02-1: Austin Heritage Museums Presentation — original pdf

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Herlinda Zamora, Culture & Arts Program Manager Parks & Recreation Department Mission Statement Austin Heritage Museums are a part of the Museums & Cultural Programs Division of PARD, which celebrates Austin’s unique stories within Texas. They share knowledge of Texas history through community engagement, collections management, and robust scholarship. Vision Austin Heritage Museums aim to be dynamic, trusted, and engaging storytellers, rooted in the material culture, landscape, and fabric of the City whose stories they tell. Objectives Austin Heritage Museums will accomplish this vision by expanding best practices in preserving our venerable places and their contents. We are telling stories that: Present a comprehensive, equitable, and accurate history of Austin Seek out and elevate diverse voices Encourage historical curiosity Incorporate both traditional and innovative storytelling techniques, including the interpretive power of artistic expression Engage all visitors and whenever possible, maximize opportunities to listen to them Provide a meaningful visitor experience and make Austin’s history relevant FY 2024 in Numbers 69,564 visitors across all sites 61 programs with 29,241 participants 281 Local artists were given places to show their work and sharpen their craft The Old Bakery & Emporium welcomed visitors from over 30 states and 20 different countries The 47th Annual O. Henry Pun-Off hit its highest-ever number of attendees with over 1200 guests 10th Annual Ney Day doubled attendance from last year with 500 guests 11,000 followers on social media and 3,500 email subscribers FY 2024 Museum Visitors Brush Square 16.5% 11,497 The Ney 26.4% 18,380 69,564 Total Visitors 39,687 Old Bakery 57.1% FY 2024 Museum Highlights The Old Bakery & Emporium completed an 18-month community engagement project with the Downtown Austin Alliance resulting in the first mural to be painted on the historic building, entitled “Generational Ties”. The mural was unveiled at the 3rd Annual Midsummer Festival A new program, Naturalist at the Ney, was developed based on public engagement in 2023 Brush Square has been focusing heavily on expanding education and outreach programming within the community Museum Highlights Cont. Through the ongoing grant with the International Sites of Conscience, the museums have worked closely with the Refugee Collective in Austin, and they increased their language offering to include Spanish tours and gallery guides in both Spanish and German OBE is partnering with AVAFest (Austin Veteran Arts Festival) on a new project to support veterans and youth with PTSD, as part of the ISOC grant The OBE artisan store sells one-of-a-kind items handcrafted by local Austin artists over the age of 50. They currently showcase the work of more than 60 local artisans Museum Highlights Cont. Brush Square has fostered an ongoing partnership with The Living History Foundation, which is supported by the IMLS/ISOC grant O’Henry completed their CIP with a restoration of the site The Elisabet Ney Museum, with funds raised by the Friends of the Elisabet Ney Museum through grants and private donations, launched both an interpretive plan as well as a rehabilitation landscape plan. Both plans will be completed in 2024 just as the museum closes for a Capital Improvement Project funded by the City of Austin as well as the National Trust. Soon, we are hoping OBE will go into restoration and possible expansion Staff Appreciation Emily O'Connor, Site Coordinator, Brush Square Hannah Bancroft, Education Coordinator, Susanna Dickinson Rachel Smith, Collections Coordinator, Austin Heritage Museums Elisabeth CreMeens, Education Coordinator, O.Henry Museum Jade Walker, Site Coordinator, Elisabet Ney Museum Lindsay Barras, Education Coordinator Herb Torres, Administrative Assistant Mike Benitez, Building & Grounds Assistant Taylor Baker, Marketing Representative 14 Temps About the Old Bakery & Emporium Mural Project