[Heritage] Oregon Heritage News 2009-03-13

[Heritage Info]

In this issue:
1. Oral historians offer Extravaganza scholarships
2.  Exhibit for children opens in Baker City
3.  Deadlines extended for projects, applications
4.  Collections care series to be offered
5.  Museum computer conference seeks proposals


ORAL HISTORIANS OFFER EXTRAVAGANZA SCHOLARSHIPS

Do you want to attend the annual Northwest Oral History Association
meeting, but find your organization's travel funds have been cut?  Or is
there a special workshop that doesn't fit into your budget?  NOHA would
like to help.  The organization is offering a limited amount of
scholarship assistance to members who would like to attend the Northwest
History and Heritage Extravaganza April 15-18 in Portland.
 
Email or send a letter of application to the Board of Directors of the
Northwest Oral History Association.  Your letter should include contact
information, your institutional affiliation or particular interest in
oral history, and a brief paragraph explaining your financial needs and
what benefits you or your community would receive from your attendance
at the conference. 

Requests cannot exceed $150 and must be received by April 3.  They
should be sent to saboswell at msn.com <mailto:saboswell at mns.com> or to the
following address: Sharon Boswell, 950 NW Elford Drive, Seattle, WA
98177.  NOHA board members will evaluate the applications and notify
applicants of their decisions promptly.

Information about these and other scholarships to attend the Northwest
History and Heritage Extravaganza is available at
http://www.oregon.gov/OPRD/HCD/OHC/scholarships.shtml


EXHIBIT FOR CHILDREN OPENS IN BAKER CITY

Kid-sized exhibits and interactive displays help youngsters learn the
Oregon Trail story in the exhibit *Pack Your Wagon: Critters, Costumes
& Curiosity* that runs through  July 12 in the Flagstaff Gallery at
the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center.

The exhibit is designed for younger visitors and school students but is
suitable for all ages. Interactive elements include a giant magnetic map
of the Oregon Trail, a puppet theater, a wildlife memory game, a poetry
board, and an animal track rubber stamping activity.

The centerpiece of the exhibit is a full scale *Pack Your Wagon*
display where visitors practice the decision-making skills Oregon Trail
pioneers needed to plan their journey to the west. All activities are
designed to enhance curriculum goals of school history classes but
incorporate a fun, interactive approach. Some of the activities are
suitable for preschoolers.

The exhibit was funded through a grant from Oregon Community
Foundation, matched with donations from Trail Tenders and Bureau of Land
Management.The National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center is 5
miles east of Baker City on Highway 86. Take Exit 302 from I-84. The
Center is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. For more information call
(541) 523-1843 or visit the web at oregontrail.blm.gov.


DEADLINES EXTENDED FOR PROJECTS, APPLICATION

Both Oregon 150 and the Oregon Council for the Humanities have
announced new deadlines for two of their current efforts.

There are currently only a few Take Care of Oregon arts, culture, and
heritage projects signed up. Taking place this May and led by the Oregon
150 sesquicentennial planning group, Take Care of Oregon Days (TCO) will
be the largest volunteer event in Oregon's history. A total of 20,000
volunteers will be looking for a place to give back to their state for a
few hours. Many types of projects qualify. Does your organization have
an existing volunteer event happening May?  Have you thought about
planning one but it has been on the back burner? If so, sign up now!  
To register a project before March 15, go to:
http://www.solv.org/programs/take_care_of_oregon_days.asp.

The Oregon Council for the Humanities has extended the postmark
deadline for proposals for the Conversation Project: A New Chautauqua to
March 27. To download the Request for Proposals, visit the OCH website
at www.oregonhum.org. Like the current Oregon Chautauqua program, the
goal of the Conversation Project is to offer statewide opportunities for
civic dialogue and humanities learning, but with a greater emphasis on
contemporary themes and interactive, facilitated conversations rather
than traditional scholar presentations. For more information, contact
Jennifer Allen at (503) 241-0543 ext. 118 or jallen at oregonhum.org 
 

COLLECTIONS CARE SERIES TO BE OFFERED

The BACC's western region field service program will offer a
collections care training event April 22-24 in Seattle.

In addition to a 3-day series on emergency preparedness, there are
single-day workshops on separate topics. For more information, visit
www.bacc.org or contact Kara West at 619-236-9702.  Stipend
applications should be postmarked by April 1. Final registration
deadline is April 8.


MUSEUM COMPUTER CONFERENCE SEEKS PROPOSALS 

The Museum Computer Network will stage its 2009 conference Nov. 11-14
in Portland. Online proposal submissions will be accepted March 6-27 at
http://www.mcn.edu/conferences/index.asp?subkey=2266 

The conference theme is "Museum Information, Museum Efficiency: Doing
More with Less!" The annual meeting serves international cultural
heritage professionals, collections and new technologies.

The  program committee seeks innovative sessions (panels, papers, case
studies, and workshops) that illustrate how institutions are effectively
functioning and planning to function during the tough times ahead.
Innovative formats and interaction with audience are highly desirable
and will be important factors, as will practicability, in the 2009
selection process.

If you have questions or need more information please contact Holly
Witchey, MCN Program Chair, 216-707-2653, hwitchey at clevelandart.org or
Christina DePaolo, MCN Conference Chair, 206 654-3165,
christinad at seattleartmuseum.org.
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Oregon Heritage News is a service of the Oregon Heritage Commission,
which can be contacted at heritage.info at state.or.us