Wistariahurst Annual Report FY16...238 Cabot St, Holyoke, MA 01040 WISTARIAHURST FY 2016 ANNUAL REPORT JULY 1, 2015 - JUNE 30, 2016 2016 INSTITUTIONAL GOALS INTRODUCE WISTARIAHURST

238 Cabot St, Holyoke, MA 01040 www.Wistariahurst.org

WISTARIAHURST FY 2016 ANNUAL REPORT JULY 1, 2015 - JUNE 30, 2016

2016 INSTITUTIONAL GOALS

INTRODUCE WISTARIAHURST TO NEW PEOPLE AS AN INVITING AND OPEN PLACE

TO VISIT, LEARN, AND ENJOY. BECOME A MORE ENGAGING PLACE, WHERE PEOPLE CAN BE ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS

IN OUR HISTORY, OUR MISSION, AND OUR COMMUNITY. BUILD COMMUNITY AND TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THE CITY OF HOLYOKE. PROVIDE ACCESSIBLE CULTURAL EXPERIENCES TO OUR COMMUNITY.

* Indicates direct financial support or involvement of Historic Holyoke at Wistariahurst 2

Dear Friends and Supporters, What a year it’s been! Last July our team started the season out with four distinct goals in mind:

● Introduce Wistariahurst to new people as an inviting and open place to visit, learn, and enjoy. ● Become a more engaging place, where people can be active participants in our history, our

mission, and our community. ● Build community and take an active role in the City of Holyoke. ● Provide accessible cultural experiences to our community.

These goals directed our work, informing our decisions as we curated new exhibits, launched fresh programs, and took some new risks. During the year we saw old favorites like The Nutcracker & Sweets flourish, with over 1,000 people coming through the house over the course of three days, and new events, such as our fall Pumpkin Glow, draw over 300 people to our gardens. Throughout it all, the thread that has bound our work together has been you – our members, volunteers, visitors, and supporters. You have walked with us every step of the way on our journey forward, energizing our events and voicing enthusiasm for our new offerings. Whether it was coming out on a sub-zero Valentine’s Day to share company and music or shedding tears together at the opening of Nuestras Abuelas, your presence and participation has been a constant reminder of why we are here and who we are for. It has remained a significant inspiration to our team to be so clearly valued by you, by Holyoke. In the coming year we will continue to seek our inspiration directly from our home community and produce exhibits, education, and programs that align with our guiding goals. On-site you can expect to see the variety of experiences available to visitors expand to include more exhibits curated by students and community members and new ways to view the house and learn our stories. Throughout fiscal year 2016 we have identified and catalogued areas of need in regards to the continual preservation of the house and grounds, including safety upgrades, restoration work, and accessibility additions. Fiscal year 2017 will bring consultations and strategic planning in order to ensure the protection of Wistariahurst well into the future. We will be making a concerted effort to get out into the community and meet new faces with the launch of our Traveling Museum. The Traveling Museum will allow more people to view items from our collection, learn about the history of Holyoke, and will provide the opportunity for students and community members to try on the mantle of community historian by curating their own exhibitions. Finally, and perhaps most significantly, we are committed to working with our colleagues and partners throughout the City to act as a hub for the thriving cultural energy that exists in Holyoke. As we set our sights beyond the grounds of Wistariahurst, we hope to play a bigger role in the cultivation of history, arts, and all forms of creative expression. We’re excited to leverage our expertise and resources, unique amongst City departments, in order to support the robust creative landscape which is emerging in Holyoke. Sincerely,


STAFF & VOLUNTEERS

Full - Time Kate Preissler, Director Penni Martorell, Curator & City Historian Part – Time Sara English, Facilities & Enterprise Coordinator Cheryl O’Connell, Program Coordinator Brianne Zulkiewicz, Office Assistant Per Diem Event Staff Shanique Fair Kayla Rodriguez Maintenance Brian Yebernetsky (DPW) Frank Maginnis (Volunteer) Karl Krassler (Volunteer) Garden Coordination Toi Graham (Volunteer) Lynn Puffer (Volunteer)

Administrative Bill Tuman, Visitor tracking (Volunteer) Arlene Mazza, Membership coordination (Volunteer) Bernice Bowler, Volunteer administration and tracking (Volunteer) Archives Denise Boisselle (Volunteer) Gloria Carver (Volunteer) Louise Harlow (Researcher) David Lusignan (Volunteer) Neil Sullivan (Volunteer) Liz Woods (Volunteer) Docents Rita Dietrich (Volunteer) Lisa Evans (Volunteer) Cynthia LaBombard (Volunteer) Peg McCarthy (Volunteer) Megan McGrath (Volunteer) Tom Perrier (Volunteer) Karlene Shea (Volunteer) Tom Perrier (Volunteer)

Interns Natalia Garcia, Holyoke High School, Gardens & Archives (Summer 2015)* MaryKate Flemming, Simmons College, Archives (Fall 2015) John Levin, Simmons College, Archives (Spring 2016) Rachel Liptak, Simmons College, Archives/Curation (Spring 2016) Shakti Castro, UMass Amherst, Oral History/Curation (Spring/Summer 2016) Aradhita Saraf, UMass Amherst, Communications (Fall 2015) Tatiana Vasquez, Holyoke High School, Careerpoint (Summer 2015)


HISTORIC HOLYOKE AT WISTARIAHURST

Historic Holyoke at Wistariahurst (HHW) is a private, 501c(3) non-profit. The purpose of HHW is to preserve and conserve Holyoke’s history; to serve as a center/resource for the history of Holyoke; to maintain Wistariahurst buildings, grounds and gardens as an asset to the City of Holyoke; to build stronger ties to the community through collaborations and partnerships with Holyoke organizations; and to develop high quality historical and cultural programs. Jeffrey Hayden, Chair Phyllis Barrett, Vice Chair Joan Steiger, Clerk James Bauer, Treasurer Maria Salgado - Cartagena Jon Florio David Griffin, Jr. Holly Halliday Allerton Kilborne Eileen Maginnis Phyllis Smigiel Jossie Valentin Frederick Waterman 2016 FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES

Over 770 individuals attended I Love Wine, the Annual Plant Sale, and Gala in the Garden, the primary fundraising events hosted by Historic Holyoke at Wistariahurst, which raised a combined $18,000. The Wistariahurst Membership Program and the Museum Shop, both facilitated by Historic Holyoke at Wistariahurst, bring in a steady stream of support for Wistariahurst operating expenses.


FY16 ANNUAL BUDGET SUMMARY

Wistariahurst exists thanks to generous support of the City of Holyoke and its residents. Each year we add to our City Allocation by means of space rental and program and event income. Historic Holyoke at Wistariahurst, a private 501c(3) organization, provides additional support with funds earned through private donations and fundraising activities. All funds generated at Wistariahurst programs and events are directly invested back into our building, staffing, and mission-based activities. City Allocation: $176,363

(Provides support for staff salaries and benefits, repair and maintenance of the facility, and general operating expenses)

Rental, admission, and event income: $45,965.89 (An additional $5,712.50 deposited into City’s general operating account) Historic Holyoke at Wistariahurst operating and program support: $50,409.19

(Focus areas: Gardens and grounds, preservation and maintenance, volunteer program, marketing) Grant funding: $18,250 In-kind volunteer service value: $185,156.84


GRANTS & SPONSORSHIPS

Each year we seek grant opportunities and sponsorships from local entities that will allow us to add programs, work on special projects, and increase our capacity. This year Wistariahurst and Historic Holyoke at Wistariahurst received lead support from the following entities: Herencia Latina/Pioneer Valley History Network*: Spearheaded and coordinated by the Pioneer Valley History Network and the Springfield Public Library, Herencia Latina was a nine-month Pioneer-Valley-wide exploration of Latino history and culture in the Pioneer Valley and beyond. The project is funded by grants from the American Library Association, National Endowment for the Humanities, and Mass Humanities, and supported by El Sol Latino, Nuestras Raices, WGBY Public Television, and The Center for New Americans. Herencia Latina provided support for Nuestras Abuelas de Holyoke and the Immigrant City project. Holyoke Gas and Electric: Provided the lead sponsorship for our 2015 annual production of The Nutcracker and Sweets with the Massachusetts Academy of Ballet and sponsorship to the 2016 Historic Holyoke at Wistariahurst Gala. Holyoke Local Cultural Council Grant: Provided funding to present our Women in History: Free Spring Storyteller Series which used three live performances to bring to life the stories of obscured women from our local and national past. Mass Humanities, Engaging New Audience Grant* - Wistariahurst Museum was awarded a Mass Humanities ‘Engaging New Audiences’ grant to produce the photography and bi-lingual text exhibition Nuestras Abuelas de Holyoke: Empowerment and Legacy curated by Waleska Santiago and to provide educational and cultural experiences connected with the exhibit’s run. PeoplesBank- In 1885 William Skinner became the first president of PeoplesBank. In 2015, as the institution celebrated its 130th anniversary, the bank reconnected with William Skinner’s home and legacy, including providing significant financial support and volunteer work to our historic gardens.


ART, MUSIC, & HISTORY

In 2016 we focused on developing the depth and impact of our educational and community offerings. To this end we have increased the amount of hands-on and interactive workshops, sought out opportunities to offer professional development to educators, increased our communication with local schools and educational organizations, decreased our ticket prices, and offered more free events. We have maintained a robust, year-round offering of programs and opportunities, with the intention of providing something for people of all ages and interests. Over 4,500 individuals participated in Wistariahurst’s` signature programming and educational activities in FY16. HISTORY PROGRAMMING From our signature school program Immigration Experience, to our Getting to the Story workshop series, to performances bringing to life the stories of historical African-American women, we offered a broad array of ways for people to engage with history. Approximately 1,248 people participated in our history lectures, programs and workshops in FY16.

ARTS & CULTURE* Musicians who performed at Wistariahurst in FY16: The 94th Army Reserve Band, Day is Same as Night with Laurie Israel and Alice Shertle, Lavender Blues with Sarah Kilborne, The Ted Wirt Jazz Quintet, The Michael Sheridan Trio, Tommy Tisdell Jazz Trio, Holyoke Summer Strings, Ray Mason, Kevin O'Rourke, Toney Sea/Miranda Brown, Matthew Larsen and The Documents, Puertominicana, Heshima Moja, The O-Tones

11 local artists presented works for sale at a spring Garden Art fair presented in partnership with the Holyoke Arts Bazaar and attended by over 390 individuals. Approx. 510 people attended gallery exhibits at Wistariahurst. Over 500 people attended musical programming in the intimate, historical setting of Belle Skinner’s Music Room or on the lawns of Wistariahurst. Over 1,000 people came through Wistariahurst during our Annual production of The Nutcracker and Sweets with the Massachusetts Academy of Ballet, breaking previous attendance records.

Getting to the Story Workshop SeriesFY16 we offered a series of hands-on workshops designed to train participants in the basics of becoming their own community historians. Topics ranged from preserving and mounting family heirlooms to conducting oral history interviews to photo-documenting family and community. Designed specifically for small groups, the series was created to inspire members of our community to actively participate in the preservation and promotion of local history.


COMMUNITY GATHERINGS Over 530 people participated in programming designed to build community and provide fun, learning and socialization to the residents of Holyoke.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Wistariahurst provided professional development to 100 educators in FY16 in the areas of oral history, accessing archival material, and integrating primary documents into classroom activities. OUTREACH In FY16 we began to make a concerted effort to get off-site more to promote our work, provide local history teaching, offer trainings, and more. By visiting classrooms and groups in the area we reached an additional 250 people. In addition, City Historian Penni Martorell began contributing a monthly column, “Creating History,” to the Holyoke Sun which covers topics related to local history and conducting research. Outreach activities included talks at: Dean Tech, Amherst College, Longmeadow Rotary, Holyoke Bound, Holyoke Senior Center, Umass Amherst, Holyoke Community College, the Friends of the Holyoke Public Library.


EXHIBITS

Wistariahurst hosted or designed seven exhibits and two historical vignettes in FY16, showcasing local art, historical artifacts, and community voices. Several projects involved student curators and participants, bringing learners “behind the scenes” of museum work.

Amor Fati (Presented in Partnership with MIFA) Visual artist Christopher Willingham trained across disciplines. In Amor Fati, "love of fate" he evokes themes from classical mythology with color and forms revealing powerful images in exploratory abstraction. He describes the overall effect of the work as offering a Stoic meditation on life as a transformative process and on the aesthetic as life itself. Willingham's solo works and collaborations have been exhibited in New York, Boston, Germany and Turkey and throughout western Massachusetts.

A Century of Service Above Self: The Rotary Club of Holyoke at 100 In honor of their 100th anniversary, intern Rachel Liptak curated this exhibit from the Holyoke Rotary’s archival collection, housed at Wistariahurst. Clothes for Comfort, Clothes for Confidence: Fashion at the Turn of the 20th Century An exhibit featuring garments from the Wistariahurst textile collection, designed to contrast period items from the early 1900s—1920s to show what was were worn for fun and comfort vs. those items worn for costume and confidence. The exhibit included both men’s and women’s garments, including rarely seen undergarments, uniforms, and children’s clothing.

Holyoke League of Arts and Craft Annual Shows In July of 2015 and May of 2016 we hosted the annual juried exhibitions of the Holyoke League of Arts and Crafts. Organized in 1923 to promote the arts in the community, the Holyoke League of Arts and Crafts holds monthly meetings to conduct artist demonstrations, critiques, and group art activities. Their annual exhibitions feature sculpture and paintings done by their members. The July 2015 show included The Holyoke Bench, a fiberglass casting that acts as a three dimensional canvas rendered or embellished by Art League members, depicting people, places and things that have meaning in local/regional history.

Janet Stupak: Changing Landscapes: Michigan to Massachusetts Holyoke artist Janet Stupak has been painting landscapes for about 40 years. She has captured scenes from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where she grew up, and many other states where she has lived, from the historic stone ironmaster’s house of Charming Forge, Pennsylvania to the round barns and tobacco barns of Illinois.


Social Space for Social Change Using artifacts from Wistariahurst’s Carlos Vega Collection of Latino History in Holyoke, Holyoke Collection, and Skinner Family Collection, students from Holyoke Community College mapped the lives of immigrant families through the history of three prominent community spaces—The Skinner Coffee House, Nueva Esperanza, and the Wistariahurst Museum. HCC student Rory Porcello described the experience of constructing the exhibit as “an intimate encounter with the stuff from which textbooks are constructed.”

Vignettes: At the WGBY Ball we provided a vignette of items from our collection inspired by Downton Abbey and for our Annual Gala we styled a small vignette of 1940s fashion along with a WWII Uniform on loan from Veterans Services. Nuestras Abuelas/Our Grandmothers*

Wistariahurst Museum was been awarded a Mass Humanities ‘Engaging New Audiences’ grant to produce the photography and bi-lingual text exhibition Nuestras Abuelas de Holyoke: Empowerment and Legacy curated by Waleska Santiago. This exhibition, preparation for which began in the fall of 2015, narrated stories of women in general, and Latinas in particular, drawing attention to concepts of family, challenges faced by grandmothers raising their families, gender expectations, and the connections between grandmothers and their adult grandchildren who reside in Holyoke.

Waleska Santiago, holds a BA in Art History from Mount Holyoke College, and is pursuing a Master of Liberal Arts degree in Museum Studies at Harvard University. Santiago describes her work, “My interest and experience primarily focuses socially-engaged art that addresses the concerns and interests of non-traditional museum audiences and women. Over the last 18 years that has included the intersection of art considered Latin American, Caribbean, Latino and African American. My efforts have also included work intended to include veterans and college students.” “This exhibit has the ability to hit you in your cultural soul.” Says Penni Martorell, Curator and City Historian at Wistariahurst, “Waleska knows that frequently it is our grandmothers who share with us our family stories, traditions and history. This is exactly what Wistariahurst is all about - preserving our local history and culture through exhibits and events. I can’t wait to be moved by these stories.” Since its opening at Wistariahurst in March 2016, Nuestras Abuelas has since been re-installed at the Holyoke Senior Center and appeared for one day at the Taste of South Holyoke community celebration.


VOLUNTEER PROGRAM*

In FY16, volunteers continued to play an integral role in fulfilling Wistariahurst’s mission. As of the end of the fiscal year, Wistariahurst had 79 active, regular volunteers who put in a collective 6,655.5 hours of work as gardeners, docents, greeters, and event staff and also provided assistance with maintenance, outreach, administrative tasks, and with specialized tasks in the Archives.

Docents This past year, house tours were led by 11 docents all of whom have undergone specialized training to effectively lead guided historic tours. Gardeners The gardens and grounds of Wistariahurst were regularly maintained by 24 active gardeners. Wistariahurst gardeners also ran our Annual Plant Sale.

Special Events and Projects

Wistariahurst was supported by 26 individual volunteers over the three-day run of Nutcracker and Sweets.

Over 55 volunteers from PeoplesBank and Mass Mutual came to Wistariahurst for the 2015 Day of Caring. These volunteers assisted Wistariahurst volunteers and staff with gardening, cleaning, and administrative work.

In addition to performing regular volunteer duties, Wistariahurst volunteers also participated in special enrichment programs, including a mannequin making workshop, audio equipment and oral history training, and a special program by Skinner descendent Allerton Kilborne.


FY16 WISTARIAHURST VOLUNTEERS Sarah Adams Analuz Alvarado Patricia Balise Julie Barbeau Chris Beck Shirley Berger Denise Boisselle Gerard Boisselle Bernice Bowler Jim Bronson Cherlyn Bryant Gloria Carver Ellen Clark Steve Clarke Kathleen Coffey Kae Collins John Counter Rita Dietrich Heather Duncan Lisa Evans Michael Falcetti Catherine Fern Louise Fredette Robert Fredette Chris Galgano Ed Gaughan Joanne Gendron Pat Gouin Toi Graham Connie Grise Barbara Gross Carol Hegeman Karen Kamienski Carolyn Kelley John Kennedy Karen Knight Karl Krassler Cynthia LaBombard Frank LaMontagne

Linda Leary Tina Lenke David Lusignan Frank Maginnis Joseph Maspo Jane Masse Arlene Mazza Margaret McCarthy Megan McGrath Kris Mercien Elyse Moore Mary Moriarty Carla Neiswanger Margaret Parsons Janice Patel Laura Payer Steve Peabody Roberta Perotti Thomas Perrier David Provencal Joyce Przekopowski Alexandra Puffer Lynn Puffer Howard Reznik Pat Roos AbigailScanlon William Scott Karlene Shea Gellya Shulman Ralph Strycharz Neil Sullivan Bill Tuman James Ubertalli Mary Varelas Jean Walachy Tom Wilhelmi Elizabeth Wood Pam Zagorski Bex Zumbruski


ARCHIVAL ACTIVITY

The Wistariahurst Archives are a public repository for documents, artifacts, photographs, and more related to the history of Holyoke. Researchers and members of the public are encouraged to visit and many items are used in our educational programs and exhibits. FY16 ACQUISITIONS:

● YMCA archival records (added to the Holyoke Collection) ● The Holyoke Rotary Collection (added to the Holyoke Collection) ● Halliday Collection of Kilborne family letters (added to the Skinner Collection) ● Hudnut collection of Hubbard family letters (added to the Skinner Collection) ● Joe Quenneville (Former Skinner Employee) oral history transcribed (added to the Skinner

Collection)

PROCESSING PROGRESS:

● 900+ postcards relating to Holyoke have been scanned and posted to www.Wistariahurst.org where they are searchable to the public

● Holyoke High School Annuals digitized to be uploaded to the website in near future ● Entire contents of 2nd floor closet of artifacts photographed and entered into PastPerfect, our

collection database ● Reduced backlog of accessioned items by half

Wistariahurst institutional oral histories were conducted with Tom Wilhelmi and Frank Maginnis.

Civil War Sketch book by Joseph Perkins* (added to the Skinner Collection) In 1862 Joseph Perkins left his home in Holyoke and enlisted as a private with Captain Thompson’s Company D, 34th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers. Perkins, a painter by trade, sketched and painted what he saw as the regiment travelled through the Shenandoah Valley and West Virginia during the Civil War. Our newest archival acquisition is one of Perkins’ sketchbooks featuring five pen and ink landscapes of Wheeling, West Virginia; Martinsberg and Harpers Ferry, Virginia. The sketchbook is a gift of Historic Holyoke at Wistariahurst


COMMUNITY SUPPORT

As caretakers of the beautiful historic site at Wistariahurst, we make sure to provide access to the house, grounds, and Music Room whenever we can for a variety of purposes throughout the City. In FY16 we provided space to the following groups: The Care Center, the Carlos Vega Fund for Social Justice, the City Employee Wellness Initiative, the Clemente Course for the Humanities, the Collaborative for Educational Services, Corporation for Public Management, the Family Access and Engagement Center, the Holyoke High School Business Club, the Holyoke Mayor’s Office, Mass Humanities, the Pioneer Valley History Network, PeoplesBank, the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, Womenshelter/Companeros, Leadership Holyoke, Leadership Pioneer Valley, the Volleyball Hall of Fame, and Western MA Master Gardeners Association. Wistariahurst provided over $4,300 in free meeting rooms, event space, and program delivery to city partners and educational entities in the City including the Holyoke School Department, and Holyoke Office of Planning and Economic Development, the Mayor’s Office.

Approximately 500 students and family members from the Care Center and Clemente Course came to Wistariahurst in FY16 to hear poetry readings and performances, attend orientations, and celebrate graduations.

Wistariahurst hosted 13 wedding ceremonies, 1 reception, and 12 photo shoots in FY16.

Wistariahurst hosted fitness and yoga as part of the City Employee Wellness Initiative in FY16.


PRESERVATION AND BUILDING PROJECTS

Caring for our beautiful historic site is an ongoing and critical process. In addition to moving forward with needed repairs and updates, we have simultaneously begun to create a prioritized capital needs plan which will help us steer funding and attention to the upcoming projects that need it most.

FY16 Completed projects:

● Gallery repairs, update, and new lighting ● LED and energy efficient lighting installed throughout historic Main House ● Review, funding, and plan created for historic Tea Garden area* ● Electrical and lighting repairs throughout the house* ● Storage space, third floor, and basement cleaning and reorganizing ● Soaker hose installed in garden beds* ● Tree roses planted* ● Garden entrance improvements including hosta plantings*


ECONOMIC IMPACT STATEMENT

In 2016 we crafted the following statement and added it to our website and materials as a way to reconfirm our commitment to playing an active role in the health and vitality of the City of Holyoke. This statement informs and guides all aspects of our work.

● Wistariahurst is committed to playing a positive role in the economic vitality of Holyoke.

● We make use of practices that support local businesses; improve the livability of our neighborhoods; provide skills and knowledge to residents; and support the service work of other local organizations.

● We aim to host educational and cultural activities which will attract new visitors to our City on a

regular basis.

● We strive to be a good employer, providing sustainable jobs for local talent.

ON A NATIONAL LEVEL ● Museums contribute $21 billion to the U.S. economy each year (2008 estimate), encouraging

economic growth in their communities. ● Trips including cultural and heritage activities comprise one of the most popular and significant

segments of the travel industry, accounting for more than 23% of all domestic travel. ● Visitors to historic sites and cultural attractions, including museums, stay 53% longer and spend

36% more money than other kinds of tourists. ● Quality-of-life issues contribute significantly to decisions businesses make when choosing to

relocate, including access to cultural resources and a dynamic museum community National Governors Association, “It has been shown that the nonprofit arts and culture industry generates over $166 billion in economic activity annually, supports over 5.7 million full time jobs, and returns over $12 billion in federal income taxes annually. Governments which support the arts on average see a return on investment of over $7 in taxes for every $1 that the government appropriates." FY2016 ECONOMIC SUPPORT ACTIVITIES:

● Prioritized local businesses in all dealings, including implementing a major project contract with Brick Coworkshop.

● Encourage the use of local venues, caterers, photographers and other wedding resources in our materials.

● Redesigned staff structure in order to provide sustainable, livable positions competitive with others in the City and the field of museums.

● Added our supplies to the new Holyoke Pop-Up toolkit, making our tents, tables, and even our outdoor dance floor available to events throughout the City.

● Partnered with the Holyoke Arts Bazaar to host a Garden Art Fair, featuring the sale of local artists

● Provided meaningful volunteer work as part of the Veteran’s Services and Senior Tax Work Off programs


FY17 PREVIEW

Extensive efforts were made in FY16 to lay the groundwork and a solid foundation for the coming years. So far in FY17 we have seen this work pay off in a myriad of ways. Some of the major projects upcoming in FY17 include: LANDMARKS OF AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE TEACHING INSTITUTE (NEH): WOMEN MAKING CHANGE: ACTIVISM AND PROGRESSIVISM AT THE TURN OF THE 20TH CENTURY Wistariahurst has been awarded approximately $125,000 to implement two, one-week teaching institutes funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The content of the institutes will focus on the work of Holyoke women in the late 19th and early 20th century who were working to make change at all levels of society – from the Skinner sisters, Belle and Katharine who founded the Skinner Coffee House to Anna Sullivan, who led the movement to unionize the workers of Holyoke’s textile mills. TRAVELING MUSEUM LAUNCH After a year of planning and design in FY16, we were able to launch the new Traveling Museum at both Celebrate Holyoke in August, where we featured an exhibition showcasing some of the highlights of the Wistariahurst archive, and Taste of South Holyoke in September, where we restaged Nuestras Abuelas de Holyoke. In the three days we had the structure up, we were able to engage over 400 people with local history and objects from our archives. STATES OF INCARCERATION NATIONAL TRAVELING EXHIBITION March 1 – 12 Wistariahurst has helped facilitate the arrival and staging of a nationally traveling exhibit created by 20 universities across the country. From the exhibit designers: “States of Incarceration is created by over 500 people in 17 states, and growing. We explore the roots of mass incarceration in our own communities -- to open national dialogue on what should happen next.” The exhibit will appear in downtown Holyoke for the roughly two week period and be accompanied by programs, speakers, workshops, and volunteer opportunities brought forth by many community partners. SPRINGFIELD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA COLLABORATION This winter we have teamed up with a new partner, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, to bring three intimate and educational chamber music offerings to the Belle Skinner Music Room. Orchestra conductor Kevin Rhodes and members of the orchestra will come to Wistariahurst to present both performance and educational talks.