Voice
3126 W. Cary St., #447 | Richmond, Virginia 23221-3504 | 804. 358.3170 | www.vamuseums.org | Spring/Summer 2017 At the Edgar Allan Poe Museum, Edgar the cat keeps company with a bust of Edgar the poet.
Your Communication Integration Plan: Strategies for Success is Not a Bad Word i Marketing if You Follow a Path to Membership Member Voice: The Poe Museum
Director’s Corner
Coalition of State Museum Associations), with the goal of serving state museum associations so they can better serve their members. With stronger museum associations, we can build a stronger network of museums across the country. We can share resources with each other that can help our members, and thus be able to better serve those members. In mid-May, a partnership with the Association of Science and Technology Centers culminated in an online educational program made available to the members of both organizations. (If you missed the live webinar on resume building, watch for the archived version on our website in the next two weeks—you still have a chance to benefit!) By combining the content mastery that VAM could provide with the online learning software to which ASTC has access, we were able to create a valuable program to benefit both sets of members—and introduce a whole new audience to VAM!
Dear Members, I have spent a lot of time the last few months representing VAM in meetings and programs where we have partnered with other organizations. I am so proud of this aspect of what we do here at VAM—in addition to serving the direct needs of our member museums and their staff, we reach out to the larger community to place Virginia museums at the forefront of what is happening in the field, in advocacy, professional development and programming. Our 2017 partnership odyssey began in February, at the American Alliance of Museum’s Museum Advocacy Day. VAM is a contributing partner for this all important national event; Virginia representatives visited almost every Virginia Congressional office as a part of the larger event, and VAM made sure that Virginia’s voice was heard.
The end of May saw the opening of the exhibition Water|Ways at the Virginia Living Museum. The exhibition opening is the end result of a year-long partnership with the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street program, the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, and VAM. We selected the six sites that will host the exhibition, provided professional development opportunities to staff at the six sites, and worked with both of the other partners to make sure the exhibition is a success on its tour. To find out more about Water|Ways, visit our website, and see the schedule later in this issue of the magazine. In reality, while these outside partnerships are exciting and important, everything VAM does is a partnership—with our members. We couldn’t do anything that we currently do without the ongoing support and participation of our wonderful members. We partner with members who volunteer their time on a conference planning committee, the workshop committee, or the board of directors. We partner with individual museum members who host workshops, or an event or happy hour. And we partner with all of our members to share the importance of museums in our communities and in our lives.
Sincerely, Perhaps our most far-reaching partnership of the last two years in coming to fruition in 2017. VAM has served as one of the five key partners (with 4 other state museum associations) on an IMLS grant designed to build the capacity of all 45 state museum associations in the United States. At the AAM conference in St. Louis, we announced the formation of our new nonprofit, COSMA (the
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Jennifer Jennifer Thomas, Executive Director
Your Communication Integration Plan: Strategies for Success by Dana Metheny
No matter the number of staff or the time and budget available, every museum and historic house can achieve a mix of persuasion, emotional appeal, and creative presentation to represent its brand. But the reality of these factors presents real challenges in the overarching goals of delivering more value to a growing audience while bringing in more revenue for the institution. The key to integrating and maximizing communications is to be flexible with your resources. There is no one way to find success. But, every communications plan should address certain facets of integration in order to be successful. Integration strengthens your brand, increases audience recognition, and projects value, stability and even sustainability. The key to effective integrated communications is to engage in multichannel marketing to reach out and connect with targeted/ segmented audiences. Communicate Across Channnels Today, there are more channels of communications than ever before. Traditional channels like newspapers, magazines, packaging, floor clings, bus and vehicle wraps, painting on buildings, posters, direct mail, press releases and TV or radio broadcasting have high value for many audiences. Audiences that rely on new, faster technologies have new, more immediate expectations that go with them. Social media, digital advertising, web and mobile access, interactive blogs and podcasts, instant messaging and special apps all add to the diverse fragmentation of media available to global audiences. But the fact is that people will see more than one channel and at various times, mixing their use of traditional and new media. Each channel, therefore, must support the others. Above all, the benefit of integrated multichannel marketing is an increased reach and sustained cross-marketing of messages. Generate enough repeated awareness of the institution so that potential members will first take notice, then take action and finally commit to membership. Remember the old adage that people have to hear your message seven times before they’ll take action to buy a product or service?
These days, audiences expect more than just to hear your message. Today, audiences want to interact with institutions, to belong to likeminded groups, to give their skills, expertise, time and money to causes that embrace personally them. They want to be valued. Segment Your Audience and Message So how do you tell potential or existing members that you truly value them as individuals? An important part of the communication planning process is researching and getting to know your audience. You can use your reporting or your observations but however you can grasp who your audience is, do it and do it often. Consumers and their behaviors and expectations change over the course of their lives and in the course of their association with institutions who reflect and advance their interests. Take lifestyle trends. There is a difference between older generations and millennials, for example. But, millennials and donors want many of the same things. Consider also the characteristics and nuances of different subcultures and understand that ethnic groups want more than seeing themselves in photos, they want specific messages targeted to them. Give your audience a choice on how they want to receive your information by asking them and then segmenting your delivery. Segmenting your audience and your delivery to them will give you more reach, as well as influence over consumer attitudes. The result is an increased awareness of and desire to invest in the relevant value that your museum or historic house offers. Hone Your Message Marketing has always been about making connections with consumers--from those who haven’t heard of you yet to those who are long-term, repeat customers. Knowing this fact and targeting messages especially to where they are in that continuum can increase the success of your communication efforts. The recent changes in consumer expectations have been significant. What is needed now is valuable content, not just a sales pitch. People want to be delighted, surprised, even educated and entertained. People want emotional connection to your brand, to see your institution as a partner in their lives and causes. They increasingly want to belong to an “inner circle,” to get news about the industry, about the skills involved in the cause, about global trends in their shared areas of interest. They want stories that peel back the curtain and share what it is like to be associated with you. They want to be a part of those stories. And if they can’t get this “value-added content” with your museum or historic house, they may look for it elsewhere. To give this value to your audience, make use of diverse kinds of content across all your communication channels. This will establish your museum or historic house as a trusted authority and will build your online reputation.
Spring/Summer 2017
Cover Story
The definition of integrated communication is the coordination of communications into one consistent message and thematic design across all media channels, from print to online. Integration maximizes impact on your audience while cost is kept at a minimum. And, while integration requires consistency in messaging and design, it does allow for different elements and tactics across communications channels. Strategic variation ensures that your message doesn’t get boring. It can inject recognition, authority, anticipation and even fun into your brand. Remember all the Budweiser commercials on TV? Frogs, horses, puppies, donkeys, lovers in a sleigh— Superbowl audiences eagerly look forward to the next delightful commercial and yet the brand always remains true to its message.
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If you are venturing into the realm of social media, you should become familiar with the different channels and what they handle the best. •
Your website should be used as the central source of information for your museum or historic house. It should have all your important information on it, as well as dedicated product pages (landing pages) and if possible, an online shopping cart for off-site sales. All other channels should direct traffic to your website whenever possible.
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Facebook is fun, participatory, and is good for contests (like “What is this?”), sharing content between museums, and trivia.
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Twitter is great for announcements, factoids, and moments in time. The use of hashtags ensure that your tweets reach your followers.
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Instagram and Pinterest are uniquely used to create a sense of discovery, excitment and community using images exclusively. On Pinterest, people search for and organize images relating to topics of interest to them, and the most compelling, beautiful images are often shared between hundreds of people.
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LinkedIn is the most industry-focused channel, where advice and news are shared between professionals of the field, and where miniblogs, expertise, replies to forums and daily questions are featured.
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Use videos on YouTube, Facebook or Twitter. Video is gaining in popularity all over social media, and using it often to deliver value-added messaging, like interviews and “how-tos” will encourage engagement. Artistic videos or those with compelling messages often go “viral” which circulates them among thousands of viewers globally. YouTube is perfect for explaining benefits, giving tour overviews, creating excitement for upcoming exhibits or programs, and offering tutorials, demonstrations and vlogs (video blogs).
Remember, content is king, and blogs can do wonders to boost your ranking with Google and other search engine services. Use your blog to tell stories and answer frequently asked questions. Pay special attention to questions related to purchasing your tickets or making donations. Tout your member benefits, your unique events, your employees’ projects, research and expertise, and your institution’s future plans. Be sure to promote and link to your blog entries on Facebook and Twitter. Not only will stories like these attract new followers, but they will also keep existing long-term customers engaged and loyal to your brand. Your long-term customers are more likely to turn their loyalty into donations. Use images to tell stories about employees, other visitors, the community. People identify with other people and respond in kind to the emotions conveyed in an image. Use compelling images in print materials, and on Facebook and on Instagram and Pinterest. Carefully select images that are true to your content strategy and avoid posting images that don’t tie into your brand in some way.
Above all, remember that one of the most powerful aspects of social media engagement is that your followers will share their stories about connecting with your museum or historic house. In doing so, they are telling your story as well as well as their own. Earn their trust and embrace their contributions. If someone posts a negative story, don’t ignore it. Face it head on, briefly apologize and then use the opportunity to direct the message to something that will delight your followers. Your thoughtful, timely response will often foster support and further solidify loyalty to your brand. You may want to go one step further to ensure that other institutions talking about your museum have information from you that allows them to promote your museum in accordance to your brand. Make a communications kit that includes a collection of inspiring photos, graphics and logos, statistics and interesting facts, hashtags, FAQ content and Facebook or Twitter content they can copy and paste into their posts. Make a Communications Plan 1. Think through and make your communications relevant to the needs, requirements and lives of your audience. 2. Meet or exceed expectations by offering “value-added, “ “inner circle” content that delights. 3. Use your existing reporting or your observations to help you identify your audience segments and target your messaging specifically to them. Why would a person be moved to support your museum or historic house if you don’t connect with them on a personal level and give them unique and engaging conversation? 4. Observe which channels are most cost effective for you in each type of communication or promotion. 5. Evaluate your strategy based on results. Your efforts are successful if your audience grows and engages, and if revenue increases. 6. Give your efforts time to succeed. Discovery, interaction, and trust are not gained overnight! The American Marketing Association defines integrated marketing communications as “a planning process designed to ensure that all brand contacts received by a customer or prospect for a product, service, or organization are relevant to that person and consistent over time.” (https://www. ama.org/resources/pages/dictionary.aspx?dLetter=I ) Integrated multichannel communications yield maximum impact through the use of segmented audiences and they keep marketing costs lower through consistency and adherence to a set of planned, clear and sustainable goals. Whether your museum or historic house is a large, medium or small institution, you can level the playing field by careful planning and the use of multichannel communications and strategies that aim to deliver value and engage your specific audiences rather than just advertising your products and services.
We are excited about the new Virginia is for Museum Lovers logo that was announced at the VAM conference in March. If your museum would like to use the logo on your website, you just need to request use of it via the VTC online request form. You can also purchase promotional items for your gift shops with the logo, if you like. VTC works exclusively with Target Marketing and you can reach out to them at tammyb@targetmarketing,com. We hope to make good use of this logo throughout the year leading up to our anniversary, and hope you do, too!
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by Dana Metheny
“Belonging” is a powerful word. It conjures up strong feelings of comfort, safety, togetherness and bonding. Humans are hard-wired to belong somewhere and to something. In many cases, the need to belong shapes people’s ambitions and desires. It’s no wonder then, that associating with and investing in groups that have shared interests, groups that ignite our minds and passions and move us to give of the best of ourselves also give so much back to our inner sense of worth, value and purpose. Belonging to a museum or historic site, feeling a connection to the art, artifacts, material culture and ideas that live inside it, are essential to who and what humanity is. Sharing that connection with all dedicated museum or site staff is a beautiful two-way street from the very beginning to the very end.
When you hear the word “marketing,” do visions of loud, pushy salesmen and big, splashy ads come to mind? You’ve seen them on TV, heard them on radio, gotten the calls on the phone (usually during dinner, right?) and have flipped past them in print. They’re even all over the Internet, flashing banner ads at the tops of websites. Chances are, your eyes don’t even look at website banners anymore, even if they contain relevant information rather than advertisements. Ads are everywhere, influencing actions, creating “noise” and impatient eyerolls every day. The stuff of marketing can make anyone cringe.
“Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and the processes for creating, communicating, delivering and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.” ~American Marketing Association The two most important words in the definition of marketing are “processes” and “value.” The second most important words are “communicating” and “delivering.” And of course, the goal of marketing is to connect with and eventually persuade people to support your institution. Obnoxious design is not mentioned or required in the definition of marketing. It’s your very own integrated brand that should direct your marketing design. If you pay attention to these concepts, marketing doesn’t have to be a bad word when you are planning how to attract more potentially loyal, long-term partners to your museum or historic site.
Marketing Mileposts Professional marketers follow a deliberate path through the marketing process that takes into consideration at what milepost a potential customer stands and how long he stands there. At no point along this path is the customer forgotten or dropped, since if that were to happen, that customer might take a detour and disappear forever. Each important milepost along the path has a distinct status and methods to propel people forward toward the final destination. None of these milestones alone are the point of marketing. The point of marketing is to move potential customers smoothly along the entire path from awareness to long-term, high-value membership. 1. Awareness – I am aware of your institution I have heard of you, found your website/blog/social media channels, or seen your ad
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Marketing is Not a Bad Word if You Follow a Path to Membership
2. Engagement – I am engaged with your institution I have read your blog, responded to your social media post, or watched your video 3. Subscription – I have subscribed to your institution I have opted in for your communications, either printed or online or both 4. Conversion – I have made my first purchase at your institution I have made a ticket or retail purchase onsite or online 5. Excitement – I am excited about my experience with your institution I have gotten excellent value from my first purchase 6. Escalation – I want to rise to the next level in your institution I want to know more about and purchase more of what your institution offers 7. Advocate – I will advocate for your institution I will give favorable feedback or a testimonial for you to use to attract others 8. Promote – I promote your institution to others on and off the path I will tell my friends and acquaintances about your brand 9. Invest – I will become a long-term, loyal member and invest in your institution I will become a repeat donor and/or bequeath money to benefit your institution
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Digital Marketing Methods to Use Along the Path Since most museum professionals have used more traditional methods of communication—the printed materials, slideshows, press releases, articles and such—let’s focus on digital methods you can use to build your audience. You may be familiar with some of these and are using them already. Some may not be totally feasible for your specific circumstances but thoughtful strategizing will assist you in choosing or modifying the methods that work best for your museum or historic site. 1. Social media – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, etc., paid ads, podcasts, webinars, videos, etc. 2. Search engine marketing – increasing website traffic through paid ranking in search engine results, paying each time your displayed ad is clicked – aka “pay-per-click” 3. Data collection/ Analytical reporting 4. Testing and SEO – A/B testing of web design elements or content and search engine optimization for more visibility in search results 5. Email marketing – person gives their email address to receive something of value to them, usually free) 6. Content marketing – consistent creation and distribution of timely, relevant, interesting and valuable content, targeted at a specific audience, to engage and retain customers a. Figure out why you are creating content b. Define your audience c. Discover which channels your audience uses and develop content that fits there 7. Conversion funnels – a multi-step process to acquire new prospects and leads, convert those leads into purchasers, get those customers to buy more and/or buy more often=generate revenue
A Few Digital Method Ideas for Mileposts 1. Awareness – paid ads in search engines and Facebook (some other channels, too), SEO-web search results, podcasts and blogs 2. Engagement – social media contests (photo contest) or riddles (What is this?), forums, visuals (compelling images, videos to share/ comment on), relevant quotes, requests for feedback, short surveys 3. Subscription – opt-in email marketing, freebie offerings for opting-in (aka lead magnets), product pages on website 4. Conversion – eCommerce store, ticket sales, paid webinars or demos/video tours 5. Excitement – targeted content marketing, share-worthy social media posts, email newsletters and announcements of coming exhibits/programs, special access web areas/“inner circle” access, personalized and relevant invitations to events 6. Escalation – multiple upsell offers to monetize value offered to customer, leading up to a premium, high-dollar offering, personalized recognition communications 7. Advocate – email marketing, special interest publications, invitations to community benefit events or meetings, or town hall/community and state advocacy meetings 8. Promote – referral marketing, guest blogging and posting, podcasts, videos
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9. Invest – “red carpet” communications, exclusive online communities on social media/forums, invitation to share expertise – ”have a voice” – via webinars, podcasts; provide a sense of “belonging”
Non-linear Steps Toward the Destination As with any good path through the woods or along the beach, the steps taken aren’t always in a straight line. Distractions, obstacles, wrong turns and getting lost can cause pauses, missteps, looping around, and even abandonment along the way. If you don’t want your potential members to get stuck, or even abandon your path and disappear, you need to pay attention and deliver excellent, personalized customer service to get them moving forward again. In other words, you may need to backtrack and repeat a step or two with them. You may even find people who skip a step altogether because they are eager to reach a certain milepost further up the path. If someone subscribes, but doesn’t progress to making an initial purchase, engage them anew and build momentum with an added subscription benefit or opportunity to make a different, perhaps discounted purchase. That first purchase breaks the ice! If someone makes that initial purchase but isn’t excited about their tour experience for example, a return to engagement might be needed to persuade him to go forward again. In fact, a return to the engagement milepost might occur all the way up to escalation. Not all backtracking is problematic, though. A return to the excitement or engagement milepost might occur after the second or third purchase, forming a loop that your customer might be comfortable with before making a more substantial investment. Of course, not everyone will make it all the way up the path, but the chances improve when you have provided a clear path to follow and are prepared to give the support they need along the way. As museum professionals, we all know that we preserve and offer to the public the extraordinary trappings and provisions of life. No doubt, every museum, large or small, has personal value to someone. Our museums present a broad collection of historic events and artifacts, creative artworks of all kinds and complexities, properties and landholdings, economics, scientific experimentations and discoveries, and technology, transportation and agricultural advancements. There are museums dedicated to athletics, education, human rights, cultures, food and drink, societies, and museums based on gender, race, age, religion, pastimes, tools and other physical objects—the list seems infinite. The one thing they all have in common: a special collection of stories that people can connect and associate with in very personal ways. And as museum staff dedicates their efforts and passions to promoting their sites and collections as best they can, there is always a need to find and grow the number and scope of people who advance from casual visitors to loyal, life-long members and donors. The job isn’t easy. But there is a well-worn marketing path that all museums can follow to encourage people to invest in long-term, loyal membership.
Retention is the new acquisition. Customer service is the new marketing. Joe Connelly
President & CEO Virginia Historical Society in Richmond The best advice when starting my new job:
Meet & Greet - New Feature!
Hey there!
I’m Jamie Bosket
Never forget what drove you to this work, and never lose touch with the people you serve and the story you tell.
The best part of my job is:
Sharing history that matters with as many people as possible.
My favorite quote:
“tis not in mortals to command success, but we’ll do more…we’ll deserve it.” Joseph Addison’s Cato
My favorite sports team: Washington Nationals
I was born in:
Corning, New York
What is on my desk right now: A copy of George Washington’s Maxims, 2 laptops, an iPad, cellphone and lots of financial reports
What I do when I’m not at work: Get outdoors, run, walk, explore; visit historic sites, parks, museums.
My first job:
Part-time museum guide
If I weren’t doing this I’d be: A National Park Ranger
____________________________ Look for more Meet & Greet features in future issues!
Spring/Summer 2017
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CONFERENCE EVALUATION 2017
The complete survey results are available upon request.
EXHIBIT HALL
DEMOGRAPHICS
Email & World of Mouth continue to be the best marketing tools.
15+ 14%
First Conference 21%
10-15 7%
81%
visited the Exhibit Hall while 1/2 discussed a project visit to network Archival Materials 54%
Top Interests? Collections Exhibition Services 48%
2-4 37%
What else do they want? Visitor & Program Services
PROGRAM
2017 featured 24 90 min sessions plus 6 - 120 min sessions, 6 consecutively.
4.77 3.578 2.385
2.35 1.175 0
M on da y
2016 featured 34 90 min sessions, 5 consecutively.
3.525
Fo ru m
"I loved the Learning Labs! It was good to get out of the conference facility and really interact with another museum. Fun and hugely beneficial."
H ou se
There were 4 less sessions but 6 were longer.
4.7
Le ad er sh ip
Facts:
H is to ric
"The focus on diversity and inclusion was fantastic and would love to see more!"
LOCAL EVENTS
Ev en in g
5-9 21%
Conservation Services 42%
Su nd ay
Attendees: 40% in leadership roles
100%
Sc ho la rs hi p
VAM retains recent conference attendees and continues to see rise in first-timers.
Ev en in g
Ratings: 4.6 Conference 4.8 Hotel Roanoke
"Enjoyed all of the events I attended - good food, drink, and company. Being on the roof at Center in the Square was a highlight."
1.192
La bs
on s
Le ar ni ng
Se ss i
H al Su l bj ec tM at te r
To w n
Sp ea ke rs
K ey no te
0
"Taubman and VMT really went out of their way to host."
For more on the conference, see Program Updates, p.12
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The Poe Museum by Dana Metheny
Edgar Allan Poe was originally buried in an unmarked grave in Baltimore, Maryland in 1849. James Howard Whitty was 15 when he saw the reinternment ceremony of Mr. Poe in 1875. He was sparked to research Poe and wanted to correct Poe’s image. He interviewed Poe’s last fiancée, compiled Poe’s desk, and ultimately wanted to have a Poe museum in Richmond’s Southern Literary Messenger building where Poe had begun his career in journalism. Unfortunately, the building was demolished in 1916. James had only a pile of bricks left for his dream. As luck would have it, he met Archer and Annie Jones, who were renting Richmond’s oldest house, the Old Stone House. She was active in arts. She suggested making a Poe monument dedicated not to historic military leaders but to beauty and imagination. She started landscaping a garden in the lot behind the stone house, drawing inspiration from his poem “To One in Paradise.” She designed it with plants based on those mentioned in Poe’s poems and stories. With Whitty’s approval, she used the bricks and granite from the Southern Literary Messenger building to pave the garden paths and to build a Poe Shrine. On April 26, 1922, the Poe Shrine opened to the public.
most active museum dedicated to Poe, says Executive Director, Jaime Fawcett. Opportunities to share Poe with the Richmond community and indeed, with the world, are rich and engaging, thanks to the popularity of his writings and the intrigue of his character. In part because Richmond has a vibrant artistic community, encompassing art, theater and literary groups, the Poe Museum’s collaborative and educational projects have been plentiful, imaginative, engaging and successful.
Guests having a scary good time in the Poe photo booth at the Poe Museum’s monthly Unhappy Hour
One collaboration involved The Friends of Shockoe Hill Cemetery, north of downtown Richmond, Many of Richmond’s most important people are buried in this National Historic Landmark cemetery. When The Friends asked to work with the Poe Museum on a new event, the collaboration resulted in a unique performance tour led by “Poe” himself. The participants “encountered” several people in Poe’s life who were buried in the cemetery and who shared their stories. The performance tour went on for 3 years and sold out every time. Fancy Me Mad: Graveyard Tour + Tales from Edgar Allan Poe is an ongoing collaborative annual program at St. John’s Church. It is the first church in Richmond and the burial place of Poe’s mother. Visitors venture out for a ghostly graveyard tour in late October, followed by tales from Mr. Poe himself. Last year, the Poe Museum collaborated with the Latin Ballet of Virginia. They wanted to work together to create Poemas, a program incorporating Spanish and Latin American poetry and dance interpretations of Poe’s writings and life. The program brought an unlikely audience into the world of Poe, with Spanish language and dance students learning about how Poe inspired people in other countries. Several locations around Richmond hosted the performance of Poemas and people came to see it from many other U.S. states. Partnerships with local businesses and groups abound as well, as demonstrated by Triple Crossing’s brew named The Masque of the Red Death Imperial Red Ale. Poe Parties have been held around town, where death-defying souls can occupy a coffin for a photo op, or the adventurous can attempt to cover the telltale heart with their host building’s floorboards.
The Poe Shrine in the Enchanted Garden, both virtually unchanged over the years.
Fast forward nearly 100 years to the present and the Enchanted Garden, now a Garden Club of Virginia restoration project, and the Shrine have been well cared for and remain virtually unchanged over time. Today, in addition to the garden and shrine, the Poe Museum occupies the Old Stone House and three adjoining buildings. It has the largest collection of Poe artifacts in the world and also is the
In June, the museum is opening an exhibit on Poe’s actual hair. The strands will come from the museum’s own collection along with other collections, too. A professor at UVA who has analyzed and measured stable isotopes in the hair to tell us about foods Poe typically ate, environmental contaminates found on the hair, for example, what kind of lamps were used in his home. This partnership with science helps reveal the unwritten details about Poe and his life.
Spring/Summer 2017
Member Voice
It doesn’t take much to scratch the surface and discover something new about Edgar Allan Poe. That is still at the root of his global allure as a poet and certainly at the heart of the Poe Museum’s existence today. The Poe Museum, located in the oldest house in Richmond, Virginia, was far ahead of its time when it opened in the early 1900s. Richmond typically celebrated big historic events with statues showing what was, but this museum was very different. As the first literary museum in Virginia, it was dedicated to what could be: imagination and possibilities.
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As a nod to the scholarship, fun, and creativity that defines the Poe Museum experience, Jaime stated, “Inspiration is what the Poe Museum is all about.” Creative and educational inspiration is embodied in the programs the museum brings to schools all over the state and the school group tours they lead through the exhibits. Teachers recount how students often discover the joys of reading when they encounter Poe’s poems. At the museum, the staff encourages students to note Poe’s elegant taste in personal affects while at closer inspection, seeing signs of overt wear and repair on his dirty socks and silken vest that tell the real story of his humble, even impoverished lifestyle. Students often perform the poems or engage in artistic expression related to Poe’s work and reputation. What is it about Poe that makes him the most read poet in the United States by 67% over Shakespeare (64%,) Robert Frost (49%), and Emily Dickinson (45%)? Besides the poems and stories themselves, might it be Poe’s aberrant reputation?
“You know you know Poe, but you don’t know why you know Poe.” Jaime Fawcett Chris Semtner, Curator at the Poe Museum, has recently published The Man Behind the Poe Myth, which explains the why of our surviving impression of Poe as a “mad, drunk, death-obsessed drug addict with no morals.” This “caricature” of Poe was singularly created by Poe’s worst enemy, Rufus W. Griswold. Griswold was a failed poet, failed minister, and anthologist. He compiled the first anthology of major American poetry which included a large number of poems from his friends (many long forgotten), but included only 3 works from Poe. It can be inferred that Poe was insulted, because each trash-talked the other forever after. “In fact,” Semtner points out, “in one of Poe’s stories, The Angel of the Odd, there’s a character who gets more stupid because he’s read one of Griswold’s books.” After both of their wives died they found themselves rivals for the hand of poetess Frances Osgood. After Poe’s death, Griswold saw the perfect chance to further destroy Poe’s reputation by supplementing his rival’s official obituary by penning a memoir of his own. He approached Poe’s mother-in-law and offered to edit and publish a complete anthology of Poe’s works. To do this, free of charge to her, he convinced her to sign over to him the rights to Poe’s works. Then, as part of his revenge, Semtner explains, “he portrayed Poe in his biography as a madman, scoundrel, and a constantly intoxicated drunkard, a liar, cheat and a horrible, miserable person.” Some researchers suggest the reasoning behind Griswold’s animosity is that Griswold believed Poe based the madmen in his horror stories on himself. Many of the horror stories people have heard about Poe’s insanity were Griswold’s attempts to project his own inner turmoil onto his rival, in hopes that this would destroy Poe’s reputation and that no one would read his works again. Griswold’s attempted at character assassination had the opposite effect. Although many of Poe’s friends came to his character defense, it was too late. The public readily adopted the caricature of Poe as a hateful and drunk madman. It added to his popular mystique--Poe had even became a cult hero in France where he was called the “Divine Madman Drunkard of Baltimore” as a compliment--think “Pop Icon.” In the first 6 months, three editions of The Works of Edgar A. Poe (1850) sold out quickly. Today, Poe is still a pop icon. He is everywhere, on the record cover of
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Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, for example, and he’s been on the television comedy “South Park,”“The Simpsons” (3 times), and there are references to Poe’s characters in other novels. Last year, the museum acquired a treasure trove of Griswold items from an antique dealer in Massachusetts who had bought them directly from the Griswold family: 50 of his letters, many to his brother-in-law about his sorrow and mourning of his wife’s passage, manuscripts of 3 of his poems, newspaper articles including a clipping about him giving a sermon in a prison. But the best pieces were the original oil portraits of Griswold and his wife Caroline. “The portrait was a big brown mess when we got it.” Semtner said. Thanks to its inclusion in VAM’s Top 10 Most Endangered Artifacts, the status of “endangered” helped in the quest to get it restored. The portrait was actively flaking, there was a hole in the canvas, it was covered in layers of varnish, tobacco smoke and other environmental contaminants. “Not only were we able to raise the money through crowdfunding for the purchase but the conservation as well. We were able to get into a conservator’s studio.” The conservator removed the grime and the paint applied by other artists. By the time is was cleaned and repaired it was a completely different portrait. “We could see in his face an expression that seemed a little bit wary and anxious. You could get a sense of who Griswold was as a person,” Semtner mused during our interview. “It was something Griswold approved of and owned, and presumably proud of,” Fawcett added.
Left: Portrait of Rufus W. Griswold, painted by Charles Loring Elliott, around 1840. Right: The fully restored portrait with the original oval shape revealed. Photo credit: Scott Nolley, Fine Art Conservation of Virginia
A visitor to the museum once asked: “Why would you want a portrait of Griswold—to use as target practice?” At the Poe Museum, the staff believes that telling the story of the Griswold/Poe rivalry is just as important as all the other aspects of Poe’s life and writings. “We want to do more with Rufus,“ Fawcett explains. “Rufus shows a lot about who we are, where we’ve come from, and where we’re going and the effect he’s had on our museum. This museum is a safe place to buy into Poe’s caricature, but also to recognize there is so much more to discover. Poe’s life, Griswold’s caricature, all the places Poe went to and even this nearly 100-year-old museum is like a portrait you can come back to again and again and see through new eyes. One programmatic joy we have is to continue to collect things about Griswold and to continue to tell a story that hasn’t been told.” Photo Credits unless stated: “Courtesy of the Edgar Allan Poe Museum, Richmond, Virginia”
Book Review
Interpreting Anniversaries and Milestones at Museums and Historic Sites by Kimberly A. Kenney Reviewed by John Forsythe Museums and historic sites aim to present the past in a relevant manner to a contemporary audience. A common social experience is a birthday or anniversary, which bring people together. By using birthdays and anniversaries, an institution can make their story more accessible to their current and future audience; however, planning an event to coincide with an anniversary, birthday or milestone is not a simple affair. Interpreting Anniversaries and Milestones at Museums and Historic Sites addresses the big picture of a successful event to help the small to medium sized institution start planning such an event. Kimberly A. Kenney walks the reader through each type of event inspired by an anniversary or milestone by breaking each part of the process? down and using case studies from a variety of large and small institutions to make her points. . At the end of the book, several appendices provides further information concerning a selection of the examples used throughout the book. Interpreting Anniversaries and Milestones at Museums and Historic Sites is a relatively short and easy read. Interpreting Anniversaries and Milestones at Museums and Historic Sites is not designed to be a walkthrough for event planning. It is too short and the focus is on the bigger picture of what an event looks like. The book is targeted at small to medium museums whose staff is limited, but face the same realities as larger institutions. For example, an all-volunteer museum would learn a great deal in a short amount of time from the information presented. Several shortcomings need to be addressed if a follow-up edition is published. Despite the logical organization of the book, it starts off with a muddled Introduction. The first half of the Introduction clearly defines commemoration, celebration and remembrances as well as touching on the psychology of birthdays, milestones and anniversaries. These are key concepts to understand and provides more context through which to understand the following chapters and case studies, while the second half of the Introduction begins to address very granular details of event planning. For example, two paragraphs address logos for an event followed by a brief mention of marketing. These granular details pertain to the subject matter but the details are not adequately addressed because these details are outside the scope of the book. The introduction missed an opportunity to create a very
clear answer to the “Why” of anniversaries and milestones followed by the “What” and “How.” This is unfortunate because few books address this part of administration. The chosen case studies are great but lack a linear progression from the first to the last chapter. Some case studies are addressed in almost every chapter and a few have additional information in the Appendix, but no clear chapter conclusion transitions the reader to the next segment. At the end of the book, I really wanted to know how successes were measured and what lasting affect the institution enjoyed. In addition to the lack of a linear progression, each organization used as a case study had very little contextual information. Independent research about each organization was necessary to determine its budget and estimate its staff size to provide a clear picture of the institution. The staff of a small museum is already overloaded with day to day administration and providing all of the context would have been advantageous for the reader. Lastly, failure is not addressed. Failure is a hard topic, but debriefing failure would help any institution avoid repeating the same mistakes. Looking at why Institution A succeeded while Institution B failed hosting a similar event is important. The specialty of planning a successful event is an impossibly large subject to tackle in such a short book. Interpreting Anniversaries and Milestones at Museums and Historic Sites does provide a good amount of background information and definitely will provide initial ideas and guidance for the small to medium size institution whose staff is limited.
Join Us at the VAM 2018 Conference
SAVE THE DATES! The 2018 Annual Conference will be on March 10-13, 2018 at the new Hilton Norfolk Main along the waterfront in Norfolk, VA.
Spring/Summer 2017
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The 2017 Annual Conference
Directors Paige Backus Lisa Martin Steven Blashfield Jeffrey Nichols Jamie Bosket Robin von Seldeneck Mikell Brown, Ph.D. Scott Stroh Karen L. Daly Vanessa Thaxton-Ward, Ph.D. Charles Grant Sarah Whiting Debi Gray Charlotte Whitted Joe Keiper, Ph.D. Eric S. Wilson Our Staff Executive Director, Jennifer Thomas Assistant Director, Christina Newton Communications Coordinator, Dana Metheny Membership Coordinator, MckenZie Walker Accountant, Su Thongpan Our Contacts Phone: 804. 358.3170 Fax: 804. 358.3174 www.vamuseums.org Our Voice VAM Voice is published three times a year for our members. The editor encourages readers to submit article proposals. Contact the communications coordinator for more information. Our News Deadlines Fall: August 1st Winter: December 1st Spring/Summer: May 1st Our Vision A united museum community inspiring the world around us. Our Mission The Virginia Association of Museums is a statewide network serving the museum community.
VAM needs your support to keep developing the programs and services that serve members so well. Thank you!
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Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. Tuesday’s moving keynote by Dr. Rex Ellis, Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture topped off an exceptional conference. Help us with our 50th anniversary conference in 2018. Sign up for a working committee!
Tidewater/Hampton Roads locals are needed for the Local Arrangements Committee to plan evening events and pre-conference activities. Interested in selecting sessions? Sign up for the Program Committee. Let’s make VAM’s return to Norfolk a splash! Contact Christina Newton at cnewton@vamuseums.org or 804.358.3173 to get involved. Meetings will start taking place this summer.
Looking Forward to It!
Mark the calendar to see Water/Ways at these locations in Virginia. The Water|Ways tour in Virginia is co-sponsored by the Virginia Association of Museums and the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. May 27, 2017 – July 9, 2017: Virginia Living Museum Newport News, VA July 15, 2017 – August 27, 2017: Menokin Foundation Warsaw, VA September 2, 2017 – October 15, 2017: Cape Charles Historical Society Cape Charles, VA October 21, 2017 – December 3, 2017: Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia Staunton, VA December 9, 2017 – January 21, 2018: Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum Winchester, VA January 27, 2018 – March 11, 2018: Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center Fredericksburg, VA
2018 is VAM’s 50th Anniversary! We want to celebrate with all of you by collecting and promoting short videos that you make to share your own personal Virginia Museum stories! Use #VaMuseumStory The sky’s the limit! What can you think of to share on social media? Compose your own personal storyline, for example: •
How did you get into the museum profession?
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Why does your museum/historic site matter?
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What is your most memorable on-the-job experience?
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What was your first job in the museum field and how did it help you?
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As a museum professional, what does VAM mean to you? Questions? Contact communications@vamuseums.org
Program Updates
Our Governing Council President, Gary Sandling VP, Planning & Resources, Gretchen Bulova VP, Programming, Rob Orrison Secretary, Dana Puga Treasurer, Eric App Past President, Al Schweizer Ex-Officio Members, Jeffrey Allison
This year’s conference was held March 18-21 at the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center in Roanoke. There were 365 registrants from across the Commonwealth and beyond. Members of the Local Arrangements Committee and representatives from the featured locations delivered a sold-out Historic House Forum at Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest for Saturday’s pre-conference event, plus inspiring evening events on Sunday and Monday at the Taubman Museum of Art, Virginia Museum of Transportation, and Center in the Square. Thanks to the efforts of the Program Committee, attendees soaked up top-notch sessions and enjoyed Monday’s Luncheon featuring music of the “Crooked Road” (and dancing!), off-site Learning Labs and a thoughtprovoking (and witty) Town Hall with Peter Armstrong, Senior Director at