2015 ANNUAL REPORT AN AWARD WINNING YEAR Thank you. September 2014–August 2015 the Bullock Texas State History Museum made history. We experienced tremendous growth with a robust schedule of exhibitions, artifact installations, films, and programs. We also hit two high notes with bringing the highly anticipated La Belle shipwreck to the galleries and the launch of a new website, featuring the Texas Story Project. Proudly we share that both of these projects received statewide and national awards: American Association of State and Local History Leadership in History Award of Merit for La Belle: The Ship That Changed History Texas Association of Museums President’s Award for La Belle: The Ship That Changed History American Association of Museums Gold Muse Award for online presence Texas Association of Museums Mitchell A. Wilder Publication Design Award for TheStoryofTexas.com website A diverse schedule of exhibitions and notable artifact rotations are already on the schedule for the future, including the Austin City Limits Theater which opened at the date of this publication. Also, look forward to new and expanded programming for families, all funded by a generous grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. There are thousands of people who support the Bullock Museum. Our gratitude to the State Preservation Board, the Texas State History Museum Foundation, and the supporters, partners and members for the belief in the importance of Texas history and culture and ensuring the future success of the Bullock Museum. Victoria Ramirez Director, Bullock Texas State History Museum The John H. Reagan High School band ushers in the Gridiron Glory exhibition. Young visitors explore the model ship, La Belle, part of the award-winning exhibition. Elizabeth Catlett’s lithograph and fabric collage, Harlem Woman, 1992, featured in the exhibition, Reflections. The exhibition on El Paso artist Tom Lea included works of art from over 20 collections. ARTIFACTS & EXHIBITIONS The Bullock Museum featured nearly 700 original documents, artifacts, and paintings in the permanent galleries this past year. We were honored by the support of nine new lenders, including the National Archives Records Administration and the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, both in Washington, D.C., the McFadden-Ward House in Beaumont and the Scurry County Museum in Snyder. Notable artifacts on view included history. Among the national and the Fair Housing Act of 1968, international lenders who have signed by President Johnson, entrusted the Bullock Museum Mimi Linstrom's flight log book with extraordinary artifacts are from her days with the Women the Boston Public Library for the Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) loan of Henri Joutel's journal of during WWII, and the Nobel Prize La Salle's last voyage, and the in Physics awarded to Jack Kilby Archives du Port de Rochefort, in 1990 for his invention of the France. The Archives loaned the integrated circuit. Also on view original 17th-century naval ledger were James Bowie's application which listed La Belle among for a Mexican Land Grant from the French fleet, as well as the 1830, a Mexican officer's saber, notation that the ship was lost. and the Treaty of Guadalupe Considered a national treasure, Hidalgo, which helped determine the ledger had never been on view the boundaries of Texas. The rare outside of France before being and unique artifacts on view show loaned to the Bullock Museum. the breadth and scope of Texas Skates belonging to Amy “Electra Blu” Sherman from the Roller Derby exhibition. 2015 featured the award-winning an interim exhibition opened so exhibition, La Belle: The Ship visitors can continue to experience That Changed History, with the La Belle, and use the beautiful assembly of the hull's timbers in accompanying catalogue to learn front of visitors in the Museum's more about La Salle's voyage, the Herzstein Gallery. Unique in design people who lived in the area, and and interpretive approach with the excavation and conservation. conservator and curator working Over the summer the Herzstein in the gallery, the exhibition Gallery featured And Still We included touch tablet interactives Rise: Race, Culture and Visual with 360-degree artifact views Conversations, and Reflections: and animations, and three audio/ African American Life from the visual presentations, including Myrna Colley-Lee Collection. a 22-foot wide wall projection Examining the beauty and featuring actual footage of relevance of artistic expression the shipwreck's excavation in inspired by history, these two Matagorda Bay. The final event exhibitions coincided with the of the temporary exhibition was anniversary of Juneteenth the delicate move of the 54-foot and illuminated Texas African long ship, in full view of visitors, American history. into its permanent location in the first floor gallery. In August, A dynamic exhibition schedule of the games, featuring uniforms, on the third floor rotunda helmets, skates, video, and celebrated the history of the interviews with modern-day Women Airforce Service Pilots roller girls, set against a full scale (WASP) and modern-day roller backdrop of one of the Austin race derby, both Texas originals. Fly tracks. The Museum was honored Girls, created in partnership with to introduce the works of Texan Wings Across America, included artist, Tom Lea, to thousands of five original uniforms, biographies visitors in the exhibition Tom Lea: on selected WASP and the Chronicler of 20th Century America founders, rare photographs, and which opened in August 2015. WWI-era artifacts that document On view publicly for the first time the women's invaluable state- were two monumental drawings side service. To accompany the from the lost Federal Building exhibition, the Museum hosted mural, The Nesters, 1937. a panel discussion and book signing with five “Reflections is the most brilliant and original Fly Girls. Roller evocative exhibition I have seen in a Derby highlighted the long time.” Texas-centered history -Museum member The Women of Color Quilters Network created over 50 quilts for the exhibition, And Still We Rise. THEATERS & FILMS In the Bullock Museum’s IMAX® Theatre, the projection system was upgraded and now features dual digital projectors for a high definition image, a new sound system, and a new screen that remains the largest in Texas. The new system allows the Museum to show a larger repertoire of feature films such as the popular Interstellar, Inside Out, The Avengers, Mission Impossible 5, and Antman. Exceptional documentaries reached over 56,500 visitors including the beautifully filmed Humpback Whales, Living in the Age of Airplanes, and Jerusalem, as well as Dark Universe narrated by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. Another milestone was achieved La Belle: The Ship That Changed for the Texas Spirit Theater with History, the film’s script is based the launch of Shipwrecked, the on historic, first-person accounts Museum’s second foray into of the French expedition, all multimedia film production. seen through the eyes of young Opening in October 2014 with colonist, Pierre Talón. the award-winning exhibition, Film launch parties invited visitors to dress as their favorite movie characters. Right, thousands of visitors enjoyed the film Star Wars on the largest screen in Texas. The newly created monthly Texas Peter Bogdanovich with The Last Focus Series explored films about, Picture Show, David Lowery with by, and for Texans. The series Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, and provided a unique perspective and filmmakers Don Howard and Jim behind-the-scenes look at cinema Sheldon with By the River Babylon: by bringing in guest directors, An Elegy For South Louisiana. The actors, and producers including Family Series featured exciting family-friendly films, shown free throughout the summer weekends. Film partnerships were expanded with the University of Texas Harry The Bullock Museum Ransom Center and during the run received over 600 of their Lewis Carroll exhibition, placements and mentions the Bullock Museum hosted Czech in media across Texas and director, Jan Švankmajer’s film, the country. Alice (1988), winner of a 1989 international film festival. EDUCATION PROGRAMS & EVENTS With events as diverse as in-gallery performances, lectures featuring the latest scholarship, large-scale Festival Days, and outdoor concerts, the Museum engaged increasingly broad and diverse audiences this fiscal year. Programs for public audiences to contemporary issues with included nationally-recognized underwriting from Humanities historians, scientists, authors and Texas. Workshops and trivia artists exploring the intersections nights provided a casual, fun between their work and Texas's environment to engage with diverse heritage. With funding history. The Museum's already from Lone Star Beer, the Texas popular Music Under the Star Art and Culture Series continued concert series reached new to thrive with programs including heights thanks to a partnership a conversation with Pulitzer Prize with Fun Fun Fun Fest. Record winning author Philipp Meyer crowds attended three concerts in discussing his novel The Son. In July featuring some of the best of the spring, the Museum debuted Austin's live music scene. a new program series focused on connecting historic events Programs for families topped The Museum welcomed over all previous attendance records 97,462 students, teachers and thanks to the ongoing success of chaperones through on-site field Free First Sundays and Festival trips, professional development Days such as the annual Halloween workshops, and distance Spooktacular and World Refugee learning programs from 129 Day. Programs like the “Create counties across Texas. The arrival Your Own” art-making workshop of La Belle provided exciting continued to provide a more new opportunities for expanded focused experience for children curriculum guides, hands-on and adults to explore history teacher workshops, and new together. The year concluded with virtual content on the website and news that the Museum received through videoconference. funding from the Institute of With more than 18,000 hours of Museum and Library Services.