Fall 2013 • Vol. 2, Issue 5 Museum partners with local schools o reach wider audiences In addition, Museum staff of students and teach- are working with students Ters, the Sioux City Public and teachers representing Museum is developing sev- North High’s Multicultural eral collaborative efforts with Club to develop a film for area educational groups. Martin Luther King Jr. Day In November, the Museum activities that will be shown hosted two events for the to high school students in Sioux City Community School Sioux City schools. While District’s middle and high the film will feature na- School STEM (Science, Tech- tional civil rights and Martin nology, Engineering, and Luther King Jr. stories, it will Math) programs. A demon- emphasize civil rights sto- Students involved in the Sioux City Community stration from middle school ries from Sioux City, includ- School’s STEM program explained their robotics and high school students ing local interviews. The to Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds as School Board President Mike Krysl and Superintendent Paul involved in the STEM program film will also include per- Gausman looked on. was presented to Lt. Gover- spectives on the “I Have a nor Kim Reynolds at the Mu- Dream” speech from current education staff. The one-hour seum. Reynolds noted that students. The 20-minute film programs include hands-on the Sioux City school district will have its premiere at the time in the galleries, short was one of the first districts in Sioux City Public Museum on education programs in the the state to hire STEM coach- Sunday, January 19 at 2 p.m. classrooms and take-home es to sponsor after-school crafts. In addition to provid- robotics clubs. Most recently, Siouxland preschool groups ing approximately 100 tours the Museum hosted a STEM also have opportunities for and group activities per year, Scrimmage for local middle learning through the new the Museum’s education and high school students in “Dinosaur Dig!” and “The staff is pursuing new part- preparation for their regional First Americans” programs nerships like these with area competition. developed by the Museum’s educational organizations. Inside this issue: FY13 Annual Report New exhibit Kennedy film donation The Sioux City Public Museum collects, preserves, and interprets cultural and social history with an emphasis on Sioux City and the region. GRAND OPENING Experience the history of Sioux City like never before! You are invited to celebrate the grand opening of the new Sioux City Public Museum. Explore state-of-the-art interactive displays, engaging permanent exhibits, rare Sioux City artifacts and so much more. Please join us on this history-making day as we present ÒOur New MuseumÓ to the community. WHO: Sioux City Public Museum WHAT: Grand Opening Ceremony & Ribbon Cutting WHEN: Saturday, April 23, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. WHERE: 607 4th Street Director’s Report by Steve Hansen reetings and welcome to our annual Success can be measured in many ways and report and year-end newsletter. The as you read through these pages I am sure Gannual report has always been my you will notice that it truly has been another favorite newsletter of the year as it details year of growth at all of our sites. Attendance our growth, highlights our programming and numbers remain high, artifact donations recognizes our volunteers, donors and staff have expanded the quality of our collection, whose combined efforts have developed the endowment is growing and we continue the Sioux City Public Museum into a destina- to add new programs and exhibits through- tion cultural attraction. out the year. As the Director, I am blessed with an excel- By any measure it has been another history lent staff that works exceedingly hard to making year for the entire Museum and once serve the community. This dedication com- again the standard has been set at a very bined with an incredible volunteer base al- high level. As we move forward you can ex- lows the Museum to provide a wide range of pect to see new collaborations and a diverse programs, exhibits and activities throughout offering of exhibits and exciting programs the year while striving to fulfill our mission and that will further enhance our reputation as a operate as a nationally accredited Museum. great place to bring family and friends for a visit. We hope you visit us again and often. Recent Acquisitions the number one domestic problem the coun- try faces.” That evening, Kennedy stayed at the Sheraton-Martin Hotel. The next morning at a breakfast gathering, he stumped for lo- cal candidates like Donald O’Brien. Kennedy, on the morning of September 22, traveled by motorcade to the Sioux City stockyards, where he delivered another speech. There he said “…this country can’t be prosperous unless the farmer is prosper- ous. We must try to bring a balance between supply and demand.” After this, someone The film donation was announced at a press conference by Terry from the crowd dared Kennedy to ride a Prince, left, and Steve Hansen, Museum Director, in November. mule, and that he did. Riding down the al- ilm footage capturing a 1960 presidential leys, Kennedy shook many hands before campaign stop in Sioux City by a young dismounting. FMassachusetts Senator named John F. Kennedy was recently donated to the Sioux Terry Prince, working in the stockyards, saw City Public Museum. Kennedy speak and was one of the people who filmed the event. Unfortunately, his tape Arriving late on September 21, Kennedy was lost. Later, Prince was able to procure spoke to supporters at the Municipal Audito- one of the other recordings of the campaign rium at 10:15 p.m. where he proclaimed, “I stop. He then donated copies of it to the consider the decline of agricultural income Sioux City Public Museum in January 2013. Sioux City Museum & Historical Association ANNUAL REPORT Fiscal Year 2012 – 2013 • July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013 Sioux City Public Museum The Sioux City Public Museum tremendous photographic fossil experience of “The Big participated in a variety of collection at the Museum. Dig!” and enriching program- collaborations to provide fun The Research Center initiated ming activities continued to and educational opportuni- a popular series of workshops engage and entice visitors of ties to the public. aimed at helping partici- all ages at the Museum. pants preserve and care for In FY13, Museum staff and personal artifacts. Walking The Research Center staff other presenters delivered tours, special lectures and a served 1,212 researchers with 90 adult and children’s pro- film premiere rounded out 327 in-house researchers and grams to the public; some the adult programs. 880 phone/e-mail inquiries. were so popular they had Additional audiences were to be presented twice! The Not only did the new perma- reached through outreach History at High Noon series nent exhibit, “The Big Dig!” efforts such as community continues to draw a great attract new visitors, it pro- presentations, which nearly deal of enthusiasm for the vided a valuable resource doubled from the previous for children’s programs. The fiscal year. opening of the hands-on fossil exhibit was featured in summer camps, Beyond the FY13 Museum Exhibits Bell programs and Dino Days Gypsy Soul: Remembering (held over winter break for Sioux City’s Tommy Bolin families). Girl Scouts were the The Big Dig! (Permanent) focus of a new event, “Fash- ion Night at the Museum,” to Collecting “Sioux City” explore fashion history and Mobile Warfare: Rare Military contemporary design. School Vehicles 1935-1964 groups from pre-K to high school dominated the scenes Liberating Ahlem from March through May. Concentration Camp: With the help of tour guides, The Vernon Tott staff and interns almost 100 Photograph Collection The Sioux City Public Museum hosted the groups explored the facility. local premiere of “America’s Darling,” Sioux City History Projects which included images of the native Sioux The hands-on exhibits in the Cityan from the Museum’s collection. permanent gallery, immersive What Ever Happened To... Attendance/Service Statistics Sioux City Public Museum - 48,557 Sgt. Floyd River Museum & Welcome Center - 18,294 Outreach and Research - 2,646 The Sioux City Public Museum collects, preserves, and interprets cultural and social history with an emphasis on Sioux City and the region. Welcome Center The Sergeant Floyd River Museum & Welcome Center is approaching its 25th anni- versary of operation. On May 15, 1989, the City of Sioux City, in cooperation with the state of Iowa, opened its first welcome center. The dry- docked, former U.S. Army Corps of Engineers riverboat, commissioned the M.V. Ser- geant Floyd, has served Sioux City as an information center, river museum and gift shop ever since. Visitors from every state and around the world have been Children from a local school boarded the M.V. Sergeant Floyd to learn more about Missouri introduced to Sioux City, River history in May 2013 as part of the fourth grade Sioux City history curriculum. local history, and area prod- ucts through the exhibits, the Sergeant Floyd. A crew and loyalty to the Sergeant tourist offerings and the sale of eight volunteers, with 73 Floyd’s original purposes: of merchandise. Currently, years of combined service, introduce visitors to our com- four part-time city employees assist the regular staff. These munity and invite them to with a combined 45 years individuals have a genuine explore and spend time in of service are employed at passion for customer service the area. Peirce Mansion Restoration efforts continued at the Peirce Mansion with the completion of the Bride’s and Groom’s rooms. These The second floor was completed with the renova- former bedrooms were trans- tion of the “Groom’s Room” in the summer.