Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Minutes of the October 3, 2013 Board Meeting (Approved at the November meeting of the Museum Board) The October meeting of the Oshkosh Public Museum Board was held on Thursday, October 3, 2013, in the Library of the Sawyer Home. President Gary Haffeman called the meeting to order at 4:00 pm. The roll was taken by Theresa Books. Present: Excused: Ms. Cryan Mr. Haffeman Ms. Kaufman Ms. Drew Mr. Rego Ms. Fenrich Mr. Metz Ms. Thierman Mr. Winkler Mr. Mack Mr. Wiedenhoeft Ms. Thierman was designated to fill the vacancy of Ms. Kaufman. Also in attendance: Director Brad Larson, Assistant Director Mike Breza, Auxiliary Liaison Barb Shirtz, and Administrative Assistant, Theresa Books recording the minutes. There were no citizen statements as no citizens attended. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS For the consent agenda, the board has been furnished with background material on each item or has discussed it at a previous meeting. These will be acted upon with one vote without discussion. If a board member wants to discuss any item, it will be pulled out of the consent agenda and will be voted on separately. The Board will consider approval of: A. Minutes of the September 5, 2013 Board Meeting B. Bill List for September Bills C. Deaccession of 17th Century Flemish Tapestries Mr. Mack moved that the Consent Agenda be approved. Ms. Fenrich seconded the motion. The roll call vote went as follows: In Favor: Against: Ms. Drew Mr. Metz None Ms. Fenrich Mr. Winkler Ms. Thierman Mr. Mack Mr. Haffeman Mr. Wiedenhoeft Mr. Rego The vote was unanimous in favor and the Consent Agenda items were passed. Discussion commenced regarding altering Museum admission for the month of December 2013. The recommendation is for admission to be free for children 17 and under and $3.50 for adults. Oshkosh Public Museum 1331 Algoma Boulevard Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901 Page 1 of 3 Especially because we need to be closed for a couple weeks in October, the lower cost can be viewed as Mr. Mack moved that the Museum adapt for the month of December 2013 the admission fees of $3.50 for adults, free for children 17 and under. Ms. Drew seconded the motion. The roll call vote went as follows: In Favor: Against: Ms. Drew Mr. Metz None Ms. Fenrich Mr. Winkler Ms. Thierman Mr. Mack Mr. Haffeman Mr. Wiedenhoeft Mr. Rego giving an update of the Strategic Plan. The senior focus group will be held tomorrow, beginning at 10:00 a.m. at the Seniors Center. It will be facilitated by Brian Chapman, who has worked with Walter many times. Mr. Larson noted that a great deal of information has been collected from many sources, including Dr. Karl Nollenber week with Walter, it is noted that the same things are heard over and over. The five key points are: Name. It may be expressed in different ways, but what we learned is that the name except to older residents. Awareness. People are only vaguely aware of the museum as a place to visit. When they do hear or see museum ads (unmistakably said to be infrequently), they have an indefinite understanding of what we are, what we have, or why they should pay for a the admission price. Outdated exhibits. People are without a doubt looking for more than objects behind glass and reading labels. They want a sense of excitement. They want participatory exhibits that allow some way to interact; they want an element of fun and a way to discover or connect on their own. A growing group looks for technology as a way to interact and learn. Events & Programs. Input points to the need for staff to do events and programs. Creating and offering structured, organized visits for classes is a must. A sub-set of this is the challenge of finding transportation for schools. Oshkosh Public Museum 1331 Algoma Boulevard Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901 Page 2 of 3 Amenities. When people visit, they expect and want comfort and niceties that go beyond good restrooms. The most common comments were a place to sit and have a cup of coffee and snack, Wi-Fi, and spending time in pleasant outdoor surroundings. Many Mr. Larson noted that there is a lot of material (and expense) in those five points. Acting on these findings alone is enough to keep us very busy. However, the future of the museum requires that we take action. As the Board understands from what was authorized last month, the Museum is laying the groundwork to address some of these challenges. These points will be discussed during our upcoming sessions with Walter Jankowski. The museum has a small staff, limited financial resources, and available space is at a premium. We all recognize these things. Getting beyond those hurdles will require focus. The Board selected the date of Nov. 7 for the session with Mr. Jankowski, beginning at noon. Next Mr. Larson gave an update on the cancellation of Spooky Tours. As he discussed with staff tasks that had to be done to prepare for this event, in addition to the impending work necessary to prepare for the October 21 start of the HVAC replacement, Mr. Larson made the decision to cancel Spooky Tours. The staff team believed it would not be possible to provide a high quality visitor experience worth the $10 special admission in the two weeks remaining. The decision to call off Spooky Tours was made in time to cancel scheduled advertising and promotional activities. Spooky Tours will go forward in 2014. from visitors and citizens, curator Debra Daubert has created a new holiday exhibit event. It is a return to the days when we had a historic or nostalgic look at Christmas, but now with a number of participatory elements and activities. Deck the Halls has been designed from the start as an exhibit event that can be built on with each succeeding year while still maintaining the name and th basic exhibit elements. It opens November 12. Mr. Haffeman did not have a . Ms. Shirtz gave an update on activities of the Auxiliary. Planning and preparations for the Annual Gala and for Holiday with the Sawyers is well underway. Holiday with the Sawyers is being done in conjunction with the Deck the Halls exhibit and activities. The new year of Auxiliary meetings begins Friday, October 11, 2013. With no other agenda items, Mr. Haffeman asked for a motion to adjourn. Mr. Metz so moved and Mr. Weidenhoeft seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous in favor and the motion was passed. The meeting adjourned at 4:30 pm. Oshkosh Public Museum 1331 Algoma Boulevard Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901 Page 3 of 3