Sarah Coster

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Professional Experience:

Carlyle House, Alexandria, VA February 2015- Present Friends of Carlyle House Membership & Development Manager • Managed the goal-setting, planning, and execution of major fundraising campaigns and annual membership drives for the Friends of Carlyle House, a 280 member Friends group responsible for the funding of the Carlyle House collections, exhibits and educational programs. • Doubled the results of the Friends 2015 Annual Appeal over the previous year. • Increased the Friends membership by 50%.

Dumbarton House, Washington, DC September 2013- October 2014 War of 1812 Bicentennial Program Coordinator • Collaborated with historic sites and museums across the DC, Maryland and to coordinate efforts to commemorate the War of 1812, including scheduling meetings, taking notes and working with partners to develop programs and events. • Developed website and marketing materials to promote Bicentennial programs. • Created budgets and planning outlines for 1812 events. • Brought national media attention and record crowds to Dumbarton House in commemoration of the War of 1812 Bicentennial.

Carlyle House, Alexandria, VA 2011- 2013 Historic Site Administrator • Directed the operations of Carlyle House Historic Park, an 18th-century historic house museum and garden in Alexandria, VA. • Managed the operational budget and created financial and administrative reports for the Regional Park Authority. • Ran employee training and supervised 14 part-time employees. • Acted as staff liaison to educational and historical organizations, including the Historic House Museum Consortium of DC, the Office of Historic Alexandria and the Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association. • Curated the exhibit “Nurses, Spies and Soldiers: The Civil War at Carlyle House” which detailed the history of the Mansion House Hospital. This exhibit inspired the PBS series “Mercy Street.” • Served as a consultant to Executive Producer Lisa Wolfinger, creator of the PBS series “Mercy Street.” Worked with Ms. Wolfinger and her staff in the early planning stages of the ground-breaking Civil War drama to provide research, photographs, and historical insight for the television series.

Carlyle House, Alexandria, VA 2009- 2011 Curator/Assistant Historic Site Administrator • Served as collections manager; researched, acquired, cataloged and stored objects. Cared for current collection through preventative conservation and climate control, as well as running an annual inventory and object condition reports. • Worked as the head interpreter of the museum by researching and installing interpretive scenarios and developing interpretive themes. • Curated the exhibit “Sewn Together” which recreated, through research and modern technology, the dresses of Sarah Fairfax Carlyle and Sarah Carlyle Herbert, and discussed the roles of women, both free and enslaved, who lived at Carlyle House. • Researched the Carlyle family and 18th-century life. Presented research to volunteers and public through lectures and in-depth tours. • Developed academic and interpretive public programs. • Wrote articles for and published a monthly volunteer newsletter. • Marketed facility as a rental site, increasing rentals by 42% in FY2010.

Carlyle House, Alexandria, VA 2007-2009 Curator of Education • Managed a corps of 70 volunteers, developing training and appreciation events. • Developed school and scout programs and trained/supervised museum teachers. • Researched and wrote articles for a monthly newsletter. • Developed and executed public programs.

Dumbarton House, Washington, DC 2005-2007 Education Associate (2006-2007) • Visitor Services Assistant (2005-2006) • Developed school and scout programs and trained/supervised museum teachers. • Supervised and scheduled volunteers. • Researched and wrote articles for a monthly newsletter. • Conducted a year-long visitor services study. • Developed public programs and supervised special events.

National Museum of the Air Force, Dayton, OH Summer 2005 Research Division Archivist • Processed and researched archival donations, preparing them for exhibit. • Worked on a large-scale photographic collections digitization project.

Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center, Boston, MA 2003 Assistant to the Exhibitions Coordinator • Researched objects for exhibition, wrote labels, and installed exhibits. • Processed and stored archival material.

National Museum of the United States Air Force, Dayton, OH Summer 2003 Special Events Staff • Planned and executed several large-scale events during the anniversary of flight, including a blimp meet, a balloon launch, and an international museum conference.

Education:

MA, Museum Studies, 2007 – The University, Washington, DC o Concentration in Historic House Museums and Museum Administration

BA, History, 2005 – Boston University, Boston, MA o Minor with Distinction in Art History o Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa

Internships and Training:

Smithsonian Associates, Washington, DC Summer 2006 Outreach Programs Intern • Developed outreach programs for the Smithsonian Institution, including sending Smithsonian scholars to schools across the country, arranging a large-scale festival in Arizona, and coordinating teacher workshops in Michigan and Louisiana.

National Museum of American History, Washington, DC Summer 2004 Graphic Arts Collection Intern • Researched and cataloged newspapers, art prints, and objects related to graphic arts.

Fellowships and Awards:

• James R. Short Young Professional Scholarship, Williamsburg Antiques Forum, 2010 • Museum Studies Fellow, The George Washington University, 2005-2007 • Phi Beta Kappa, Epsilon Chapter of Massachusetts, Boston University, 2005 • Graduated magna cum laude, Boston University, 2005 • Phi Alpha Theta History Honors Fraternity, Boston University, 2004

Professional Associations:

• Board of Directors & Webmaster, Alexandria Historical Society • Former Secretary, Historic House Museum Consortium of Washington, DC • Member, Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association Membership Committee • Member, Virginia Association of Museums • Member, American Association of Museums

Exhibitions:

“Nurses, Spies and Soldiers: The Civil War at Carlyle House” March 2011- January 2016

“Sewn Together: The 18th Century Women of Carlyle House” January-September 2009

Presentations & Lectures:

• “The Real Mansion House Hospital: The History that Inspired the PBS Series’ ‘Mercy Street,’” 2016

• “Small Spaces, Big Ideas: Designing Temporary Exhibitions for Historic House Museums,” Small Museums of America Annual Conference, 2011

• “Small Museums Working Together: How can small museums collaborate in meaningful and effective ways?” Small Museum of America Annual Conference, 2011

• “Beyond the Glass Case: Exhibits in Historic House Museums,” Small Museums of America Annual Conference, 2010

• “Mr. Bartholomew Booth’s Needwood Academy,” Carlyle House, 2009

• “Mourning Jewelry and Needlework: The Fashion of Grieving,” Dumbarton House, 2008

Research Accomplishments:

Honors Thesis: The Restoration of the Paul Revere House (September 2004-May 2005) Conducted primary research into the restoration archives of the Paul Revere House. Examined the early twentieth century decision to revert the house to its 1600s appearance by removing the third story, which dated to Revere’s occupancy.

Professional Development:

• Disaster Response Training, Virginia Association of Museums, 2010

• “Race, Slavery and the Civil War,” Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission Symposium, 2010

• Executive Committee, “Listen Here: Symposium for Washington Area Museum Docents,” sponsored by the Historic House Museum Consortium of DC, 2010

• Colonial Williamsburg Foundation 2010 Antiques Forum:” Well made & Exceeding Fine”: The Decorative Arts of New England

• Gunston Hall Decorative Arts Symposium, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

• American Association of Museums Annual Meeting, 2007, 2009

• Small Museums of America Conference, 2007, 2010, 2011

• “Beyond the Guided Tour: Program Planning” Workshop, 2007

Skills

Experience with PastPerfect Museum Software, Excel, Word, PhotoShop, Publisher, and various database management, collections cataloging and point-of-sales software.

Experience developing WordPress websites.

CPR and First Aid Certified, Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, 2013

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