I N D I A N A S TAT E M U S E U M A N D H I S T O R I C S I T E S
CROSSROADS EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2020
INDIANA STATE MUSEUM AND HISTORIC SITES
AWARDED 2020 BEST PRACTICES AWARD FROM ASSOCIATION OF MIDWEST MUSEUMS The Association of Midwest Museums (AMM) presented the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites with its 2020 Best Practices Award on Nov. 20. The award – given to a cultural institution that has demonstrated thought-leadership through innovative programming and museum practices – honored the museum system’s exhibit “FIX: Heartbreak and Hope Inside Our Opioid Crisis.” The awards presentation was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gregory M. Wittkopp, director of the Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research and chair of the AMM Awards Committee, noted during the ceremony that the name FIX – although deceptively short – immediately grabs a visitor’s attention, takes their hand and pulls them into the experience. The exhibit provides a safe place to talk about the crisis and explore potential solutions through engaging design, bright colors and simple words. Wittkopp also noted during the ceremony that the exhibit, about and for Indiana, took a community-driven approach and set a new standard for
museums throughout the Midwest. The exhibit and related programming will continue at the museum and historic sites through Aug. 1, 2021. Afterward, portions of the award-winning exhibit will travel to Minnetrista in Muncie.
Virtual award ceremony
Working with state and local partners played an integral role in making the award-winning exhibit a success. More than 50 community partners joined the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites to make FIX possible, including Next Level Recovery, Ball Brothers Foundation, George and Frances Ball Foundation,
Efroymson Family Fund, CVS Health, Jasper Group Brands and Barnes & Thornburg LLP. “You often hear ‘It takes a village,’” said Cathy Ferree, president and CEO. “In this case, it took a state.” Bethany Thomas, vice president of education and engagement, said working with community partners was critical for the exhibit. But working with the variety of partners came with a few challenges. Some community partners had never worked with a museum before. Still, all of the partners – from advocacy groups to healthcare communities and the IU Grand Challenge – added their expertise and input to an exhibit that humanizes the opioid crisis through personal stories while also taking a look at the biological nature of substance abuse. “All of these partners came together and trusted us,” Cathy said during the event. “That people were willing to trust us is the biggest compliment a museum can have.”