Tuesday, January 26, 2010

How can one person change a life?

"Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!" --Anne Frank

The Washington State Holocaust Education Resource Center is sponsoring a writing contest for students this year. 2010 is particularly special because of an honor that the center has recently received.

As some of you may already know, in her diary, Anne Frank wrote about a tree growing outside her window. In order to preserve the legacy of the aging tree, saplings were grown. The Holocaust Center, in partnership with Seattle Parks and Recreation, was selected as the home for one of these rare saplings. Only 11 places in the United States will receive them. (Visit this site to learn more.)

Check out the information below to find out more about this contest and how you (or a student you know) can participate.

Jacob Friedman Holocaust Writing and Art Contest
Open to students in grades 5-12 in the Pacific Northwest (WA, OR, ID, AK)
Entries accepted now through April 2, 2010
Sponsored by the Washington State Holocaust Education Resource Center
http://www.wsherc.org/writingcontest/contest.aspx

This year’s contest asks students to consider how their lives might be different if people were more respectful and tolerant of each other’s differences.

Last year the Center received over 800 entries. The 2009 winners can be found on the Holocaust Center’s website – www.wsherc.org. The Holocaust Center is a non-profit organization with a mission to support educators teaching about the Holocaust, genocide, and related lessons of stereotyping, and the difference one person can make.

(Photograph on this post courtesy of the Anne Frank Trust.)

Friday, January 22, 2010

More links? Why not? Local History Resources, at your service

Done plowing through the previous lists of links? Here's one more. The last one. For now. Needless to say, we don't vouch for the content of these websites. Want to add your organization to the list? Drop us an email. We'll update these lists periodically.

Humanities Washington
HistoryLink
Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture
Washington State Holocaust Education Resource Center
Washington State Jewish Historical Society
Heritage League of Pierce County
Tacoma Historical Society
League of Snohomish County Heritage Organizations
Historic Seattle
4Culture
Puget Sound Civil War Round Table
Seattle Municipal Archives
Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society
Historic Tacoma
Bainbridge Island Historical Society and Museum
Rainier Valley Historical Society
Robert E. Lee Chapter 885, UDC
Sequim Museum and Arts Center
Architectural Heritage Center
Skagit County Historical Museum

More links: National History Resources

If you work in public history, these won't be new to you. But if you haven't checked these sites in a while, take a gander. All offer helpful resources, including job postings and discussions.

American Association for State and Local History
American Association of Museums
AAM Advocacy
National Park Service
National Archives and Records Administration
National Trust for Historic Preservation
National Preservation Institute
Save America's Treasures
Chronicle of Philanthropy

All the links you could want - State History Resources

Herewith, a list of state resources in history. Some are state agencies and programs, others are statewide nonprofits. We'll post national and local resources soon, too.

Washington State Historical Society
Women's History Consortium
Washington Museums Association
Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation
Washington Trust for Historic Preservation
Washington State Downtown Revitalization Program
Washington State Arts Commission
Washington State Parks and Recreation
Secretary of State, Division of Archives
Washington State Library
Washington State Tourism
Washington State Legislature
Center for Columbia River History
Burke Museum
Washington State Department of Transportation Cultural Resources Program

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Western Museums Association: Practically Next Door in 2010

The Western Museums Association -- WMA, WestMuse, call it what you want -- is accepting proposals for its 2010 conference in Portland. Deadline is January 15; submission guidelines online. It's so close, and Portland is (let's face it) so fun, why not apply? The super-convenient downtown site means that attendees can leave their cars at home: take Amtrak to Union Station, hop on the Max and you're there. The October 18-21 dates mean we just might scrape by with the last of the reliably good weather, too. It's a great time to visit the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, and check out the Land Bridge, a legacy of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial commemoration and a compelling way to reconnect to the Columbia River.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Come celebrate MLK on January 18!


WASHINGTON STATE HISTORY MUSEUM EVALUATES SASQUATCH EVIDENCE

Giants in the Mountains: The Search for Sasquatch Opens January 23


Explore the Sasquatch mystery in Giants in the Mountains: The Search for Sasquatch, on view January 23 through June 27 at the Washington State History Museum.

Who or what is Sasquatch? Why are sightings in Washington the highest in the nation?

This exploration of the Sasquatch story focuses on the Pacific Northwest environment which has created a rich setting for the traditional beliefs that have grown up around this being. The relationship of Northwesterners to the land, particularly its deep forests and imposing mountains, has led explorers and travelers further into the depths of our region.

How have scientists attempted to explain and investigate the Sasquatch phenomenon? Physical evidence collected in the field by anthropologist Dr. Grover Krantz will be on display. Discovery Channel expert and Bigfoot author, Dr. Jeffery Meldrum of Idaho State University has contributed to the exhibit recently gathered field evidence including special foot and hand casts.

Supposed hoaxes and popular cultural interpretations of Bigfoot are featured in the exhibit including memorabilia from the Sasquatch Music Festival, Bigfoot Ale, Sasquatch Press, and the Seattle SuperSonics Squatch Collection.

Worldwide and across time, tales of larger-than-life creatures have been told. Tribal artifacts and artwork will convey Native cultural beliefs. On loan from the Maryhill Museum of Art is a prehistoric, ape-like Stone Head found in the Columbia Basin. Created especially for the exhibit is a full size mural of the legendary Dzoonokwa or “Basket Women” of the forests. Carved masks by Native artists are featured in the gallery. From werewolves to wild men, stories of beings both animal and man have been told across time. Some of these legends are explored in the exhibit. Also featured is artwork by cryptid illustrator Rick Spears.

Join the History Museum to discover the unique Northwest connection to Sasquatch. To support this special exhibition, we are hosting a number of programs that connect to the Sasquatch story.

SASQUATCH Programs for 2010
THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE!
January 21, 2010

6:30 pm
BEHIND THE HAIRY CURTAIN: SASQUATCH SNEAK PEEK
Are you a Squatch Watcher? Do you yearn to know the truth behind the tales of Sasquatch? Then join us for this special “Behind the Scenes” walk-through with the curators of Giants in the Mountains: The Search for Sasquatch. You’ll be amazed by prehistoric stone heads, native masks, footprint casts, and the world map of Sasquatch-like beings. Are you a believer?

GHOSTS OF THE GREAT HALL: ICONS OF WASHINGTON
February 6 < 1–3 PM February 18 < 6:30 PM

Tours commence every half hour
Interact with iconic Washingtonians in this program that brings historical figures to life. Meet Ronald Debs Ginther, an artist who painted life during the Great Depression; rock out with Jimi Hendrix; search for Sasquatch with Dr. Grover Krantz; and work on a railroad with Anna Lind, a logging camp cook for Northern Pacific Railroad. This program is FREE with Museum admission.

GHOSTS OF THE GREAT HALL: UNSOLVED MYSTERIES
March 6 < 1-3 PM

Tours commence every half hour

Uncover some of Washington's unsolved mysteries with characters from the past. Hunt for lost treasure with D. B. Cooper, a Washington skyjacker who disappeared with his loot; hear a ghost story from Percy Buck, sole survivor of the Andelana shipwreck; search for Sasquatch with Dr. Grover Krantz, and question William H. Gilstrap, the Historical Society's first curator and secretary who was locked away during the "Great Tozier Heist." This program is FREE with Museum admission.

SASQUATCH DAY
June 5 < Times TBD

Bob Gimlin & Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum

Of special interest is the appearance in western Washington of two giants of the story of Sasquatch: Bob Gimlin and Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum.

One of the most famous pieces of Sasquatch evidence is the Patterson-Gimlin film made in northern California. This film features a female Bigfoot striding next to a sandy creek. Scientists world-wide have studied this film and remain divided upon its authenticity, however, the filmmakers Bob Gimlin and the late Roger Patterson have stood by their photographic evidence. Expedition partner and outfitter Bob Gimlin will join us for an audience discussion about his experience on the Bluff Creek expedition and the famous encounter on the trail, made immortal in the 24 feet of film images Patterson recorded.

Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum of Idaho State University and author of Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science will also be discussing his collected evidence. Dr. Meldrum is frequently seen on the Discovery Channel, the History Channel, and the National Geographic Channel among others. His book is the companion volume to the highly successful Discovery Channel documentary of the same name. A professor of anatomy and anthropology, his work encompasses the evaluation of hominid footprints, including those attributed to Sasquatch, both in the lab and the field. The exhibit features casts made by Dr. Meldrum in Eastern Washington.

A BIG thank you to illustrator Rick Spears for the pictures accompanying this blog post.