By Lisa Terech, Community Engagement
My co-workers often roll their eyes at me, but I absolutely adore alliteration (see what I did there?). So when there’s an event like May is Museum Month, I get a wee bit excited about it! The alliteration is only a small part of my excitement; I do have to give mad respect to whoever thought that one up!
Truly, Museum Month is a wonderful celebration. Museums are so much more than stoic places of learning; we are places of creativity, of community, of belonging, and of fun! If there is ever any doubt of this, head over to whenyouworkatamuseum.com, a humorous Tumblr site which reflects on what it’s like to be a museum professional and the host of the epic Museum Dance Off! We were honoured to be a participant this year, and we will continue to be a champion for the Canadian sites still in the running.
Museums tell stories. At the Oshawa Museum, we do this in a number of different ways, whether it’s the Throwback Thursday we share on Instagram, the monthly Podcast Series that can be found on YouTube, or through this weekly blog. Many, many thanks to the growing number of those who follow and support us.
We also tell stories as most museums do, through our feature exhibitions. In honour of May is Museum Month, we traditionally open our feature exhibitions before the Victoria Day long weekend. Our visitors in 2015 will have the chance to view Mourning After: The Victorian Celebration of Death. From furniture to mourning dress, and everything in between, this exhibit looks at how the Victorians mourned and celebrated their departed loved ones. This exhibit will be on display from May through November – our amazingly creative curator, Melissa, has been hard to work on her latest exhibit, and it is one not to miss!
At the end of May is Museum Month, we are excited to be offer a never-before-seen tour! On May 31, we invite you to Accessioned! Behind the Scenes of the Oshawa Museum. Guests will choose an artifact from the Museum’s education collection and follow it on the journey through accessioning, digitizing, conservation, writing a text panel, and finally, display. You will truly appreciate everything that goes into preparing the exhibits!
At Accessioned, guests get to see what is behind our closed doors, viewing our collection storage areas, and try your best at assembling pottery shards, just like archaeologists and museum conservators. Timed tickets are required for Accessioned! Call 905-436-7624 to book your ticket.
Museums truly are inspirational places. This month, visit your local museum and discover something new about your community!
Hope we see you soon!
Oshawa Museum Blog 