A Victorian Chautauqua at the Howard Steamboat Museum
This event will be held on May 16 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on May 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  at the Howard Steamboat Museum located at 1101 E. Market St. in Jeffersonville.

A Victorian Chautauqua is a family-oriented festival featuring quality arts and crafts booths, entertainment, a large herb and perennial sale, Carriage House Antique Sales, food, book signings and tours of the Steamboat Museum.  Aunt Nannie will return this year with fun and entertaining children’s crafts designed to embrace our theme Steamboat Stimulus – Millions of Lincolns.  The theme connects our $1,000,000 Capital Campaign-Phase I to the current Lincoln Bicentennial.

• Local musicians will perform throughout the weekend.
• Steve Wiser, Louisville architect will give a PowerPoint presentation on Lincoln’s Louisville.
• A juried show of approximately 80 arts and crafts exhibitors.
• Free walk-through tours of the mansion.
• Carriage House Antique Sale – dealers will display and sell a potpourri of antiques and collectibles.
• Aunt Nannie’s Crafts – Make a ring, hear the story and build a boat.
• Food – Grilled hamburgers, hotdogs, snacks and the Victorian Café.
• Book Signings – Steve Wiser, Patricia Lee, Mary O’Dell, Gail Chandler, Betty Stredle, Jerry Hay, Sheri L. Wright, Marlene Mitchell, Sissy Marlyn, Hope McKim, Claude Wayne, Freya Ashby and Alma Graf.
• Large herb and perennial sale.

A Victorian Chautauqua is a fundraising activity for the Clark County Historical Society/Howard Steamboat Museum, a 501(c)3 organization.

The cost is $3 per person or free for children under 12 with an adult.  Parking is free.  Please, no pets.

For more information, contact Yvonne B. Knight at (812) 283-3728 or HSMSTEAM@aol.com.

Political Pole Raising at the Elkhart County Historical Museum
This event will be held on Saturday, May 16, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Elkhart County Historical Museum located at 304 W. Vistula St. in Bristol.

During the 1840s and 1850s local political parties held ceremonies to raise massive wooden poles of several stories in length that were covered in political banners and ribbons.  These poles market the location for demonstrations, speeches, and voting rallies.  Do not miss this exciting opportunity to experience a recreated pole raising that occurred in Goshen in 1846.  Bring a picnic lunch, watch the pole raising and hear speeches from re-enactors portraying local Democrats and Republicans from the era!  

For more information, contact director and curator Nick Hoffman at (574) 848-4322 or nick@elkhartcountyparks.org.

Indiana Jewish Historical Society Annual Spring Meeting in Muncie
The IJHS will meet on May 17 at Temple Beth El in Muncie.

The program will include a keynote speaker and dessert buffet.  A tour of the town’s Jewish sites is also planned.

For more information, contact the IJHS offices at (260) 459-6862 or Trent D. Pendley, IJHS President, at Lurie773@yahoo.com.

International Museum Day at the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum
This event will be held on Sunday, May 17, from 1 to 5 p.m. at the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum located at 200 Wallace Ave. in Crawfordsville.

The General Lew Wallace Study and Museum will be celebrating International Museum Day with free tours of its facilities, light refreshments and a free gift.  The public will also have the chance to see the Museum’s newest exhibit Embattled: General Wallace’s Leadership in the Civil War.  Visitor Services and Marketing Coordinator Kara Edie believes this year’s Museum Day theme is an apt one: “Montgomery County is overflowing with riches of cultural heritage.  On days like this, we get a lot of local visitors, and it’s wonderful to watch their appreciation of this area grow as they learn about the amazing things that have happened here in the past.”

The International Council of Museums created International Museum Day in 1977 to encourage awareness about the role of museums in the development of society.  Momentum has been rising unabated ever since. In 2008, more than 20,000 museums in 90 countries from Australia to Zimbabwe participated. The International Council of Museums has announced this year’s theme for International Museum Day: Museums & Tourism.

Alissandra Cummins, President of ICOM states: “Heritage is our shared identity – as humanity, as community. It’s whatever people like to think about themselves, whatever they believe in and however they choose to express it. Museums & Tourism encourages museum professionals and volunteers to work together with visitors and tourists, creating interactions with local communities in order to experience heritage both inside and outside of the museum walls.”

For further information about ICOM and International Museum Day, visit their Web site at http://icom.museum/imd.html.  More information about the event at the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum can be found by calling (765) 362-5769 or by visiting http://www.ben-hur.com/.

Timesavers and Shortcuts Presentation at the Franklin Township Historical Society Meeting House
This event will be held on Sunday, May 17, at 2:30 p.m. at the Franklin Township Historical Society Meeting House located at 6510 S. Franklin Rd. in Indianapolis.

Dana Crapo will offer information to those who are interested in submitting an application for membership to the Society of Indiana Pioneers. 

The Society of Indiana Pioneers was organized in 1916 to honor the memory and the work of the pioneers of Indiana. Members are descendants of the early settlers who opened the state to civilization.  Crapo, who completed his own research to find the required proofs to become a Pioneer Society member, will offer aids and suggestions for applying for membership.

The Meeting House will be open from 1 to 4 p.m. The Franklin Township Historical Society offers an opportunity for the community to visit the Meeting House on the first Saturday and the third Sunday of each month, from 1 to 4 p.m.  Visits are free and all visitors are invited to become members. For more information, contact Diana Stevenson at (317) 862-8822.

Unique Genealogy Sources Program at the Indiana State Library
This program will be held on May 21 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Indiana State Library located at 140 N. Senate Ave. in Indianapolis.

Come and learn about little-known sources for Genealogy research available at the Indiana State Library.  Enhance your research with these unique and useful resources and find hidden information that you never knew existed.

For more information, call (317) 232-3675.

Historic Monument Dedication by Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church at Crown Hill Cemetery
This event will take place on Saturday, June 6, at 9:30 a.m. at the Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis.  A reception will follow the dedication in the Gothic Chapel located on the cemetery grounds.

The monument is dedicated to the memory of the pioneers of the Greek Orthodox community who immigrated to this country as young men and women and established Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church and the Greek community.  The Church will celebrate the one hundred year anniversary next year. The monument is located in the Greek section of the Crown Hill Cemetery – the final resting place for these pioneers and their families.  They truly came with a dream for a better life and left a legacy which continues to thrive today.

Artistry in Bloom Reception at the Scott County Heritage Center and Museum
This opening reception will be held on June 6 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Scott County Heritage Center and Museum located at 1050 S. Main St. in Scottsburg.

Artistry in Bloom is an art exhibit featuring the work of Scottsburg artist Arnie Standiford.  Standiford was born and raised in Jackson County and now lives in Scottsburg.  She has been involved with art since childhood and developed a keen interest in numerous materials and techniques. She currently shares her abilities as an instructor for adult art classes on Monday evenings at the old middle school in Scottsburg. The exhibit will describe her quest for expressing the beauty in the world around her.

The cost for the reception is $10, and tickets are available at the museum. Proceeds from the reception will go toward developing a permanent art collection for the museum.  The event is cosponsored by the museum and the Scott County Arts Council. 

Artistry in Bloom will remain on display through July 31 at the museum.  The exhibit will feature approximately 75 pieces created by Standiford and is available during regular museum hours with no admission charge. The Scott County Heritage Center and Museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.on Saturdays.

For additional information about the reception, exhibit or other upcoming events, please call the museum at (812) 752-1050.

Cole Porter Festival at the Miami County Museum
This event will be held June 12 to 14, 2009 at the Miami County Museum located at 51 N. Broadway in Peru.

If you enjoy Cole Porter music, you will have a real treat this weekend.  The festival will kickoff with a cocktail party on Friday evening, preceding the premiere of the 5th annual Cole Porter Revue titled Radio Cole.  On Saturday the music continues at and around the Miami County Museum with food available from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.  There will be scheduled tours to the restored birthplace, the Old Fashioned Garden and Cole’s grave.  Saturday evening will feature a sit-down dinner at the museum (RSVP only) followed by a concert at the Peru High School featuring Spider Saloff (http://www.spiderjazz.com/).  The festival concludes on Sunday with a classic car show. 

The events are sponsored by the Miami County Historical Society and Ole Olsen Memorial Theatre.

For more information, visit http://www.coleporterfestival.org/.

Tales and Tributes for the Greentown Historical Society     
This event will be held on Saturday, June 13, 2009, at the Jerome Christian Church located at 9535 E. County Road 100 S. in Greentown.  Social hour will begin at 6 p.m. followed by a catered meal at 6:30 p.m. and the program at 7:30 p.m.

Tales and Tributes celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Greentown Historical Society by honoring the founders, organizers and contributors.  The public is welcome and the church is handicap accessible.

The cost for the event is $20 per person.  Contact Sally Imbler at (765) 628-7174.

Sign Up for AASLH Performance Management Visitor Survey Program
Save time and money by letting AASLH help you discover what your visitors want and need for a high quality experience. Sign up for the June visitor survey group and receive these valuable benefits:

• Benchmarks that compare your survey results with museums and sites of similar type, budget size, geographic location and governance – no other program offers this valuable benefit!
• A $700 discount for AASLH institutional members (non-members pay $4,200)
  An affordable payment plan that allows most institutions to pay the program fee over two fiscal years
• Use of a proven survey instrument – no staff time spent trying to design a survey!
• Custom survey questions that allow you to tailor the survey to your needs
• Key Drivers that identify your museum or historic house’s unique visitor experience attributes – save time by learning what you need to focus on first!

For more information, visit http://www.aaslh.org/AASLHPerformanceManagementProgramOverview2009.pdf.pdf or contact Cherie Cook at cook@aaslh.org or (573) 893-5164.

IHS Will Honor 2009 Living Legends At Gala
The Indiana Historical Society is pleased to announce the list of individuals who will be named Indiana Living Legends in 2009. Anita DeFrantz, Bobby “Slick” Leonard, P.E. MacAllister, and Melvin and Herbert Simon will be honored at the annual Living Legends Gala, which will take place at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in downtown Indianapolis on July 17, 2009.

Each year, the Society honors extraordinary Hoosiers for their statewide and national accomplishments in a variety of areas and disciplines. This year’s honorees were selected from more than 150 nominations by a committee of civic and corporate leaders, volunteers and IHS trustees. Katharine M. Kruse and Joseph F. Miller are the co-chairs of the Indiana Living Legends 2009 event.

The Living Legends event also serves as a fundraising event that assists the Indiana Historical Society in fulfilling its mission to be Indiana’s Storyteller™ by providing programs and resources throughout the state. In addition to the generous corporate sponsorship of OneAmerica Financial Partners, Inc., individuals and companies are invited to support the IHS mission by attending the event.

Tickets can be purchased individually or by table – cost to attend is $250 per person or $2,500 for a table of 10. Those wishing to attend a patron’s reception with the Living Legends may purchase patron-level tickets for $350 per person or $3,500 for a table of 10. All but $75 of each ticket price is a tax-deductible gift in support of IHS statewide educational programs. For additional information or to receive an invitation, please contact the IHS Development Department at (317) 233-6578. Information is also available at http://www.indianahistory.org/.

Executive Director at the Riverview at Hobson Grove in Bowling Green, Ky.
The Riverview at Hobson Grove is a historic house museum owned by the City of Bowling Green that is interpreted to the 1860 to 1890 time period. The Director reports to a six-member governing commission and works with a 20-member nonprofit fundraising board. 

Requirements: 

The Director must have a college degree, appropriate job and administrative experience, knowledge of 19th century America, including American Victorian period and the Civil War, good organizational and computer skills, communication/interpersonal skills, patience and resourcefulness.

Responsibilities:

• Daily operation of the historic site
• Interpretation of the home and its collection
• Preparation and oversight of the budget
• Financial reporting and forecasting
• Managing the collections, maintaining accurate records thereby keeping the inventory current
• Notifying the Commission of any changes in the collections
• Continued preservation and restoration of the house and collections
• Continuing timely maintenance and care of the house, collections and grounds
• Coordination of the volunteer corps, docents and museum shop staff
• Management of the museum shop, weekend managers and caretakers
• Coordination of tours, programs and special events
• Program development, grant writing and implementation
• Active promotion of museum and its activities through public relations and marketing
• Other duties as may be required by the Commission

The Director works a 40-hour week, Monday through Friday with occasional evening and weekend hours.  The director will take accrued overtime as compensatory time.  The salary will be based upon education and experience.

Benefits:

• Monthly Stipend for Health Coverage
• 12 Vacation Days annually
• Three Personal Days annually (non-cumulative)
• 12 Sick Days annually (cumulative to 60 days, but not compensatory at end of term)

Candidates who are interested will submit a letter of interest and a resume with contact information for three references.  These items will be accepted beginning May 15, 2009, and ending June 15, 2009, at midnight Central Standard Time.  Submit information to riverviewsearch@hotmail.com. 

Outreach Educator at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, Ill.
The Adler Planetarium is seeking a temporary Outreach Educator to visit community organizations and schools to deliver Adler education programs. This position begins on June 1 and ends on Sept. 1, 2009.  The supervisor for this position is the Associate Director for Public Programs.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• travel to community centers and schools to set up a portable planetarium dome and facilitate activities for pre-school and other audiences;
• travel to community events and facilitate activities for family and civic audiences;
• compile and assist in analyzing assessment data.

Education and Experience:

• a fluent English and Spanish speaker;
• an undergraduate degree or currently enrolled as an undergraduate student;
  an undergraduate in Education or Science is preferred;
• familiarity with common computer packages;
• some experience working with the public making presentations;
• familiarity with working in different communities in Chicago;
• interest and/or experience working with museum visitors;
• familiarity with teaching in informal settings (e.g. camps) or in a classroom;
• science coursework is preferred.

The salary for this position is $15 an hour.

To apply for either of this position, please send a cover letter and resume to:
Marguerite E. Dawson, Director of Human Resources
hr-outreachedu@adlerplanetarium.org
(312) 322-0591

Senior Educator for Teen and Adult STEM Programs at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, Ill.
The Adler Planetarium is seeking a Senior Educator for Teen and Adult STEM Programs.  This position will report to the Director of Education.  

Duties and Responsibilities:

• work with teens, including teen docents, developing demonstrations and interpretation activities for them to do on the floor, as well as guiding, training and supervising them;
• liaise between teens and their schools and teachers when programs are in cooperation with schools;
• work directly with staff and teens involved in internships and advanced coursework to develop a coherent set of intern programs;
• work with teachers of youth, designing field trips and professional development opportunities as appropriate;
• work with staff to design, develop and evaluate programs that enhance science literacy and engagement with science for the general visitor population.

Education and Experience:

• a Bachelor’s degree in science education, physics, astronomy or a related field, a Master’s degree in education or educational design is preferred;
• five years of experience designing and teaching in instructional settings that involve work with youth and teaching of complex science topics, K-12 classroom experience and additional work with teachers doing curricular design and professional development is preferred;
• the ability to teach, mentor and manage high school students in   science and other STEM topics;
• instructional and program design experience promoting science skills and knowledge;
• some budget and timeline management required.

To apply for this position, please send a cover letter, resume or CV and a salary history by June 1 to:
Marguerite E. Dawson
Director of Human Resources
hr-senioreducator@adlerplanetarium.org
(312) 322-0591

National:

Museum Director/CEO at the Pratt Museum in Homer, Ala.
The award-winning Pratt Museum seeks an energetic, creative and compassionate professional to lead the organization through its next phase. Reporting to a Board of Directors, the Museum Director provides visionary leadership for and management of a dynamic community-based museum of art, science and culture.

The Pratt Museum is dedicated to the process of education by exploring the natural environment and human experience relative to the Kachemak Bay region of Alaska and its place in the world. The Museum seeks to inspire self-reflection and dialogue in its community and visitors through exhibitions, programs, and collections in the arts, sciences and humanities. In 2005, the Pratt Museum was awarded the IMLS National Award for Museum Service and the Museum has received numerous other state and regional awards for its innovative programming. The Museum Director is responsible for administration, outreach and program oversight, including strategic planning, development and implementation of a major capital campaign. Minimum three years administrative experience in museum or comparable nonprofit setting required.

Major Responsibilities:

Administration (40 percent time commitment)

• Manages day-to-day operation of the Pratt Museum
• Directs all financial activities, with the assistance of a part-time bookkeeper.
• Develops Museum's budget and monitors financial status, approves all expenditures and informs Board of all museum business affairs and financial conditions
• Implements Board policy and proposes policy revisions to the Board that increase effective and efficient museum operations
• Leads, supervises and evaluates performance of core museum staff, and determines museum staffing requirements, job functions and compensation for staff
• Responsible for guiding Board in, and acting to meet, all legal obligations of museum
• Attends Board meetings as an ex officio member and serves on selected Board committees
• Serves as liaison between museum staff and Board

Development (40 percent time commitment)

• Chief museum spokesperson: leads and coordinates museum outreach and
  serves as an ambassador to the community, partners and stakeholders
• Works with Development Director to implement comprehensive development strategies
• Leads museum through major capital campaign
• Develops and nurtures major partnerships and relationships of the Museum
• Develops and cultivates relationships with current and potential funders and major donors
• Supports Development Director and core staff in fundraising activities
• Enhances credibility of Museum through presentations and attendance at
  professional meetings, development of professional contacts, and representation on appropriate Boards or committees

Program Oversight & Planning (20 percent time commitment)

• Assures integration of all museum collections, exhibitions, educational programs
• Guides Board and staff in preserving and protecting collections, which are held in the public trust
• Directs major program partnerships, ensuring mutually beneficial relationships.
• Nurtures a positive relationship between the museum and the City of Homer and other community organizations
• Serves as liaison to the Patrons of the Pratt Society, an independent support and advocacy group
• Oversees periodic assessment and evaluation of all museum programs and audience, and works with Board and staff to apply data to the strategic planning process
• Develops and leads the museum short and long-range planning processes

Requirements: 

• Minimum 3 years experience in museum or other nonprofit work at an administrative level or comparable background.
• Degree in a museum-related field is desirable.

Skills/Abilities: 

• Commitment to and enthusiasm for the Pratt Museum's mission and willingness to perpetuate the Museum's positive role in the local community and state
• Excellent financial management skills, with experience budgeting, monitoring grant expenditures and financial planning
• Visionary leadership skills, with enthusiasm to lead the organization through a major capital campaign
• Excellent time-management skills, ability to prioritize tasks, assist staff in prioritizing programs and tasks, delegate when necessary and work within a restricted budget
• Ability to supervise and manage a highly-qualified and dedicated staff and work effectively with a limited budget and small staff
• Ability to comfortably live and work in a small, northern latitude community at "the end of the road" (small town politics, short summers and long winters with extreme day/night fluctuations, few urban amenities)
• Excellent managerial, organizational, long-range planning, human relations, time management and oral/written communication skills
• Knowledge of basic legal aspects of museum and nonprofit operations
• Strong fundraising and grant writing skills
• Sound knowledge of the museum profession  

Visit http://www.prattmuseum.org/ for more information about the Pratt Museum and its programs. Visit http://www.homeralaska.org/ for more information about Homer, Alaska – a vibrant arts town perched on beautiful Kachemak Bay.

The salary ranges from $50,000 to $60,000.  The target start date is Sept. 2009.
The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. on June 22, 2009.

Send resume, three professional references and cover letter to:
Search Committee, Pratt Museum, 3779 Bartlett St., Homer, AK 99603
info@prattmuseum.org
(907) 235-8635

Conservation Blog from Algonquin College
The Applied Museum Studies Program - Conservation Department of Algonquin College has launched a blog aptly titled AMS-Conservation Department at http://profconservation.wordpress.com/.

The site will profile community conservation partnerships, conservation treatment and preventive conservation research undertaken by students within the AMS program. It is hoped that this Web 2.0 approach will assist the AMS program in engaging counterparts in the cultural sector and provide an alternative platform to profile student and program successes.  Review our profile story on the Conservation Treatment of the first flag to be flown by a Canadian forces serving in WWI in LeTourquet  France, 1914. Visitors are encouraged to provide comments and feedback.

PreservationDirectory.com Announces Preservation Library: Articles, Regulations and Policy
This new resource is a repository of historic preservation and  building restoration articles that provide expert guidance for the rehabilitation and preservation of historic structures, as well as links to essential policy and legal documents that pertain to historic preservation and cultural resource management.  To view the new Preservation Library, go to http://www.preservationdirectory.com/PreservationBlogs/LibraryArticles.aspx.