The Wichita Falls Alliance for Arts and Culture has invited area museums and heritage preservation organizations to participate in a new initiative, designed to foster a cooperative relationship between museums in Archer, Baylor, Clay, Wichita, and Wilbarger counties.
Museums participating in the Regional Museums Network include:
- The Whiteside Museum of Natural History, Baylor County
- Baylor County Museum, Baylor County
- Clay County 1890 Jail Museum, Clay County
- Kell House Museum, Wichita County
- Museum of North Texas History, Wichita County
- Wichita Falls Museum of Art at MSU
- Red River Valley Museum, Wilbarger County
The collaborative learning project will provide opportunities for members of the network to leverage the resources available through the Wichita Falls Alliance for Arts and Culture and other local, regional and national funding agencies.
“The museums in the network range from small, volunteer-managed resource centers, to well-established institutions with full-time management teams,” says Margie Reese, Executive Director of The Wichita Falls Alliance for Arts and Culture. “Every organization has something to offer to their communities as well as to the broader public.”
Over the course of the year, participants in the network will learn from a series of workshops and site visits that range from curriculum and grant writing to joint marketing efforts. Museums will self-design their learning plan and tap into the pool of expertise available through a roster of consultants and museum professionals facilitated by The Wichita Falls Alliance for Arts and Culture.
Reese believes, “The material history and stories of families and traditions of this region deserve to be preserved, but preservation alone can’t sustain an institution. Contemporary museums must remain relevant to younger audiences and be prepared for both impromptu and scheduled visitors.”
All museums and heritage preservation organizations in the 5 county area are invited to participate. For more information, please call (940) 500-4453 or email info@wichitafallsarts.org
