HomeMy WebLinkAbout10.15.21boardmemo10-14-2021
1331 Algoma Boulevard, Oshkosh WI 54901 • 920.236.5799 • oshkoshmuseum.org
MEMO TO THE MUSEUM BOARD
October 14, 2021
To the Board,
The Titanic exhibition closed this week with great attendance and merchandise sales during the
final days. The Museum will be closed to the public from October 14th - 25th while staff work on
taking down exhibition elements such as the Memorial Wall and prepare a work space for the
professionals from Experiential Media Group (E/M Group) who arrive next week to de-install and
pack the artifacts before transport. The display furniture and unsold merchandise from the Titanic
store are being inventoried and packed for return. I will present a final report of the exhibition’s
attendance and revenue at the November Museum Board meeting.
The Museum is four weeks away from opening White Christmas: The Exhibition and staff will be
busy with preparations for the exhibition’s opening, decorating the Museum spaces for the
holidays, and getting the popular Elf Hunt ready for visitors to enjoy. We anticipate strong
attendance for this special exhibition and the Museum will continue to implement capacity limits.
We will continue to utilize the online admission platform Ticketleap for visitors to purchase
advance tickets in reserved timeslots. Tickets for this special exhibition go on sale November 1st
with the following admission prices: $12 for Adults, $10 for Seniors and College Students, $8 for
Children ages 6-17, Children 5 and under Free, and a group rate of $9 per person. We will return
to normal Membership benefits where Members attend for free. As part of the exhibition’s outreach
program Operation Waverly, there will be a discounted admission of $6 to Military Veterans and
Active Duty Personnel.
On Monday, Oshkosh Area School District Superintendent Dr. Bryan Davis visited the Museum to
receive a tour of the Titanic exhibition and hear more about the “virtual fieldtrip” that was
developed by Museum staff and E/M Group. Dr. Davis also received tours of the other exhibit
spaces and discussed ideas on ways to better coordinate and collaborate with Oshkosh schools. The
Museum’s LTE Educator Tanya Schmidt was also in attendance and outlined her work at the
Museum to update the People of the Waters curriculum standards and the Oshkosh Area Community
Foundation grant funded hands-on educational kits she developed that will be available for
educators to check-out next year. Dr. Davis inquired about spaces that could be used as classrooms
so students would be better able to access and research the Museum resources. While we conveyed
that staff use every space possible to accommodate class visits, we discussed the current space
constraints that pose challenges for accommodating educational activities. Dr. Davis was
encouraged to hear that classroom and research spaces were included in the plans for the much
needed building modifications and addition to the Steiger Wing.
The platform the Museum has been utilizing for digital interpretation has suspended its free use.
The Museum had great success in using this digital platform for popular exhibits like Cemetery Tales
and the meteorite display currently on view. If the Museum wants to continue using this platform
1331 Algoma Boulevard, Oshkosh WI 54901 • 920.236.5799 • oshkoshmuseum.org
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it would have to join a costly membership. Assistant Curator, Katrina Achilli has been able to use
her strong skills with digital media to migrate the content we are currently using to another free
format and is investigating a long-term solution. This situation highlights how much the Museum,
and the public it serves, benefits from having Ms. Achilli’s skills present on staff. Digital
interpretation is no longer considered the future of cultural organizations being able to offer
educational content, it is the present and is expected. As Museums continue to face increasing
challenges obtaining resources to enlarge and enhance exhibit spaces to accommodate more
interpretation and access to collections, having staff like Ms. Achilli and the resources to provide
access to digital interpretation has become key to advancing the mission.
Curator of Exhibitions Debra Daubert had to make a slight adjustment to her retirement day and
her last day in office will be December 9th. Ms. Daubert has dedicated her 40+ year career to public
service in Oshkosh and the Museum is incredibly grateful for her significant contributions to its
growth and development. While sad to report this impending departure, I am delighted to
announce that Ms. Daubert will pass the torch on to Museum Registrar Emily Rock who will
succeed Ms. Daubert as Curator of Exhibitions effective January 30th, 2022. Ms. Rock brings
significant curatorial experience to her new role along with a deep understanding of regional
history. The entire Museum staff is excited to work with Ms. Rock in her new role and looks
forward to her leading the exciting exhibition projects to come.
There will be no Board Memo next week as I prepare for the Budget workshop with the Common
Council on October 19th and take some vacation time. It looks like the autumn foliage is starting to
peak so I hope everyone is able to take some time and enjoy the beautiful colors outside this
weekend!
Anna Cannizzo
Interim Director
Assistant Director/Durow Curator of Collections