Hello!
Hi Folks -
My name is Grant Stevens and I’m the new Development Assistant here at the African American Museum of Iowa! This is a new position at the the AAMI and I’ll be doing a variey of things – fundraising/grant-writing and membership recruitment, but also some marketing/public relations tasks as well. I graduated from Coe College (Cedar Rapids, IA) in May with a double major in Political Science and American Studies. I’ve been interning with the Marion Chamber of Commerce and the Marion Arts Festival since January of 2010 and been volunteering with several other area non-profits. I’m very excited to be working here and with such a fantastic staff. I look forward to seeing you at the museum!
Grant Stevens
Evans Liberian Pottery Collection is One Step Closer to Completion!!
AAMI just recieved another peice of the Evans Liberian Artifact Collection!!
Several months ago the AAMI received a large collection of Liberian pottery from James and Mary Evans of Mt. Vernon, IA. The majority of the pieces are from small villages near the Liberia-Cote d’Ivoire boarder and the Nimba mountain range. In the case of these objects, the identity and origin is often difficult to determine, and the information from the traders cannot be verified, but there is one source of written documentation about their history.
Jim and Mary, as well as their family members, saved every letter they wrote back and forth for the duration of their stay in Kakata. The history of the villages, the indigenous peoples’ way of life, stories behind the artifacts, and simply the experience of living and working in West Africa in the 1970’s is documented in these letters.
Mary recently brought in all these letters so that the museum could copy them and record the included information about the pottery. They include facts about most objects in the collection, diagrams drawn by James detailing the layout of the homes they lived in, and little keepsakes such as a section of a weaver bird’s nest.
These letters help to keep the story and the history of these artifacts alive, as well as serve to document a historical time period.
Mary will also be bringing in photographs to share with the museum from their stay in Africa. Stay tuned for more information. Interested in hearing more about these pieces? Contact Curator, Lynn Koos, at 319-862-2101 X27 or lkoos@blackiowa.org
Shopping in Downtown CR??
Are you shopping in or near Downtown Cedar Rapids?? If the answer is yes, point your vehicle in the direction of 12th Avenue SE. To be more specific 55 12th Avenue SE, the location of the Museum. Inside the Museum is the Nikee Museum Store. There you will find some unique gift items for yourself, a friend or family member. Books for adults and children, quilted items such as purses and dolls, musical instruments and framed prints. After walking around the Museum store take a hour or so to go through our galleries.
Now that school is out you could take a morning or afternoon with the kids for a unique activity that they can discuss with you afterwards. If you would prefer a guided tour call at least a week ahead to schedule a tour. We have scavenger hunts for both exhibits available in the Museum Store.
Have a wonderful summer and remember the African American Museum of Iowa is right near Downtown Cedar Rapids, come by and visit us soon!
Did You Know
To all of you who have a dream or an idea for something bigger than yourselves, I say go for it. Do not let people’s opinion of you define who you are and who you become. The idea for a museum that has now become the African American Museum of Iowa started 18 years ago as a dream of mine. I was neither a historian nor a museum professional, so there were plenty of nay-sayers that dismissed my dream as impossible. There were only a handful of friends, at the beginning, who bought into the idea and worked tirelessly for years to establish a small organization that grew slowly and sometimes regressed. God honored our faith and determination with a wonderful facility, unique programming, professional exhibits, a dedicated staff, and a distinguished Board of Directors from communities throughout Iowa. I encourage you to step out of your “expected role” and follow your inner drive. Don’t be surprised at finding that passion that consumes you and let’s you discover new things about yourself. It’s both fun and rewarding. Hopefully what you do is to benefit others.
Tomorrow is Iowa Museum Day
Yesterday Gov. Branstad signed the document making it official May 14th is Iowa Museum Day. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness and celebrate the wonderful historical, arts and cultural attractions within the state.
Please join us tomorrow to celebrate Iowa Museum Day. We will be offering free admission and free 6 month trail memberships. Membership provides unlimited free admission, a free subscription to The Iowa Griot (the Museum’s quarterly Magazine), 10% off all purchases in the Museum gift shop and invitations to special Members-only events.
We hope to see you tomorrow. Please help spread the word!
Archaeology
Teaching about Archaeology is fun. Many of the students who enter the museum already have a basic idea of what an archaeologist does, and how they do it, but there are always a few misconceptions to dispel and new information to give. Here are 5 pieces of information about archaeologists:
1. Archaeologists don’t look for dinosaurs.
Archaeologists look for artifacts: objects that have been made or altered by human beings. Dinosaur bones are not artifacts. The person who studies dinos is a paleontologist.
2. Archaeologists don’t just grab a shovel and start digging.
To make an important archaeological find, archaeologists study, often for years, to discern exactly what they’re looking for and where they’re most likely to find it. Taking a shovel to your backyard and starting to dig is not the best way to yield results.
3. The lower in the ground, the older it is.
This isn’t an entirely fool-proof method, but generally speaking, it’s true. Archaeologists use the principal of stratigraphy to find the relative date of an artifact. An Educator at the Lake County Discovery Museum in Illinois said to think of is this way: if you come home from school each day and change out of you school clothes, placing the current outfit on top of the old ones, you will eventually have a pile that looks like this:
Friday’s clothes
Thursday’s clothes
Wednesday’s clothes
Tuesday’s clothes
Monday’s clothes
As you can see, the oldest clothes are on the bottom. This = stratigraphy.
4. Archaeology is a destructive process.
This was a revelation to me when taking an archaeology class in college. Archaeology is destructive. Once you excavate a site, it cannot be excavated again. This means we didn’t get as much information from an area we dug up 50 years ago as we would if it’d been done today, due to advances in technology. There are two main repercussion of this. One is that many times archaeologists today will only excavate (dig) part of a site, and will use geothermal and other noninvasive technology to study the rest. The second repercussion is…
5. Archaeologists write down everything.
Before they dig, they create a North-facing grid with string and stakes. Everything about an artifact is carefully measured using the metric system, including the position within the grid it was located, how far below ground it was found, it’s distance from other artifacts, and the exact dimensions of the item itself. The more that’s written down now, the more useful the information will be in the future. Archaeology is not a sprint–it’s a marathon.
Special Thanks
Thanks to all of the many people who supported and volunteered at our annual banquet on April 30. Your support will go a long ways in making possible our educational programs. Hazel Pegues, the keynote speaker, encougaged the audience to embrace change and educational opportunites that open doors which expand our world of experiences. She related her limited childhood exposure that her parents were able to provide due to their lack means, which was limited by their lack of education. College education provided responsible and lucrative employment that has led to travel and exposure to art, worldwide cultures, and expanded her realm of possibilities. There were 20 young students present to hear her message of encouragement. Thanks Hazel. Marylee Camp, a great soloist, graced us with two spiritual selections. Wow what a voice!
The Underground Railroad in Your House
Though this wouldn’t have been the experience of freedom seekers escaping through Iowa, this is an interesting children’s game about the Underground Railroad by National Geographic:
Celebrating African American Heritage
On Saturday April 30, 2011 at the Clarion Hotel in Cedar Rapids, the museum will hold its annual banquet. The featured speaker is Hazel Pegues of Diversity Focus and Mary Lee Camp will sing selections. There are seats available so contact Katherine Smith at 862-2101 ext. 16. This fundraiser is a boost to our educational programs See you there.
Homeschoolers, too
With so many traditional school students visiting museums on field trips, people often forget Homeschoolers are an important part of the mix. In February, we offered our first Homeschool Day with great success! We’re hoping to offer programs just for Homeschool students twice a semester, and our next event is just around the corner. On Wednesday, May 11, join us for free admission in the morning and a workshop all about archaeology in the afternoon. Don’t forget, registration is required!
