come to the museum in Tacoma and this is probably the best way for our kids to have access to these resources.

Sincerely,

Carolyn Herrud
7th Grade LA/SS Teacher
McFarland Middle School
Othello, WA

Look forward to this GREAT field trip that so wonderfully supports our year-long study of Washington State and primary source research!

Sincerely,

Susan Tochterman
Phantom Lake Elementary
4th grade
Bellevue

FRIENDS & CUSTOMERS

Top

Sent by Nancy Covert, Steilacoom:

[Emailed January 15, 2011]

Subject: Excellent new exhibit

Mr. Nicandri: congratulations to the museum and staff (especially Stephanie Lile) for the outstanding Mummy exhibit which opened on Saturday (preview). As a former Pennsylvanian (Pittsburgh) who often spent my lunch hours perusing Carnegie Museum's Egyptian Hall during the 60s, I'd say that Tacoma has done a great job. I very much enjoyed hearing Dr. Elias' lecture and all that he's done about finding out who Ankh-Wennefer was.

I'll definitely be back to revisit the exhibit in coming months.

Sent by Joe Lewis to his Pierce County Legislators:

[Emailed January 15, 2011]

Subject: Funding for the Washington State History Museum

I urge all of you to support funding for the state history museum, a dynamic educational institution. I have been a volunteer since 2002 welcoming visitors at the information desk one day each week. People from around the country and from around the world come in to gain an overview of our heritage to include the geological formation, the native tribal culture, exploration and the subsequent establishment of the economic basis of Washington. The museum has led the transformation of downtown Tacoma into a venue attractive to residents and visitors alike. Closure will adversely impact local businesses and be an indelible blemish on our state's reputation.

Visits by school children to the museum are a key component in the curricula of many school districts. We must nurture the future by maintaining the history museum's capability to share our state's past with students. Please inform your fellow legislators that museum funding allows our kids to keep the best opportunity to learn about our heritage.

Best regards.

Joe Lewis
28-464

Sent by Penney Hubbard and Mike Ewing, residents of the Olympic Peninsula, to their local legislators.

[Received December 17, 2010]

It is my understanding the Washington State Historical Museum in Tacoma is at risk of closure due withdrawal of state funding. This is disturbing, the museum being a vast resource for education for both young people and adults. Its diversity makes it a place for visual and experimental learning that transcends anything else our state offers its citizens, as well as visitors.

The museum not only houses permanent exhibits that tell the story of our state, its rotating exhibits display the massive archival collection. What a waste to have this resource mothballed at the expense of educating students and others.

The museum brings to Washington traveling exhibits that enrich the knowledge of Washington residents and draw visitors. These exhibits provide an awareness of the world at large through exhibits of national importance.

For seven years I managed the visitor center in Port Townsend and I know how much tourists are drawn to learn more about the history of places they travel. I would refer people to our local museum, as well as the state museum, especially if there was a special exhibit.

The museum is a place for all ages. I can’t imagine a state without a history museum for students to learn of their heritage, their sense of place, and be enlightened to our national culture through special exhibits, which would without an operating museum would by-pass our state.

My husband and I, both in our 60s, go to Tacoma specifically to see exhibits at the museum and attend special events sponsored by, and held at, the museum. We consider the museum to be 'of the people', 'by the people', a hospitable, affordable place to learn, experience, and enrich our lives. Like other rural areas of the state, the Olympic Peninsula has limited resources, having access to a state museum expands our world. This year we took my nearly 90 year old mother, who lives in Seattle, to see the Icons of Washington exhibit. It opened her aging mind to many memories and stories. My brother and sister-in-law, who live in California, when here in the summer attend the Native American Arts Festival.

The museum has been, through its folk arts exhibits, and special Native American exhibits, a place for cultural exchange, exposing students and others to cultures which they would otherwise have little or no knowledge.

Yes, there is something very disturbing about a state that would close the doors to its historical museum. If there is one place I think of as the soul of the state, any state, that place would be the historical museum.

I understand the need to make severe budget cuts, but a complete closure of the museum seems unreasonable, unacceptable. My husband and I both urge you to consider alternatives to a complete shut down of this state resource.

Sincerely,
Penney Hubbard
Michael Ewing

Washington State Historical Society
1911 Pacific Avenue
Tacoma, WA 98402
Toll-free 1-888-BE THERE (1-888-238-4373)