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September 2, 2020
Heritage Preservation Grants
Spotlighted Project: Archaeology Near St. Francis Xavier Church, Chippewa City
The project was a "Phase II" archaeological site evaluation of a portion of the St. Francis Xavier Church site at Chippewa City. The purpose was to characterize archaeological deposits near the foundation wall of the church as well as the extent of soil disturbance from previous work on the foundation. This project also provided an understanding of the archaeology of the churchyard as a whole while ensuring that any future work on the building doesn't inadvertently disturb potential deposits, including graves. An archaeological survey and inventory was conducted by the Grand Portage National Monument (GRPO) employees and volunteers within the yard of the historic St. Francis Xavier Catholic Ojibwe church (St. Francis) on behalf of the Grand Portage Tribal Historic Preservation Officer (THPO) and the Cook County Historical Society (CCHS). Three weeks were devoted to shovel testing, unit excavation, and metal detecting to determine foundation depth and stability and to explore whether the area has archaeological remains with integrity and significance.
Recipient: Cook County Historical Society
Amount awarded: $10,000
Project Details
ONLINE: September Grants Open House
September 3 - Online: The Grants Office will hold a virtual Grants Office Open House using Google Meet from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in order to provide support to our community in this time of social distancing. We will start with a short segment on the basic grant process and then take questions through the chat. We encourage people to RSVP to Gillian by email with a short summary of what you want to talk about and she will try to ensure that someone helpful will be available. Learn more »
Small Grant Deadline
The next small grant deadline (requests of $10,000 or less) for the MHCHG program is Friday, October 9, 2020.
From the Blog
This week's featured blog post is from Pope County Historical Society. Have a blog? Let us know!
Job Opportunities
Minnesota Historical Society's Job Announcement, Internship, Fellowship, and Volunteer Opportunity pages.
LOCAL
Administrative Assistant & Bookkeeper
Franconia Sculpture Park, Shafer, MN, seeks a part time Administrative Assistant & Bookkeeper.
Gift Shop & Volunteer Coordinator
Franconia Sculpture Park, Shafer, MN, seeks a part time Gift Shop & Volunteer Coordinator.
REGIONAL
Curator of Education
Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Madison, WI, seeks a Curator of Education.
Museum Section Head 3
Illinois State Museum, Springfield, IL, seeks a Museum Section Head 3.
Executive Director
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Springfield, IL, seeks an Executive Director.
Interdisciplinary - Historian/Museum Curator
Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site - National Park Service, Saint Louis, MO, seeks a Historian/Museum Curator.
Livestock and Agriculture Specialist - Interpretation Coordinator
Conner Prairie, Fishers, IN, seeks a Livestock and Agriculture Specialist - Interpretation Coordinator.
Executive Director
International Women’s Air & Space Museum, Cleveland, OH, seeks an Executive Director.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL
Project Manager
Utah Division of Arts and Museums, Salt Lake City, UT, seeks a Project Manager for the Measurement of Museum Social Impact (MOMSI) Research Project.
Director
Trinidad History Museum, Trinidad, CO, seeks a Director.
Archivist and Administration Support
Rural Organizing Project, Cottage Grove, OR, Archivist and Administration Support.
Development Coordinator
Pittock Mansion, Portland, OR, seeks a Development Coordinator.
Collections Manager/Registrar
National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis, TN, seeks a Collections Manager/Registrar.
Director of Leadership Giving
Virginia Museum of History & Culture, Richmond, VA, seeks a Director of Leadership Giving.
Executive Director
Uptown Lexington, Inc., Lexington, NC, seeks an Executive Director.
Supervisory Archivist
Jimmy Carter Library - National Archives and Records Administration, Atlanta, GA, seeks a Supervisory Archivist.
Development Director
English Heritage, London, United Kingdom, seeks a Development Director.
INTERNSHIPS/VOLUNTEERS
Museum Intern
North Slope Borough, North Slope Borough, AK, seeks a Museum Intern - Anaktuvuk Pass.
Do History Here
Image used by permission from the White Bear Area Historical Society.
Start Horsing Around
September 6 - Bloomington: 1 to 4 p.m. Drop-In Program - Pond Dakota Mission Park - Try your hand at throwing horseshoes – maybe you’ll get a ringer! Learn the rules and strategies of this ever popular, centuries-old game. Horseshoes will be provided. For more information call 952-563-8674.
Red Cedar Lane and Environs Virtual Tour
September 10 - Online: 6 to 7:30 p.m. (CT). Preserve Minneapolis - Red Cedar Lane is a beautiful secret — easily missed as you drive by its narrow intersection with Upton Avenue near Minnehaha Creek in South Minneapolis. The street is part of an area that was laid out beginning in 1904 by John Jager. Jager planted rows of (you guessed it!) red cedars on both sides of Red Cedar Lane; they now form a luxuriant canopy over the short, narrow cul-de-sac street, making it feel like an outdoor room with built-in North Woods “perfume.” Cost: $5. Learn more »
Nicollet Island Virtual Tour
September 12 - Online: 10 to 11:30 a.m. (CT). Preserve Minneapolis - Nicollet Island may be most widely known as home to the Grain Belt Beer sign, re-lit in 2017. But the island's greatest claim to fame is as the site of the first bridge anywhere to cross the Mississippi River, in 1865. The tour takes in the entire 40-acre island, from the south tip overlooking St. Anthony Falls to the intact 19th century neighborhood at the north tip. Cost: $5. Learn more »
Movie Night Featuring Little Shop of Horrors (1960) at Hay Lake School Museum
September 12 - Marine on St Croix: Washington County Historical Society - Come to an outdoor movie screening of Roger Corman’s Little Shop of Horrors. This horror comedy film is about a clumsy florist’s assistant who cultivates a plant that feeds on human blood. The film was the basis for an off Broadway musical, which was made into a feature film in 1986 and had a revival on Broadway in 2003. The movie will begin at dusk. Please bring your own mask, chairs, blankets, and snacks for this socially distanced screening. The event will be held outdoors but masks will be needed in the school. Location: Hay Lake School Museum. Cost: No cost. For more information call 651-433-4014.
Outside-In Historic House Tours
September 13 - Bloomington: 1 to 4 p.m. Drop-In Program - Pond Dakota Mission Park - Take a tour of the historic Pond House from the outside-in. Hear the stories of the courageous Pond family and peep inside the windows to see how their home was furnished in 1878. For more information call 952-563-8674.
Continuing Education
Highlighted Museum: American Swedish Institute, housed in the 1908 Swan Turnblad Mansion, Minneapolis, MN.
Photograph by McGhiever, distributed under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
Collecting the Now
September 8 - Online: 9 a.m. Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts - How do we collect objects from diverse communities in an inclusive way? What are the preconditions when it comes to collecting a crisis? How can we be mindful in collecting? Can we think of contemporary collecting as a strategy for collective care? Danielle Kuijten will be joining CCAHA for a discussion about the challenges of collecting in the now. She will share some experiences on community collecting, enhancing the importance of actively engaging with people and documenting directly, while keeping situations relevant and manageable. Cost: No cost. Learn more »
Overcoming the Overhead Myth: Budgeting for an Effective Website, Marketing & Growth
September 9 - Online: 2 p.m. (CT). Firespring - When it comes to running your organization, most nonprofits feel pressured to do as much as possible with as little as possible. Donors still scrutinize nonprofits, wondering what percentage of their gift actually goes toward the “cause.”
Today, it’s crucial to invest in your organization so you can continue to operate and support your mission. Cost: No cost. Learn more »
How to Decipher Your Web Analytics (and Use Them to Your Advantage)
September 10 - Online: 1:30 p.m. (CT). Firespring - Put your analytics to work and make a huge impact on your organization’s success by using all that information to optimize for future messages, fundraisers and campaigns. Cost: No cost. Learn more »
Religious Literacy and Museums Small Group Discussion
September 10 - Online: 6 to 7 p.m. (CT). American Association for State and Local History - This informal, small group discussion will center on the recent Spring 2020 History News article, "A Combined Effort: Why Museums and Visitors Need Religious Literacy" by Melody Smith. Participants will discuss how religion affects the visitor experience, how museums can interpret religion and religious artifacts, and how fostering religious literacy encourages respect for diversity and multiple worldviews. Registration is limited to 25 participants. Registrants will be provided a pdf copy of the article. Learn more »
Diversify Your Fundraising With a Powerful Crowdfunding Strategy
September 17 - Online: 1 to 2:30 p.m. (CT). Candid - In this webinar, we’ll share how crowdfunding can be used as a unique tool to diversify your fundraising and then take a deep dive into the fundamentals of creating a crowdfunding strategy. Cost: $25. Learn more »
Transforming Business Models
September 22 - Online: 12 to 1 p.m. (CT). Propel Nonprofits - This workshop is designed to illuminate the connection between your mission and your business model. You will learn about the four core components to a nonprofit business model: revenue mix, understanding the cost of effective programs, infrastructure, and capital structure. You will understand how all of these components come together to impact your organization’s health. Cost: No cost. Learn more »
Managing Moving Image Collections
September 22 - Online: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (CT). NEDCC - This webinar introduces participants to concepts that will facilitate the care and management of moving image collections. The instructor will discuss common film formats and their preservation risks, as well as introduce tools for film identification and assessment. Participants will gain a solid understanding of how to devise the next steps for their moving image collections and where to find more information. Cost: $45. Learn more »
Beyond the Bookshelf: Online Research Skills for Curators
September 24 - Online: 9 to 10:30 a.m. (CT). Brush up on your online research skills and learn about new and new-to-you resources for doing primary source research in history and art from the comfort of your home or office. This workshop will cover skills and resources for provenance research, general history research, and directories of archival and visual materials other institutions have put online. Cost: $5 unemployed/$10 members/$15 nonmember. Learn more »
How Nonprofits Can Identify, Expose and Stop the Spread of Mis/Disinformation
September 29 - Online: 12 p.m. (CT). TechSoup - Civil society organizations have a vital role to play in helping their communities identify mis/disinformation. This session will help you have educated conversations with your organization about what qualifies as mis/disinformation, how it spreads, and what we can do to expose it. You’ll learn about some of the leading tools and tactics to help your nonprofit identify what misinformation is and where it comes from. Featuring mis/disinformation experts from First Draft News, and CNET, this session is a great baseline for understanding our current state of information disorder and how we can become effective allies for truth and facts. Cost: No cost. Learn more »
TIPS & TOOLS
Here’s what people say they need most from museums (and history museums in particular)
Fund Your Mission
2020 Mike Colalillo Medal of Honor Scholarship
November 12 - (Deadline): Veterans Memorial Hall, St. Louis County Historical Society - This scholarship is open to any full-time student in a higher education institution in St. Louis County, or a resident who is a full-time student enrolled elsewhere. Scholarship applicants are required to submit a 3 to 10 page double-spaced research paper on a topic relevant to veterans of St. Louis County, MN. Amount: $1,500. Learn more »
Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program
The USDA offers a Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program for essential community facilities in rural areas, which includes museums and libraries. Learn more »
Organizational Effectiveness Grants
October 21 - (Deadline): Minneapolis Foundation - This foundation has recently announced a special funding opportunity focused on increasing organizational capacity. Grant requests may range from $2,500 to $50,000. Learn more »
Cultural Identity Grants
September 30 - (Deadline): Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC) will award new competitive Legacy Arts and Cultural Heritage funds to American Indian and immigrant individuals. Learn more »
Technology Grants: Change in Application Process
December 1 - (Deadline): Shavlik Family Foundation - This foundation funds technology projects for Minnesota-serving nonprofit organizations with grants ranging from $1,000 - $30,000. The Foundation is primarily focused on information and technology resources that remove barriers or build capacity for nonprofits and their clients. Learn more »
TIPS & TOOLS
Top Nonprofit Marketing Tip: If You Want Gifts, You Must Give Them
News
New State of Rural Minnesota report released
Each year, the Center for Rural Policy and Development provides a brief update on various economic and demographic data pertaining to rural Minnesota. As policy discussions concerning rural Minnesota unfold, it is important to understand the past, present, and potential futures of rural regions.
The new 2020 report provides historical data points that illustrate how rural conditions have changed and where they are now, making for healthy discussions about the current demographic and economic vitality of these areas.
Read Report »
Base image by Prtksxna. CC BY-SA 4.0 License.
2020 AASLH Conference is Online
September 24 - 30 - Online: The 2020 American Association for State and Local History Annual Meeting will look different this year as they gather online rather than in-person. Join your fellow history practitioners for a series of live plenaries and keynotes, discussion groups, and more. This year's Annual Meeting is an incredible opportunity to connect, learn, be challenged, and grow.
The online format makes it easier than ever for museum professionals to access all our Annual Meeting has to offer. If you are looking to expand your training and perspective, the 2020 AASLH Annual Meeting is a great way to engage with what's happening across the field of state and local history. Learn more »
Base Image by Rob Allen CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 License
Preserve Minnesota 2020
September 15, 17, 22, 24, 29, and October 1 - Online: The Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office would like to invite you to the 2020 PreserveMN Webinar series! The scaled-down, online-only conference will include a total of six educational sessions, with two per week, one on a Tuesday, and one on a Thursday. Each session will be recorded and available on their website for future viewing. Keep an eye on the Preserve Minnesota Annual Conference webpage for details and registration information. Don't forget, it is FREE to attend this year.
Featured Book
Thomson Township's Night of Terror by C. Philip Johnson, Rodney Ikola, and Davis Helberg.
Esko Historical Society.
Featured Article
In or Out of the Historical Kitchen? Interpretations of Minnesota Rural Women
Volume 52, Issue 2, 1990
Exhibits to Go
Preservation Specialists Directory
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