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Home My WebLink About5.21attachment 1331 Algoma Boulevard, Oshkosh WI 54901 • 920.236.5799 • oshkoshmuseum.org MEMO TO THE MUSEUM BOARD May 20, 2021 To the Board, Attached is the draft agenda for the June 3 meeting, along with the updated Museum Board listing reflecting new officers. Please note under my monthly report that I will summarize the June 5 Pow Wow. Even though the mask mandate has ended, the June Board meeting will again be virtual, as voted. Theresa will send the Zoom link prior to the meeting, as well as having it on the agenda. The agenda will include discussion of meetings going forward. Although the mask requirement is no longer in force, the Museum still has a limited capacity for meetings if the 6-foot distancing is required during those meetings. As well, with Titanic opening in two months, we cannot meet in the Sawyer Library during open hours because that gallery is required for part of the exhibition. Our only alternative is to use the Lecture Room, and there is just a brief window for meetings before the Lecture Room is turned over to artifact holding and preparation for Sports & Recreation in autumn. With the easing of some virus rules, this week we were able to make some positive changes to how we serve the public. Our interactives have been returned to the Oneota longhouse and Pioneer Cabin, and Grandma’s Attic is now open. Transmission of the virus from a hard surface is very low to begin with, so we are quite comfortable with these changes. While these might seem small, they contribute greatly to visitor satisfaction and represents a return to normal operations. However, we will continue to limit the number of visitors per hour, as limiting maximum capacity creates an overall better experience and provides staff with a reassuring level of control, especially on weekends. In other news, as I mentioned in last week’s brief message the Board of Appeals granted the Museum a variance for the two signs. That decision cleared the way for moving forward. However, our designer at Saiki Design will shortly be on family leave until the first week in September. We talked this morning and the project will be put out for bid late this year or early next year, for construction in 2022. Fit-out started for the Sports & Recreation exhibition and it is a very good feeling to finally begin the actual construction phase. The hardwood floor is being removed so that a new and quieter floor can be installed. That space was originally three smaller rooms, one of which was a bathroom. The bathroom and walls were removed in the late 1920s, so the wood floor is somewhat of a hodgepodge of old and new wood that runs in several directions. This task is being performed by Maintenance Technician Matt Reinke and Exhibit Technician Greg Witthun and it is tough, dirty work. The cavity between the Sports & Recreation floor and the pressed plaster ceiling in the Sawyer Library was filled with 1908 and 1928 construction debris of every 1331 Algoma Boulevard, Oshkosh WI 54901 • 920.236.5799 • oshkoshmuseum.org Page Two conceivable type, so that will be cleaned out. Doing so will reduce the weight on the Library’s pressed plaster ceiling and enable us to fill the void with a lightweight sound and vibration reducing material. Inflation is significantly impacting the cost of building materials, so we will have to closely monitor Sports & Recreation costs. On Friday morning the exhibit team meets to review focal point artifacts for each section of Deep Roots, Growing City. This entails a discussion of potential objects for each section of the exhibition that are considered to be the most important to the storyline. This can be an object that tells a compelling story, or that is visually or aesthetically dominant, but ideally it should be both. While focal point artifacts are not looked at in isolation from the rest of the artifacts in the exhibit, their selection can make or break how an exhibition looks and is perceived by the public. There are times when the collection simply does not have a focal point object that fits the theme of each area. In cases like that, we look to acquire or borrow what we need. Generally, it is a pleasurable process of give-and-take and I enjoy hearing what everyone has to say about various artifacts. In the miscellaneous paragraph, on Monday we welcomed Nathan Heenan as our summer LTE grounds person. Nathan is a college student studying theology and history. Our first cemetery tour went well last Sunday, with 18 participants. We have another cemetery tour this Saturday, May 22, starting at 1:00 p.m. I hope everyone was able to spend some time outside this week to enjoy the glorious spring weather. When winter’s gray skies and cold temperatures hold us indoors, fine spring days like we experienced this week are the kind we long for. That ends the week and I hope you have a pleasant weekend. Brad Larson Director D R A F T OSHKOSH PUBLIC MUSEUM BOARD AGENDA Online Only OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN June 3, 2021 The June Board meeting will be held remotely at this link: https://zoom.us/j/92203503886?pwd=UXM4cjZIR0dySXp3WENHNm5kNVJaUT09 Or call: +1-312-626-6799 Meeting ID: 922 0350 3886 Passcode: 809043 Citizens wishing to provide comment on individual agenda items may appear remotely through the above link or phone number or may submit written comments. Written public comments may be sent via mail addressed to the Museum, or sent by email to the Museum Director prior to the Board Meeting at: blarson@ci.oshkosh.wi.us written comments will be distributed to the Board and made part of the public record of the meeting. 1. Call to order (4:00 p.m.) 2. Determination of quorum, roll call 3. Citizen Statements to the Board Citizens are to address the Board only. Statements are limited to five (5) minutes; must address items that are not listed on the Board meeting agenda, are limited to issues that have an impact on the Oshkosh Public Museum. The Board may address at a future meeting, and must not include endorsements of any candidates or other electioneering. 4. Consent Resolution Agenda Consent Agenda Items are those items of a routine administrative nature that are voted on by the Board in a Single Roll Call Vote. The Board has been furnished with background material on each item. Any member of the public or Board may request that an item be removed from the Consent Agenda for discussion and to be voted on separately. The Board will consider approval of: A. Minutes of May 2021 Board Meeting B. June Bill List 5. Discussion of Board Meetings--to Zoom or not to Zoom 6. Report of the Director A. June 5 Pow Wow B. Titanic Schedule C. Sports & Recreation Fit-out 7. Discussion of Director Search 8. President’s Report – Gabe Loiacono (Topics to be submitted as soon as possible, but at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting.) D R A F T 9. Board Member Report (Topics to be submitted as soon as possible, but at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting.) 10. Auxiliary Report – Sue Eichman, Auxiliary Secretary 11. Adjournment OSHKOSH PUBLIC MUSEUM BOARD May 2021 Renewal dates appear in the parentheses within the contact information of the Board members. Connie Drexler, Secretary 920-379-1767 E-mail: connie.drexler@gmail.com 1559 Georgia Street Oshkosh, WI 54902 (2021)(2024) Appointed as an alternate August 2016 Appointed to board March 9, 2021 Carol Fenrich 920-231-9112 E-mail: fenrich@northnet.net 2020 Fairview Oshkosh, WI 54901 (2005)(2008)(2011)(2014)(2017)(2020)(2023) Appointed to board on May 14, 2002 Jim Hoffman 920-235-1386 E-mail: jim-jane-hoffman@att.net 1313 E. Murdock Avenue Oshkosh, WI 54901 (2021)(2024) Appointed as an alternate June 2014 Appointed to the Board May 2015 Gabriel Loiacono, President 920-966-2148 E-mail: loiacong@uwosh.edu 1209 Washington Avenue Oshkosh, WI 54901 (2019)(2022) Appointed as an alternate October 2015 Appointed to the Board June 2017 Rebecca “Becky” Matzke, Vice President 920-279-8618 E-mail: matzker@ripon.edu 2970 Ruschfield Dr. Oshkosh, WI 54904 (2016)(2019)(2022) Appointed as an alternate Nov. 2014 Appointed to the Board Sept. 2015 Richard “Rick” Rego 920-235-7202 E-mail: ricreg19@gmail.com 1430 Maricopa Dr. #7 Oshkosh, WI 54904 (2007)(2010)(2013)(2016)(2019)(2022) Appointed to board on June 8, 2004 Joseph “Joe” Stephenson, Alternate 608-897-6165 E-mail: stephensonj92@gmail.com 934 Jefferson Street Oshkosh, WI 54901 Appointed as an alternate May 2018(2022) Jean Thierman 920-385-7505 E-mail: jmthierman@gmail.com 2346 Wisconsin Street Oshkosh, WI 54901 (2017)(2020)(2023) Appointed as an alternate June 2013 Appointed to the Board June 2014 Bob Poeschl, School Board President 920-312-0529 E-mail: bob.poeschl@oshkosh.k12.wi.us Oshkosh, WI 54901 Kathy Wuest, Auxiliary President 920-233-3783 E-mail: ksw72@hotmail.com 3503 County Road N Oshkosh, WI 54902 Brad Larson, Museum Director 920-236-5769 E-mail: blarson@ci.oshkosh.wi.us 1331 Algoma Blvd Oshkosh, WI 54901 Assistant: Theresa Books, 920-236-5760 tbooks@ci.oshkosh.wi.us