 2009 - The Year in Review |
||||
 20th Annual International Youth Art All Country Show, March 5-31, 2009 at Crandall Public Library, Glens Falls, NY.
 Participants in WACM's Summer Culture Vulture Camp.  Descriptive panels and artifact display cases make up the WACM exhibit showcased on Walkway A at the Albany International Airport (extended until August 2010).  Museum Outreach Educator Sheileen Nicholson presents the Celebrations and Traditions Program to a local elementary school. |
$1.4 million Capital Campaign goal realized… We reached our Phase 1 goal of $1.4 million and launched a $300,000 Phase 2 campaign to complete the 1st floor exhibition space which will allow us to open to the public. Staff and collections move to 89 Warren Street… During the year, structural renovations were completed along with the total renovation of the second floor of the building allowing staff and collections to move into the new space in November. Business as usual… Through the hard work of our devoted staff and the generosity of the community the Museum continued to provide many amazing programs in 2009 without the benefit of our own exhibition space. Some of the exhibitions and programs completed this past year include: The International Youth Art Exchange… In the U.S. and around the world, hundreds of children participated in our International Youth Art Exchange. Empowered through art, these children share their world with others. Our collection includes well over 6,000 pieces from 72 countries. New countries added to the collection this year were works from Austria, Ghana, El Salvador, Uganda, Malaysia, and Namibia. Local exhibitions… Hundreds of local children, their families, tourists and visitors to the region enjoyed interactive exhibits and programs at Aimie’s Dinner & Movie Gallery (Happenin' Harvest) and EXPLORE! (Beautiful Beasts and The World Is Green) this year. They also toured exhibits at Glens Falls City Hall, Crandall Public Library, Glens Falls Hospital (in cooperation with The Hyde Collection’s region-wide Season of Degas celebration), Ridge Street Coffee Co., Rock Hill Bakehouse, Tannery Pond, Albany International Airport (extended through August 2010), and more. Traveling Treasures - exhibitions on loan… In schools around the country, children viewed thematic art exhibits taken as loans from WACM. Themes like "International Sport", "World Music & Dance", "Traditions", and "Ceremony & Celebrations" enabled students to compare and contrast their lives with those of children in other countries, and provided creative inspiration and motivation for their own work. Educational Outreach… Our Outreach Educator presented programs to 111 classrooms and other groups throughout the region during 2009 reaching more than 2000 students to share authentic artifacts and art from other cultures. Our four unique outreach programs support New York State Learning Standards in both social studies and the arts. Special programs and free kids activity days… Over school and summer vacations, the Museum sponsored Free Kids Activity Days, partnered with ACC in their Summer Enrichment Program and the Glens Falls Recreation Department with the Culture Vulture Camp, and throughout the year facilitated hands-on, culturally inspired art projects in conjunction with many of our local exhibitions. Fulfilling the mission… All this and more has been accomplished on an operations budget of only $200,000 annually. We count on your support as donors, volunteers and ambassadors to help us fulfill our mission of promoting tolerance, curiosity, understanding, and respect for other cultures by bringing international experiences to children and families through our collections and programs. Having taken occupancy of the 2nd floor offices of our new permanent home in November of 2009, we now look forward to welcoming children and the public to interactive exhibitions at the new Museum in 2010. Annual fundraising events are crucial to the Museum. The Genie Team Challenge in March, the Celebrity Luncheon in June, The Great Outdoors Art Contest running throughout the summer, and our premiere event, the International Cuisine in October, brought in operational funds and spread awareness of our mission to a new group of supporters. |
|||
World Awareness Children's Museum |
||||
