| The Historic
Upshur Museum explores the unique history of Upshur County,
Texas. Among its prized possessions are negatives and historic
photographs from the J.M. Hays collection, recording significant
moments in the county’s past. The building that houses
the collection of the Historic Upshur Museum served as the
post office until October of 1992. With funds acquired from
private citizens, the City of Gilmer, and the County of
Upshur, the building was purchased, remodeled, and opened
to the public in October 1993.
Year 1 | Year
2 | Year 3| Year 4
Click image for slideshow!
Year
1:
This Contest is for
Real Hands: Rodeo Photographs of the 1930s
Goals:
One of the Historic Upshur Museum’s goals for Year
One was to use the traveling exhibition to contact and solicit
new companies and community organizations to become financial
sponsors and collaborative partners, thereby increasing
community support and involvement. Secondly, the museum
aimed to attract new audiences by hosting special events
and promotions in connection with the traveling exhibition.
And finally, the museum planned a four-part lecture series
in conjunction with This Contest is for Real Hands to
provide the community with new opportunities for enrichment
and to explore local and state rodeo history.
Accomplishments:
The museum achieved their ambitious goals with
great success. They received most of the funding for the
project from new sources, including a matching grant from
Exxon Mobile. They hosted an elaborate opening family event,
with calf-roping, special food, and performances by the
Yam Jammers Square Dancers. A four-part lecture series featured
exceptional guest speakers (from the Texas Historical Association
and the Cowgirl Hall of Fame) and provided the opportunity
to partner with other community organizations to furnish
lecture space.
The museum also sought out loaned items from the community
to add a local dimension to the exhibition, which proved
to be a major strength. The museum filled five display cases
with 150 items from thirteen community members that related
to the rodeo theme, with titles such as “Cotton to
Cattle”; “Families Who Rodeo”; “Steer
and Bull Riding”; “Gladwater Round-up Rodeo”;
and “Championship Quarter Horse.” Many visitors
came specifically to see these local displays.
As a result of their excellent efforts, the museum received
a grant from the Texas Council for the Humanities for their
next HELP exhibition and gained new volunteers, members,
and donors.
Improvements:
Goals for Year 2:
In Year Two, the Historic Upshur County Museum is focusing
on exhibition development and design with the help of consultant
Kit Neumann. Their goals include adding specific objects
to the exhibition from their community that relate to music
played at the Grand Ole Opry during the 1950s.
They also are building on last years’ educational
programming training focus by hosting a performance by Grand
Ole Opry legend and hometown performer Ray Price. Their
ultimate goal is to have people donate their objects to
the museum so that they may have a permanent exhibition
that references the connection between Upshur County native
Ray Price and the Grand Ole Opry.
Year 2:
Grand Ole Opry
Goals:
In year two, the Historic Upshur Museum worked
with Kit Neumann on exhibition design and development. Their
goals were to supplement the exhibition with artifacts from
the community related to the Grand Ole Opry and the music
played there in the 1950s. The museum and its volunteers
organized a concert by local legend Ray Price to coincide
with the exhibition. The concert was the museum’s
main fall activity and an enormous amount of planning and
effort went into it.
Accomplishments:
The museum collected 75 artifacts from the community
to display with the exhibition. Former curator Mary Kirby
also added visual interest to the exhibition by placing
the photographs on colored backgrounds. The museum received
a donation of an original 1953 program from a Ray Price
concert, which he autographed the night of the concert in
Gilmer. Ray Price himself visited the museum the week of
the concert, to view the Opry exhibition. Mary also worked
with Brenda Colladay, curator of the Grand Ole Opry Museum
in Nashville, to acquire five prints of Gordon Gillingham
photographs of Ray Price at the Opry in the 1950s. These
prints were added to the museum’s collection.
Improvements:
Goals for Year 3: Out of the Nest: Artists’
Birdhouses
With a training focus on PR and marketing
in year three, the Historic Upshur Museum will work with
consultant Seth Davidson on stretching their marketing capabilities.
They’ve created an ambitious set of goals that includes
improving their advertising and media recognition by designing,
creating, and distributing a rack card, researching new
markets, and collaborating with local schools and other
community groups on various exhibition-related projects.
Year
3:
Out of the
Nest: Artists' Birdhouses
Goals:
In year three, the Historic Upshur Museum worked with
consultant Seth Davidson on marketing and PR. Their primary
goal was to develop and print a new rack card to distribute
around the community and to various media outlets. They
also intended to explore new markets by contacting local
schools, the chamber of commerce, and other areas of the
community with a wide variety of projects. Also on their
list of goals for the year was to obtain greater media
recognition by developing a museum Web site and a press
kit.
Accomplishments:
The museum was incredibly successful in achieving its
goal of publicizing through new media outlets. They printed
a new rack card, developed a media packet and distributed
them to the local library, radio stations and the Longview
newspaper and as a result, were featured in about 10 news
stories. Another first for the museum was the idea to contact
the Department of Transportation to get a highway sign
put up. They were also able to increase the amount of funds
raised through their membership drive. Letters were sent
out to the community and over $7,000 came in as a result.
They expect to raise $10,000 by the end of the year. The
museum made great strides in exhibition design as well.
They rearranged their permanent display cases and supplemented
the exhibition with wildlife photographs, birdhouses and
and a duck collection provided by local artists. School
groups were encouraged to attend the bird story hour held
at the local library, The museum hosted a birdhouse making
contest with $25 prizes in 3 categories. The winning birdhouses
were added to the museum’s collection.
Improvements:
Increased visitation Organized a successful community event that raised money
for the museum Applied new techniques to exhibition design, adding visual
interest to displays Printed and displayed 175 posters around town for the birdhouse
exhibition Received 21 new business memberships Developed a newsletter Created a new museum Web site
Year 4: El Caballo: The Horse
in Mexican Folk Art
Year 4
El Caballo: The Horse in Mexican Folk Art
Goals:
The Historic Upshur Museum turned their focus in year
four to fundraising and development training. They aimed
to raise $30,000 for the stabilization of museum operating
funds.
Fundraising plans included raising $5,000 through
the Ray Price concert, securing at least $6,000 worth of
museum membership renewals, and increasing their ask
to the city for hotel/motel tax dollars.
Another of the
museum’s overall goals was to secure funding for
scanning and archiving their collection of 20,000 glass
plate negatives taken by local photographer John M. Hayes.
To meet this goal, they planned to apply to the Texas Historical
Commission for grant money and to seek endorsement from
their state senator and representatives in support of their
efforts.
Accomplishments:
The museum decided to use its $500 HELP grant to send
out a membership campaign mailing to the county. They asked
each of their board members to supply 100 names and addresses
of new people to solicit. They also received a challenge
from a local benefactor to raise $50,000 in 50 days with
her help. In the first week, they raised $11,000, an unheard
of amount in the museum’s history. The Ray Price
concert also exceeded their expectations, raising $9,000
for the museum.
The museum spent much of the year diligently
archiving and digitizing the Hayes collection negatives.
They received grants that allowed them to purchase scanning
equipment and have begun building a database of images
that will be accessible via their website. Genealogy
enthusiasts will be able to search for photos of specific
people or
places, then purchase prints of the images from the museum
for $20 each. To further promote the project, they created
a calendar using 12 of the Hayes photographs and have
been selling them in the museum gift shop.
Improvements:
Initiated 50/50 fundraising campaign and raised
$12,500
Began archiving the Hayes Photographic Collection
Increased their ask for hotel/motel tax funding and received
$1,500
Increased interest in the Hayes collection by publishing
weekly photos in the Gilmer Mirror
Began publishing a monthly newsletter
Conducted an energy audit and began campaign to replace
the HVAC system and to insulate the basement and windows
Received a $500 grant from Upshur county to help archive
the Hayes Collection
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