BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Mass History Commons - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://masshistorycommons.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Mass History Commons REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20200308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20201101T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20210314T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20211107T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20220313T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20221106T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20230312T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20231105T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20240310T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20241103T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20250309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20251102T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240119T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240119T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20231208T173242Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240109T000142Z UID:33038-1705665600-1705671000@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Planning for Change DESCRIPTION:Planning for Change \nA Conversation on the Commons featuring Kayla Coleman\, Executive Director of the New England Museum Association\, and Susan Robertson\, recently retired Executive Director of Gore Place. \nJanuary 19\, 2024\, 12:00-1:30 p.m. \nDespite the fact that we are all planning to live forever\, sooner or later our organizations must grapple with the issue of transition and succession.  The replacement of an Executive Director or Board President is always accompanied by some degree of angst and institutional change.  Executive successions\, especially\, are a chance to start fresh – they require the organization to take a hard look at its current state\, at its aspirations for future programming\, and at changes in its mission and focus. Join us for this Conversation on January 19 with Kayla Coleman\, recently appointed Executive Director of NEMA\, and Susan Robertson\, recently retired Executive Director of Gore Place\, two panelists on opposite ends of the succession planning process! \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \nWe will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the conversation. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. This Conversation will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel. \nQuestions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-succession-planning/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Conversations-on-the-Commons.png ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231208T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231208T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20230924T201544Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231119T224345Z UID:32242-1702036800-1702042200@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Oh Snap! Photography in Collections DESCRIPTION:Oh Snap! Photography in Collections \nDecember 8\, 2023\, 12:00-1:30 p.m. \nThey say a picture is worth a thousand words\, but what if it has no date\, place\, or known face? Panelists Martha Mahard (Simmons University) and Ron Polito (UMass Boston) will take us through the process of dating\, identifying\, and then preserving photographs in museum collections. What are the best practices for handling\, cataloging\, and preserving photographs? What clues can we see in photographs to help us fill in the blanks about their settings and subjects? How can we facilitate digital access to these materials? Join us for this Conversation on December 8 from 12-1:30pm! \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \nWe will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the conversation. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. This Conversation will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel. \nQuestions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n  \nAbout our panelists: \nDr. Mahard retired in 2005 after 35 years in various Harvard University libraries. While at Harvard she began teaching courses in photographic archives\, preservation management\, and digital preservation at Simmons GSLIS. Upon her retirement she became a full-time Professor of Practice at Simmons. where she developed and taught new courses and directed the successful Cultural Heritage concentration. In 2014 she undertook an assessment of the Boston Public Library’s Print Department leading to a project to inventory the prints and photographs in the collection. When the project ended in 2019\, over 135\,000 works of art on paper\, and over 250\,000 photographic prints and negatives had been inventoried. Dr. Mahard is the co-author of Preservation Management Handbook: A 21st Century Guide for Libraries\, Archives\, and Museums\, with Ross Harvey\, and Libraries\, Archives and Museums: Insights from the Field\, with Michele Cloonan and Peter Botticelli. \nRon Polito has been studying early Boston and Massachusetts photographers for almost 50 years and has served several terms on the Photographic Historical Society of New England’s Board of Directors (phsne.org). A number of his articles can be found in The Daguerreian Annual and The New England Journal of Photographic History. He is also coauthor of the Directory of Massachusetts Photographers\, 1839-1900\, now available online. His most recent works were the 2020 monograph\, T. E. Marr (& Son): Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Photographers—and More: Their Lives\, Their Work\, Their Photographic Techniques\, and material on Simon Wing & Company in the 2022 PHSNE Journal. Now retired\, he was a faculty member and administrator at the University of Massachusetts Boston. His study collections of nineteenth-century Boston and Massachusetts photographers are now part of the Boston Athenaeum’s photographic collection. \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-photography-in-collections/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Add-a-heading.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231201T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231201T130000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20231120T024302Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231120T024302Z UID:32807-1701432000-1701435600@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:History Studio: Has Anyone Seen $500 Million in Missing Art? DESCRIPTION:Has Anyone Seen $500 Million in Missing Art? \nDecember 1\, 2023\, 12:00-1:00 p.m. \nSt. Patrick’s Day\, 1990. Two men dressed as Boston cops entered the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum\, stayed for about 90 minutes\, and left with 13 pieces of art. None of the priceless items have been found. Numerous suspects have been named over the years but none have been arrested. Many are now dead. Bob Ainsworth\, the author of DUPED\, a fictional account of the robbery\, will review the actual details of the theft\, the suspects\, and the motives behind the world’s most valued art theft. He will also tell of his own brush with the infamous crime. \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \nWe will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the conversation. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. This Conversation will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel. \nQuestions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n  \nAbout the speaker: \nBob Ainsworth was raised in New Jersey\, earned a BS in Accounting from Boston College\, an MBA in Finance from Northeastern University\, and had his CPA. He worked in corporate accounting as a CFO and Controller and taught accounting. He uncovered two fraud cases during his career. The idea for the Harry Bartlett stories sprang from his Accounting students’ positive reactions to fraud anecdotes. He started to write his first story while commuting and then continued after retiring. He has self-published 3 novels- DUPED\, CONNED and SCAMMED. A fourth\, PONZI’d\, is planned for 2024. He loves reading mysteries and thrillers by authors such as John Grisham\, Dennis Lehane\, Robert B. Parker\, David Baldacci\, Earl Stanley Gardner\, Arthur Conan Doyle\, Hank Phillippe Ryan\, and Elmore Leonard. He also likes to read non-fiction history. He lives in retirement in Massachusetts with his family. \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-photography-in-collections-2/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:History Studio (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Untitled-7-x-4-in-1.png ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231117T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231117T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20230924T200516Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231116T171217Z UID:32240-1700222400-1700227800@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: The Ins and Outs of AI for Historical Organizations DESCRIPTION:The Ins and Outs of Artificial Intelligence \nNovember 17\, 2023\, 12:00-1:30 p.m. \nHeads-up – here comes Artificial Intelligence! How can generative AI tools like ChatGPT\, Bard\, Poe\, ChatPDF and others help advance our work?  Are they difficult to use?  Can they be fun?  Which are the most reliable sources for chatbots? What are some examples of how AI can help with administration\, fund-raising\, programming and the many other tasks that keep librarians and cultural heritage workers hopping?  Join us for a conversation and demonstration with Joanne Riley (Healey Library Archives and Special Collections\, UMass Boston) and Jane Stimpson (Massachusetts Library System) about using AI creatively and productively at libraries\, historical organizations\, and small museums. Join us with your questions and experiences\, good and bad\, as well as with your ideas and practices\, and start bending the arc of the future to our advantage. \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \nWe will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the conversation. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \nQuestions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n  \nAbout our Panelists: \nAs University Archivist and Curator of Special Collections at UMass Boston\, Joanne Riley managed Healey Library’s archival research collections and related academic and community-based initiatives between 2010 and 2017\, followed by a five-year stint as Interim Dean of Healey Library. She now enjoys serving as the library’s Digital Initiatives Archivist\, which calls on her long experience in digital humanities\, especially the design of structured data models to store and retrieve cultural heritage information. Joanne was the founding director of the “Mass. Memories Road Show” program at UMass Boston\, an early participatory archiving initiative\, and she conceived and directed the “1919 Boston Police Strike Project” that engaged a team of volunteers in researching the lives of those who participated in that historic event. Joanne’s work is centered on empowering researchers\, faculty\, students and community members to apply digital technology to advance humanities initiatives within academia and in the cultural heritage sector. \nJane Stimpson (she/her) is a Consultant with the Massachusetts Library System and consults in areas related to library instruction and educational technology. Before joining MLS\, Jane was a librarian for 13 years in community college and joint-use libraries\, focusing on instruction\, reference\, and outreach. She holds a BA in Spanish and Political Science from Williams College and an MS in Information Studies from the University of Texas at Austin School of Information. In her spare time\, she enjoys baking\, crosswords\, and yoga. \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-the-ins-and-outs-of-ai/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events),Mass History Alliance ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/The-Ins-and-Outs-of-AI-1.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231027T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231027T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20230924T195514Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230924T195514Z UID:32238-1698408000-1698413400@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Separating Fact from Fiction: Historical Halloween Programming DESCRIPTION:Separating Fact from Fiction: Historical Halloween Programming \nOctober 27\, 2023\, 12:00-1:30 p.m. \nAn upcoming Conversation on the Commons\, presented by the Mass History Alliance. More details will be provided soon. \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \nWe will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the conversation. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \nQuestions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-historical-halloween-programming/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/placeholder_blue.png ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231020T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231020T153000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20230924T194249Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231017T022150Z UID:32235-1697810400-1697815800@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Gender and Sexuality History at Your Site DESCRIPTION:Conversations on the Commons: Gender Inclusion: Not Just for Pride Month! \nOctober 20\, 2023\, 2:00-3:30 p.m. \nA Conversation featuring Joan Ilacqua of The History Project and Ken Turino of Historic New England. Moderated by Gloria Greis of the Needham History Center & Museum. \nToo often we schedule programs to check off boxes. Instead\, diversity and inclusion should inform all of our programming throughout the year. \nIn this Conversation\, Panelists Joan Ilacqua (Executive Director of The History Project) and Ken Turino (Manager of Community Partnerships and Resource Development at Historic New England) will discuss how we address (or fail to address) issues of gender diversity/gender equity/gender identity in our museums. How can we practically make our staff and visitors in the LGBTQ+ community feel more included? What information already lies hidden in our collections? How do we research and document LGBTQ+ history in our communities? What have we failed to see? What have we failed to say? How do we make our program planning more equitable and inclusive\, and not just send out a little highlight factoid every June? \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \nWe will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the conversation. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \nQuestions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-gender-and-sexuality-history/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/The-Massachusetts-History-Alliance.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231006T150000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231006T163000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20230919T004843Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231002T184938Z UID:32210-1696604400-1696609800@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:History Studio: Central Massachusetts Black History Collaborative DESCRIPTION:History Studio: Central Massachusetts Black History Collaborative \nRESCHEDULED to October 6\, 2023\, 3:00-4:30pm \nA History Studio on the Commons \nThe Mass History Alliance’s History Studios highlight local history people\, projects\, and places. Join us for an inaugural “get acquainted” meeting of the Central Massachusetts Black History Collaborative. Modeled after a similar project by the Pioneer Valley History Network\, the Collaborative will bring together history organization\, local historians\, and genealogists to research and document the lives of African Americans in Worcester County and western Middlesex and Norfolk counties. \nRegistration is free. Please email us at commons@masshistoryalliance.org to register! (If you previously registered for this event prior to its rescheduling\, you do not need to re-register.) \nWe will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the conversation. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \nQuestions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/history-studio-central-mass-black-history-collaborative/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:History Studio (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/History-Studio-The-Central-Massachusetts-Black-History-Collaborative.png ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230929T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230929T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20230922T224456Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230925T233155Z UID:32227-1695988800-1695994200@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Financial Management for Historical Organizations DESCRIPTION:Financial Management for Historical Organizations \nSeptember 29\, 2023\, 12:00-1:30 p.m. \nTreasurer is the hardest board position to fill for small nonprofits. Not only does the treasurer do the (usually fairly simple) books\, but they report to the Massachusetts and Federal Government. The requirements are murky\, the schedule gets lost when the position changes hands. When do you need to file what kind of 990? And to whom? What do you do if it has to be filed online? What’s to file with the Massachusetts Attorney General and when? Accounting firms cost an arm and a leg\, especially for small historical organizations with little or no staff and shoestring budgets. Should you hire a pro anyway? Go it yourself and hope for the best? \nJoin us for a conversation that will clear up some of these questions and discuss what kind of financial records your organization should be keeping. We’ll share tricks and tips about software and links for filing. Join us and share your tips\, experiences\, and fiascos. Together we can come up with enough knowledge to (hopefully) save us all a bunch of money! \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \nAbout Our Speaker: \nMark Romboli is a retired financial executive with over 40 years experience in financial and management accounting for companies ranging in size from $5M to $100M. He also has experience as a treasurer of small non-profits. He currently works as a consultant with MDR Consulting. \n  \nWe will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the conversation. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \nQuestions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-financial-management/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/092923-COTC-PR-IMG.jpeg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230915T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230915T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20230908T190519Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230908T190519Z UID:32174-1694779200-1694784600@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Show Us the Money! Grants for Historical Organizations DESCRIPTION:Show Us the Money! Grants for Historical Organizations \nSeptember 15\, 2023\, 12:00-1:30 p.m. \nA conversation with John Galuzzo of the MHA and South Shore YMCA\, Lisa Simmons of Mass Cultural Council\, and Stacia Caplanson of Preservation Massachusetts\, moderated by Mass History Alliance Commons Coordinator Rachel Hoyle. \nGot funds? We’re starting off the season with a bread-and-butter session about grants for Massachusetts historical organizations. Join us for a conversation about what’s available for programming\, for staff\, for buildings. We’ll also talk about how to get into the grants game\, and how to present a program or project so it’s attractive to a funder. \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \nWe will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the conversation. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \nQuestions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-grants-for-historical-orgs/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Show-us-the-Money.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230407T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230407T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20230329T133915Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230329T133915Z UID:31665-1680868800-1680874200@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Sustaining Engagement: High Schoolers and History DESCRIPTION:Sustaining Engagement: High Schoolers and History \nApril 7\, 2023\, 12:00-1:30 p.m. \nA conversation with Bob Nasson of the Concord Review\, Carina Ohlen of RevSpaces\, and Elyssa Tardif and Simbrit Paskins of Mass Historical\, moderated by Salem State Professor Margo Shea \nHow do historical organizations build new audiences and partners in our communities? What brings young people through the door? How are we reaching and partnering effectively with high school students? How can we inspire interest and passion about the past and help build connections between past\, present and future that are relevant to young people? Join us on April 7 to hear from a panel from Massachusetts Historical Society\, Revolutionary Spaces\, and the Concord Review to explore and brainstorm best practices for engaging young people in history and historical thinking! Moderated by Margo Shea of Salem State. \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \nQuestions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-high-schoolers-and-history/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Sustaining-Engagement-High-Schoolers-and-History.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230120T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230120T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20221221T031843Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230113T020540Z UID:31385-1674216000-1674221400@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Historical Reenactors DESCRIPTION:Historical Reenactors: Hobby\, Avocation\, Profession\, Lifestyle? \nJanuary 20\, 2023\, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. \nA conversation with historical reenactors Clare Hurley\, Chris Hurley\, and Sarah McDonough\, moderated by Eric Peterson\, Executive Director of the Waterworks Museum and Vice President of the Mass History Alliance \nMany of us love history\, but there are some that take their enthusiasm for the past to extraordinary lengths: they actually live history. They immerse themselves in a particular historical era\, assuming the identities of historical types or specific individuals for hours or even days at a time. Their commitment is not just measured by time and money invested\, but by attention to historical accuracy. Studying the period\, eating the food\, making\, and wearing the clothes\, learning the social conventions\, firing the weapons: it’s an all-in devotion to getting the details right. But what is it about reviving an historically accurate event or person that inspires living history practitioners to endure itchy\, ill-fitting clothes\, weather events\, long marches\, and endless practice? Is it the thrill of public performance? Fulfillment from teaching accurate interpretations? Camaraderie amongst the avid? Join local reenactors as we explore their long-time allegiance to bringing the past back to life. \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Christopher J. Hurley has a B.A. in Mass Communications from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst\, an M.A. in Software Engineering from Brandeis University and works for a medical software company. He has been a historical reenactor since 2007\, usually in portrayals related to the era of the American Revolution. Although he’s often seen as a nameless militiaman in countless battles\, Chris has portrayed distinct individuals caught up in the tides of history. In the annual Battle of Lexington reenactment\, Chris portrays Asahel Porter\, a released prisoner of the British Regulars who may be the first fatality of the Revolution. Chris is a board member of The Lexington Minute Men.\n \n \n \n \n \n Clare L. Hurley holds a BS in Biology from Framingham State University and a MMHS from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management\, Brandeis University. She has been working at the Heller School editing manuscripts related to health economics for nearly 25 years. She began in the hobby of 18th century reenacting in 2005 for the Woburn Historical Society and was joined by her husband in that hobby a couple of years later. She participates in numerous events with the Lexington Minute Men. She is also part of the Lexington Historical Society (LHS) Colonial Singers and Linen and Lace\, a three-person musical group performing Colonial-era music. While Clare mainly participates in 18th century reenactments\, she has also portrayed a Pilgrim\, a civil war nurse\, and an Irish maid (complete with a counterfeit brogue) circa 1910. Clare is a board member of the Woburn Historical Society.\n \n \n \n \n \n Sarah McDonough has an M.A. in Museum Education from Tufts University\, specializing in 18th century social history and material culture\, as well as a background in theater. Currently the Public Programs Manager at Lexington Historical Society\, Sarah began her work in Lexington as a costumed museum educator and tour guide in 2009\, and joined the world of reenacting in 2013. Over time\, Sarah’s historical hobbies have grown from simple sewing to hearth cooking and spinning thread on a spinning wheel. She is a member of His Majesty’s 10th Regiment of Foot\, a British Army reenactment group\, and is a volunteer at Minuteman National Park and Newport Historical Society\, where she has portrayed a wide range of colonial women from tavern keepers to codfish aristocracy.\n \n \n \n \n \n Eric Peterson has a BA in History from Vassar College. In 2009\, while earning a Masters in Museum Studies from Harvard’s Extension School\, he volunteered at the newly created Metropolitan Waterworks Museum in Chestnut Hill\, MA and has worked there ever since. For the past 5 years\, he has served as the Executive Director of the Waterworks Museum. Committed to strengthening public awareness of the vital importance of history by helping to protect the sites\, artifacts and organizations that bring the past into the present\, Mr. Peterson currently serves as Vice President & Treasurer of the Massachusetts History Alliance. He is also a co-founder of Industrial History New England.\n \n \n\nQuestions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-historical-reenactors/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/cotc_featured_20230120.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221209T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221209T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20221130T230414Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221201T225132Z UID:31312-1670587200-1670592600@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Collecting for the 21st Century DESCRIPTION:Collecting for the 21st Century \nDecember 9\, 2022\, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. \nWith Carolyn Goldstein\, Public History and Community Archives Program Manager at University Archives & Special Collections\, Healey Library at UMass Boston\, and Susan Navarre\, Executive Director of the Fitchburg Historical Society \nAs historical organizations increasingly take on the role of relevance to a wider audience\, we need to collect different “stuff” from a more diverse population. Perhaps your town has changed over the past century and your collections do not reflect the local histories of people and groups who are now a vital part of your community. How do you go about enriching your collections with their stories and connecting them to older histories? What are the obstacles and successes you have met with? How have you partnered with different individuals and groups to make sure your collections do not only speak to the distant past? Join us on Dec. 9\, 12:00-1:30 for a conversation on the art of proactive collecting of community history in the twenty-first century.  \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE.\n \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Carolyn Goldstein coordinates the Mass. Memories Road Show and teaches public history at UMass Boston. Together with Andrew Elder\, she is the co-developer of RoPA\, the Roadmap for Participatory Archiving. RoPA is an online resource that guides libraries and cultural organizations through the process of collaborating with community members to plan engaging and inclusive participatory archiving events and to create digital collections.\n \n \n \n \n \n Susan Navarre has been the Executive Director of the Fitchburg Historical Society since June 2013. She studied Art History at the graduate level at Boston University; after receiving a B.A. in Art History from Bryn Mawr College. She has been a project humanist for MA Humanities-funded programs and has spoken at the Massachusetts History Conference\, where she is currently on the organizing committee. Under her leadership\, the Fitchburg Historical Society has received Bridge Sponsorships and other funding from Mass Humanities. She is currently active as a board member for the Fitchburg Cultural Alliance and member of the Fitchburg Cultural Initiative Advisory Committee and Board of Directors of Mass History Alliance. She has spoken on Fitchburg history at Fitchburg State University\, the Fitchburg Senior Center\, to the City Council\, and for numerous local clubs. Susan lives in Leominster and grew up in the Detroit area.\n \n \n\nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-collecting-for-the-21st-century/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/cotc_featured_20221209b.png ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221207T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221207T203000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20220206T003041Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221220T211712Z UID:14048-1670439600-1670445000@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:History Studio: Screening and discussion of 'Contradictory Place' DESCRIPTION:A screening and discussion with film collaborator Professor Robert Forrant \nFrom the 1830s through the Civil War\, many Lowellians from all walks of life engaged in concerted efforts to block the expansion of slavery and helped freedom seekers even when this meant defying federal law. “A Contradictory Place” offers viewers a way to learn about an important\, but too often neglected\, chapter of our history. The forty-minute film was written by Robert Forrant and Maritza Grooms\, produced by former Lowell Telecommunications Executive Director Wendy Blom\, and edited by former Lowell Telecommunications News Director Caroline Gallagher. \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Robert Forrant is Distinguished University Professor of History at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and a Lawrence History Center board member. He has been the principal historian on numerous projects funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities\, the Lowell National Historical Park\, and Mass Humanities. In 2018 he was the Humanities Scholar in Residence funded by the Massachusetts Endowment for the Humanities to work with the Hatfield\, MA Historical Museum. Utilizing newly discovered archives he produced a scholarly article and helped to produce an exhibit on the Porter McLeod Machine Company\, a small machine shop that exported the lathes it built around the world. His new book\, Interpreting Labor and Working-Class History at Museums and Historic Sites\, with Mary Anne Trasciatti\, will be published by the University of Illinois Press in June 2022 in its Working-Class in American History series. \n \n \n\nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/history-studio-contradictory-place/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:History Studio (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/HS_featured_contradictoryplace1.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221202T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221202T130000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20221019T023630Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221220T211051Z UID:31147-1669982400-1669986000@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:History Studio: Ten Footer Shoe Shops DESCRIPTION: \nBootmaker and Artist Sarah Madeleine T. Guerin presents her work as an artisanal Keeper of Tradition in Massachusetts and a working artist. With a thorough knowledge of traditional Western bootmaking\, Sarah researches and analyses the connections between evolving methods of footwear making craft of the 1800s in Massachusetts – with an architectural focus on vernacular Ten Footer Shoe Shops – to the stability of a contemporary art practice heavily based in handmade footwear techniques and skills. Sarah holds degrees in Fine Arts and Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design\, was certified in Footwear at Cordwainers College – London College of Fashion\, apprenticed with Colorado bootmaker Jim Covington\, founded the bootmaking studio Saboteuse\, and is a mentor artist in the Mass Cultural Council Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program. Q & A to follow presentation. \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE. \nA bi-cultural artisan\, Sarah builds Western boots by hand with the passion of her New England work-ethic and her French design sensibilities. A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design’s architecture and Cordwainers College’s Intensive Summer Footwear programs\, Sarah’s design skills were complimented by years of training in a variety of hands-on workshops culminating in a one-on-one Western bootmaking apprenticeship. She established the atelier Saboteuse in 2015. Driven by creative process\, Sarah intentionally combines bootmaking\, artmaking\, historical research\, and public engagement to better understand relationships between knowledge and quality. Steeped in tradition\, her work illustrates meticulous craftsmanship and the unique\, thoughtful creativity that makes Saboteuse boots stand apart. Through her provocative bootmaking practice Sarah shares her journey with an uncurated public. With every stitch and decision Sarah slowly builds beautiful handmade boots that unravel a good story – her clients become a collaborative influence in this traditional American craft. \nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/history-studio-ten-footer-shoe-shops/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:History Studio (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/featured_hs_20221202-1.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221118T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221118T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20221028T172213Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221113T222248Z UID:31051-1668772800-1668778200@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Yoga in the Museum DESCRIPTION:Yoga in the Museum: Sharing Innovative Programs for Historical Organizations \nNovember 18\, 2022\, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. \nJoin Bob Perry\, Executive Director at the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation\, and Saria Sweeney\, Community Programming Coordinator at Old Colony History Museum\, for a conversation about how history organizations can broaden their base of support through programming that moves well beyond the traditional tours and exhibits. Yoga? Maker spaces? Music? Bike repair? Cooking? What exciting new (or long-term) programs do you offer to your community? How did you develop your program? How is it funded and staffed? What is community response? And what do’s and don’ts can you share with your history colleagues across the Commonwealth? \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE.\n \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \n(Featured image courtesy of the Peabody Essex Museum.) \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Saria Sweeney has been the Community Programming Coordinator at the Old Colony History Museum since 2016\, growing alongside the Museum’s program offerings from a part-time to full-time employee and now facilitating over 100 programs a year.\n \n \n \n \n \n Bob Perry is Executive Director at the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation\, a small industrial museum in a historic textile mill in Waltham\, Massachusetts where he’s led the organization since June 2015. Bob’s path to museum work was wholly unconventional. He spent 30 years in food service\, the first 8 years managing at Herrell’s Ice Cream and the last 22 at The Elephant Walk\, Cambodian and French restaurants which he co-founded in 1991. After leaving restaurant life behind in 2013 Bob led Local First organizations in Brookline and Waltham and the revival of the Watch City Steampunk Festival. A native Bostonian\, Bob grew up in Asia before finishing high school in Connecticut and finally returning to the Boston area for keeps upon starting college. His happy home includes two dogs and two cats – all rescues – and for fun he races sailboats year-round on Boston Harbor.\n \n \n\nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-yoga-in-the-museum/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/cotc_featured_20221118-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221026T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221026T200000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20221019T020636Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221019T024848Z UID:31145-1666809000-1666814400@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:History Studio: Exploring Women's History Through Folksongs DESCRIPTION:A Silver Dagger: Exploring Women’s History Through Folksongs \nWednesday\, October 26\, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. \nPassed down for generations\, folk songs provide insights into the lives of ordinary people in centuries past. Diane Taraz mines these traditional songs for clues to the inner lives of people in Europe and America from about 1500 to 1850\, especially women. Women left few written records\, but we can learn much about them through the music that they used to speed their work\, lift their spirits\, or ease an aching heart. \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Steeped in history\, Diane Taraz creates programs that use the music of an era to show the inner lives of people who lived long ago. Women\, especially\, left behind few records of their existence\, but the songs they used to speed their work\, sing a child to sleep\, or ease an aching heart show us their minds and hearts. Diane is on the Scholarly Advisory Board of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History\, based in New York City\, and brings her programs to museums\, universities\, libraries\, and historic houses throughout New England. She is director of the Lexington Historical Society Colonial Singers\, for whom she has produced two CDs\, and her own two dozen recordings are enjoyed worldwide.\n \n \n\nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/history-studio-exploring-womens-history-through-folksongs/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:History Studio (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/featured_hs_20221026.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221021T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221021T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20221014T150701Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221014T154543Z UID:31049-1666353600-1666359000@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Neutrality and Engagement for Historical Organizations DESCRIPTION:Neutrality and Engagement for Historical Organizations \nOctober 21\, 2022\, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. \nMuseum people are talking a lot about whether their organizations should be politically “neutral” in their presentation and interpretation of history. But what is neutrality? Or what does it mean for museums and historical organizations to be engaged in the questions that confront us today\, such as diversity\, climate change\, or violence? How do organizations decide on their programming? Veteran museum directors Gloria Greis and Tom Putnam join us for a conversation that tackles the question of “neutrality” from a practical or process-oriented rather than prescriptive direction. How does a museum decide what exhibits or programs to present? How do you bring a variation of viewpoints into your work?  Do you consider the political import of what you are doing and how does that work? Do you get pressure and how do you deal with it? Who do you look to for examples of good work or best practices? What is your process of going from idea to reality? Join us and share your experiences! \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE.\n \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Gloria Polizzotti Greis been Executive Director of the Needham History Center & Museum since June 2002. She has worked in museums since 1985. She has also taught both Anthropology and Museums Studies at the college level\, and had experience teaching in a museum setting with high school and elementary school classes. Dr Greis is a Needham resident. She holds a PhD in Anthropology\, specializing in the archaeology of prehistoric Europe. She is the author of two books on archaeology; a book and three films on local history; several articles on history\, archaeology and various other topics; and writes a weekly local history blog. She is Chair of the Needham Historical Commission\, sits on several municipal committees and nonprofit boards\, and is an elected Fellow of the Massachusetts Historical Society.\n \n \n \n \n \n Tom Putnam is the former Executive Director of the Concord Museum and former Director of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. He served for eight years as a member of the board of directors of Mass Humanities\, the Commonwealth’s state humanities council including two years as Chair. A graduate of Bowdoin College and the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University\, he was a Thomas J. Watson Fellow in Quebec\, Canada; a Fulbright Scholar in Senegal\, West Africa; and the recipient of a Harry S. Truman Scholarship. He began his career teaching history in a public high school in Maine. And for close to a decade\, he directed a federally funded Upward Bound program helping low-income high school students from throughout New England to be the first in their families to attend college.\n \n \n\nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-neutrality-and-engagement-for-historical-organizations/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/neutrality-and-engagement-image.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221007T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221007T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20220927T214506Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220930T141849Z UID:31044-1665144000-1665149400@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Blogging History DESCRIPTION:Blogging History: Creating Rare and Valuable Internet Content \nOctober 7\, 2022\, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. \nHistorical organizations are sitting on that rare and valuable beastie on the internet: interesting content. This makes blogging an attractive option for sharing local history\, showing what you have\, and exploring issues concerning history and society. On October 7\, 12:00-1:30 p.m.\, we will have a conversation with veteran history bloggers Elaine Clements of the Andover Center for History and Culture and History Buzz\, and Anthony Vaver of the Westborough Center for History and Culture at the Westborough Public Library (author of Westborough Center Pastimes) about their experiences. What do they write about? What do they NOT write about? Do they have one author or more? What kids of responses do they get? Do they repurpose information and blog posts? How often do you need to write/publish to make it successful? What are the advantages and disadvantages of different platforms? What are some of the do’s and don’ts of blog writing? Join us for a wide-ranging conversation and share your successes and the obstacles you have had to overcome in your blogging experiences! \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE!\n \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Anthony Vaver directs the Westborough Center for History and Culture at the Westborough Public Library\, where he writes a monthly blog. Before taking this position\, he wrote and maintained the blog EarlyAmericanCrime.com and wrote two books about the topic.\n \n \n \n \n \n Elaine Clements has been Executive Director of the Andover Center for History and Culture (ACHC) since 2001. She has a Master’s degree in Museum Studies from the Cooperstown Graduate Program. Prior to ACHC\, Elaine worked with Historic New England and was the director of the Museum of Early Trades & Crafts in Madison\, NJ. Sharing local history stories has been a key part of Elaine’s work in museums. The pandemic opened opportunities to take local history research and writing to a new level.\n \n \n\nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-blogging-history/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/COTC_featured_20221007.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220923T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220923T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20220911T224035Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220923T004226Z UID:30524-1663934400-1663939800@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Be an AASLH History Leader DESCRIPTION:You Could Be a National Leader! Learn about the AASLH Leadership in History Awards  \nSeptember 23\, 2022\, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. \nWith:\nAASLH History awards representatives Pilar Garro (Massachusetts representative) and Gavin Kleespies (Region 1 representative)\n2021 AASLH History award recipients Charan Devereaux\, of Somerville Museum\, and Adda Maria Santos\, of Somerville High School \nThe American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) has been giving Leadership in History awards for over 75 years. These awards are available to institutions of all sizes\, from all-volunteer to statewide organizations. They aim to recognize superior and innovative achievements in many different types of projects\, including publications\, exhibits\, public programming\, and more. Award winners come from all over the country\, from organizations of all kinds\, sizes\, and budgets and serve as models and inspirations for others in the field. If your organization did something great or was really creative and you think the project is worthy of an award\, come find out about AASLH Leadership in History program.  \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE.\n \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Gavin Kleespies is the Director of Programs\, Exhibitions\, and Community Partnerships for the Massachusetts Historical Society and has been with MHS since 2014. He has worked in public history for over twenty-five years including being the executive director of two historical societies\, most recently in Cambridge\, Massachusetts. He has been appointed to the Massachusetts 250th Commission\, the Massachusetts Historical Commission and the Cambridge Historical Commission and serves as a board member for the Massachusetts History Alliance and the Fenway Alliance. He is a regional representative for the AASLH Leadership in History Awards and serves on the AASLH 250th Task Force. He has been elected a member of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Historical Society. He did his undergraduate work at Bard College\, where he majored in economics and then received a master’s degree from the University of Chicago with a concentration in American History.\n \n \n \n \n \n Pilar Garro is a 20-year museum veteran with an expertise in administration and community building working at myriad organizations in Massachusetts. Currently\, Ms. Garro is the Portfolio Business Director of the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln\, MA; a flagship property operated by The Trustees of Reservation. She oversees the museums’ various earned revenue streams along with the preservation and maintenance of the site.  Previously\, Ms. Garro worked at the House of the Seven Gables in Salem\, MA\, Crane Estate in Ipswich\, another Trustee’s property\, and Historic New England’s Beauport\, the Sleeper-McCann House in Gloucester. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wheaton College and a Master of Arts in Museum Studies and Applied Arts from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. She attended the Attingham Summer School\, devoted to the study of the English Country House\, in July 2010 and is a past board member of the New England Museum Association\, Salem Historical Society and North of Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau. Ms. Garro is looking forward to becoming more involved in Lincoln\, MA and MetroWest.\n \n \n \n \n \n Charan Devereaux is the curator/producer of “Faith in a City: Exploring Religion in Somerville\, Massachusetts\,” a project created in partnership with 20 local religious communities and exhibited at the Somerville Museum. Her earlier project\, “Union Square at Work: Photographs\, Stories and Music from Somerville’s Oldest Commercial District” was also exhibited at the Somerville Museum. A former Research Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School\, Charan’s projects have received support from Mass Humanities\, The Boston Foundation\, the National Endowment for the Humanities\, Somerville Arts Council\, the New England Foundation for the Arts\, the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the Passim Iguana Fund.\n \n \n\nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversation-on-the-commons-be-an-aaslh-history-leader/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Conversations-on-the-Commons-1-1280x720-1.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220408T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220408T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20220206T002924Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220402T235155Z UID:14046-1649419200-1649424600@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: 250th Anniversary of the American Revolutionary War DESCRIPTION:Casting A Broader Net: Telling New Stories for the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolutionary War \nApril 8\, 2022\, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. \nA Conversation with Patrice Todisco\, Executive Director of Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area; Jonathan Lane\, Coordinator of Revolution250; and Juliet Jacobson\, Board member of the Pioneer Valley History Network \nWe’re hard by the 250th anniversary of the Revolution and plans are cropping up everywhere. Across the Commonwealth\, they seem to have one thing in common: a need to explore the smaller\, human stories of the American Revolution. The approaching semiquincentennial is an opportunity to tell a multifaceted history that includes the experience of all people in the Commonwealth: militia members\, heroes\, women\, servants\, enslaved\, rich and poor\, children and adults\, loyalists and patriots. They plan to share stories we’ve known\, and stories we still need to uncover. Are you ready to start planning for 2026? What’s out there? What angle is your town taking? \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE.\n \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Jonathan Lane has more than 30 years’ experience in public history\, tourism and cultural programming. While his employment has led him to many leading institutions\, including Plimoth Plantation\, the American Antiquarian Society\, Berklee College of Music and now\, the Massachusetts Historical Society\, his historical studies has taken him to libraries and archives throughout the U.S. and United Kingdom. He is the author of numerous small monographs\, and the editor of From the Potomac to the Etowah\, the Civil War Correspondence of Alonzo Hall Quint. He is currently the Coordinator of Revolution 250\, a consortium of more than 70 organizations across the Commonwealth\, working together on the commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution.\n \n \n \n \n \n Juliet Jacobson is a user interface and user experience designer specializing in history and humanities websites and interactive exhibits for museum settings. She has designed many award-winning\, family-friendly sites about American history and other humanities topics.\n \n \n \n \n \n As the Executive Director for the Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area\, Patrice Todisco works in partnership with the National Park Service to oversee the implementation of programs and projects designed to interpret\, promote\, and preserve the cultural\, natural\, and historic resources of 45 communities in Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. With a background in cultural landscape management\, urban planning\, and landscape architecture\, she has held leadership positions in the public and non-profit sectors managing organizations\, projects and processes that preserve\, expand\, and enhance the public realm and urban open space. As a writer\, landscape historian and independent researcher\, Patrice explores themes relating to culture\, design\, and the environment.\n \n \n\nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-2/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/REV-250-Convo.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220318T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220318T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20220206T002750Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220927T214017Z UID:14043-1647604800-1647610200@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Filmmakers and Historical Organizations DESCRIPTION:Filmmakers and Historical Organizations \nMarch 18\, 2022\, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. \nWe’re taking public history to the silver screen in the next Conversation on the Commons! In our latest topic\, “Filmmakers and Historical Organizations” we’ll welcome twice Emmy-nominated producer Andrew Giles Buckley\, and New York Times best-selling author\, award-winning documentary producer\, and long-time history enthusiast Rick Beyer to present on their filmmaking projects with Massachusetts history connections. Have you worked with a filmmaker? Created your own video? Would you like some tips on how to create compelling video? Join us to learn about filmmaking\, innovative public history\, and their fascinating projects! \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE.\n \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Rick Beyer is an award-winning documentary filmmaker\, a New York Times best-selling author\, and a long-time history enthusiast. He wrote and produced the PBS documentary The Ghost Army\, telling the story of an extraordinary U.S. Army deception unit in WWII. He also co-authored a bestselling book on the unit\, The Ghost Army of World War II\, and is president of the Ghost Army Legacy Project. Beyer has made documentary films for The History Channel\, A&E\, National Geographic\, and others. He is the author of the popular Greatest Stories Never Told series of history books. His most recent book\, Rivals Unto Death\, is a compelling account of the fateful rivalry of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. He leads historical tours in the US and Europe\, and has appeared on CBS\, Fox News\, MSNBC\, NPR\, CNN and elsewhere. After more than 30 years in Massachusetts\, he now lives with his wife Marilyn Rea Beyer\, in Chicago.\n \n \n \n \n \n Andrew Giles Buckley is the Host and Producer of Hit & Run History\, a historical novelist\, travel book author\, opinion journalist and world-class storyteller. A two-time Emmy-nominated producer\, Andrew founded Hit and Run History in 2008\, and the public media series has been hosted on GBH’s History site and broadcast on Rhode Island PBS and on local stations from DC to LA. Recipient of over 70 Massachusetts Local Cultural Council Grants and two grants from MassHumanities\, Andrew takes his film crew down to the street level to investigate lesser known chapters of history with a travel element — less Ken Burns and more Anthony Bourdain. He lives in Chatham with his daughter and their two dogs\, cat and rabbit.\n \n \n\nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-filmmakers/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/featured_cotc_20220318.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220304T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220304T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20220206T003311Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220228T224033Z UID:14050-1646395200-1646400600@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: The Community Preservation Act DESCRIPTION:The Community Preservation Act: In Your Backyard \nMarch 4\, 2022\, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. \nWith\nMassachusetts History Alliance Advocacy Committee\nChase Mack\, Communications Director\, Community Preservation Coalition\nJason Molina\, Chair of Shrewsbury’s Community Preservation Committee\nLinnea Servey\, Chair of Lancaster’s Community Preservation Committee \nWhat is the Community Preservation Act? How can it be used to preserve history on the local level? What are allowable uses? How can your community adopt this bylaw? What kinds of local advocacy need to be done to pass CPA in a town? What are some of the strategies used in running a successful grassroots CPA adoption campaign? Join moderator Erika Briesacher of the MHA Advocacy Committee for a conversation about Community Preservation! \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE.\n \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Linnea Servey worked to bring the CPA to Lancaster with educational forums presented to Town Boards and via zoom meetings. The article passed at ATM with an overwhelming margin and passed at the ballot with a comfortable margin.\n \n \n \n \n \n Chase Mack has been the Communications Director for the Community Preservation Coalition since 2016. The Coalition is a nonprofit organization that helps municipalities in Massachusetts understand\, adopt\, and implement the Community Preservation Act (CPA)\, as well as advocating for CPA at the state level.\n \n \n \n \n \n Jason Molina was the Campaign Manager for the ballot question committee\, Community Preservation Shrewsbury\, which led the Town of Shrewsbury to successfully adopt CPA in November 2020. The road to adoption was challenged by local opposition which necessitated the use of a citizen’s petition to trigger the ballot question. Despite uncertainty with a pandemic raging\, the committee still made great progress to champion Town Meeting and voter support through campaign efforts such as a road show with town boards\, public outreach\, mailers\, newspaper articles and letters to the editor\, and a structured social media presence. Despite a pandemic\, a local debt exclusion on the ballot at the same time\, and no support from town officials\, Shrewsbury voters welcomed CPA with an impressive 59% approval. Following the successful campaign\, Jason was appointed as an At-Large member of the Community Preservation Committee and currently serves as their chairperson.\n \n \n \n \n \n Dr. Erika L. Briesacher is an Associate Professor of History at Worcester State University\, where she specializes in German History and museum studies\, teaching in the areas of museum studies\, material culture\, German/French/European history\, public history\, and nationalism. She got her Ph.D. in European History from Kent State University in 2012\, and her Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Museum Studies and MA in Historical Studies from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2005 and 2006 respectively. She has two books forthcoming: Nordic Days: Festival\, Identity\, and Culture in Lübeck\, 1920-1960 (Lexington Books\, 2022) and Make Me a Mask: Material/Cultural of a Pandemic (Kent State University Press\, forthcoming).\n \n \n\nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-4/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/featured_COTC_20220304.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220218T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220218T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20211003T024151Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220212T171331Z UID:7054-1645142400-1645191000@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Working with the Digital Commonwealth DESCRIPTION:Sharing Your Stuff: Working with the Digital Commonwealth \nFebruary 18\, 2022\, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. \nWith Jake Sadow\, Statewide Digitization Project Archivist at Boston Public Library\, and Betsy McKee\, Secretary and member of the Collections Committee at Longmeadow Historical Society \nHave you considered working with the Digital Commonwealth to digitize any of your collections and get them online? Join us for a conversation on what it takes to do so\, with Jake Sadow of the Boston Public Library. What does it take to get your collection up on the Digital Commonwealth? Are there any obstacles and challenges? What part is easy? What does it take to prepare? Do you have to be an archivist to do this? What is the “rights” situation and how much does it cost? \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Jake Sadow is the Statewide Digitization Project Archivist for the Boston Public Library. He project manages the Statewide Digitization program\, serving as a liaison between Massachusetts-based cultural heritage institutions and digitization staff at the Boston Public Library. He has worked with over 300 institutions to get their cultural heritage collections online\, including libraries\, museums\, historical societies and universities. He also acts as an educator\, raising awareness among library and information professionals of issues in digitization and promoting conversations between institutions to address those issues.\n \n \n \n \n \n My interest in antiques and history began when I lived in an old house in western New York. We started married life with hand-me-down furniture to furnish our two-room apartment. We began to appreciate that our “used” furniture was a lot nicer than the typical cheap student furnishings. I completed my Masters’ degree in Nursing and practiced as a Family Nurse Practitioner. We moved to Massachusetts and purchased our second old house. A chance discovery revealed that the original owner was a gravestone carver. Since that time\, we have tramped over hundreds of old cemeteries in multiple states and taken some 36\,000 photos. I am the President of the Longmeadow Cemetery Association and the Pioneer Valley History Network. I am also on the board of the Longmeadow Historical Society. I am a member of the Springfield Weavers’ Guild\, and my paying job is at Historic Deerfield.\n \n \n\nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-working-with-the-digital-commonwealth/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/COTC-promo-MHA.png ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220204T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220204T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20220114T002824Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220131T020454Z UID:11586-1643976000-1643981400@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Community History DESCRIPTION:Community History: What is it\, and what can it do for you? \nFebruary 3\, 2022\, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. *new time* \nWhat is Community History? What formats does it take? What is the difference between local history and community history? How can we embrace both? How does community history practice require historical organizations to change their understanding of history? What are the challenges and rewards? Has your organization participated in projects that gather and share history from the local community? Are you interested in doing so? Join us for a conversation on the necessity\, joys\, and rewards of engaging with community members in doing history on February 4\, noon-1:30 with Lee Blake\, President of the New Bedford Historical Society and Penni Martorell\, curator of collections at Wistariahurst Museum and Holyoke’s City Historian \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE!\n \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Penni Martorell is curator of collections at Wistariahurst Museum and Holyoke’s City Historian. Martorell’s work at Wistariahurst includes managing and preserving collections and archive\, organizing history exhibits and lectures; providing opportunities for community organizations\, college classes\, school groups and the public to engage with local history through presentations and workshops. She lectures on Holyoke’s industrial history\, local textile and paper industries\, and women history makers. She has lead workshops on preserving heirlooms\, basic textile preservation and is an oral history trainer. Martorell served 5 years on the State Historic Records Advisory Board and has served 6 years as Vice President of The Pioneer Valley History Network. Her passion is book and printing history.\n \n \n \n \n \n As president of the New Bedford Historical Society\, Lee leads a grassroots organization that preserves and celebrates the legacy of African Americans\, Cape Verdeans and Native Americans in her hometown of New Bedford\, MA. Her leadership\, vision\, and work to re-claim the history of Black people in New Bedford has changed the historical narrative of New Bedford and raised the awareness of its role as an important center of freedom and abolitionism during the 19th century. The Society has led the efforts to restore and preserve the Nathan and Mary Johnson House\, the first home in freedom of Anna and Frederick Douglass\, an Underground Railroad site and now a National Historic Landmark. Lee has been awarded 6 National Endowment for the Humanities grants over the past 15 years for the professional development of teachers across the country on the intersection between New Bedford’s history as a maritime port\, the Underground Railroad\, and African American history.\n \n \n\nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-community-history/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/cotc_featured_community-history.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220121T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220121T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20211120T194113Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220114T180100Z UID:7828-1642766400-1642771800@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: All About Objects DESCRIPTION:All About Objects: Artifact Care\, Description\, and Management \nJanuary 21\, 2022\, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. *new time* \nWith Valarie Kinkade\, Principal of Museum and Collector Resource\, LLC\, and Stacen Goldman\, Curator at the Framingham History Center \nFiligree or verdigris? Crazing or cracking?  There’s a lot of talk about archival processes\, but what about object care and description? Do you know how to deal with that mildewed leather portfolio? Pigeon poop on statues or memorials? How do you tag a porcelain teapot? Describe an old painting?  What guidelines do you use? Do you have guidelines for your enthusiastic volunteers? Tell us about your projects\, share your sources\, and let’s connect over a conversation on object collections. \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE!\n \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Before beginning Museum and Collector Resource\, Valarie Kinkade worked for nearly 2 decades in curatorial and collections management in a wide variety of museums\, including the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History\, a Frank Lloyd Wright House\, house museums dating from the 17th and 18th centuries and as the Curator of the U.S. Coast Guard Museum. In the 1990’s she founded Museum and Collector Resource to address a growing need for short-term\, museum-quality collections care\, registration\, museum planning\, exhibit development\, research\, collections moves\, and collections management systems consulting. MCR clients include small\, volunteer-run\, house museums\, tribal cultural centers\, African American museums and HBC’s\, large historical societies\, art museums\, science centers\, religious institutions\, high net worth private collectors\, and multi-national corporations.\n \n \n \n \n \n Stacen Goldman has worked in local history for ten years\, and has been the Curator at the Framingham History Center for the past six. Her work is focused on democratizing historical collections and imagining creative ways of engaging with history through material culture. The goal of her work is to make people feel immersed\, empowered\, and emotionally invested in community history. Stacen holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Bard College and a Master of Arts in History with a certificate in Historical Agencies and Administration from Northeastern University. She was previously the director of the South End Historical Society in Boston.\n \n \n\nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-all-about-objects/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/object-care.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220107T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220107T113000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20211120T193702Z LAST-MODIFIED:20211231T155640Z UID:7824-1641549600-1641555000@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Teaching New England Slavery to Kids DESCRIPTION:Teaching New England Slavery to Kids\n \nA conversation with Kristin Gallas\, principal at Interpreting Slavery \nJanuary 7\, 2022\, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. \nJoin us for our latest Conversation on the Common where we tackle the topic of “Teaching New England Slavery to Kids.” Kristin Gallas is the project manager for education development at the Tsongas Industrial History Center and recently published Interpreting Slavery with Children and Teens. Her work offers advice\, examples\, and replicable practices for slavery-related school and family programs at museums and historic sites. Come and learn with Kristin and share your questions and knowledge. We’d love to hear about the challenges you’ve faced\, as well as the great programs you have developed around this topic. Join us for an informative\, practical conversation with public historians across the Commonwealth. \nRegistration is free. REGISTER NOW!\n \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Kristin Gallas is a principal at Interpreting Slavery. She facilitates workshops for museums and historic sites on developing comprehensive and conscientious interpretation of slavery and speaks regularly at public history and museum conferences. She is the co-editor\, with James DeWolf Perry\, of “Interpreting Slavery at Museums and Historic Sites” (Rowman & Littlefield\, January 2015)\, and author of the forthcoming “Interpreting Slavery with Children and Teens” (Rowman and Littlefield\, September 2021). She developed the Tracing Center on Histories and Legacies of Slavery’s public history efforts and oversaw the design of workshops for educators. Kristin holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary history education from the University of Vermont and a master of arts in museum education from George Washington University. She has led the education and/or interpretation departments at the Montana Historical Society\, the USS Constitution Museum\, and currently at the Tsongas Industrial History Center.\n \n \n\nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-teaching-new-england-slavery-to-kids/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/cotc_featured_teachingslavery.png ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20211210T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20211210T113000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20211120T193408Z LAST-MODIFIED:20211207T233039Z UID:7821-1639130400-1639135800@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Membership...a must? DESCRIPTION:Membership: A Must?\n \nDecember 10\, 2021\, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. \nWith Carol S. Ward\, Executive Director of the Lexington Historical Society\, and Dawn Estabrooks Salerno\, Executive Director at the Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum \nDoes the membership model still work for 2022? Massachusetts Historical Society has just announced that they no longer have a paid membership; all donors are considered members. What is membership\, and what does it mean to your organization and the people who are members? Is membership about money\, or is it about something else\, as well? If you run a membership program\, how do you administer it? If you don’t\, how do you raise funds? How do you get people to feel a connection to your organization? Do you have any ideas for membership benefits\, or resources for reading more about membership models? We’ll discuss what works\, what doesn’t\, and the explore the meaning of membership in 2022. \nThis conversation will be moderated by Gloria Polizzotti Greis\, Executive Director of the Needham History Center & Museum. \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE!\n \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Gloria Polizzotti Greis been Executive Director of the Needham History Center & Museum since June 2002. She has worked in museums since 1985. She has also taught both Anthropology and Museums Studies at the college level\, and had experience teaching in a museum setting with high school and elementary school classes. Dr Greis is a Needham resident. She holds a PhD in Anthropology\, specializing in the archaeology of prehistoric Europe. She is the author of two books on archaeology; a book and three films on local history; several articles on history\, archaeology and various other topics; and writes a weekly local history blog. She is Chair of the Needham Historical Commission\, sits on several municipal committees and nonprofit boards\, and is an elected Fellow of the Massachusetts Historical Society.\n \n \n \n \n \n Dawn E. Salerno is Executive Director of the Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum in New Bedford\, Massachusetts. Under her leadership\, the museum received an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grant and a New England Museum Association (NEMA) Publications Award and realized its two highest ever annual appeals. She also serves on several New Bedford leadership groups including the Local Cultural Council\, the Education Foundation\, The Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts Corporators and NBCreative. Dawn has been a grant reviewer for the IMLS\, the National Endowment for the Humanities\, the Massachusetts Cultural Council and Connecticut Humanities (CTH). She has served on the boards of CTH and NEMA. Her more recent contributions to the field include co-editing “The State of Museums: Voices from the Field” and “For Love or Money: Confronting the State of Museum Salaries” (both MuseumsEtc\, publisher\, 2018 and 2019 respectively).\n \n \n \n \n \n Carol S. Ward has 20 years of collaborative leadership in for profit and non-profit management\, financial oversight\, fundraising\, strategic planning\, Board relationships and grant-winning cultural program development. Ms. Ward is an art historian with her BA from Mary Washington College\, and two Masters Degrees\, her first in Museum Education from the College of New Rochelle\, and her second in Art History from Hunter College. Articles she has written have been published in The Magazine Antiques\, The Historic House Trust journal\, the American Alliance of Museums Magazine\, Antiques Weekly and catalogs for the Bruce Museum\, Morris-Jumel Mansion and Keno Auctions. Her book “Visions of America: The Morris-Jumel Mansion” was published in 2015 and she has recently appeared in the documentary on the making of the hit musical “Hamilton.”\n \n \n\nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-membership-a-must/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/cotc_featured_membership.png ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20211112T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20211112T113000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20211003T024327Z LAST-MODIFIED:20211114T235355Z UID:7056-1636711200-1636716600@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Critical Race Theory (A Primer) DESCRIPTION:Critical Race Theory: A Primer for Historical Organizations \nNovember 12\, 2021\, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. \nWith Julia Jeffries\, Ph.D. Candidate at the Harvard Graduate School of Education\, and Meadow Dibble\, Founding Director of Atlantic Black Box \nYou’ve probably heard about Critical Race Theory in the news lately\, but do you know what it is? Have you addressed it at your museum or historic site? Should you? Do you know how to? What is the difference between Critical Race Theory and African American History? As museums are reimagining their roles and messages in the wake of social\, economic\, and political changes\, join us for a primer on Critical Race Theory and see how to incorporate this work into your own. \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE!\n \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Meadow Dibble is the Founding Director of Atlantic Black Box\, a public history project devoted to researching and reckoning with New England’s role in the slave trade and the economy of enslavement. Currently a Visiting Scholar at Brown University’s Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice\, she received her PhD from Brown’s Department of French with a focus on Postcolonial Studies and taught Francophone African literature at Colby College from 2005–08. Originally from Cape Cod\, Meadow lived for six years on Senegal’s Cape Verde peninsula prior to pursuing her graduate studies; there she published a cultural magazine and coordinated foreign study programs. In collaboration with the team that produces Teaching Hard History\, the Southern Poverty Law Center’s flagship podcast\, she is currently producing “The Diseased Ship Podcast” with support from the Maine Humanities Council.\n \n \n \n \n \n Julia Jeffries (she/they) is a Ph.D. candidate in Culture\, Institutions\, and Society at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her work lies at the intersection of race and identity in K-12 classrooms in both students and teachers. She seeks to use sociological and cultural frameworks to understand how schools can foster student racial and ethnic identity development\, help students understand histories of both oppression and resistance\, and the pivotal role that teachers and their own understandings of identity play in these processes.\n \n \n\nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-critical-race-theory-a-primer/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/11.12-1.png ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20211028T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20211028T200000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20211021T005055Z LAST-MODIFIED:20211021T213241Z UID:7206-1635447600-1635451200@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Archives Hour with the State Historical Records Advisory Board: Veterans' Heritage Grants and more DESCRIPTION:Archives Hour with the State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB): Veterans’ Heritage Grants and more \nOctober 28\, 2021\, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. \nJoin representatives from the State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB) to learn more about resources available to you and your organization for managing historical records. We’ll go over this year’s round of Veterans’ Heritage Grants — the LOI deadline is November 5! — with information on what makes a successful application\, we’ll cover the SHRAB Roving Archivist program\, which pairs a professional archivist to consult with your institution on how to set up and maintain a space for archival records\, and we’ll announce the next cycle of SHRAB Regrants\, which allow institutions to apply for up to $500 of funds to pay for archival supplies. The Roving Archivist and Regrants programs are made possible through support from the National Historical Publication and Records Commission (NHPRC). So mark your calendars to meet some of your SHRAB reps and bring your questions to this informal Q&A hour! \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n John D. Warner\, Jr. has served as the Archivist of the Commonwealth since 1996. A native of Massachusetts\, Warner received a BS in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. He worked as an Assistant Account Executive in an advertising firm in New York City\, a chef and restaurant manager in Massachusetts\, and a teacher at Newton North and Watertown High Schools before completing a PhD in Nineteenth Century American History from Boston College and an MLIS from the University of Rhode Island. Warner taught five years as Adjunct Professor of History at the University of Massachusetts\, Boston. He also served 30 years in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve before retiring in 2018 as a Master Chief Boatswain’s Mate.\n \n \n\nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/archives-hour-with-the-state-historical-records-advisory-board-veterans-heritage-grants-and-more/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/featured_cotc_20211112-1.png ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20211022T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20211022T113000 DTSTAMP:20260423T075119 CREATED:20211003T023857Z LAST-MODIFIED:20211018T154002Z UID:7050-1634896800-1634902200@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Connections Between Local Historical Societies and Academics DESCRIPTION:Town Meets Gown: Connections Between Local Historical Societies and Academics \nOctober 22\, 2021\, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. \nHow can academic scholars and local museums and historical societies work together? Has your museum worked with scholars and/or researchers? Do you have a long term working relationship with a researcher or public history scholar? What have they worked on for you? How do academics work with historical societies? Have you (scholar or museum) received a grant to do this work?  What about student researchers and internship programs? What benefits can they provide to museums\, and how can museums cultivate these relationships with students and scholars to further their mission and goals? Join us for a conversation with Melissa M. Cybulski\, Vice President of the Longmeadow Historical Society; Maryann Zujewski\, Education Specialist at Salem Maritime and Saugus IronWorks National Historic Sites; Bethany Jay\, Associate Professor of History at Salem State University; Brad Austin\, Professor of History at Salem State University; and Jane Becker\, Director of Public History at University of Massachusetts Boston. The conversation will be moderated by Margo Shea\, Associate Professor of History at Salem State University.\n \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE!\n \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Melissa M. Cybulski is Vice President of the Longmeadow Historical Society and has researched\, written and presented extensively for them on topics such as Early Black Lives in Longmeadow\, Longmeadow during the Suffrage Movement\, The Storrs Family and the American School for the Deaf\, and a variety of other topics large and small. She has an M.Ed in English Education and has worked as an interpreter in several museums including The Emily Dickinson Museum and The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center.\n \n \n \n \n \n Margo Shea is Associate Professor of History at Salem State University\, where she teaches public history\, Irish history and world history\, oversees a public history certificate program and supervises internships for History majors. She is the author of Derry City: Memory and Political Struggle in Northern Ireland and several articles and chapters in anthologies on heritage\, memory and collaborative practice. At the heart of her work is a commitment to sharing the tools of public history in ways that center listening in our explorations of the past and do not ignore the larger structures around which memory and identity take and change shape\n \n \n \n \n \n Brad Austin is a professor of history and a secondary education coordinator at Salem State University\, where he teaches classes on New England and Slavery\, United States history\, the Vietnam War\, and sports history. He has authored and co-edited three books\, and he is a series editor for the University of Wisconsin Press’s Harvey Goldberg Series for Understanding and Teaching History.\n \n \n \n \n \n Maryann Zujewski has worked for the National Park Service for over 25 years. She is currently the Education Specialist at Salem Maritime and Saugus Iron Works National Historic Sites. Her professional focus is on standards-based education programs\, teacher professional development\, place-based service learning\, and community-based partnerships. Her most recent work in education at Salem Maritime and Saugus Iron Works centers on the history of slavery\, freedom\, and race–looking back in order to move forward.\n \n \n \n \n \n As Director of Public History for the History MA program at University of Massachusetts Boston\, Jane Becker develops and nurtures the program’s community partnerships\, supervises student internships with cultural organizations\, and teaches public history. Before coming to UMass Boston in 2010\, Dr. Becker worked in exhibition and program planning and as a historian for a wide range of museums and public humanities endeavors in New England\, in venues ranging from large and small history museums both nationally and locally focused; state arts and humanities councils; local and federal historic sites and parks; universities; and local preservation commissions. From 2016-2019\, she served as Massachusetts team leader for AASLH’s Leadership in History Awards\, rejuvenating her passion for supporting the history endeavors of local organizations and communities. She is a believer in and witness to the potential of history in transforming communities and empowering citizens\, and an enthusiastic supporter of the public humanities. She received her PhD in American Studies from Boston University.\n \n \n \n \n \n\nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-connections-between-local-historical-societies-and-academics/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/10.22-1-1.png ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR