Shelton McMurphey Johnson House

There are lots of reasons that people visit museums, but what are the reasons they might visit less often, or stop going altogether? This info from the Annual Survey of Museum Goers from 2023 has some insights. External pressures like weather, inflation, and crime were frequent comments from survey takers. These external pressures effect museums and their staff as well. What can museums do to adapt to the changing patterns of museum attendance, while also protecting the collection and their staff? https://lnkd.in/gtvjzHiu

Do you have an awesome costume you want to remember? Come to the SMJ House on Saturday (2-5pm) to get your photo taken by LifeSlice Photography in our beautiful parlor!

SMJ is looking for board members! Even if your favorite channel ISN'T the History Channel, or you don't secretly love anything with "Victorian" in it, or plan whole vacations around visiting old houses... you could STILL enjoy serving as a board member on our Board of Directors. What we are not: -Just a dusty old house on the hill -Haunted (or are we?) -Boring.... What we are: -An education center -A community center -A beautiful piece of living history for Eugene. Who we are looking for: -Community members who are excited about education and fun for all ages -Team players who bring energy and ideas to the table -Individuals who think history has lessons that are necessary for our future. https://lnkd.in/gm9UHUHp

There are a lot of grants on my to-do list for the next few weeks. One of the issues for funding for cultural organizations is we often are not seen as important as organizations that provide direct services like health or human services organizations. But cultural organizations like museums make valuable contributions to their communities by educating and engaging our audiences to help them make a difference in the world. Museums have to communicate their valuable contributions so our communities (and funders!) know it. https://lnkd.in/gxSSvicc

When we look at our educational offerings, we often just think about youth. But history (and fun!) are for everyone. Our Education Coordinator Jon Kerr takes our traveling trunk to senior living centers throughout our county so that can remember the dolls they played with and the records they played in their youth.

We have been slowly working on how we can address our environmental impact for many years now. This book has some interesting ideas and ongoing discussions about how museums can lead by example. A few ways we are working internally to lead by example: - Avoid/eliminate food waste at our Teas. Composting (in our Sanipac bin) what we can. - Recycle as much as we can in the office and kitchen - Trying to purchase less plastic (Example: paper wrapped toilet paper) - Use recycled ink cartridges in our printers - Opening windows in the summer to help keep air flow for heating and cooling. - Using LED lightbulbs where possible in a historical context. What are you doing at your facility to limit your environmental impact? Do you think it's possible for historical facilities to take the lead on sustainability in our communities? https://lnkd.in/dfUfJXTE

We are launching our new community conversations, "Parlor Panels" next month. Join us as we explore Community Mental Health topics. You can check out our History of Women's Mental Health exhibit while you are here.

Dr. Deana Dartt will be discussing the Standards for Museums with Native American Collections law. How can museums align with Native American goals and values?

https://lnkd.in/geznfxdp People are craving fun ways to connect with history at home and in the museum. What is your favorite way to connect to history?

Our new exhibit is up and ready for your visit!