El Paso Museum of History - Week 2 [Connor Kaufmann]

Charrette…

Vignette…


Are just some of the new and fascinating words I have learned about this past week, and yes, I know you are dying to know what they mean too, so I will put the definitions at the end of my blog. Aside from learning new words, I also got quite a bit of experience this week giving two tours to family friends here at the museum. In my own humble opinion, leading tour groups are essential to fully learning the information being offered by the museum because of all the extra information us tour guides and docents must read about prior to giving tours. Tours are a win-win situation because I am able to increase my own knowledge of our local, national, and world history while simultaneously serving my community and hopefully helping them realize the bigger picture, and how their own lives impact the world and history to come.


I often feel like history museums are not visited as often, or are not as popular as other museums such as art museums. I also may be overthinking the current museum attendance at all museums because we are still feeling the effects of Covid-19, but I would like to highlight how important and useful history museums are. Yes, all museums are supposed to be fun family, friend, or group gathering places, which they are, but they are also there to teach us something. If we do not open our minds and hearts to what they are attempting to teach us, then we will never fully appreciate a museum as much as we should. After all, history is so important because if we do not know history, we may come to repeat the wrongdoings of our ancestors causing more excessive pain and suffering in the world.



One of Tom Lea's famous paintings that greets visitors as they walk into the museum. It was originally placed in the downtown El Paso Public Library, but since it is currently being renovated,  its semi-permanent home is with us at the El Paso Museum of History!

Anyways, aside from tours and learning awesome new words, I began a new project in the marketing department last Wednesday. The project was to research visitor feedback surveys and compare different ones I find from different museums in order to make ours the best, and most rewarding it can be. The goal of a survey is to make it long enough to ask in depth questions that will help us improve the museum in the long run, while not making it so difficult or long to deter anyone from actually taking the survey. While researching, I also found a few articles and guides on how to make non-profit organization feedback surveys. They were very interesting and even went so in depth as to talk about the specific wording to use within surveys so that people will not feel overwhelmed when being asked for information. Lastly, I also researched different survey building companies because the marketing department is considering transitioning away from google forms to have a more professional survey for the public to use. On Thursday, I continued work in the marketing department with a new project that required me to research different ways to solicit donations within the museum. I looked into how to politely ask for donations and found a few pictures/art ideas that could also be used on posters to ask for donations within museum grounds. Friday was full of tours in the morning and working in the artifact and curation department in the afternoon with both the Curator Ms. Chairez-Hartell and the Museum Registrar Ms. Gardea. I was able to go into the archives and help search for specific artifacts we were looking for. I also got to see the process of looking up certain artifacts on both the computer and in a binder, and the process of cleaning out the archives in order to keep space open for artifacts coming into the collection in the future. Lastly I got a brush up on the ethics behind curatorial work and what you can and can not do when artifacts are being thrown out or auctioned. Since the museum will open a new exhibit soon, we must get the artifacts we need for the exhibit, so that is why the curatorial team and I were uncovering the archives. Before the day ended, I assisted in getting meeting rooms ready for Saturday’s charrette and arts and crafts event.



The only object in our collection that can not fit in artifact storage is this authentic covered wagon!

Saturday was a special day because I was given the opportunity to host a community engagement activity at one of my local library branches. The activity was a story time for kids of all ages along with games, arts and crafts, and puzzles. Sadly, the turnout was lower than expected because of Covid-19 restrictions having just been lifted at all of the City of El Paso’s local libraries, but it was still a great experience! Working to advance childhood literacy in my hometown was an honor, and it showed me how simple, yet powerful community work can be if done right. Later on Saturday afternoon, I came to the museum to get some extra hours in and ended up helping out at the front door, welcoming people and showing them where the charrette and arts and crafts activity were taking place. I also got to practice my networking skills with community leaders and witness the community banding together to tell the story of El Paso’s Black history!


  
      Pictures of my table and I at story time!

Last but not least, Monday brought the beginning of my capstone projects in any sector of the museum I chose. I ended up picking the marketing sector and started a project that required me to sift through all of the museum's Facebook posts to find the best pictures that can be used for advertisements. I continued this project until Tuesday, and scrolled all the way down to 2013. It honestly felt like going back in time! Lastly, I also helped paint the new exhibit once again, which is always a great change of pace. I would have never known just how relaxing painting is if I would have not been asked to help.




Hard work painting for the new exhibit, Chicano Movements in El Paso!
I am painting a replica of a beat up and old red brick building like the ones found all throughout the Segundo Barrio in South El Paso. 

The most memorable part of this week was experiencing the behind the scenes work done in the marketing realm of non-profit institutions. As an aspiring public servant, the work of nonprofits, especially in their marketing sectors, is truly inspiring to me and I am enjoying every moment learning the ins and outs! This week was very exciting, busy, and diversified in all of the endeavors I took part in. My Saturday activities were definitely some of the week’s highlights, thanks to the opportunity to advocate for child literacy and take part in community leadership and history conversations. I hope the weeks went well for everyone too!


Charrette: a meeting in which all stakeholders in a project (in the museum’s case community members) attempt to resolve conflicts and map solutions, while also giving their opinions and insight into what they want to see (in the museum’s case, in the 2023 exhibition on El Paso’s Black history by the El Paso Museum of History)

Vignette: a brief evocative description, account, or episode. (In other words, it is basically a set of what we think a place would have looked like back in history. For example how we think a pharmacy or doctors office would have looked like).

Miss you all,


Connor Kaufmann

YAP 2022

El Paso Museum of History 






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