MAAA | Programs | Prof. Development | Texas | HELP

The Collingsworth County Museum celebrates the cultural heritage and history of this county in Texas’s Panhandle region.

Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4

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Year 1:
This Contest is for Real Hands: Rodeo Photographs of the 1930s

Goals:
With the assistance of HELP consultant Dr. Paul Katz, the Collingsworth County Museum focused its technical training on exhibition development and design. Because the museum had never hosted a traveling exhibition before, its first goal was to successfully install and organize the exhibition and block all natural light. The museum also sought to expand the exhibition with the addition of local contributions and artifacts and to introduce a three-dimensional aspect to the exhibition. Introducing a multimedia component and moving the exhibition “out” of the museum were goals for the museum as well.

Accomplishments:
The objectives of the Collingsworth County museum were largely achieved and even expanded upon. The museum successfully experimented with combining the photographs from the HELP exhibition with three-dimensional objects (such as saddles and costumes) from both their own collections and via temporary loans from the community.

They integrated several displays of local rodeo photographs and artifacts (from a 1952 Sheriff’s Posse rodeo, the local Wellington rodeo, and Texas and Oklahoma rodeos) into the exhibition and placed items relating to the exhibition in the gallery, in the main museum room, in alcoves, and even outside, in front of the museum. A wall of windows was covered and became the backdrop for one of the local displays.

The local library added to the exhibition by developing their own exhibition of prize belt buckles, giving a western theme to their annual fundraiser, and showing the videotapes that accompanied the HELP exhibition.

Key Improvements:

• Various exhibition design and development techniques learned (including installation that accommodated traffic patterns, interactive components, and three-dimensional aspects)

• Digital camera purchased

• Successful collaboration with local library

• Loaned items obtained from the community

• Experience gained in installing, condition reporting, and packing a traveling exhibition
  

Goals for Year 2: Grand Ole Opry
With its technical assistance emphasis on marketing, the Collingsworth County Museum has set forth several goals for Year Two of HELP. They hope to create a Web page for the museum as well as a database for mailings and fundraising. With this database, they want to complete at least one mailing that combines public relations with fundraising. A new brochure will inform visitors about the museum, and a flyer specific to Grand Ole Opry will be posted throughout the community to advertise the exhibition.



Year 2:
Grand Ole Opry

Goals:
The Collingsworth County Museum focused on PR and marketing as their area of training for year two of HELP. Their goals were oriented towards increasing the museum’s profile within the community. They planned to do this by creating a Web page on a community-wide Web site, complete with pictures and information about the museum. They hoped to purchase a copy of the museum database Past Perfect in order to create a mailing list and begin mailings to promote their exhibitions. They were interested in creating a new brochure that would better inform the community about the museum and its programs.

Accomplishments:
The museum enjoyed working with marketing consultant Seth Davidson and felt that they had been encouraged to try new marketing techniques they never would have considered before. They held a grand opening for the Grand Ole Opry exhibit complete with five local musicians who played Patsy Cline songs. They gave tours of the exhibit to local schools and the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

Improvements:

• Created a museum page on a community Web site and began developing an independent Web site for the museum

• Collected local artifacts from the community to supplement the Grand Ole Opry exhibit

• Developed and mailed out a museum newsletter

• Hung posters around town publicizing the exhibit

• Organized a membership drive

• Attracted new visitors to the museum

Goals for Year 3:
In year three of Texas HELP, the Collingsworth County Museum will be working with fundraising consultant Scott Cooksey, identify new sources of funding. In particular, they will be seeking funds for day-to-day operations, digitizing the museum records, and possibly working with consultants to identify other areas of need within the museum.

Year 3:
Out of the Nest: Artists' Birdhouses

Goals:

The Collingsworth County Museum focused their energy on fundraising in their third year of HELP. With the help of consultant Scott Cooksey they were able to set a number of goals aimed at increasing their annual operating budget. Scott encouraged them to apply for a number of grants to local foundations and together they identified several projects the museum would like to undertake and need additional funding to complete. These projects included purchasing Past Perfect software, digitizing museum records, hiring a consultant to assess the museum’s needs as it seeks to preserve the heritage and arts of the eastern Texas Panhandle region.

Accomplishments:

Director Doris Stallings applied for several grants this year to area foundations including the Zephyr Foundation, the Amarillo Area Foundation and the Swalm Foundation. Doris felt that they learned a great deal from their consultations with Scott as he provided them with information and reviewed their grant applications. As for the exhibition, it was well received by the community and a wide variety of local groups came through for tours. A treasure hunt was held for local school groups and the museum supplemented the exhibition with birdhouses by a handful of local artists.

Improvements:

• Attracted a new volunteers to the museum

• Worked with local artists

• Worked with local artists who donated birdhouses to the museum for sale in the gift shop

• Improved ability to manage and secure individual donations

• Scheduled leadership workshop with the Nonprofit Services Center of the Amarillo Area Foundation

Goals for Year 4: El Caballo: The Horse in Mexican Folk Art

In the final year of Texas HELP the Collingsworth County Museum will turn their attention to the last area of training, volunteerism. They’ll be working with consultant Norma Seals to set goals aimed at restructuring their volunteer program. Plans are in the works to create volunteer job descriptions and applications, and to assign a volunteer coordinator to provide training and establish a recognition program.

Goals:

In year four of Texas HELP, the Collingsworth County Museum developed new tools for managing their all volunteer workforce. With consultant Norma Seals' assistance, they set to work creating an impressive list of goals to efficiently organize their volunteer management efforts. Their specific goals included establishing volunteer timekeeping records, writing at least three volunteer job descriptions and recruiting volunteers for those specific positions, and implementing a volunteer recognition program.

Accomplishments:

Museum staff wrote volunteer job descriptions, and a new timesheet was created to record volunteer work hours. They recruited new volunteers to fill specific positions, but most impressive was their effort to recognize their volunteers and show them how much they are appreciated. Forty-five volunteers were invited to attend a dessert reception with entertainment provided by local celebrity country singer Payton Kane. Volunteers who had worked 50 or more hours were given shirts, caps, or tote bags embroidered with the Collingsworth County Museum’s logo. The event was a huge success and the volunteers enjoyed it tremendously.

The museum also did a spectacular job using their HELP exhibition El Caballo: the Horse in Mexican Folk Art to attract new audiences. Working with a local art teacher, they encouraged Hispanic students to submit their artwork to be shown at the museum. The Wellington High School Spanish teacher and her students decorated a showcase window of the museum and provided bi-lingual labels for all of the student artwork.

Improvements:

• Set up a new timekeeping system for volunteers

• Created a volunteer application form

• Wrote job descriptions for four volunteer positions

• Recruited two new volunteers

• Received a $2,250 support grant from the Harrington Foundation