Scenes from Museums Past

I’ve been learning a lot about the great history of Charleston, South Carolina, lately, and have been delighted by its colorful characters, extraordinary events, and generally rich culture. However, being the museum nerd that I am, I was pleasantly surprised to see the contributions Charleston has made in the development of American museums.

Most significantly, the Holy City is home to the first museum built in the United States. The Charleston Museum was founded in 1773 and still stands proud along the city’s Museum Mile. However, it is the story of Joel Roberts Poinsett and the little known National Institute for the Promotion of Science that we’ll be exploring here today.

Joel Roberts Poinsett, proud son of the South, was a man who wore many hats. Below are just a few of the accomplishments of Poinsett’s life:

• Fluent in English, Italian, French, Spanish, and German.
• Educated in medicine, the law, and military science.
• Became the first ambassador to Mexico in 1825.
• Served as Secretary of War from 1837 – 41.
• Was both a South Carolina State Legislator and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
• During his time in Mexico and South America, he was charged with exploring the potential of various revolutionary groups and even acted as an advocate for Greek independence.
• On a trip to the Middle East in the early 1800s, he was shown some petroleum, which he believed could have a future as a fuel.
• An avid botanist, Poinsett, during his time in Mexico, came across a winter plant that had been popular as far back as the Aztecs. Sending samples back to the U.S., the plant, which would become known as the poinsettia, has remained a holiday favorite ever since.

In spite of all of these noteworthy accomplishments, it is Poinsett’s role as co-founder of the National Institute for the Promotion of Science that should be of particular interest to museum lovers.

In 1838, the United States successfully secured their right to a bequest from the British chemist and naturalist, James Smithson. The money was to be given “to the United States of America, to found at Washington, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men.” With money in hand, Congress began the debate about the creation of a national museum.

Poinsett – a botanist, as we have already noted – was a strong advocate for a national museum. During his tenure as Secretary of War, he had naturalists accompany soldiers on exploratory expeditions. He believed that a museum would be the perfect venue for accumulated specimens, and an opportunity to showcase that America, though young, was fast on its way to becoming Europe’s cultural equal. Having put his ideas before Congress, Poinsett went about trying to find a way to secure the Smithson bequest to make his museum dream a reality.

In 1840, he co-founded the National Institute for the Promotion of Science. This organization was the force behind the collection of specimens and items on display at the Patent Office Building in D.C. The collection lacked appropriate funding and was perhaps a bit disorganized, but it put the idea of the “Nation’s Attic” into the minds of politicians and the public alike.

Eventually, the National Institute for the Promotion of Science failed to secure the funds of the Smithson bequest. However, by setting the precedent for a national museum, Poinsett’s group was the predecessor to the Smithsonian Institution as we know it today.

This Pickpocket Will Leave You (Culturally) Richer

About a week ago, I stumbled across an interesting program at SFMOMA that had the potential to put a whole new spin on both cultural education and museum learning. Known as Pickpocket Almanack, this program is billed as “an experimental school without walls.” Curious to know more about the school and about the implications for museums, I posed some questions to Joseph Del Pesco (more info here and here) – SFMOMA independent curator and creator of Pickpocket Almanack. Here are his responses, hope you enjoy them as much as I did…

1) Why is it called Pickpocket Almanack?

The title means, roughly, “stolen calendar.” It’s because the program borrows and compiles event calendars from all the venues in the Bay Area to make a sort of meta-calendar—which is subsequently used by the faculty to create courses. The word “pickpocket” was actually suggested by artist Anne Walsh as a more provocative way of naming an experimental school. I think her suggestion was “Pickpocket Academy,” which I liked, but ultimately I decided not to use the terms University, Academy, School etc after talking with artist Brian Conley. I told him I wanted to try to break the teacher-student hierarchy, or at least disrupt the conditioned roles inherent in formal education. He suggested one way to send this signal was to use different language. I took his advice. When I was was first thinking about the word “Almanac” I was looking at Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanack, which was his most populist publication. The extra “k” is in homage to him. As is some of the typography of the website, designed by the brilliant Scott Ponik.

2) Can you tell me a little bit more about Pickpocket Almanack? What was the inspiration for the program?

For the last couple of years I’ve been compiling research into artist initiated schools. This includes Amy Franceschini’s Playshop, Tsuyoshi Ozawa’s University of Sodan Art, The Center for Urban Pedagogy, Jon Rubin’s Independent School of Art, Ted Purves’ Momentary Academy, The Mountain School (not to be confused with Black Mountain College), Fritz Haeg’s Sundown Schoolhouse, and Pablo Helguera’s School of PanAmerican Unrest. All of these excellent and extremely varied approaches to education serve as markers of a changing artworld, and informed my thinking about the Pickpocket Almanack.

3) What is the most interesting event you have featured in this season of Pickpocket Almanack? What sort of events pique your interest or what criteria is used to select events for the school?

The way Pickpocket is set-up, I’ve collected a master calendar of about 100 events, including lectures, panel discussions, workshops, screening etc. I subsequently presented these to the five faculty member’s we’ve asked to organize courses. These cultural experts living in the SF Bay Area will undoubtedly each have a uniquely different selection process and criteria, and I won’t attempt to speak for them. However, I can say that the program is less about picking favorites and more about constructing an alternative narrative. Of course I expect that they’ll pick events that are worth going to, but as the selection is happening this week, I’m not yet sure how things will turn out. I’m as excited and curious as any of the hundred or so people who have already expressed interest in singing-up. Ultimately, I think the most interesting event will be the final group meetings with the faculty at the end of each course. (Thanks go to legendary Bay Area curator and my friend Renny Pritikin for suggesting this aspect of the program).

4) Why did you choose to operate Pickpocket Almanack through a museum? Would it be successful/unsuccessful if it was not conducted through any organization?

I first started discussing the rough ideas for Pickpocket Almanack with Dominic Willsdon who was working on some plans that involved connecting various institutions in the Bay Area. It was a proposal germane to an ongoing conversation and was developed within that context. Dominic is the Curator of Education and Public Programs at SFMOMA, and he has been a huge help in pushing the program as far as it could go. I couldn’t have done it without him.

5) Do you hope that people go through the program and to events alone or do you see this as a more communal learning experience?

That is one of the big questions, and we’ll have no way of knowing how it’s going to work for individuals until the courses start. Everyone signed-up for a particular course will be connected via email groups, but wether they’ll decide to become “communal,” to use your word, is still one of the great unknowns. We’ll do a few things to help make this possible, to break the ice, but that’s as far as we’ll go. The rest will be up to them. It’s also interesting to note that while the five key events that make up the course will be made public via the website (for anyone to “audit”), there will be other events and readings available only to the participants who’ve signed-up, sent out via email by the faculty.

6) Since this is an “experimental school,” are you aiming to create a new way of learning, or are you hoping to enhance people’s experience with Bay Area culture, both, or something else altogether? Essentially, what is your goal with this program?

I’ll answer this in a personal way. I tend to go to events (lectures, screenings, symposia etc.) either when I already know of the artist or writer or filmmaker or at the recommendations of friends and colleagues. If no one points out a particular person or event to me, I rarely go. And while I have some affinities for certain institutions in the Bay Area, and do occasionally read the papers and websites, the rarity of recommendations means I get stuck in routines and don’t typically go to things I know nothing about. I suspect this is true of most people interested in culture living in big cities. That they’re willing but don’t tend to go to unfamiliar events without some nod or pointer. PIckpocket is, at its most basic, a structure for guiding these decisions, through taking the advice of those respected in the field. In compiling the master calendar for this Fall, it became obvious like never before just how much I’ve been missing.

7) Do you see Pickpocket Almanack, or some variation of it, taking root in other museums? Or do you feel that there is something distinctly Bay Area about the program?

I do think the idea is portable, but I think it’s best suited for cities that have too many interesting things happening. It’s a good problem to have, and Pickpocket is just one way to address it. To develop the master calendar we’ve partnered with Happenstand.com, the best listing of art related events, places and people in the SF Bay Area, hands down. Websites like Happenstand are invaluable resources for tracking the pluralistic landscape of contemporary art.

Enrollment for the Fall Season of Pickpocket Almanack (October 1 – December 11) begins September 23.

Somebody’s got a case of the Mondays

Twitter. You might be addicted or simply a casual user. Even those who don’t use it have at least heard of the microblogging platform that has taken the social networking world by storm over the last year.

The idea that Twitter is merely a collection of banal naval-gazing observations in 140 characters or less – “I am sitting on the back porch” – is not unfounded. Plenty of people tweet about the most mundane aspects of their lives. Thankfully, there are those Twitter-folk who realize the true advantage of the medium.

Twitter, along with other social media platforms, is about providing value-added content. When you give people a reason to follow you – whether that is by being funny, linking to interesting articles, engaging in worthwhile conversations, etc. – you soon discover that Twitter is much more than a status update.

This isn’t a post about Twitter and its importance/impact/uselessness (fill-in whatever word you see fit). Rather this is about those museums and their fans that have combined Twitter and value-added content to make Mondays a little more enjoyable. What am I talking about? Why, Museum Fact Mondays (or in Twitter-speak #museumfactmonday) of course.

When you type #museumfactmonday into the search box on Twitter, you will be taken to a page full of fun facts about museums from around the world. Here are just a few examples:

• MissionSJC #museumfactmonday: During filming here, a young Mary Pickford secretly wed fellow actor Owen Moore in the Mission’s Serra Chapel.
• MuseumChildhood #museumfactmonday The plot of land the Museum was built on was bought by local gentry (in 1690) so that peasants could graze their cattle!
• TheWomensMuseum The Women’s Museum building was built in 1910 and was used for livestock auctions, opera performances and the ballet. #museumfactmonday
• NortonSimon Did you know ‘Madonna and Child with Book’ is the only painting by Raphael on the west coast? http://bit.ly/y5lNK #museumfactmonday
• anahuacalli Diego Rivera exchanged ideas with the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, in order to design the Anahuacalli Museum. #museumfactmonday
• museofridakahlo The easel we keep in Frida’s studio was a gift from Nelson Rockefeller. #museumfactmonday
• Belautel Enjoying #museumfactmonday. Have learned there are over 7 miles at the V&A. Who knew you cld combine fitness & culture!

These facts are certainly not life-altering discoveries, but they are interesting glimpses into museums, which have not always been known as the most approachable of institutions. These tweets give museums an opportunity to share their history, to bare a little bit of their souls to a public that is showing more interest than ever before in being a part of museums.

So, come Monday, pay a visit to Twitter and type #museumfactmonday into the search box or contribute a museum fact of your own. (Note: you do not need an account on Twitter to see these tweets.) The fewer tweets about the mundane and meaningless that we have to read the better. If you are going to be on social media at work, why not learn something, right?

May Flowers

As a museum-lover, I would argue that any day is a good day to visit a museum. However, there are days when spending your time inside is not altogether desirable. Thank goodness someone invented botanic gardens and arboretums (apparently the first true botanic garden was the University of Pisa physic garden in 1543).

May 3rd was one of those beautiful spring days in Chicago where people break out the shorts (and the skin that hasn’t seen the sun in months) and head to the nearest beach/lake/park/beer garden/ice cream parlor/or back porch. My roommate and I were no exception, we hopped in the car and headed north to Glencoe and the Chicago Botanic Garden.

The Chicago Botanic Garden, which consists of 385 acres, is one of the most visited public gardens in the United States. On their website they describe their location as on the “outskirts of the city,” which is apparently one way of describing the suburb of Glencoe that lies about 21 miles north of the Chicago. A scenic way to get there is to drive up Sheridan Road and explore the city’s northern suburbs. However, there are two Metra train stations that serve the garden if you would rather not drive. Another note on driving, while admission to the gardens is free, parking is $20.

Once at the gardens, you can wander among the 23 distinct display gardens and a variety of natural habitats. These include a Bulb Garden, Model Railroad Garden, Prairie, Fruit and Vegetable Garden, Japanese Garden, Dwarf Conifer Garden, and Rose Garden. Some areas are more crowded than others, but with so much space to explore it is quite easy to find some peace and quiet.

One thing that I particularly enjoyed about the Chicago Botanic Garden was their labeling and signage. Throughout the gardens there are small handwritten signs that are both informative and entertaining. These signs do much to make the collection come alive for visitors, creating new ways of looking at what just appear to be pretty flowers at first glance.

For those interested in becoming more than just a visitor, the Chicago Botanic Garden offers plenty in the way of events and opportunities to get involved with the work of the garden. For instance, you can volunteer with tending the gardens, be a research assistant, staff the membership and information desk, lead garden tours, or lend a hand at festivals. The Wellness and Lifestyle Program gives visitors an opportunity to sign up for yoga and tai chi classes in addition to fitness walks through the gardens. The three-day plant sale beginning on May 15 will not only serve as an opportunity to buy some plants or flowers to take home, but it will also serve as an opportunity to learn about growing your own produce and small-space gardening in order to help us all be a little more green. Take classes at the Joseph Regenstein School of the Botanic Garden or do a little horticultural research of your own at the Lenhardt Library. There are also events like wine festivals, concerts, farmers’ markets, an Italian cooking weekend, and a kite festival. Long story short, there is a lot more than plant growing going on in these gardens.

There are currently around 1775 botanic gardens and arboretums in 148 countries. So, next time you are faced with one of those beautiful days drop by your nearest botanic garden or arboretum for an educational and entertaining afternoon in the sun.

The Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture

Spokane, Washington may be many things – near nature, near perfect; capitol of the Inland Empire; the smallest city to host a World’s Fair – but a museum mecca it is not. This is unfortunate, because the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture is definitely worth a visit.

The Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture (affectionately and henceforth known as the MAC) is situated in the part of town known as Browne’s Addition, which is home to many Victorian mansions and some fascinating history. One of these mansions – the Campbell House – is part of the museum complex, although unfortunately not open for touring due to recent funding shortfalls. The museum itself is built into a hill, which gives it a beautiful and unique layout.

While the public spaces – including the museum store, Cafe Mac, and outdoor amphitheater – are open and bright, the exhibits tend to be a little on the dark side. Despite the low-lighting, the exhibits are all well done.

• The Spokane Timeline tells the town’s history through artifacts, dioramas, and tales of the people and industries that built the Lilac City.
• In Iraq, a photography exhibit of Spokane soldiers, closes this Thursday (the 23rd).
• Quiltscapes is a pattern lovers dream (which I am) and even lets you try your hand at the quilting game through interactives in a variety of different media. Learn about fabric selection, stitching, and how the quilts made their way to the Inland Northwest.
• Living Legacy is the exhibit that showcases the MAC’s American Indian Collection, which is extensive. In 1992, the MAC acquired the collection from the Museum of Native American Cultures and set about expanding their mission to include American Indian cultures, regional history, and visual arts. The MAC also has an American Indian Cultural Council to ensure that items from the collection are accurately reflect the diverse Plateau cultures represented.

The MAC’s upcoming exhibits sound even more interesting. Are you a fan of Batman? Then go see Out of this World: Extraordinary Costumes from Film and Television, which opens June 6. Horses on the Plateau explores the role of horses in the region’s history (opens Sept. 26th). An exhibit looking at the works produced by the Spokane Art Center during the Great Depression opens November 15th. Finally, music lovers will enjoy Jumpin’ with the Big Bands on Dec. 19th.

As with most museums, there is more going on than just exhibits, and the MAC is no exception.

• You can rent or purchase art through the museum’s Art @ Work Gallery.
• There is a busy calendar of gallery talks, artist’s receptions, teachers workshops, lectures, house tours, and art festivals.
• Check out exhibit discovery bags for your children or play with them in the Family Discovery Room.
• The museum offers traveling outreach programs for kids, students, and adults. Topics include The Age of Elegance, The Mapmaker’s Eye, and Time Capsule of Fun.
• Finally, you can pay a visit to the Research Library and Archives if you feel like unearthing a little history of your own.

The museum is closed Mondays and some holidays, but it’s hours of operation are usually from 11-5 every other day. Seniors and students are $5, adults are $7, and children under 5 are free. Parking is also free. So, if you find yourself in Spokane, make sure you swing by the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture.

Go Back to Your Home on Twitter Island

I’m sure most of you have heard of Twitter by now. You may not be on it, you may not understand it, but you’ve at least heard about the ubiquitous microblogging site.  Well, Lauri Apple and Seth Gershberg with the Chicago Art Department have heard about Twitter, and they have decided to see what it is made of by conducting a social experiment.

Twitter Island, which will be held today from 1-3 at the Chicago Art Department (1837 S. Halsted), plans to bring together 30 volunteers for a “social networking experiment and art performance piece.” Essentially the volunteers will be split into two groups: one will be given prompts by a moderator and encouraged to tweet about those prompts, while the second group will be allowed to tweet without boundaries. Will the control group rebel and tweet off-prompt? Will the tweets turn into shameless self-promotion or will the idea of community win out? Can this online social networking platform be used to create art? I spoke with Lauri and Seth to ask these questions and more.

Museumist: How did you come up with the idea to used a social media platform like Twitter for creating art?
Lauri: I’m a community manager at a Chicago-based website, and have also worked at start-ups. Social networking has become more and more a part of every job I have/do. So there’s that. Also, it doesn’t seem like many artists are exploring social networking as a subject or medium yet, so we’re taking advantage of that.

Museumist: Is Twitter Island art? Or rather, how do you view the differences between social experiments and art? Is there a difference?
Lauri: The actual event is not art per se, I don’t think. The art will come out of the results — we’ll ask people to make art based on their Twitter conversations, and we’ll also try to make art from the experience. The art can be a poem, a sketch, a painting — whatever people feel comfortable doing.
Re: Social experiments and art questions: Sure there’s a difference. Communism in Eastern Europe and Russia, and the creation of housing projects, were both decades-long social experiments, but I wouldn’t call them art.

Museumist: What do you think will happen? What is your ideal outcome? How will you judge success or failure?
Lauri:  I think/hope that some lively conversations will result, that people will think about new ways to use Twitter, and realize how they are creative (if they’re not already full-time creative types). The ideal outcome is that everyone has fun, learns more about themselves, and then feels enthusiastic about creating something more based on their experience. As for failure, I think the only way this will fail is if the server konks out or if nobody shows up.

Museumist: What can galleries and museums learn from the Twitter Island project?
Lauri: Maybe that you can use these social networking tools to get people to come to your museums and galleries and use them to get people to think about art and creativity.

Museumist: Is there an incentive structure for people in the “control group” to stay on task?
Seth: No, we want to put as little restrictions as possible so as to observe human nature.  We will have some rules, but we will not enforce them.

Museumist: Do you think that lots of rules and guidelines are good or bad for online communities?
Seth: IMHO they are very bad.  Rules curtail freedom and creativity.  I believe there is an inverse relationship between rules and revenue opportunities.  The mnore you restrict activity the more you restrict income.  Should they be allowed to self-regulate?  To some degree – online communities should police for child predators and criminal activities – in other words they should provide a safe environment.

Museumist: How have Twitter and other social media platforms affected artists?
Seth: Exposure, networking, promotion, direct contact with fans.

Museumist: Where, when, and how will the results of the project be put on display?
Seth: Results will be organized into at least two art projects that will be shown at CAD www.chicagoartdepartment.org and Rooms (another gallery in Pilsen, Chicago).

Museumist: Are you on Twitter? Care to share your Twitter names?
Seth: sgchicago

So Long As You Still Have Something to Learn…

Photo by Wesley Fryer; taken from Flickr Creative Commons.

Last week, Marty Knowlton passed away. This was an event that went largely unnoticed by the museum community. Who is Marty Knowlton you ask? Well, he was the co-founder of Elderhostel.

Elderhostel is a non-profit organization founded by Mr. Knowlton and David Bianco in 1975. At its most basic, it is an educational travel organization for adults age 55 and older. However, on a deeper level Elderhostel: “changed the perceptions of aging by introducing a new understanding of older adults as active, engaged learners, travelers, and explorers…and ushered in an era of active learning in retirement.” Ultimately, Knowlton was instrumental in creating an opportunity for an entire generation to mix the social with the entertaining and educational. After a lifetime of learning, Elderhostel found a way to make organized education relevant again.

So, what does this have to do with the museum world? Well, museums and cultural opportunities make up a fair portion of the educational and travel opportunities offered through Elderhostel. Here are just a few of the programs offered on the organization’s website:

• From Legends to History: Turkey’s Legacy of Civilizations and Culture
• Traverse Tucson: Its History, Art and Architecture
• Treasures of the Art Institute of Chicago
• Great Art Centers in New York City
• Music Along the Mississippi
• The Maya and More: History and Culture of Honduras, Guatemala and Belize
• National Treaures: Introducing Historic Philadelphia
• Classic Tuscany and the Treasures of Florence
• City Museum: A World of Its Own
• Dinosaur Encounter at the LA Natural History Museum
• Working Behind the Scenes to Preserve and Renovate a Shaker Museum
• Inside San Francisco’s Museums

With nearly 160,000 elderly adults participating in Elderhostel programs each year – and with many of the museum-related programs receiving “most popular” ratings – museums receive a relatively unheralded bump in visitors thanks to the efforts of this organization.

However, this is about more than just bringing elderly visitors through museum doors. Elderhostel has succeeded in adding a different dimension of participation to museums. They have attempted to make the museum a more  interactive experience: where visitors’ perspectives matter just as much as the curator’s. This is done through tailoring learning experiences to the museum visitor’s/program participant’s interests; providing opportunities for discussion and a forum for expressing opinions about museum collections; and encouraging the view that museums are not only educational institutions, but also venues for socializing and entertainment.

So, Mr. Knowlton, thank you for showing that education extends beyond youth and for promoting museums as a venue for lifelong learning.

You want me to pay what?

The Chicago Sun Times ran an article today about the proposed admission price hike at the Art Institute of Chicago. With regular admission going up by 50% (from $12 to $18) and student and senior pricing seeing a whopping 71% increase (from $7 to $12), the AIC is clearly not taking the gradual approach to these changes.

Museums are feeling the pinch in these tough economic times. Furthermore, the Art Institute is just about to open their new Modern Wing, which means they have even more costs to cover than they did in the past. Since deaccessioning is out of the question (for an art museum, keeping the collection together is a top priority), they have to find ways to increase their earned revenue. Obviously, if it is down to raise prices or shut down, then by all means raise the prices. However, in saying that, one wonders if the Art Institute has undergone other changes that would require a less steep price increase. Have they made appropriate staff cuts? (I know, being a museum employee I am just as scared of losing my job as everyone else, but institutions in trouble need to trim the fat sometimes. Museums are just as guilty of carrying around superfluous staff as other organizations.) Have they explored other ideas for bringing in revenue? (i.e. specialized memberships, new partnerships, all those other out-of-the-box ideas people are throwing around these days). Have they expanded their donor base by looking at and trying to cultivate new audiences? I would feel more comfortable, and I imagine other Chicagoans would as well, if we knew that the Art Institute had taken these steps before putting a sudden and hefty price burden on the visitor (because visitors are feeling the pinch as well.)

In the end though, the Art Institute does offer free times every week and are required to continue providing a certain amount of free days each year thanks to their membership in Museums in the Park. So, there are plenty of chances to see the art at no cost. Furthermore, a one-time membership purchase means free admission all year, and with the raised prices memberships become an even greater value to both the frequent and semi-frequent visitor. So, while the increases are steep and sudden, it doesn’t mean the end of art appreciation here in Chicago.

In the long run, I think it is important to note that visitors will continue to come if they feel the museum is thinking about us just as much as they are thinking of themselves.

On Rivalry

A couple of days ago a post popped up in my feed reader from Suggested Donation. The post was about Museumist, which was thrilling because now I definitely know that there are more people reading than just my mother (Hi, Mom!). However, Donation hinted that there may be a developing rivalry between our sites. Rivalry? Never. Rivalries in my life are reserved for the Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe or Rick Vaughn vs. Heywood (Major League, anyone?). So, this is my olive branch to Suggested Donation. May we work together to make the Museum Internet (whatever that is) a better place. Even if that only means organizing a pub crawl or two. Keep up the good work, we’ll be watching.

Key West

I don’t think  it’s a coincidence that some of the world’s most famous artists have found more than just a touch of inspiration in Key West. Ernest Hemingway, Jimmy Buffet, Tennessee Williams, John James Audubon, Shel Silverstein, and Calvin Klein are just some of those who have found a home in the rollicking atmosphere of this island. However, you don’t have to be an artist to enjoy your time at the Southernmost Point of the U.S.A. Although, keeping an open mind and not taking yourself too seriously are encouraged.

There are a million fascinating things to know about Key West, but let’s start with just a few pieces of trivia to get you hooked…

• Key West is part of The Conch Republic. In 1982, the Conch Republic seceded from the United States. The mayor of Key West (a.k.a Prime Minister of the Conch Republic) declared war on the U.S. by breaking a stale loaf of Cuban bread over the head of a soldier. He then surrendered to the same be-crumbed soldier and applied for $1 billion in government aid. While the secession was mainly a method of making a point, Key West clings proudly to their individualistic past.
• For a period of time, around the mid- to late-1800s, Key West was one of the wealthiest cities in America. This was in large part due to the wrecking or salvaging industry. Now don’t go confusing wrecking with piracy, wrecking was completely legal even if there were rumors suggesting that Key West wreckers sometimes “helped” ships run aground. The wrecking industry essentially shut down with the closure of the wrecking courts in 1921.
• Key West claims to be the only city in the continental U.S. never to have had a frost. This is due to climate issues I don’t quite understand, but it sounds appealing in the middle of a Midwest winter.

Now that the scene is set, now is the time for a museum tour of Key West (this is a site called Museumist after all).

Literary: The Ernest Hemingway Museum is the home where this great American author lived and worked for 10 years. The storytelling tour guides are charismatic and full of truly interesting tidbits about “Papa” Hemingway’s time in Key West. The six-toed cats — yep six, well at least half of the sixty cats that call the museum home do — roam freely about the property, including over a cat cemetary and a cat condo that is a replica of the larger house and museum. Ultimately, this museum is the perfect stop between brunch at Blue Heaven and afternoon drinks on Duval Street.

Presidential: The Truman Little White House has served as residence and visiting quarters for more than just Harry S. Others who have passes through this idyllic little white house include President Taft, Thomas Edison, President Eisenhower, President Kennedy, King Hussein I of Jordan, President Carter, Colin Powell, Bill and Hilary Clinton. At the risk of sounding redundant, this place is pretty historical. This museum is a central part of the Truman Annex, a part of town marked by tree-lined streets and pretty, well-kept houses next to downtown.

Artistic: Key West Museum of Art and History is housed in the old Key West Custom House, which was built in 1891. This museum will help you really get a sense of what Key West is about: the meeting of art, history, storytellers, and the sea. Call me hokey, and there is plenty of hokey to be found in Key West, but this town is unique and this museum reflects that fact. Artists Paul Collins and Mario Sanchez are featured.

Adventurous: The Key West Shipwreck Historeum is a bit of a tourist trap, but the reenactors really throw themselves into their characters (a rowdy band of wreckers and warehouse owners straight out of Key West’s wrecking heyday) and that makes it a little better. However, the real draw of this museum is not the artifacts or costumed tour guides. It is the view from atop its 65-foot tower that makes this touristy stop a worthy point on any Key West itinerary.

Other museums in Key West…

• The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum
• Pirate Soul Museum
• Key West Lighthouse Museum
• Audubon House, Gallery, and Gardens
• Heritage House Museum & Robert Frost Cottage
• Turtle Kraals Museum
• San Carlos Institute
• USS Mohawk Memorial Museum
• Fort East Martello Museum & Gardens
• Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum
• Flagler Station Over-Sea Railway Historeum
• Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservancy
• Key West Aquarium

I am sure I missed a few, but this should be a good starting point for the museum-curious in Key West. While it would be fun to spend a lot of time ducking in and out of these museums, don’t forget to experience the island around you. Go to the Sunset Celebration in Mallory Square, explore the side streets, have a drink (or two or three or whatever) on Duval Street, listen to some live music, and relax with the pelicans in the harbor. Life in Key West moves at a slower pace, kind of like a museum visit should.

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