In march april 2016 by InterpNEWS

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2 Volume 5, #2, Mar/April 2016

The international heritage interpretation e-magazine. Hi Folks - March is fast approaching - and soon spring flowers. Notice how when you get older time just flies by? Well, IN has been growing by leaps and bounds - we are now a NFTGA strategic alliance partner, which adds thousands of new IN readers and organizations. Their logo/link to their organization is below. I have also been added as a Senior Lecturer for the Kansas State University - Global Campus - teaching our Interpretive Master Planning Course - now available for college credit !!!

Prof. John Veverka IN Publisher Director - Heritage Interpretation Training Center. Sr. Lecturer, Kansas State University (Interpretive Planning),

The Heritage Interpretation Training Center is growing as well, with over100 participants from 7 countries taking various e-LIVE courses. We are now offering our courses for live on-site training for agencies or organizations that want their whole staff to receive training in interpretation, interpretive planning, etc. We have also been invited to provide interpretive training experience at other Universities in the EU. I want your articles - I want to thank all the authors who contributed such wonderful articles for this large issue. If you would like to contribute an article for our May/June InterpNEWS issue (deadline is 1st of April - no fooling), let me know. Our author guidelines are simple. IN reaches over 300,000 now. Let me hear from you. Cheers -JV

In This Issue:

Page

- Interpreting the Chambered Nautilus (National Aquarium) - Interpreting Black Mountain College - Dr. Martha Benn Macdonald - Interpreting the Buffalo Soldier Monument - Justin Mattli - Last ranger in the woods? J. Patrick Barry - Living in the Past Richard A. Goddard, Ph.D. - The Corps Foundation - news release. - Using Music In Interpretation Can Help Change The World. Caroline Figiel - Developing Successful Partnerships for Interpretive Organizations. J. Veverka

3 5 10 18 21 23 31 35

- The Vanity of Small Differences - Report on the Grayson Perry Project - Wendy Breakwell - An Introduction to Evaluating the Visitor Impact on Interpretation. Dr. Steven Bitgood - Interpretive training opportunities, courses and more...

39 44 49+

InterpNEWS is a NFTGA strategic alliance partner - www.NFTGA.com

Coming - May/June

InterpNEWS is published six times a year as a FREE John Veverka & Associates publication and published as a service to the interpretive profession. If you would like to be added to our mailing list just send an e-mail to jvainterp@aol.com and we will add you to our growing mailing list. Contributions of articles are welcomed. It you would like to have an article published in InterpNEWS let me know what you have in mind. Cover photo: Chambered Nautilus - Awesome. www.heritageinterp.com , jvainterp@aol.com. SKYPE: jvainterp.

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Interpreting the Chambered Nautilus (One of my favorite shell specimens in my collection) John Veverka Certified Interpretive Planner Trainer

Information provided by the National Aquarium.

Having been a amateur "malacologist" (a person who collects and studies sea shells) for over 40 years, when I found this cover shot of a Nautilus I had to use it - and tell you just a bit about them. I have several in my collection including the "paper Nautilus" shell (below right). Thanks for the National Aquarium for the information (JV): http://www.aqua.org/explore/animals/chambered-nautilus

The chambered nautilus is a mollusk, related to the octopus, squid, clam and snail. A nautilus, along with the cuttlefish, squid, and octopus, are all cephalopods, meaning "head-foot," so named because the feet (tentacles) are attached to the head. The nautilus is the only cephalopod that has a fully developed shell for protection. Unlike a squid, cuttlefish or an octopus, the nautilus has poor vision and its primitive eyes have no lenses. The nautilus has more than 90 suckerless tentacles. Grooves and ridges on the tentacles are used to grip prey and deliver food to a crushing, parrot-like beak. Unlike snails, the spiraled shell of the nautilus is divided into chambers with the animal occupying the outermost chamber. A newly hatched nautilus begins life with about four chambers and develops an average of 30 chambers by adulthood. The inner chambers are filled with gas and help the nautilus to maintain neutral buoyancy. The nautilus adds liquid to the chambers in order to dive. The nautilus is considered to be a "living fossil," as it has undergone little change in more than 400 million years. The nautilus dominated the ancient seas before the rise of fishes, and appeared about 265 million years before the first dinosaurs. In prehistoric times, there were about 10,000 different species of the nautilus, but only a few species survived to the present

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Did You Know? The nautilus has more than 90 suckerless tentacles.

Diet A newly hatched nautilus (about the size of a quarter) feeds on small shrimp and other small prey. Adults feed on crabs, shrimp, and fish, and scavenge on dead animals. Food is most likely located by smell.

Size Up to 8 inches

Range The chambered nautilus can be found along the slopes of coral reefs of the tropical Indo-Pacific. The nautilus moves to deeper waters (600â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2,000 feet deep) during the day to avoid predators. At night it ascends up to the coral reefs (300 feet deep) to hunt for prey.

Population Status Some nautilus populations are in decline due to over-collection for their beautiful shells. While the export of chambered nautilus shells is banned in some countries, other countries continue to allow commercial trade. To help curtail the demand for their shells, do not purchase a nautilus shell.

Predators The octopus, shark, triggerfish, and sea turtle all prey on the nautilus.

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Black Mountain College “Who Would Have Recycled the Trash?” An Imaginary Conversation between Students and Faculty at Black Mountain College by Dr. Martha Benn Macdonald

Hello. (Seeing a group of people). My name is Patricia Brooke MacFarley. Are you here for the weekend, or are you taking a tour of Camp Rockmont? About five minutes ago, I saw a young man wearing a tweed jacket and jeans walking toward the lake.I’m working on a project for the college where I teach. Woman (older)—What are you writing? Patricia—It’s sort of a living history about the students and teachers who were at Black Mountain College about sixty to seventy years ago. Did you see the sign for the college on Highway 70? Visitor-(teenage boy about 14). I did. The sign was gray with black lettering: something like Site of Black Mountain College, established in 1933 and closed in 1956. Campus 3 miles NW. Why is the sign there? It didn’t look interesting. Patricia-Maybe with permission, we could do something different. Anyway, I know the school was highly innovative and interdisciplinary. Faculty focused on the creative arts and taught science, math, or languages, whenever someone wanted to learn or asked a question. I would have enjoyed being a student at the college because students learned by doing. They didn’t have to listen to a long lecture. Students experimented, and teachers and students lived in a community together. Oh, I found the bathrooms (points out where they are). We’re here in front of Camp Rockmont’s dining hall. This is the same dining room folks at Black Mountain College used. Can’t believe it’s spring of 2016 now! Another visitor (older woman)—Didn’t Vera Baker Williams, the children’s author and illustrator who died last October, study here? Patricia—She did. She wrote a number of books, including A Chair for My Mother. In fact, Virginia Johnson entitled an article “Vera B. Williams Creates Community in Her Books.” Johnson said that the writer received a degree in graphic arts at Black Mountain College where, among many things, she learned to work a printing press and build her own house. Sorry to change the subject, but look at all that litter near the clusters of daffodils. What is in the litter pile? Another visitor (older woman walking toward litter, then returning). Two cobalt blue cough syrup bottles, some rusty nails, three tin cans, a broken bicycle, a ball of twine, and some chewed pink bubble gum. Litter’s disgusting and dangerous, isn’t it? Patricia—For sure. I’ll never forget chewing discarded pink bubble gum when I was about five. My mom freaked out when I told her. Then, another time I cut my foot on a tin can---had to get a tetanus shot. You know, I wanted to attend Black Mountain College, but my father frowned, insisting the college was a nudist camp. That’s what he said in 1950, when he bought our summer home in Montreat. Of course, he was wrong. Guess old- guard Presbyterians, stern disciples of John Calvin, looked down on creativity and experiential education. What do you think?

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Older woman—People often frown on what they don’t understand. I know my mother never allowed me to sketch. She said it was a waste of time. I had to obey her, but recently I began taking a drawing class. I love drawing trees and flowers. Patricia-Good job! What about helping me read the script I’ve written so far? You can ad lib. Come on. Which character would have made something with that litter? If you can guess, you’ll get a prize. I’ll take a role, too, and we’ll have fun. Besides, if you make a mistake, it doesn’t matter. My play is just one way of understanding life at Black Mountain College. The dialogue is totally imaginary. OK? There’s no attempt at chronology. It’s just an effort at living history as a way of bringing people to life. Is there a female dancer in the house? No? Well, then, I’ll read Katherine Litz because I adore dancing. I need somebody to read John Cage and his choreographer, Merce Cunningham. Then, who would like to be the farmer who taught students organic farming? His name was Cliff Moles. He and his family were Quakers. And I need Anni Albers who operated the weaving room and Charles Olson, a poet who finally had to close the college. Denise Levertov was one of many of Olson’s followers who came to the college. Who will take the part of Denise? Man-I’m a farmer and builder; I’d like to read the part of Cliff Moles. Now I could have used those nails when I was teaching the students how to construct buildings. Vera B. Williams would have used the nails, too. Remember she built her house? First older woman (see page one) -- I’ll take Anni Albers. I’m active in our Little Town Theatre. Patricia-Awesome! College student—I’ll portray Denise Levertov. I write poetry. Slightly older visitor—And I’ll read Charles Olson. Patricia-Thank you all. Another tourist-If it was such a wonderful school, why did it close? Patricia—Oh, I don’t know exactly. I guess the timing just wasn’t right. 1933was after the Depression. Then, soon World War II broke out. I suppose the fact that it was a non-traditional school made raising money harder. So many times, faculty taught for practically nothing. They all struggled, but imagine students and faculty doing so many activities together, like discovering nature. Hiking, working side by side, eating, and always discussing ideas and concepts, performing. That would be incredible to me. What do you think? Compared to traditional education, I prefer the philosophy of John Dewey. What about you? Anni Albers--I do. Now my husband, Josef, an artist, would use those blue bottles in his stained glass windows. Josef-I surely will. Thanks. My stained glass is around here. You might experiment in that medium, too. Patricia-(Smiling)—I would love to try it. Well, shall we get going? If I discover another part in the script, I’ll just call it out and say, “Somebody read, please.”The script begins with Merce Cunningham.You know, Charles Olson wrote a poem alluding to you, Merce. He entitled it “Merce of Egypt.”

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Merce Cunningham--(does some sort of dance, then bows). John, you might use those bike wheels in some way in your music. (To others)-- John mixes cassette tapes with whatever he’s playing on the piano, along with maybe something from the radio or drums. It’s cool. You know, as everyone says here, it’s the process, not the product. John Cage—How’s the choreography coming for our next dance performance, Merce? Merce-Terribly nice. I worked in a few pirouettes (demonstrates, and everyone claps). Do you teach choreography, Miss Litz? Katherine Litz—Yes, I do. As a matter of fact, I’m teaching a master class in dance this afternoon. Some of the students want us to produce Oklahoma. I performed in the musical on Broadway. Merce-Yes, you sang, acted, did costuming, danced, modeled, and did everything connected with music and drama, didn’t you? Katherine-I did and loved every minute of it. I think blending all of the arts together is such a joy. You know, Josef Albers was a real inspiration, just like Anni. They asked students questions. AnniAlber—We did. When students came down to the weaving room, I asked what they wanted to learn. Many times they taught themselves. That’s experiential education. That’s real learning. Katherine-For sure. Remember the story about students here building a Trojan horse? And see that kind of ugly, gray building---well, it may be beautiful to someone else----over there across the lake (points and readers nod). It’s called the Ship or Study Building. Anni-Students and teachers built that together. If you want something, you often made it yourself. We don’t really need much to live on, you know. We’re too wasteful. Many times when we all hiked together, someone would find a leaf, a stone, or a twig to use in constructing something, maybe a tool, or it could be used in a painting or design. I suppose the sound of a twig falling could be used in your music, John (John nods). Denise Levertov—Bucky Fuller, the architect, who reworked his geodesic dome, so it could stand alone, just may have recycled that chewed bubble gum. Who knows? Or he could have used that twine somebody trashed (Points to a younger girl).What’s your name? Elaine de Kooning—I will pretend to be Elaine. You must have knownI worked on Mr. Buckminster Fuller’s earlier version of the geodesic dome. We used Venetian blinds. I was just excited to be using something we had even if that first one didn’t work out. People said Mr. Fuller got kind of down when his first child died, but then I guess he was kind of like John Donne who said, “No man is an island; every man is a part of the continent, a part of the main.” Charles Olson-You know your poetry, Elaine. I liked Ezra Pound and William Carlos Williams. Denise Levertov---You have many followers, Charles. Don’t forget the poets here who put together the poetry review. Charles- You’re right. Guess I’m preoccupied with remembering those lines from Pound now that I brought up his poetry. They went something like “The tea-rose etc. supplants the mousseline of Cos, /The pianola ‘replaces’Sappho’s barbitos.”

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Elaine de Kooning-What’s a barbitos? Charles-An ancient stringed instrument, sort of like a lyre or lute. Don’t you agree, John? (John nods). Denise-Another line from that poem goes“Caliban casts out Ariel.” Read The Tempest, Elaine, if the allusions aren’t clear. Elaine-But the allusions are very clear, Miss Levertov. I’m familiar with Shakespeare’s plays. Now, I like your poem entitled “Living.” Was it one of your favorites?” Denise-I enjoyed writing “What Were They Like?” I was asking questions about the people of Viet Nam? One was “Had they an epic poem? Did they distinguish between speech and singing?” The poem was sort of like a dialogue. Charles—You know, every poem needs to give off energy. The reader needs to experience it. Katherine-Very true, but we’ve forgotten to talk to you about organic gardening and the work program, Cliff. I apologize. Cliff Moles-Well, we all had to eat. When we planted seeds and grew corn, other vegetables, and fruits, we were saving money, and we used fertilizer and food from the chickens and all. William Carlos Williams shows that process so well in “The Red Wheelbarrow.” I’ll take you up to the silo and barn if you’d like to see some of the animals. With the cows, we got milk. Oh, and students had to do other work, too. If we needed a building, well, we didn’t hire outsiders. We just built it. Great exercise. We didn’t need any sort of physical education program. Denise-So faculty and students had to know their trees, didn’t they? Cliff-Sure did. Hard woods versus soft woods. Denise-Did you have children. Cliff-My wife and I had two children. There were a lot of children on campus. I was amused at the family who drove a hearse because they had several children. Katherine-That’s funny. I had a friend who drove a hearse in New York. Why don’t we all sing something now from Oklahoma as a change of pace? Or, I see you dancing over there, Delores Fullman. When did you sneak in? (Smiles, teasing). I heard you taught students to jitterbug here and studied voice under Joanna Jalowetz. Delores—I did. She and her husband were delightful musicians. Let’s do the jitterbug now. I’ll just turn on the boom box. Just follow me, guys. It’s easy. (Everyone dances). There were always concerts and plays here. You know any student could have a printing press and publish their work. Patricia—Really? Thanks, everyone, for taking a part. This is as far as I’ve gotten in the living history play. I would be grateful for suggestions. That’s how we learn. If somebody just gives a student an A or a B in school and says, “We’ve maximized your success as a student at this college, ”you may never have failed or experimented or learned. Why? Josef Albers—That student was not allowed to fail. You have to work at something, perhaps fail once or twice in order to learn and grow. But, honestly I liked the script, Patricia. It is living history. It is engaging. I’d rather participate than listen to someone tell me about some historical site. I don’t really learn when someone tells me something.

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Patricia—Thanks, Mr. Albers, but I’m sure somebody has a suggestion. Denise-Well, maybe talk a little more about where the earliest teachers came from and suggest where people visiting could read more about the history of the college if they wished. Patricia- The founders were instructors whose contracts were not renewed at Rollins College in Florida. And there’s information at the Swannanoa Valley Museum in Black Mountain, at the State Archives of North Carolina located at the VA just outside Asheville, and at other places. Cliff---And you might mention Mr. Grove who sold this land to Black Mountain College when they left the Blue Ridge Assembly. He built Grove Park Inn. Patricia- That’s right. When the collegeclosed, land was sold to a man who opened Camp Rockmont for Boys. The camp has changed ownership since then, hasn’t it? Cliff—Yes, and there’s a (Re) Happening once a year here for artists to get together and commemorate Black Mountain College. And you know the camp has great programsin swimming, hiking, canoeing, archery, and horseback riding, to name a few. Patricia-Tell us about the riding program. Cliff—In a personal interview, Sara Boelt told me about her program. She gives lessons, based on the camper’s ability, teaches safety with horses and skills, and she takes the kids on trail rides. She knows which horse is suitable for which camper not only in the ring, but on the trail as well. Sara’s a lot of fun, too. She plays riding games with the kids. You just need to participate in her program or come visit the camp. You’ll see. Patricia-Well, thanks again for helping me out. Buckminster Fuller (Appearing)--Here I am, Buckminster Fuller (Shakes Patricia’s hands)—I was working on a project. What I heard was fun and engaging. With living history like this, you’re capturing the essence of what we did here at Black Mountain College. The philosophy lives on at other colleges and schools and, hopefully, in our hearts. Patricia-Thanks, Mr. Fuller. I read a lot about the college and then created this imaginary conversation to serve as a living history. I guess I want this living history to do what artist Gilles Charest said, “I want to create a mood, to express a feeling, to convey sensuality and to surprise….the power of suggestion in my work is undeniable.” Buckminster Fuller--That’s right. You accomplished that. Thanks for asking us all to participate and to return to earlier time, Patricia. Patricia—(Gives him a hug)—Prizes anyone? Works Cited -Boelt, Sara. “Personal Interview.” 20 December 2015. -Charest, Gilles. “Letter Handout” Martin Gallery. Charleston, South Carolina. 27 December, 2015. -Johnson, Virginia. “Vera B. Williams Creates Community in Her Books.” Biography Resource Center and Who’s Who -Database http://www.librarypoint.org/articles-databases-Smith, Anne Chesky, and Heather South. Images of America: Black Mountain College. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2014. Martha Benn Macdonald, Ph.D., English instructor, author, performer doctorbenn@gmail.com

JVA InterpNews Interpreting The Buffalo Soldier Monument Justin Mattli Department of Political Science, University of Alabama - Huntsville

Abstract: The Buffalo Soldiers were black-only regiments created post-Civil War to protect American interests west of the Mississippi River, in the Spanish American War, and through to the world wars. Recently the first Buffalo Soldiers monument south of the Mason-Dixon line, was erected in Huntsville, Alabama. The statue, featuring George Berry on horse back, provides various interpretations of a “documentary landscape.” Building upon previous works in the diverse field of public “performative space” translation, the goal of this paper is to both draw attention to the monument itself, and shed light on the untold and oft-overlooked history of the Buffalo Soldier regiments. Key words: black monuments, Buffalo Soldiers, documentary landscape, performative space.

That the joy of life is living, is to put all one’s powers as far a they will go; that the measure of power is obstacles overcome; to ride boldly at what is in front of you, be it fence or enemy; to pray, not for comfort, but for combat. - Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.1

The 10th Cavalry, established in 1866, was one of the first four African-American regiments of the United States Army. After its inception at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, the regiment was quick to accumulate a glorious battlefield reputation, thus earning its members the moniker of “Buffalo Soldiers.” This title, a descriptive honor bestowed from Native American combatants, was embraced by the 10th Cavalry early as part of a legacy that extends from the frontier of the American West, to the Spanish-American War, and through both world wars. This legacy is now immortalized in Huntsville, Alabama, in the form of a newly erected monument on Cavalry Hill. The site was initially the location of a three-month (from Oct. 18, 1898 until Jan. 28, 1899) respite for the 10that the end of the Spanish-American War, and today houses Huntsville’s Academy for Academics and Arts Magnet School.1

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Sign for Buffalo Soldier Memorial Monument. (Photo by author.)

The design of this exhibit portrays African-American soldier, Sgt. George Berry, on horseback maintaining the 10th flag in one hand while simultaneously guiding his steed with the other. The surface theme of the monument appears further in written form on the four distinct sides of the base inscriptions: (A) East-side simply states “Spanish-American War” and the aforementioned dates which the regiment camped on Cavalry Hill; (B) West-side displays the name of the regiment’s eight Medal of Honor recipients; (C) North-side describes the regiment’s journey and subsequent stay in Huntsville; (D) South-side makes reference to the origins, naming, and continued contributions of the regiment as well as the “severe racial injustices” its members experienced intra-nationally. Inspecting further the potentialities of Huntsville’s newest monument soldier in its spatial existence induces what Abrams calls a “documentary landscape.”1 Thus, the visitor to presentday Cavalry Hill faces an offering of elevated reflection whereupon a “multiple-meaning negotiation”1is likely to occur. The clarification of such experience is obvious when the visitor to the monument’s perch faces northward toward the school, turns southward to the expanse of low-income housing structures, pivots again to the west to see more inexpensive housing swallowing a community-city recreation center building, and finally angles east to witness baseball fields next to even more living quarters. Thus, the “narrative design”1 of the Huntsville Buffalo Soldier Monument is within one symbolic frame: 10th Cavalry Sgt. George Berry has once again scaled the precipice for his country, but this time the Spanish are not the foe. The enemy is now anyone that falsely invades his fortified incubator of educational inspiration. Two sides of the Buffalo Soldier Monument revealing inscriptions on monument’s pedestal. (Photo by author.)

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One view of the documentary landscape of the Buffalo Soldier Memorial. (Photo by author.)

Many avenues of interpretation can be formulated while reflecting upon the Buffalo Soldier Monument’s stance; yet, because of the location of the monument, those who attend or work at the school, along with the residents who live in the surrounding neighborhood most commonly experience it. There is potential then, as with any “documentary landscape,” for what Lynch refers to as a “foster[ed] sense of social coherence and cohesion”1 to dawn upon the immediate locales of Cavalry Hill. Furthermore, with the Buffalo Soldier Memorial in place, Cavalry Hill, epitomizes what Dicks, via Stanton, terms a “heritage display:” In bringing biography and culture together, heritage displays offer a space for the intertwining of public, exhibitionary space and private, biographical space. …In this perspective, heritage is not so much sight-seeing (the public display of the other) as cultural biography (the public recognition of the self and its story).1 There is currently no metric to properly measure the transformative potential for the local collective’s biographical introspection that the mere installation of a bronzed soldier symbol induces. This placement of the Buffalo Soldier in the heart of the community not only has local implications, but it also awakens a latent macro-significance to the region and nation as a whole.

The Buffalo Soldier Monument is clearly visible from the school entrance. (Photo by author.)

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Since the soldier memorial boom that flourished post-Civil War, “few southern monuments directly addressed the issues of race and slavery that had been central to the coming of the war and to Confederate ideology.”1 Thus the relevance of a post-Civil War-era dedication to a black soldier in Huntsville, Alabama, is notable. In 2010, the nation has its first African-American president in office, Barack Obama, yet this Cavalry Hill memorial is only the third Buffalo Soldier monument existing in America and the only one east of the Mississippi River. The significance of this should not be taken for granted. Deutsche postulates (via Stanton) that either consciously or unconsciously “participation in urban design and planning enmeshes public art in spatial politics as a vehicle for illuminating contradictions.”1 The Cavalry Hill Buffalo Soldier’s tribute is a case-in-point, where the means of vehicular politicization are both figurative and literal via the representative form of a black soldier himself on horseback, juxtaposing a stark contrast to the high frequency of southern post-civil war memorials that reference white only Confederate dignitaries such as Robert E. Lee on steed. Brown elaborates on this archetype: “the Lee equestrian monument served as metaphor for the ostensibly harmonious system of racial repression envisioned by white southerners.”1 Savage writes: The image of Lee on his horse worked beautifully as a model of leadership for a white supremacist society trying to legitimate its own authority…The great power of this equestrian image was that it could bridge the old regime of slavery and the new regime of white rule without explicitly representing either.1 The Buffalo Soldier monument in Huntsville, Alabama, on Cavalry Hill officially symbolizes the disintegration of this latent and subtly repressive form. Cavalry Hill’s Buffalo Soldier expands in synchronistic pertinence upon a macro-cultural-plane. Analyzing the monument through the collaborative approach of Stanton’s formulation of “ritual space” enmeshed within Turner’s model of “social drama”, the potential exists to simultaneously “articulate the connections between individual ritual/performative behaviors and the social structures/historical events that surround them.”1 Turner’s machinations follow a three-step process with the initial stage presenting itself as a “breach of separation”, the second a “transition toward redressive action”, and the final being a “return paradigm” featuring the “healing” powers of “resolution.”1

The seemingly abstract application of this ritualistic formula to Cavalry Hill resonates when put into the historical context of black history in America. 10th Cavalry Sgt. George Berry, a truly free and mobile black citizen, sought to contribute to post-Civil War America following 400 years of slavery and oppression of his race. Therefore, the initial breach stage at play in this particular macro-level ritual has been ongoing for centuries. Yet, on the micro-specific level, the ritual happening in northern Alabama presents a separation occurring after the 10th Cavalry regiment uprooted their many tents pitched on this Huntsville hill in early 1899. Ninety-seven years passed before Dr. John Cashin1 began the pursuit of active redress in the form of a memorial to display the Buffalo Soldier’s connection to the area. A total of 110 years of separation before “the movement toward a formation” of the new Buffalo Soldier Monument resolved to “heal”.

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Cavalry Hill1 minus the five years that Sgt. George Berry watched over the school’s hallways prior to the monument’s formal installation.1 The creation of this tribute symbolizes post-Civil War reconciliation tendencies that the Spanish-American War provided the country. This remembrance of Berry charging San Juan Hill reaffirms conclusions reached previously:“Buck and others have noted that the Spanish-American War ‘advertised the fact that the people of the U.S. were a nation’”1 as Confederate and Union soldiers fought alongside one another. However, this reconciliation of remembrance was often stunted in the South, as evidenced by Cavalry Hill’s own century-plus breach of recognition. A critique of the most recent Buffalo Soldier monument construction is incomplete without a comparative analysis that includes the only other two black cavalry memorials. The other two Buffalo Soldier monuments in existence were installed both in Kansas-one at Fort Leavenworth and the other in Junction City. The latter is the only one of the trio that features a soldier facing the West at rest, in a dismounted stance with rifle and horse-reigns in each hand. This monument also features a later representation of the black regiment in that the arms and uniform translate to the era of the world wars, whereas the Buffalo Soldier statues of Fort Leavenworth and Cavalry Hill both display actively mounted riders in mid-to-late 1800’s regalia. The positioning of the Junction City Buffalo Soldier represents the form popularized in the post-Civil War era of monument-making, where the idle, non-officer radiates what Foster refers to as the “passionless soldier … disciplined, loyal supporter of society.”1 This restive nature of the Junction City tribute starkly contrasts with the monuments in Huntsville and Fort Leavenworth, which both blatantly illustrate what Stanton refers to as “performative character.”1 The Fort Leavenworth monument features a cavalry rider pulling back sharply on steed with rifle and reigns high in hands, as if just having maneuvered safely around the statue’s elegant waterfall base. The Huntsville horseman is also readily active but differs in that Sgt. George Berry holds his regimental colors instead of a rifle, conveying a subtle, lessbusy posture as though in the process of surveying the horizon.

The active poses of the Fort Leavenworth and Huntsville Buffalo Soldier monuments both mesh well with their environmental settings. The former, on the grounds of an active military base, and the latter, on a school-house lawn, both offer their immediate audiences the benefit of Brown’s assessment that “the statue of a more active soldier [can be used to]inspire viewers to follow the soldiers’ example.”1 Furthermore, the performative character in such stationary settings allow for the exhibits to “constitute a place and an experience where participants can reflect on expressive materials with cultural and symbolic significance.”1 Thus, the residual symbolism of a black soldier, frozen in the act of horsemanship, can on many levels, as Savage states, ultimately “relieve [the]disquieting social recognition that military discipline resemble[s]slavery.”1

Buffalo Soldier Monument, showing his ‘performative’ pose. (Photo by author.)

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The captured action of a black soldier maneuvering a galloping steed upon the plains of either the American frontier or the exotic terrain of tropic isles presents a degree of freedom that, regardless of the mortal demands of combat, is still greater than any plantation. This mounted warrior, freshly free of shackles, appears to feel only the rush of acceleration as he charges forward against any attempt to minimize his natural movement. These clues suggest that the Native Americans were able to recognize early on how fervent this innate drive to maintain newly found freedom existed within these evendarker skinned, alien opponents. Both the Fort Leavenworth and Huntsville riders in action more concretely conform to the tendency for Spanish-American War monuments to “draw heavily on the models of fighting and flagbearing,” respectively.1 However, for obvious reasons, only the Huntsville Buffalo Soldier monument hearkens back to flag-bearer William Carney of the Union Army’s 54th regiment, the founding archetypal memorialization of the black American soldier.

The Buffalo Soldier Monument showing the other side of his performative pose. (Photo by the author.)

One final comparison between the Leavenworth and Huntsville monuments pertains to the organizational processes beginning with each project’s initialization and concluding with their opening dedications. Serving at Fort Leavenworth in the early 1980’s as Deputy Commander, Colin Powell instigated the prototype development for the Buffalo Soldier monument. Ushered to completion in 1992 by Cmdr. Carlton G. Philpot and Brig. Gen. Alonzo D. Dougherty Jr., an official military decision-making process streamlined the flagship erection for tributes to the Buffalo Soldier code. Accompanying the monument’s construction at Fort Leavenworth was the formulation of the Buffalo Soldier Committee’s “Buffalo Soldier Memorial Dedication” book. Found within the text are detailed future objectives for the dissemination of the Buffalo Soldier narrative.

One such goal is to “enhance awareness…develop immediate and long-term projects to accomplish the listed objectives.”1 Four years after the completion of the Fort Leavenworth cavalry memorial, a similar process began to blossom below the Mason-Dixon line when the aforementioned Dr. Cash in stimulated the Huntsville project. Following the completion of Casey Downing’s city-funded bronze depiction of 10th Cavalry Sgt. George Berry at the turn of the century, an ad hoc Committee formed with assistance from the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club of Alabama. The committee, in turn, “coordinated all the (further) logistics” through the city of Huntsville. The city of Huntsville provided the committee with “legal, engineering, and project management advice”, according to Alex Harrison, Chair of the Buffalo Soldier Ad Hoc Committee in an interview1. Eventually, the Cavalry Hill monument became a tri-lateral endeavor with the committee further receiving funds from the city of Huntsville, the state of Alabama, and Madison County assisting in “landscape, brick, concrete, and irrigation work.”1

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The only potential discrepancy pertaining to this installation of monument process and historical production concerns a possible omission. Documented reports tell that1 when 10th Cavalry Sgt. George Berry stormed San Juan Hill, upon seeing the white-only 3rd Regiment’s flag bearer wounded he grasped their colors from the ground and charged upward with both in hand. Whether this will ever garner mention on Cavalry Hill is yet to be seen, as there is surely a question of military decorum that may even prevent dual-regimental symbolism. Regardless, the unveiling did go forth on April 30, 2010, and the real question pertains to post-opening matriculations. Brown states “the dedication (is) not necessarily the final ritual to focus on a monument, for these structures aim to shape the symbolic life of a community.” 1 What happens next, on either the surface of the local culture or within the community’s collective unconscious, is difficult to accurately assess. But one aspect is certain: “Nothing can take the place of recognition in a public space.”1

Endnotes 1

Thomas J. Brown, The Public Art of Civil War Commemoration: A Brief History with Documents (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2004), 49. 1 Steve Doyle, “Buffalo Soldier Memorial Rises outside Huntsville’s Academy for Academics and Arts,” Al.com (blog), November 12, 2009, http://blog.al.com/breaking/2009/11/buffalo_soldier_memorial_rises.html. 1 Cathy Stanton, The Lowell Experiment: Public History in a Postindustrial City (Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2006), 25. 1 Ibid. 1 Ibid. 1 Ibid., 84. 1 Ibid., 179. 1 Brown, The Public Art of Civil War Commemoration, 39. 1 Stanton, The Lowell Experiment, 123. 1 Brown, The Public Art of Civil War Commemoration, 89. 1 Kirk Savage, Standing Soldiers, Kneeling Slaves: Race, War, and Monument in Nineteenth-Century America (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1999), quoted in Brown, The Public Art of Civil War Commemoration, 89. 1

Stanton, The Lowell Experiment, 163. Ibid., 168. 1 Doyle, “Buffalo Soldier Memorial”. 1 Stanton, The Lowell Experiment, 168. 1 Kari Hawkins, “Brick Buying Campaign to Raise Funds to Finish Memorial Park,” posted by Kelley Lane Sivley in “Buffalo Soldier Now at Home Atop Monument,” Al.com (blog), February 17, 2010, http://blog.al.com/redstone-rocket/2010/02/buffalo_soldier_now_at_home_at.html. 1 Brown, The Public Art of Civil War Commemoration, 9. 1 Ibid., 35. 1 Stanton, The Lowell Experiment, 22. 1 Brown, The Public Art of Civil War Commemoration, 31. 1 Stanton, The Lowell Experiment, 22. 1 Savage, Standing Soldiers, Kneeling Slaves, quoted in Brown, The Public Art of Civil War Historians, Bethesda, MD, 1998), accessed March 23, 2010. 1

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Ibid., 168.

Doyle, “Buffalo Soldier Memorial”.

Stanton, The Lowell Experiment, 168.

Kari Hawkins, “Brick Buying Campaign to Raise Funds to Finish Memorial Park,” posted by Kelley

Lane Sivley in “Buffalo Soldier Now at Home Atop Monument,” Al.com (blog), February 17, 2010, http://blog.al.com/redstone-rocket/2010/02/buffalo_soldier_now_at_home_at.html. 1

Brown, The Public Art of Civil War Commemoration, 9.

Ibid., 35.

Stanton, The Lowell Experiment, 22.

Brown, The Public Art of Civil War Commemoration, 31.

Stanton, The Lowell Experiment, 22.

Savage, Standing Soldiers, Kneeling Slaves, quoted in Brown, The Public Art of Civil War

Commemoration, 31. 1

Brown, The Public Art of Civil War Commemoration, 33.

Anthony R. Williams, “The Buffalo Soldier Monument”, Army, 47 (1997): 60.

Alex Harrison, as quoted in Hawkins, “Brick Buying Campaign.”

Hawkins, “Brick Buying Campaign.”

Frank N. Schubert, “Buffalo Soldiers at San Juan Hill,” (paper presented at the Conference of Army

Historians, Bethesda, MD, 1998), accessed March 23, 2010. http://www.history.army.mil/documents/spanam/BSSJH/Shbrt-BSSJH.htm. 1

Brown, The Public Art of Civil War Commemoration, 45.

Ibid., 113.

Corresponding Author: Jusin Mattli P.O. Box 2791 Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96745 justin.mattli@gmail.com

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Last Ranger in the Woods? By J. Patrick Barry

In his well-known and well-documented book, “Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder,” author Richard Louv looked at many of the reasons why a generation of children are losing an important connection to nature. This change has potential deleterious physical and emotional effects. Many children spend too much time indoors, often staring at a screen of some type instead of enjoying time climbing, running and playing in nature, making discoveries and interacting with friends. My concern is that something similar has happened to many park rangers. How many of the park rangers reading this feel like they want or need to spend more time reading from a computer screen? Didn’t think so…. In many park settings, “charismatic megafauna” may be a big part of why the park exists! These large mammals attract many visitors and may be the most important reason visitors come to the park. However, one species, the park ranger (Patrolus flat-hattus) is becoming quite rare. Sightings have declined. In his 1978 classic, “Men for the Mountains”, Canadian Park Warden Sid Marty complainedseveral times about increasing bureaucratic requirements. “Goodbye motivation, farewell responsibility and enthusiasm. They all reside in the attachment…to the landscape and will never be found while riding herd in a swivel chair and sticking pins in a map – not for a warden who loves the outdoors, not for all the paper shuffling bureaucrats in the federal public service.” In the case of the pre-computer era wardens, Marty seemed to believe that working in an office and the “front country” was not the true nature of a park warden’s work. Wardens should be out of the office, in the field andmore concerned about protecting the park from the people and the people from the park than protecting the people from the people.

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I realize that many, if not most, ranger positions involve all three of those roles…but the point about the bureaucracy remains valid. We are increasingly tied to our desks by “red tape.” In my experience, rangers spend too much time sitting in a cubicle or office writing and answering emails, completing bureaucratic administrivia and other computer-related tasks. Add an overdose of painful, poorly planned meetings, a pinch or two of unnecessary on-line training and valuable work time slips away. This is time that could be better spent providing exceptional customer service, building rapport with repeat visitors, dealing with maintenance and safety issues and encouraging stewardship. I’ve been around long enough to remember when computers were introduced to the ranger’s workplace. They were going to be “time saving” devices. Instead, they require an inordinate amount of usually unproductive or ineffective time. Many administrative requirements seem to be the result of someone making tasks much more complicated than necessary to keep some cog in the bureaucratic machine spinning. It often seems like the bean counters and the attorneys are in charge, not park managers. Our mantra needs to become, “Process is not our product!” Administrative staff can and should handle as much of the paperwork as possible, leaving rangers more opportunities to be in the park or at the information desk doing their jobs. Remember, their job title is “park ranger” not “office ranger.” Computers slip in to our work kind of like a cat can sit on your lap while you are distracted and then you wonder how it got there. Where I worked for many years we made the minor mistake of providing the staff at the visitor center information desk with a computer. The rationale was that rangers could do some “paperwork” between groups of visitors or look up information for them. It was fine during the “slow season.” It became a challenge when I had to repeatedly tell staff, “When visitors walk through that door they are NOT interrupting your job, they are your job!” The compromise we reached was that the computer would be off during our busy season unless needed to help answer a question from a visitor. Visitor center work is often mostly indoors. Sometimes I smiled wistfully when I told people I worked as a ranger and they said, “It must be great to work outside!” My thought was, “Yes, it must be!” But the good news is that it is face-to-face time with visitors and can help make great connections. The impact on the park is obvious. Rangers who spend more time staring at computer screens have less time to interact with park visitors, maintain the park, look for safety issues and provide interpretation and information. Much of this work falls to volunteers who are sometimes not as knowledgeable or well-trained and may lack some of the skills of professional rangers. Volunteers do not necessarily represent the organization accurately and may also lack loyalty to the organization. During recent travels to dozens of parks it was difficult to find a ranger in the field. I found them in many, but not all, visitor centers (sometimes staring at screens). Typically the front line has been moved from field ranger or ranger interpreter to volunteer or some form of technology.

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Technology is beginning to replace rangers. It is beyond time to consider where technology is needed and where it is better to have a ranger. Computer-driven information kiosks, podcasts, cell-phone tours, apps, QR codes and other technologies help provide information or sometimes interpretation. I understand the need to connect with people who use technology as their “happy place.” I understand that rangers are sometimes not available for budget reasons. But, we need rangers in the field to have those important discussions and have some human conversations in park settings. Remember, we want to help visitors connect to the resource. A well-versed, friendly ranger can be a wonderful asset to any organization. It is time to evaluate and let administrative staff handle more paperwork thereby freeing park rangers for what they are trained to do. If it is not too late. We may already be selecting employees who have great computer skills and are efficient at office work but are not necessarily great at technical ranger skills or people skills.We may be losing people who are exceptional rangers but have low tolerances for burdensome and unnecessarily complex bureaucratic processes. It is time to think about the long-term impact on the park and park visitors. Park rangers need to invest more time in the park or at the information desk or in the woods, not in the office. J. Patrick Barry, January, 2016 References: Louv, Richard, “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder,” 2005, ISBN: 9781565126053 (156512605X), Algonquin Books Marty, Sid, “Men for the Mountains,” 1978, reprinted 1993, ISBN-10: 0771056729,McClelland & Stewart, Inc.

The author, J. Patrick Barry, served as a park ranger and supervisory ranger for the federal government for 35 years. He might have stayed longer, if not for the paperwork.

You can contact Pat at: jpatbarry@hotmail.com

JVA InterpNews Living in the Past Richard A. Goddard, Ph.D.

The morning was still cool. A group of about twenty students and volunteers followed a two-track dirt road to a large clearing where they assembled into a line abreast. Then on command they came to attention, and on the command of “Present Arms” they saluted as the 32 star flag slowly ascended the pole. As it reached the truck, the morning calm was shattered by the report of a 12-pound mountain howitzer manned by a student team. Thus, the work day began for the Adams State University Archaeology Field School, much as it had for the soldiers of Fort Massachusetts 160 years earlier. I am an historical archaeologist. Starting in 2003, I began excavations at Fort Garland (1858 -1883) in southern Colorado. Then in 2010, I shifted my focus to Fort Massachusetts (1852-1858), its predecessor and the first commissioned fort in Colorado. My team and I have two purposes, to train college students in the techniques of archaeology, and to conduct research about life at a frontier fort. One of the biggest challenges in turning students into professional archaeologists is to get them to set aside their own understanding of the world and begin to understand it the way people did in the past. An example I often use involves the hypothetical discovery of a can of beans. Students are likely to see it as the most commonplace of artifacts, but the men, women, and children who lived at the fort would have seen it as one of the most marvelous and exotic things in their experience. Although historical archaeologists attempt to understand the past, it is not in the same way that historians attempt to do so. Historical archaeology has been referred to as “History from the bottom up.” Historians attempt to identify the forces, political movements, and philosophies that have driven human history and its impacts on human existence. In historical archaeology, we begin with artifacts, simple things that an individual in the past used and then lost or discarded. Essentially, what we recover are the remnants of one person’s actions at a specific point in time in the past. From these, we attempt to reconstruct the behaviors and attitudes of the society that the person was part of. In other words, we start from the bottom and attempt to work up to the understanding that historians attempt to work down from. An example I use with my students is that Fort Massachusetts existed because of a notion called “Manifest Destiny;” but it is unlikely that anyone stationed at the fort had ever heard of this idea, and couldn’t have cared less. Their life was about surviving on a hostile frontier.

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Interpreting the past from the point of view of the individual is something that archaeologists and living historians have in common. Some of the living historians I have met are the finest avocational historians I have known. Although I have had a long interest in living history/reenactment, it was not until 2003 that I became active in it. While excavating Fort Garland, I encountered several local reenactors and quickly discovered that they often understood what certain artifacts meant in great detail. Recognizing what an artifact was is one thing, but understanding what it tells you about the past is quite another. Thus, at Fort Massachusetts, we not only teach the students how to dig and preserve artifacts, we attempt to teach them how to get inside the minds of the people who left them. We accomplish this through giving them a variety of experiences and bringing in historical interpreters to demonstrate and discuss frontier life. At various points in the six week experience, cavalry troops ride into the fort, a Civil War surgeon explains the delecacies of military medicine, a laundress demonstrates her occupation, and infantry discusses their lives followed by an afternoon of hands-on experience with all forms of 19th Century firearms. All of the students also receive training in the operation of artillery. All students are given the opportunity to fire the mountain howitzer in the morning ceremonies at least once. The students also receive instruction in the finer points of Victorian etiquette, which is important for the Victorian hop conducted one evening. The setting of Fort Massachusetts itself aids us greatly in getting the students to think like the original fort inhabitants. From most vantage points on the site, it is not possible to see any evidence of the 20th or 21st centuries. Staff and students live in tents, bathe in a frigid mountain creek, have to be on the lookout for bears and cougars, and learn to depend on each other. It is with some amusement that the staff watch an interesting change come over the students. They are typical college students when they arrive, eager to party and stay up late. About two weeks into the experience, most are developing the natural rhythms that come with living close to nature, going to bed as the sun goes down and getting up at dawn. Perhaps the most important lesson from the past that they discover is the bonds that develop within a group that face the same challenges together. It is a sorry commentary that this is so foreign to many of them. For more information and a short video about the Fort Massachusetts project go to www.adams.edu/academics/fieldschoool/ Visitors and volunteers are welcome! Richard A. Goddard, Ph.D. dick_goddard@adams.edu

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The Corps Foundation: Engaging the Public to Support Our Nation’s Lakes and Waterways

Many readers of JVA InterpNews have undoubtedly heard of nonprofit groups such as the National Park Foundation, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation or the National Forest Foundation - organizations that are nationally known for their support and commitment to connecting Americans with the natural and cultural treasures of the national parks, refuges and forests. These nonprofit organizations play an important role in supporting the government managers of these resources and act as engines for volunteerism and public involvement. And they often directly support park interpreters and programs through grants and other types of assistance. A much lesser known national non-profit organization, but equally important to our nation’s natural resources is the Corps of Engineers Natural Resources Education Foundation, doing business as the Corps Foundation. The Corps Foundation is a not-for-profit educational foundation incorporated in 2006 to support over 400 lakes and waterway sites located throughout the U.S. and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. About 1 out of every 10 Americans annually visit these special places because they love water-based recreation and the natural resources associated with these large bodies of water. The Corps Foundation operates in a cooperative relationship with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to foster contributions and partnerships that support environmental and recreation projects at Corps lakes and waterways. The Corps Foundation’s mission is to engage the public to ensure the environmental health and recreational enjoyment of our nation's lakes, lands and waterways administered by the Corps of Engineers. Why do people support this mission? They are often motivated by the quality of their outdoor Education and interpretation are the primary methods used by the Corps Foundation to engage the public and recreation experiences. Visitors come to boat, swim, fish, camp, hike, or just to spend quality time with garner their support. their families. These water based recreation experiences enrich people’s lives and strengthen family ties

Why do people support this mission? They memories are often motivated by to nature that will last a lifetime. and friendships, creating unforgettable and connections the quality of their outdoor recreation experiences. come to Park interpreters enhance these experiences by Visitors helping visitors to learn about the natural and cultural boat, swim, fish, camp, hike, or just to spend quality time with their resources and how to safely recreate in a water recreation environment. families. These water based recreation experiences enrich people’s lives and strengthen family ties and friendships, creating unforgettable memories and connections to nature that will last a lifetime. Park interpreters enhance these experiences by helping Engineers ranger interpreting lake visitors to learn about the natural and cultural resources and how to resources to a group of students safely recreate in a water recreation environment.

JVA InterpNews The Corps of Engineers – Our Nation’s Largest Provider of Water-Based Recreation Resources

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the nation’s largest provider of water based recreation resources:  Across the country, 12 million acres of land and water are managed for recreation and environmental conservation, some of the best wildlife and fisheries habitat in the nation  90% of these Corps recreation lakes and rivers are within an hour’s drive of a metro area  Visitors to Corps recreation areas can find more than 54,000 miles of shoreline, 10,200 miles of trails, 90,700 camp sites and 3,600 boat launch ramps nationally  Corps-managed waters provide 33% of all U.S. freshwater fishing  Seven of the top ten migratory bird flyways in the U.S. cross over Corps-managed waters  But the Corps of Engineers cannot sustain these important resources and provide quality public access, recreational and interpretive experiences on its own. At a time of decreasing federal funding, America’s lakes and waterways are at risk of reduced access, eliminated programs, even closures. As just one example, Federal discretionary spending for natural resource programs as a percent of all non-defense discretionary funding has fallen over 50% since 1975. 

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The Corps of Engineers has a budget of just over $247 million to operate and maintain its recreation areas – about 67 cents per visitor. Last year, 48,200 volunteers donated nearly 1.5 million hours to help the Corps of Engineers meet its recreation and stewardship goals. This is the equivalent of 849 full time employees, meaning that volunteer work equates to approximately 27% of the workforce. Partnerships with private and nonprofit organizations leverage an average of $5 for every $1 the Corps of Engineers invests. Last year 1,233 partnerships leveraged more than $46 million in programs and services benefitting Corps lakes and waterways.

The Corps Foundation works diligently to assist the Corps of Engineers in meeting the increased demand for recreation, safety,  education, and natural resource conservation. The Foundation, with the help of members, contributors and partners, provides vital support and services to address these needs and help ensure healthy lakes and waterways for current and future generations.

Volunteer Excellence Coin was sponsored by the Corps Foundations to recognize the contributions of outstanding volunteers.

As an all-volunteer organization directed and managed by nine dedicated board members, the Corps Foundation has evolved gradually since its inception, initially focusing on philanthropy by soliciting donations from private sector stakeholders to provide small grants for improved facilities and programs. Later the Foundation expanded its priorities to include a membership program, education and public awareness on behalf of Corps lakes.

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Fostering Partnerships The Foundation has facilitated partnerships by providing information on grant opportunities and grants training for Corps employees and Friends groups; through periodic communications; and by providing real real-time information on advocacy and national priorities. As the nation’s official nnon-profit profit organization supporting Corps lakes and waterways, the Corps Foundation recognizes that many organizations and the private sector have important roles to play in sustaining these lakes and waterways. Involvement of nonprofit organizations is also growing on a local level. Currently, 54 nonprofit partner organizations serve 66 lakes and waterways managed by the Corps of Engineers. The Corps Foundation supports these local cooperating associations and friends groups by serving as a catalyst, advocate, advocat resource, and national communications "umbrella". This has included consulting, technical and grants support like the sponsoring the USACE Excellence in Partnerships and the Volunteer Excellence annual following:  Co-sponsoring 

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awards.

Partnering with nationally knownclasses Jones for approximate  Sponsoring grant writing approximately ly 100 staff, volunteers, and supporters. and Jones Architects to develop a master plan for renovating Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, a major free tourist attraction and boat lockage in Seattle. Seeking partners and grant funding to help complete design and initiate construction of an expansion to the Caesar Creek (Ohio) Visitor Center serving 80,000 visitors annually. Co-sponsoring sponsoring the USACE Excellence in Partnerships and the Volunteer Excellen Excellence Group photo taken of the Roanoke River Basin Association, annual awards. 2014 Excellencee in Partnerships Award winners. Sponsoring grant writing classes for approximately 100 staff, volunteers, and supporters.

Promoting Water Safety With millions of visitors annually, Corps lakes and waterways are the logical choice for water safety education efforts. In support of the Corps of Engineers’ National Water Safety Program effort, the Corps Foundation partnered in 2013 with the American Park Network and the Allstate Boat Division to produce and place water safety interpretive panels at 100 Corps lake projects throughout the nation. In further cooperation with the Corps’ National Water Safety Program and with a grant from the U.S. Coast Guard, the Foundation has recently embarked on development of a year-round year nd campaign that will be disseminated by the Corps of Engineers through television, radio and internet nationwide. The purpose is to increase adult life jacket wear, and ultimately reduce the number of water-related water related casualties nationwide.

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Focus groups were conducted with male boaters between the ages of 20 and 60 to better understand how to effectively reach adult males with messages about life jacket wear, boating under the influence, and other boating safety issues. The resulting campaign, “Life Jackets Worn, Nobody Mourns” consists of four video/television public service announcements (PSAs), three audio/radio PSAs, two posters and a smart phone game app that will be distributed nationwide. Distribution channels will include the Corps of Engineers’ National Operations Center for Water Safety, districts, lake and river projects and other boating and water safety partners nationwide for use with their media contacts, educational programming, events, websites, and visitor center kiosks. The Corps Foundation will also distribute the PSAs through social media and on their website.

Supporting Natural Resources Education The Corps of Engineers offers hundreds of educational programs at its lake and river projects designed to help visitors, students, and families appreciate and better care for the environment. The Corps Foundation assists by partnering with a wide range of organizations to sponsor education activities. Examples include:  Partnering with Friends of Barren River Lake on development of a website supporting volunteer programs, water safety, conservation and stewardship.  Securing sponsors for high school students’ attendance at the 21st Annual National Service-Learning Conference, where they were recognized by the National Youth Leadership Council for their conservation work along the Missouri River near Niobrara, Nebraska  Serving as a conduit for “Every Kid in a Park” initiatives at Libby Dam and Lake Ouachita that will involve approximately 600 fourth graders in site visits, pre- and post-visit classroom activities. The Every Kid in a Park program is sponsored by the National Park Foundation and Disney. Additional funding and partnerships will enable the Foundation to develop, pilot or expand educational programs designed to enhance visitor experiences and raise awareness of the water environment and its associated resources. The Importance of Interpreter Involvement with National and Local Nonprofit Partners The Corps Foundation values the involvement and support of the Corps of Engineers’ interpretive park rangers and field staff. Regardless of agency affiliation, here are some important ways interpreters can support their own agency’s national and site-specific nonprofit partner organizations:  Become a dues-paying member of your affiliated national and local nonprofit organizations. Your membership and philanthropic contributions go a long way in demonstrating your support and fostering communications.  Be a two-way conduit of information. Provide important updates, statistics, programs, and priorities which can help your nonprofit effectively convey the story of your park, waterway, forest, monument or refuge. Share information from your nonprofit partner organizations among your agency’s staff, volunteers, and surrounding community.

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Publically recognize and acknowledge the support received from national and nonprofit partnering organizations. Where appropriate, indicate how the public can obtain additional information to support your site through their involvement with its national foundation, local friends group, or cooperating association.

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Help in the writing of grant proposals, informational brochures, newsletter articles and news releases to gain additional recognition and support for your site, your programs, and your nonprofit partners.

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Collaborate with your nonprofit partners in the planning and delivery of interpretive events, educational programs, volunteer recruitment and training, and donor cultivation activities.

The Corps of Engineers Natural Resources Education Foundation, doing business as The Corps Foundation, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. For more information visit CorpsFoundation.org and join the free mailing list to stay apprised of all of the Foundation’s endeavors.

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scrAPPbooking – a new collaborative digital tool for natural and cultural heritage sites. Verity Walker

The University of Dundee in Scotland is building an enviable reputation for technological innovation. In February 2014, Highlands-based heritage consultant Verity Walker (formerly on the board of IMTAL-Europe and a frequent trainer and speaker at heritage conferences) attended a university Design in Action (DiA – www.designinaction.com) event known as a Chiasma. This involved spending three days shut away from the outside world with a group of complete strangers, bouncing ideas around! Half of the participants were die-hard ‘techies’ and the other half, like Verity, had limited experience of technology but a wealth of knowledge of different sectors: in her case, natural and cultural heritage and community engagement. The Chiasma included exposure to areas of technology which were completely new to many participants, such as 3D printing. “A decade ago, like many who work in heritage, I might have described myself as a technophobe – now I understand the world of technology much better and I can see endless possibilities,” she explains. "A team of three participants emerged from the Chiasma with a unique business concept aimed at the cultural/natural heritage sector: scrAPPbooking." “Our team felt that often the way in which social media is currently used doesn’t create anything particularly durable or meaningful. We wanted to experiment with using certain digital technologies with collaborative, creative and meaningful results.” scrAPPbooking allows any client community to gather creative data easily via a ‘communal app’ which channels content they upload into an interactive website. The scrAPPbook team was the only one to be awarded funding (£15K to date) from its Chiasma. The team opted to test their theory during a small-scale manual pilot scrAPPbooking process in the remote and rural area of Badenoch in the Scottish Highlands.

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Local people had a concern that the identity and even the name of Badenoch was in decline. Badenoch means the ‘drowned land’ in Gaelic and it is a wild and beautiful high moorland area of the Cairngorms which floods every winter. Much of the content relates to its wild landscape and the weather.

The team started by holding workshops at all local schools, working out what challenges could be issued which would best build a picture of what makes this small rural community unique. It then worked with local people through a series of scrAPPbook challenges to help them build a digital scrAPPbook of ‘their’ Badenoch using images, sounds, voices, video and written comment. Different challenges had different durations. The 200+ pieces of data uploaded to scrAPPbook Badenoch have become a record of a moment in time which also provides a community with a self-generated and honest marketing tool to be tested during 2016. You can see the resulting basic pilot scrAPPbook here – but bear in mind that the next iteration will be more fun and interactive!

http://badenoch.scrappbook.net/

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You can explore the Badenoch content:  by scrAPPbooker  by theme  by medium (comment or audio, video or photo)  at random You can also post links from any content you like to Facebook, Twitter and other social media. Feedback welcome on the team’s Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/scrAPPbookBadenoch The next scrAPPbook will be a full app-based prototype commissioned by a partner site interested in working with the scrAPPbook team. The team anticipate the total costs of this to be in the region o£12 - 15K depending on the scale of the scrAPPbook commissioned, but have a further £5K to invest in the prototyping themselves. Verity explains: “This project would suit any natural or cultural heritage site wanting to do something fresh with digital technology at a reasonable cost. Whoever invests in the next scrAPPbook will be able to work with our team (Sheila Robinson, Alison Williams and myself) and one of several multimedia designers keen to develop scrAPPbook with us to create a bespoke scrAPPbook. scrAPPbook will work well as a virtual visitors’ book, allowing understanding of visitors to go much deeper than just what people have liked or disliked, so scrAPPbook can be used evaluatively too. I am also investigating the use of scrAPPbooking as a structure for a new Easter Ross and Black Isle Visitor Trail, part of a new project for 2016 based on the mediaeval cemeteries of the Black Isle up here in the Highlands (see www.facebook.com/KirkmichaelTrust). We’ve set up a limited company, we are currently trademarking scrAPPbook and we’re now in discussions with a wide range of potential scrAPPbook partners. Exciting times!” You can contact Verity Walker on +44 (0)77789 22407 or by email at team@scrAPPbook.net.

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Using Music In Interpretation Can Help Change The World. Bono says "Music Music can change the world because it can change people." Caroline Figiel

Whether you think music soothes the soul or helps your child learn the alphabet faster, it is a powerful medium. I just recently attended a wedding in Bogota, Colombia where there were very few English speakers. At first, during the reception, we all sat separated by language ((English English on one side of the room/Spanish on the other side), but as soon as the music began, everyone was on the floor laughing, mingling and moving to the beat. It didn't matter whether it was the Electric Slide or a Latin Salsa. On that crisp, autumn eve evening, I witnessed first-hand hand that music is a universal language that can unite us. You Deserve a Break Today For years advertising agencies have banked on music's power. Not only can music grab and hold an audience's attention, but jingles offer a guerilla brand awareness that has a considerable ROI. Take the "Jingle Challenge" You deserve a break today at __________________ ________________ Gimme a break, gimme a break, gimme a break for that________________ I'd like to teach the world to ___________________ Those in school systems have discovered the magic elixir as well. More and more curriculum incl include catchy ditties. My business partner, Danny Jones and I have written music for various educational publishers to teach such topics as early literacy, nutrition and character education. I am always elated when a parent writes to tell me that their child chil gets off the bus singing lyrics "Na na na na, DON'T TEASE" from a song we wrote. The seeds of bully prevention are planted with just a song. Don't take my word for it, ask a college student to sing the songs they learned in 5th grade such as "Conju "Conjunction Junction" or "Fifty Nifty United States" Music makes a lasting impression. That makes it an important tool in your pocket when creating interpretation and programs. In some cases, an excerpt of a tune used in your programming can even be edited an and d repurposed to brand your organization's message in a video or Public Service Announcement.

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"Beam Me Up Scotty" You don't need a transporter from Star Trek to take your visitor to another time or geographic location. Music can do that by adding an ambient background. Sound design is not a playlist. It is meant to compliment the experience NOT compete with it. When passengers enter the transportation mall at The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, they are met with the subtle sounds of an African rhythm as they examine the public art exhibit, Zimbabwe: a tradition in stone. If they choose to take the audio tour, the music sets the stage for the narration as well. Audio tours benefit greatly from the use of music. Imagine watching Star Wars without the soundtrack. By combining the pace of a story with the tempo of the music, plus choosing the right instruments to reflect the mood, music makes the listener "feel the story". An example I always refer back to is a spot that we created for a Civil War audio tour. In one particular 2 minute audio spot, there were two drownings. For the first we used sound effects such as shouts and a horse whinny, but for the second incident, sound effects would be redundant -so we created orchestral string music that swirled like a water's eddy. This proved quite effective in building the drama as the men in the story were pulled under the water to their deaths. http://www.cdigproductions.com/bowling-green-audio-tour-stop Your Exhibit! Starring….THE MUSIC Music can take the main stage in an exhibit as well. Whether it is spotlighting the accomplishments of a country music star, demonstrating the sounds of a circus calliope, or displaying the events of the Civil Rights Movement, these exhibits would be lacking if the visitor experienced them in silence. A word of caution though-as essential as music can be, it can also be annoying if it bleeds into another exhibit area and sometimes… silence is music to the ears. What Does Batman Have to Do with Music? Not only can exhibit interpretation benefit from music: programs can benefit by using music too. We all process information through our senses and music is extremely sensory. You can hear it, see it, play it, sing it, sign it and move to it. Like creating an interpretive exhibit, the first thing to discern when creating a program is your objective. What information do you want your visitor to know? Another point to consider, 90% of what someone does is remembered-so don't design your program so that visitors are passive participants. Make your program an active learning experience. And of course know your audience…   

What is the target age? What is the targeted language? Regarding your targeted audience, are there any cultural nuances, vocabulary, etc, that you should be aware of?

When we created a health and nutrition program for families, we wrote a song entitled "Germ Attack". Our objective was to instill healthy habits in children.

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Germ Attack was written in the style of the 60s Batman TV series. During the song, everyone was under germ attack and the only way to defeat those nasty germs was for kids to cover their mouths with their elbows! By combining "edu-taining" lyrics with humor, a few ZAPS! WHAMS! and Holy Flu Germs! children learned a basic skill of germ prevention. http://www.cdigproductions.com/germattack "Captain Staywell, we have a problem." When I cough or sneeze in my hand Where I touch, germs will land I put my arm across my face So those germs don't fly out in space Chorus **NOTE- During the echos in the chorus, the children were told to cover their mouths with their elbows and cough 3 times. Germ attack, (Germ Attack OR cough, cough, cough) We must fight back, (We must fight back OR cough, cough, cough) Germ, germ, germ, germ, germ, germ attack Other illustrations of active learning to teach concepts, include songs that we have written and recorded for several aquariums. One example of active learning through music involved the instrumental section which offered children the chance to follow the leader of the program in a line dance. The movement illustrated how smaller fish followed the bigger fish for protection. Another example was a song we wrote entitled "Wiggle, Giggle, Jiggle" that used funny lyrics and movement to teach about sea life. http://www.cdigproductions.com/wigglegigglejiggle Sharks have rows and rows of teeth. They don't chew gum, but they do chew meat So chomp like a shark (chomp like shark) Chomp like a shark (chomp like shark) Chomp, chomp, chomp like a shark Kids giggled, wiggled and jiggled their way through chomping like sharks, diving like dolphin, bobbing like sea horses and blowing like whales. Adults are People Too! True or False As we enter adulthood, we suddenly lose all of our sense of humor. Adults love to take tests. Adults really enjoy reading encyclopedias.

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If you answered "false" for all of the above, then you realize that interactive programming is not just for kids. The same rules of retention and processing information apply for adults as they do for children. So… knowing adults might not want to "Chomp like a shark" how can you offer an interactive age appropriate program? Music like storytelling, hits the brain and the heart. Try offering an engaging event that incorporates the two. When we offer workshops, we tell participants there are two ddifferent ifferent types of memorable performances: LEAN IN-An An audience is on the edge of their seat. "Tell me more." LEAN BACK-An An audience leans back in their seat. "Take me there." Using our example of the Civil Rights Movement: how the story of Selma intersperse interspersed with the Freedom Songs of the era could make a powerful impression, especially if you asked the audience to join in singing a song near the end of the program. Although this link is an excerpt from a recorded project, you can see how well story and song work together. http://www.cdigproductions.com/civilrights Other participatory examples might be:  



Times that you use sign language to interpret interpret a song that helps tell a story: encouraging participation if there is a section where the signs are simple and repeated. With shows like "So You Think You Can Dance" and "Dancing with the Stars" so popular, what about offering a dance class to teach a period dance of an era in your exhibit? You include a short explanation of how the clothing and manners of that era might dictate the movement as demonstrated in the "Game of Graces" which encouraged girls and women to be more graceful during leisure ttime. Offer musical instruments and other sound producing materials (even mouth sounds-like sounds "whoosh" or "pop") so that participants can be the "sound effects" in a story.

Music can also be part of a nonmusical program. Appropriate music to your program's theme can be played when managing behavior and grouping your participants, whether it is into small groups, or "Pair, Share" groups during an activity. "Where words fail, il, music speaks.” Hans Christian Anderson As demonstrated by my South American wedding example, music is a great equalizer. It has the power to unite a diverse audience. An amazing outcome that I have observed, is the role music plays in reaching many people with special needs. I have watched in n amazement as nonverbal children and adults respond to a song or instrumental piece when text and words failed. My own father-in-law law who couldn't speak after a stroke, could sing. Music breaks down learning barriers and enables every intellect to be challenged. challenged. ...but before I go… The role music can play in our museums and venues is incredible! Whether it's for programming, promotion, ambience or "edu-tainment", tainment", music can be an integral component to your planning. Just consider that music, whether itt is formal or informal, is an integral part of our entire life. It starts the moment we are mesmerized by our mother's sing song voice. It continues as we learn through songs and rhythms. We mark events with break up songs, first songs and fight songs. songs. Music has the power to teach us, make us feel and remember. These are the same objectives in interpretation. Caroline Figiel creates "edu-tainment". tainment". She and her partner, Danny Jones of Creative Digital Productions write and produce audio tours and live programs.. www.CDigProductions.com

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Developing Successful Partnerships – Planning Guidelines for Heritage Tourism and Interpretive Sites, Facilities And Organizations By John A. Veverka

Why Do I Need Partners? Developing partnerships for organizations/agencies in both the private and public sectors have been a management trend for the past several years. Particularly in times of tight budgets but growing demands for services, agencies have looked more and more to cost sharing and work sharing with groups and organizations. What can partnerships to for you? Provide cost sharing for construction projects, exhibit projects, marketing services, staff training and development, and more.     

Provide "credibility" for some projects by having the right "names" associated with them. Provide expertise that may not be available "in house". Cut costs in marketing and advertising sites or attractions. Help in grant writing or other revenue generation. Help you accomplish your agency or attraction mission more cost effectively.

These are just a few of the benefits of partnerships. But creating a "successful" partnership is not as easy as it might seem and there are pit falls if the partnership doesn’t work out. Here are some things to consider in developing and maintaining successful partnerships. Ten Guiding Rules for Making Partnerships Work: 1. All partners must be equal. While the word "partnership" implies this, I have seen partnerships where one partner is "more equal" than the other in decision making, management, or other issues. This can easily cause friction and the partnership to break up. 2. Benefits to each partner should be equal. All partnerships are based on the fact that each partner is looking to gain some BENEFITS from the partnership. They may be benefits in marketing or advertising their site or resources, benefits in keeping their operation costs down, or other related benefits. If one partner seems to benefit more than the other, but the real "costs" of the partnership are equal, some friction can develop.

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3. Partners should have some common or shared mission or organizational purpose. If all partners are after the same end (protecting historical sites, preserving the environment, wanting visitors to value the shared resource, promoting regional tourism, etc.), there is a greater chance of the partnership being successful. 4. All partnerships should have a written "Letter of Agreement" between the partners to spell out exactly the roles, duties, financial commitments, time frame commitments, management responsibilities, etc. for the partnership. This speaks for itself. All partnership agreements should be worked out clearly and in writing. 5. Choose your partners carefully – You Are Known by the Company you Keep. Will this partnership help or possibly hurt your agency or organization image. For example, if you are an environmental organization and have a partnership with an Oil Company – what will people think? 6. Talk to each other often. Some types of partnerships succeed or fail because of lack of communications between the partners. Depending on the kind of partnership you have, meet often to discuss common goals, strategies, or problems. 7. If you have a "long term" partnership agreement (covering several years), have a yearly "updating" meeting to make any needed partnership adjustments. The key here is that tourists, agency administrators, budgets, everything – can change over time. Have flexibility built into your partnerships to make adjustments as needed. 8. Have a common or shared "look". While you want to maintain your agency or organization identity, visitors are not really interested in who all the partners are. They do not want a quilt work of exhibit design looks, publication mis-matches, or other visually confusing presentations. Agree on a common or shared look for a "seamless" presentation of a common or shared story. 9. Have clear deadlines or work plan timelines. If your partnership involves developing sites, attractions, exhibits, marketing materials, or other such joint projects, make sure that all partners can keep to shared work responsibility deadlines and project time tables. For example, if you are developing outdoor exhibit panels, and your designer needs graphic material from your "partner" by a certain deadline, make sure that the partner can meet these kinds of deadlines.

10. Try to LIKE your partner. If you don’t really get along with a potential partner, you will probably have problems along the way with the potential partnership. Some partnerships fail simply because the partners may have personalities that don’t work well together. Successful partnerships take work!

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There are different kinds of partnerships between different kinds of organizations and agencies and how partnerships might work between them vary greatly. From government agencies to commercial tourism attractions, to commercial service providers, to non-profit organizations â&#x20AC;&#x201C; partnership benefits and arrangements will vary a lot.

Planning for Partnerships If you think that your organization or agency is ready for, or in need of, various kinds of partners, here are some steps for planning for your partnership. I recommend that you think through these questions before selecting or approaching potential partners. Why do we need a partner? How will a partner benefits us? How will a partnership benefit the partner(s)? Financial Benefits Marketing Benefits Association benefits with our agency or organization. Gain access to a greater number of resources and expertise. Help them to accomplish their goals, objectives, or mission. Other What are the goals and objectives of our proposed partnership (what do we envision accomplishing via the partnership)? How will you know if the partnership is "successful"? How will you know if/when the partnership is not longer needed? How will we administer the partnership? Who will write the contract or letter of agreement? Who will be responsible for any fiscal accounting? Who will be responsible for staff functions? Do we need a long-term partner(s) or will this be a short-term partnership project? Exactly what do we want our proposed partner(s) to do? Help with funding? Help with staffing? Help with administration of the project. Provide expertise? Provide credibility to the project? Provide "in-kind" services (printing, publications, etc.)?

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Who are some potential partners? Make a list of the organizations, companies, attractions, etc. who you think would make a good partner(s) based on the above criteria. How will we implement the partnership? What will it take to get things going? How will we evaluate the success of the partnership (for short or long term projects or working relationships?

Once you have thought through these questions (and answered them), then you are ready to approach your potential partners about entering into a partnership arrangement with you.

Summary This short paper was designed to help you think through some of the issues and points that can make or break partnerships. In todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy, partnerships, especially in the heritage tourism area, make good business sense. But like good business, it should be carefully planned and thought through to help insure success.

John Veverka jvainterp@aol.com http://www.heritageinterp.com

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The Vanity of Small Differences Report on the Grayson Perry Project by Wendy Breakwell Volunteer Coordinator Temple Newsam House, UK

Some of the volunteers on the last day of the exhibition with the first tapestry

Temple Newsam House, often described as ‘The Hampton Court of the North’ is one of the great historic houses of England. A Tudor Jacobean Mansion just 4.5 miles from Leeds City Centre, the House is open as a museum to the public. There are over 40 restored interiors stuffed with superb collections of paintings, furniture, silver, ceramics and textiles ‘designated’ as being of pre-eminent national importance. In the Summer/Autumn of 2014, Temple Newsam House hosted The Vanity of Small Differences, a series of six tapestries by Turner Prize-winning artist Grayson Perry. The Vanity of Small Differences tells a story of twenty-first century social mobility through the fictional character, Tim Rakewell. Created during the BAFTA winning Channel 4 documentary series ‘All in the Best Possible Taste’, they explore Perry’s fascination with British taste and tell a story of class mobility. Setting Grayson Perry’s six contemporary tapestries in this 500 year old country house offered a unique context that would not apply anywhere else on the UK tour. Visitors to the exhibition viewed the tapestries hanging in 6 adjoining rooms alongside fine art, furniture, wallpaper, ceramics and bed hangings from the 19th century. Historic wall hangings are an integral part of some of the stylistic features set out within rooms at Temple Newsam. Perry’s tapestries make direct reference to the series of paintings called ‘A Rake’s Progress’ by William Hogarth (1697-1764), the work of Hogarth has long been an influence on Perry’s work. The exhibition was accompanied by a display of Hogarth’s ‘A Rake’s Progress’ from Leeds Art Gallery. This major work was gifted to the Arts Council Collection and the British Council by the artist and Victoria Miro Gallery, London; it was also supported by Channel 4 Television, the Art Fund, and Sfumato Foundation with additional support from Alix Partners. The UK tour of the tapestries is supported by the Art Fund and Sfumato Foundation.

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The main part of the journey was to identify where these six tapestries could be displayed in the house. The South wing of the House was chosen as offering the best possible location for hanging them. Despite the size of the House and its interiors, finding unencumbered wall spaces large enough to accommodate the works was a challenge as doorways, wall sconces; and fireplaces offer graceful but structural barriers. Here, running the full length of the south side of the House, the Wing offers an enfilade of 8 rooms, decorated to evoke various stylistic periods from the 19th century. The plan was to replace presently hung or placed objects in each of 6 adjoining rooms with a tapestry, but otherwise leave the decoration and installation of the rooms intact. One room gives onto another, which offered visitors a series of surprising yet arresting encounters with a different tapestry from the series, a questing tour through the vagaries of 19th century country house taste running parallel to the ‘class journey’ made by the young Tim Rakewell and the cast of characters of ‘The Vanity of Small Differences’, The next part of the journey was to involve volunteers as Live Guides, to enhance the visitors’ experience. This had not been done before on the scale we envisaged so we held an open day which attracted a large number of people interested in volunteering for this project. When the advert went out for applications we initially received 29 of which 18 were shortlisted. The recruitment took place over a couple of days and I enlisted the help of two Visitor Assistants who work at Temple Newsam to assist with the interviews. Two of the applicants withdrew after interview. We held a full days training for the remaining 16 where they had the volunteer induction and site induction in the morning along with customer care training and enlisted James Lomax (Curator Emeritus) and Nigel Walsh (Curator of Contemporary Art) to do the house history and talk on the tapestries/Hogarth respectively. The House staff were also invited to participate in all training. It was a lot for the volunteers to take in but it proved to be a good grounding for them. They were allowed to visit when they wanted after this to watch the Channel 4 documentary to acquaint themselves more with the tapestries.

The first volunteers at Temple Newsam ready to start live guiding.

The majority of volunteers attended the private viewing evening on 22 August which enabled them to ‘practice’ what they had learned in preparation for the opening to the public on the following day.

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By the fifth week we had lost one of our volunteers who could not manage working full time and volunteering. At the start of October we lost another three volunteers, one back to university, one due to health issues and the other to paid employment so we re-advertised and received three applications all of whom were interviewed. They had a full day training but this time, I handed the new recruits over to the ‘seasoned’ volunteers to train them on the tapestries. This worked very well as the volunteers were constantly updating each other, or finding things that no one had seen before or indeed were taking on board some of the comments from visitors which they wove into their own interpretation. This took us back up to 15 volunteers. As we moved closer to the last few weeks of the exhibition we lost another volunteer to paid employment and the strain on the volunteers was starting to tell so we took the decision to advertise again, this time receiving 11 applications. Of these 5 were shortlisted but only 4 were interviewed due to one of the applicants being ill and unable to attend the training day. As before, all 4 were give the day of training and in the afternoon were buddied up with the more experienced volunteers. This brought the total up to 18 at the end of the exhibition. Of these volunteers we had 3 male and the rest female with age ranges from 19 to 77. Most were either students or were working part time. We had two Leeds City Council employees who were using their allowed 10 annual volunteering hours. Three of the volunteers were already volunteering in other areas of Leeds Museums and Galleries; two volunteers had previously had strong connections with activities at Temple Newsam and at least three other volunteers had volunteered elsewhere. All in all the volunteers contributed1620 ½ hours to this project which works out to an average of 70 hours each. In monetary terms this would equate to £17 825.50! Some of the comments received from the volunteers themselves: I love Grayson Perry and I love his work. I think it was an act of genius to display his tapestries in Temple Newsam House. As a volunteer I have been impressed by the amount of time many of the visitors spend in front of each tapestry unpicking the layers of meaning, finding the hidden jokes, recognising parts of themselves and generally marvelling at their splendour, detail and technical prowess. Many ask pertinent questions, demonstrating a genuine curiosity to access the work, both visually and technically. One fun thing has been to point out that every tapestry has Grayson Perry's signature trade mark - an anchor with a W on top. Young and old, male and female, fans and critics have all enjoyed the anchor treasure hunt! (Harriet Allen) One of the great things about working on the Grayson Perry exhibition is the look of wonder, surprise and delight as visitors come into the first tapestry room and see 'The adoration of the cage fighters'. (Janet Blackledge) I have only been volunteering a few weeks, helping with visitor “interpretation" of Grayson Perry's fantastically colourful tapestries.....but am losing count of the number of visitors who engage with it in competing for middle class-ness! What an absolute joy it is to come to work and hear visitors saying, “No, I'm not middle class because I don't have either an Aga, or a cafetiere" or ladies arguing about ownership of CathKidston items & Penguin book title mugs. There is no doubt we Brits have an unparalleled streak for competing to parade our Class or Tribe credentials, and Grayson has "tapped" into it wonderfully. But how it makes us all laugh, thank goodness for self-deprecation and irony! A wonderful experience....to work within, or visit.(Sally Pickersgill)

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Volunteering, what's in it for me, I got to meet lots of nice people including the staff at Temple Newsam House who made all the volunteers feel very welcome, as well as having the opportunity to see some fantastic tapestries and other great works of art. (Val Priest) I also just wanted to thank you again for this volunteering opportunity. I thoroughly enjoyed my first day on Friday and had a wonderful time speaking with all the visitors. It was a very rewarding experience and I am very much looking forward to these next few weeks! (Alexandra Anderson) It's proving to be a real privilege, live guiding - the team are great! (Pauline Heywood) Some of the comments received from visitors: Please pass on my compliments to your volunteers – they were incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic and lots of our guests commented on how helpful they were. (Sponsors) In fact it was the third time I’d seen the tapestries and still found so much more in them thanks to the enthusiasm of the volunteers. (Visitor) The predominantly voluntary staff chosen to work at Temple Newsam during this superb exhibition are brimming with pride and enthusiasm in their role. (Julia Parry, Theatre Writer) What a bonus to catch the Grayson Perry. Thank you to the knowledgeable volunteers and all the very welcoming staff (Cambridge) A wonderful house and exhibition made even better by knowledgeable and friendly staff and volunteers (Mr M Cuas) There were many other compliments from visitors too and it was a wonderful team to be involved with. I was pleased that the staff in the house engaged with the volunteers and volunteers in turn praised the help and friendliness of staff whenever they were on ‘duty’ with them. This was the first time a volunteer project had been undertaken in this form and the pilot proved to be a very good model as volunteers met each other at the same stage, received the same training together with some of the Visitor Assistants being involved and all received the information on the tapestries so were able to help each other in the interpretation. I think it helped the team to bond and assisted with the integration process with staff that had previously been sceptical about volunteers being involved in the house. I think what also helped was that I am based at the House so that any problems, whether it was just refreshment provisions or more complex ones where a couple of volunteers had overstepped the mark, I was able to deal with them swiftly and move on. Again both staff and volunteers could see that disciplinary procedures would and were implemented and issues were dealt with quickly at an informal stage.

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The groundwork and planning was so crucial to this project being a success. We ensured all volunteers had access to a locker to put their valuables in when they came on duty; I provided a box with tea, coffee, sugar and mugs in the staff room clearly labelled so everyone knew who’s was what and we ensured each week that milk was available for the volunteers. Every volunteer had an identity badge, volunteer T-shirt and had access to fleeces for days when the rooms were cold. Having this ‘uniform’ distinguished the volunteers from the staff but did not make them appear separate from them. The volunteers, in consultation with the staff member on duty, organised their tea and lunch breaks and this worked well and did not require any intervention from me. Initially it was thought we would require at least 12 volunteers per day working from 10:30 to 5:00 when it first opened assuming 6 on the morning shift and 6 on the afternoon shift. I set up a rota designating a volunteer to each room but this soon fell by the way side when it was realised this was not workable and could not be sustained 6 days a week for the run of the exhibition. We found that so long as there were 3 volunteers per shift (1 per 2 rooms) this worked just as well and I left it to the volunteers to decide which rooms they wished to do when they came on shift and advised them to swap around if they were doing a full day shift. Allowing them the freedom to sort themselves out worked well and allowed them to build on their knowledge of the tapestries to the point that they were confident to answer any questions that came their way or at least know they could rely on a colleague to assist. In the end, the volunteers became so well versed on Grayson Perry and the tapestries that groups/visitors were requesting a 10 minute mini talk in the first room to set the scene for the rest of the exhibition. Sometimes this led to a tour of the tapestries with the volunteers doing a couple of rooms each and passing the group over to the next volunteer to continue! One of the volunteers gave me a leaving gift which was a knitted Grayson Perry – this was fantastic and her words to me were “volunteering on this exhibition has reminded that I have a creative side & that is why I knitted the doll”. She also told me that her recent appraisal with her boss was so positive and her boss had commented that she had seen such a fantastic change in her and that the volunteering stint had boosted her confidence. If it does this for just one person, then what better outcome could we wish for! It is certainly a model that I will use for future projects where there are several volunteers coming on board and ensuring staff are involved in the early stages helped with the seamless integration of the team. Also good shortlisting and interviewing enabled us to create a hardworking and passionate team which made my life easier in terms of supervision of such a large group. Being part of the house team, I was able to go up and check that things were working well and answer any queries immediately. This ensured the continued smooth running of the operation. It also allowed me to stand in for a volunteer on breaks if we didn’t have three volunteers on a shift due to sickness or unavailability. Wendy Breakwell Volunteer Coordinator Temple Newsam House Leeds, UK LS15 0AE  0113 336 7393  07712 214 952 Wendy.Breakwell@leeds.gov.uk

Knitted Grayson Perry made by volunteer Louise Horsley.

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AN INTRODUCTION TO EVALUATING THE VISITOR IMPACT ON INTERPRETATION Stephen Bitgood Jacksonville State University

This article is the first of several to address evaluation of visitor experiencesin interpretive centers. Since visitor evaluation can be a complicated process, it should be conducted in an objective, reliable, and accurate way. Resources are likely to be squandered if those conducting the evaluation do not have adequate knowledge and appreciation of the evaluation process. Several years ago I gave a conference presentation that included a list of maxims or fundamental truths about visitor evaluation. The purpose of the list is to make professionals aware of the complex issues involved with evaluation. While partly tongue-in-cheek, cheek, there are lessons to be learned from these maxims. Here are a few from my list: ď&#x201A;ˇ Show them the facts: If you do have data of visitor impact, why should anyone believe that your interpretative plan is really effective? When judgments of effectiveness are left to opinion rather than fact, who is to say that one opinion is better than another? Staff often believe exhibits and programs are more effective than they really are.

Without collecting visitor data, you might not believe that the upper-level upper labels (yellow circles) were read by fewer than 20% of visitors while lower -level level labels were read by over 60% on the average. Evaluating label characteristics is an important aspect of exhibition evaluation.

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 You don’t know how deep a puddle is until you step in it: Only after careful examination of an interpretive exhibition or program, are you likely to understand its complexity. It is necessary to keep a sharp eye on a number of factors including, among other things: visitor impact measures; characteristics of the interpretive design; attitudes and reactions of staff, decision makers, and other stakeholders toward the evaluation process; and the perception of the community at large.  It’s not what you don’t know that usually hurts you; it’s all those things you think you know that really aren’t so: The evaluator needs to be aware of his/her own personal biases and apply methods that guard against inaccurate conclusions. In addition, the evaluator needs to be aware that the personal bias of others must be acknowledged and addressed.  Never step into anything soft; and, never stand between a dog and a hydrant: Care must be taken where you step or stand during evaluation. If you antagonize key stakeholders by something you say or do, the project may be destined to fail. Be aware that evaluation is sometimes viewed as a threat to exhibit designers or decision-makers. Tread lightly and involve all stakeholders in the goals.  You cannot always tell a book by its movie: Be wary of verbal reports and/or documentation (e.g., exhibition plans) that may not accurately reflect the purposes or intentions of the interpretation being evaluated. For example, the written plan for an exhibition may not reflect changes made during the development phase or a stated goal in the proposal of an exhibition may have been motivated only by the desire to obtain funding with the intent to achieve the goal.  Evaluation is sometimes a game of hide-and-seek. While you are seeking relevant information, others may try to hide it. If staff people are not cooperating in an evaluation plan for one reason or another, they may not reveal critical information relevant to the evaluation. Staff (and other stakeholders) need to be involved in defining the purposes and goals of an evaluation plan. Staff also need to understand how the evaluation plan will impact them in a positive way. If the end result of evaluation is perceived as more work for staff, the evaluation process is not likely to go smoothly.  If they do not like the message, they may try to shoot the messenger. It’s important to have all the key stakeholders agree on the evaluation plan, otherwise, you or the evaluation report is likely to be demonized in some way by someone who was not committed to the goals of the project.  If you don’t speak the language, you are not likely to communicate effectively. Decisionmakers (e.g., directors, board members) often have different perspectives than staff or outsiders. If you don’t address each of these perspectives, the evaluation plan may be in trouble. For example, the director of the facility needs to know where the resources for evaluation are coming from and how the Board of Directors and the community will view the project. On the other hand, staff may be more concerned that extra work will be their burden.

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 Asking people for information often results in two possible outcomes: a sincere attempt to give accurate information; or making up what they think you want to hear. hear It is important to carefully examine the questions you use and the accuracy of the answers you receive. To illustrate this point, visitors are rarely accurate when responding to the question: “How long was your visit today?” However, if you ask, “What ti time me did you arrive at the museum today?” and subtract from the current time, the information about length of visit will be more accurate. People are not very accurate judges of time, but usually do know their time of arrival. How you ask a question can ha have ve a large impact on the usefulness and accuracy of the answers. Surveys should be carefully designed and administered if you want accurate information. What are the desired outcomes of evaluation? The goals related to visitor impact may differ depending upon the perspective of each stakeholder. A visitor’s may be to simply get away from the everyday stresses of life, relax, and enjoy viewing artistic and/or interesting objects. The interpretive center, on the other hand, may be disappointed if the visitor is not learning about the content of exhibits and programs. The notion of “free-choice choice learning” suggests that visitors choose what to look at and how to engage their attention. We must respect the goals of both visitors and designers of int interpretive erpretive experiences. While visitors should not be “forced” to learn, well-designed well designed interpretation is more likely to engage visitor attention than poorly-designed designed interpretation.

The “Railroads” label is poorly designed because the background background photograph shows through the text and makes it difficult to read. While it may be obvious to most that label design should have easy easy-to-read text, a simple visitor evaluation should drive home this point to the skeptical designer.

What can be evaluated? ed? What is the scope of evaluation? A number of things can, and should be evaluated. The range of possible evaluation topics can be seen in three major areas of visitor evaluation:

JVA InterpNews 

Audience research. Audience research collects information that helps institutions determine “why people do or don’t visit and what happens when they do” (Hood, 1987). Methods include focus groups as well as surveys of visitors and non-visitors. This type of visitor evaluation is associated with marketing and publicity.

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Exhibition development. There are several times during the development of an exhibition when some type of visitor input is very likely to improve the over all impact of the visitor experience. The types of evaluation include: front-end evaluation during the planning stage; formative evaluation during the preparation stage; critical appraisal and remedial evaluation after installation. These types of evaluation will be discussed in detail in a future article.[The interested reader might want to read some of the following papers for background on exhibit evaluation: Bitgood (1994), Bitgood &Shettel (1994), Loomis, 1987; Miles (1994), Screven (1990)].

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Program development. Similar to exhibition development, interpretive programs can be improved by applying the types of evaluation listed under exhibition development.

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Facility design. The physical structure of an interpretive center includes pathways, intersections, specialized areas, and locations such as rest rooms, gift shops and similar amenities. These architectural characteristics can have a large impact on how easily visitor find their way, what they see and do, and how facility amenities are perceived by visitors. Lack of an effective navigation system is a common barrier to successful visits.

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Customer relations. The way people are treated is an important aspect of the visitor experience. Visitors need to be treated with care and respect (see Hood, 1993; Rand, 1996). Friendly greetings, immediate resolution of problems, and a pleasant social environment are important for visitor satisfaction.

Why evaluate? There are at least three good reasons to evaluate visitor impact: 

Accountability: To objectively assess whether a center is accomplishing its mission is a basic aspect of being accountable to visitors, interpretive center staff, and other stakeholders. Being accountable is more likely to provide: visitors with a positive experience, staff with pride in their work, and community with a valuable resource.

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Funding opportunities: Many funding agencies require an evaluation plan as part of a exhibition or program. Even if a funding source does not require visitor evaluation, inclusion of an evaluation plan should strengthen chances of funding.

JVA InterpNews 

Avoiding self-deceit:: Interpretation is a complicated process – it’s too easy to focus only on what seems to be signs of success rather than making a systematic evaluation of all important aspects of success.

The title of this label leads visitors to expect horses will be part of the exhibit. Such problems are easily identified by evaluation during the preparation stage of exhibition development. Final Word Visitor evaluation should be a critical aspect of marketing, developing interpretive exhibitions/programs, and visitor services. Future articles will discuss more detailed issues related to visitor evaluation including: an overview of the visitor evaluati evaluation on process; different types of exhibition evaluation (front-end, end, formative, critical appraisal, remedial, and summative); different models or perspectives of evaluation; and methods of data collection. SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY Bitgood, S. (1990).An overview ew of visitor studies. In Visitor studies: Theory, research and practice, Vol. 33. Jacksonville, AL: Center for Social Design. P. 7-15. 7 Bitgood, S. (1994). Classification of exhibit evaluation: How deep should Occam’s Razor cut? Visitor Behavior, 9(3) 8-10. Bitgood, S. (1995). Remedial evaluation: Definition, issues, and implementation. In Museen und ihreBesucher.. Bonn, Germany: Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Pp. 49 49-59. Bitgood, S., &Shettel, H. (1993). Exhibit/program evaluation: evaluation: A participatory workshop. KarlsruherSchriftenzurBesucherforschung KarlsruherSchriftenzurBesucherforschung.Heft, 4, 3-29. Bitgood, S., &Shettel, H. (1994). The classification of evaluation: A rationale for remedial evaluation. Visitor Behavior, 9(1), 4-8. Hood, M. (1993). Comfort and caring: Two essential environmental factors. Environment and Behavior, Behavior 25(6), 710-724. Loomis, R. (1987). Museum visitor evaluation: New tool for management. management. Nashville, TN: AASLH Miles, R. (1994). Let’s her it for Mr. Occ Occam: am: A reply to Bitgood and Shettel on remedial evaluation. Visitor Behavior, 9(3), 4-7. Rand, J. (1996). The visitors’ bill of rights.Visitor rights. Behavior, 11(3), 18. Screven, C. (1990). Uses of evaluation before, during, and after installation. ILVS Review: A Journal of Visitor Behavior, 1(2), 36-66

Stephen Bitgood Jacksonville State University steveb@jsu.edu

JVA InterpNews

Online Professional Development.

MuseumStudy.com At Museum Study our mission is to help you build a better cultural institution and be a stronger member of the team that carries out the mission of your institution.

To accomplish this we provide online professional development. We offer courses on a broad range of topics important to running a cultural institution including; Administration, Exhibits & Public Programming, Facilities Management, Collections Management, and Collection Preservation & Care. Our goal is to help you develop policies, procedures and programs to run your institution successfully. Upcoming Courses            

Emergency Preparedness Interpretive Writing Moving Museum Collections Collections Care & Management for Archives and Works on Paper The Interpretive Exhibit Planners Toolbox Introduction to Integrated Pest Management Social Relevance: Environmental Sustainability in Museums Keeping Historic Houses and Museums Clean Disaster Salvage & Recovery Grants for Museums and Historic Sites Introduction to Natural History Collections Preservation Principles for Cultural Institutions

For more information on these and other courses visit the Course Schedule on MuseumStudy.com

JVA InterpNews

Interpretive Training - on-line or live at your site - 22 college level interpretive training courses are available with more coming. http://www.heritageinterp.com/heritage_interpretation_training_center.html

jvainterp@aol.com Our e-live on-line interpretive training currently offers 22 different college level interpretive training courses including: - Introduction to Heritage Interpretation Course. 14 Units - 2 CEU credits. $150.00 http://www.heritageinterp.com/introduction_to_heritage_interpretation_course.html - Developing Marketing Plans for Heritage Interpretation & Tourism Sites and Attractions.12 Units, 4 CEU's $300.00 http://www.heritageinterp.com/developing_marketing_plans_for_heritate__tourism_.html - Interpretive Writing e-LIVE Course - 8 Units and 2 CEU Credits $200.00 http://www.heritageinterp.com/interpretive_writing_course.html Check out our complete course catalog: http://www.heritageinterp.com/interpretive_training_center_course_catalogue_.html

Our live - on site interpretive training - recent clients and courses presented.

Lithuania UNESCO conference, Sep 2015 (workshop session on interpretation - left photo), Budapest Hungry workshop on developing visitor survey research for the Budapest World Heritage Site (center), Interpretive training in interpretive exhibit planning design, Ellanor C. Lawrnce Park (Fairfax County Park Authority, Virginia). Right.

8th Annual Seminar of Latin American Museology, Mexico City (left), US Army Corps of Engineers Interpretive Services Courses (center), and MetroParks of the Toledo Area - Interpretive Planning Training (right).

JVA InterpNews

Rich Pawling’s History Alive! to join the Heritage Interpretation Training Center Team The Heritage Interpretation Training Center is very pleased to announce that Rich Pawling's History Alive! is developing one of our newest courses for 2016:

Introduction to Developing Living History Characters and Delivering Living History Programs 10 Units, its, 3 CEU Credits ($275) - Launching in January 2016 The Course Units include: - Unit One - Interpretation Defined - Unit Two – The Value of Interpretation * The Interpreter/Living /Living Historian vs. the Re-enactor * Where to start? Choosing the character to portray - Unit Three – Selecting the Best Interpretive Method * Methods of Interpretation - 1st person, 3rd person, spirit past - Unit Four – Designing the Character - Unit Five – Making the Character Come Alive! - Unit Six – Continually Adapting Your Character to Your Audience - Unit Seven – Preparation Builds Confidence - Unit Eight – Controversy Builds Interest - Unit Nine – Safety is #1 - Unit Ten – The Total Package = Success! About the Instructor: Professor Richard Pawling Rich Pawling has over thirty-five five years of experience interpreting the natural and cultural heritage of the United States. Beginning his interpretive career as an environmental educator and later historian historian-naturalist at local and state parks, his evolution into living history began while employed as a National Park Service ranger at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. To help visitors there understand that this now pristine site was actually a dirty, smoky ky iron furnace in the 1830s, he chose to portray the charcoal dust dust-covered, tobaccochewing filler of the furnace in first person. He was honored with the Freeman Tilden Award for the MidAtlantic Region of the NPS for his efforts in designing and presenting presenting this program about the "forgotten heroes" of the past - the common laborers. In 1991, he launched Rich Pawling’s History Alive! - his own entrepreneurial venture. His unique teaching style twice won him the Outstanding Adjunct Professor of the Year award at Penn State Berks.. Most recently, he was a full-time full time instructor of natural and cultural interpretation at Hocking College (Ohio) (Ohio)--inspiring the next generation of interpreters interprete and retiring from in-class teaching in 2010. For course content details and registration information you're invited to visit the course webpage at: www.richpawling.com (clicking on “e-LIVE Course” under the “Workshops” tab) or contact Rich at: richpawling@yahoo.com. The course fee includes pdf segments of Rich's book: Old Clothes: But All I Wanted to Do Was Wear Old Clothes and Go Back to the Past Past.

JVA InterpNews

Interpretive Planning, Training and Design - World-Wide. JVA has been contributing to and helping to advance the interpretive profession for over 40 years. From teaching university courses in interpretation (Michigan State University, Ohio State University and New York State University and the State University of West Georgia - heritage interpretation institutes), and years of field experience doing interpretation, we are growing still. Our services include but are not limited to: - Interpretive Master Planning. - Interpretive Training Courses - Interpretive Exhibit Planning - Interpretive Trail Planning - Scenic Byways Interpretive Planning. - Regional Interpretive Systems Planning - Landscape Museum Planning. - Visitor Research and Marketing Studies. But there's more we do: Publishers of InterpNEWS, the International Heritage Interpretation e-Magazine with over 300,000 readers in 60 Countries. And it's FREE - yes FREE! Check out our back issues at: https://issuu.com/interpnews

Oh yes, then there's the International Heritage Interpretation Training Center and our text books. http://www.heritageinterp.com/interpretive_training_center_course_catalogue_.html

John Veverka & Associates www.heritageinterp.com jvainterp@aol.com