#MidwestArchivesConference

[macdetroit2019-blog]

The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

This year’s Midwest Archiving Conference Annual Meeting is pleased to host the reception at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the second largest African American Museum in the country! The museum is a leading institution dedicated to the preservation of the African American experience, featuring the world’s largest permanent exhibit on African American history and culture. Under the leadership of Juanita Moore, the museum has experienced a resurgence post 2011 bankruptcy; now drawing three times the number of attendees, hosting premiere events, and the continuation of its groundbreaking programming such as “Say It Loud : Art , History, Rebellion,”  a commemoration of the 1967 rebellion; and “Oh You Fancy!” – an exclusive celebration of African Americans’ impact on the hair and  fashion industry, examining how these contributions have generated political and social consciousness and global trendsetting. Since 2016, the Wright Museum has hosted the African World Festival, drawing crowds of 200,000 for a three-day weekend celebrating the African diaspora.

A centerpiece to Detroit’s black culture, the museum features a 37-foot terrazzo tile work, the “Ring of Genealogy,” by Detroit’s renowned fresco artist, Hubert Massey. Located on the floor of the Ford Freedom Rotunda, the “Ring of Genealogy” depicts the struggles of African Americans in the United States. Each figure is symbolic of an experience, from slavery to present day violence, the hunger for knowledge, the importance of spirituality and the upward mobility of African Americans.  Bronze nameplates of prominent African Americans in history, surround the piece, and each year new names are added during the Ford Freedom Awards. In 2016, the museum unveiled the "United We Stand" sculpture by Kresge Eminent Artist Charles McGee – a 20-by-20-foot work permanently installed at the museum's front entrance on Warren Avenue. The museum is a foundation for African American contributions in art, music, and culture.

 Founded in 1965 as the International Afro-American Museum, by Dr. Wright and 30 community members, the museum preserves over 35,000 artifacts and archival materials and is home to the Blanche Coggin Underground Railroad Collection, Harriet Tubman Museum Collection, Coleman A. Young Collection, the Sheffield Collection - a repository of documents of the labor movement in Detroit, and other collections representing African American history. 

At the Midwest Archives Conference, we are excited to have access to the Wright’s exhibitions:

 And Still We Rise : Our Journey Through African American Culture

This long-term exhibition serves as the central experience of the museum.  The 22,000 square-foot exhibition space contains more than 20 galleries that allow patrons to travel over time and across geographic boundaries.  The journey begins in Africa, the cradle of human life.  Witness several ancient and early modern civilizations that evolved on the continent.  Cross the Atlantic Ocean, experience the tragedy of the middle passage and encounter those who resisted the horrors of bondage, emancipated themselves and sometimes took flight by way of the Underground Railroad.  Throughout this trip, the efforts of everyday men and women who built families, businesses, educational institutions, spiritual traditions, civic organizations and a legacy of freedom and justice in past and present-day Detroit are hailed.  What an awesome journey!

 The Music and Times: Photographs of Leni Sinclair

Leni Sinclair is a renowned visual historian, photographer, social and political activist. Beginning in the 1960s, she documented live performances of legendary American and world musicians, especially those that performed in Detroit, Michigan. Through her work she has amassed an amazing collection of images that reflect the superb talent and artistry found in live musical performances.

Featured are photographs of extraordinary musicians such as Bob Marley, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and many more, alongside a video presentation encompassing her photo documentation of the wider social and political milieu.

 Inspiring Minds: African Americans in Science and Technology

Inspiring Minds: African Americans in Science and Technology is a comprehensive, high-tech and permanent exhibition highlighting trailblazers, contemporaries and careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.  African Americans have contributed to the scientific and engineering output of the United States since the 17th century, and this history is brought to life through interactive computer kiosks, a touchscreen video wall, and hands-on activities and play areas teaching basic engineering concepts.  Four disciplines of scientific advancement are explored: Physical Sciences, Earth Sciences, Life Sciences, and Technology & Engineering.  Within these, Inspiring Minds introduces individuals from across the spectrum of fields, levels of renown, and from times past and present, with particular focuses on African American women in science, black aviators, black inventors, medical ethics, and key historical figures such as George Washington Carver. 

  A is for Africa

Featured are photographs of extraordinary musicians such as Bob Marley, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and many more, alongside a video presentation encompassing her photo documentation of the wider social and political milieu.

 Stories in the Stained Glass : The Art of Samuel Hodge

The works of art included in this long-term installation focus on three areas of African American culture and history.  The Musicians celebrates everyday people who have exercised their right to interpret the world as they see it through songs and instruments.  Dance and Dancers, on the other hand, honors those artists who use their bodies as the medium to express non-verbal emotions, themes and ideas.  And Freedom Advocates is dedicated to notable African Americans who fought and died to ensure dignity and freedom for themselves and their people.  Vivid, colorful and luminescent, this exhibition provides extraordinary imagery and stories in a medium seldom used by African American artists.

 Detroit Performs!

The museum is pleased to present Detroit Performs!, a photomontage dedicated to those who gained national and often international prominence in the performing arts.  Although a majority of these artists moved here from other regions, especially the south, they claimed Detroit as their own, usually crediting it as the place where they honed their skills.  Many of these innovators, John Lee Hooker, Tommy Flanagan and Mattie Moss Clark among them, put unique spins on existing art forms such as blues, jazz and gospel.  Other performers, including Aretha Franklin, Juan Atkins, Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson and Eddie Fowlkes, created whole new genres; for example, soul and techno.

Our salute to the performing arts focuses on three areas: theater, dance and music.  We highlight noted playwrights, choreographers and dancers and a trove of instrumentalists and vocalists who used their talents to bring joy, encourage dialogue and stimulate social change.  We hope this installation provides you with a look at a remarkable and inspiring legacy that continues.

**Exhibit descriptions originated from thewright.org/exhibits

-LL

[macdetroit2019-blog]

Detroit 2019 attendees, have you booked your accommodations?

The Marriott Renaissance Center has added extra rooms!  To make reservations, visit the group rate siteor call Marriott's general reservation line at (877) 901-6632 (note that guests must mention the group name "Midwest Archives Conference" in order to receive the MAC rate).

Located on the famous RiverWalk in downtown Detroit, the Renaissance Center is just steps from all that downtown Detroit has to offer. We look forward to seeing you there!

[macdetroit2019-blog]

Join us for the 2019 Midwest Archives Conference Annual Meeting in Detroit!

Registration is now open for the MAC Annual Meeting in Detroit, Michigan which will be held April 4-6, 2019. Early registration closes on March 4th, online registration will remain open until March 24th.

MAC Detroit will feature:

The largest meeting program in recent memory, packed with both 45, and 90, minute sessions to help you enjoy the most content in a variety of formats

A FULL DAY preconference meeting for business archivists and THREE affordable workshops

Keynote speaker Viranel Clerard, founder of the Detroit Mural Project, the largest public collection of a city's street art in the nation

Awesome tours that offer you the experience to learn more about Detroit's diversity and that demonstrate this year's theme "Innovation, Transformation, Resurgence."

An opening reception at the beautiful, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

Register now: https://midwestarc.memberclicks.net/index.php?option=com_mc&view=formlogin&form=259686

View full program: https://mac2019detroit.sched.com/

Follow our blog or visit the Annual Meeting websitefor more information!

[macdetroit2019-blog]

[macdetroit2019-blog]

Join the MAC Pals Program!

If you would like to participate in the program--as either an experienced member or as a new one--simply check the appropriate box on the 2019 annual meeting registration form. If you already registered but would still like to participate, it's not too late! Please contact Alison Stankrauff at alison.stankrauff@wayne.edu  for more information.

The annual MAC meeting is always such a wonderful opportunity to connect and learn from your colleagues – no matter where you are in your career trajectory. The MAC Pals Program is designed to facilitate that terrific networking.

It gives attendees the opportunity to connect with colleagues in a deep and meaningful way in a mentorship experience for the annual meeting. The program matches newer professionals and/or students with more “seasoned” professionals to act as a guide for the annual meeting.

The program carefully matches meeting attendees and lets them connect at the annual meeting to promote discussion between experienced MAC members and new(er) members and/or first-time attendees. Participants are brought together in a real mentoring opportunity – which is an opportunity for both the more-experienced professional and the less-experience professional.

Conferences and annual meetings can be daunting events and inspire feelings of trepidation, nervousness, loneliness. The MAC Pals Program seeks to knock down those negatives with positives and provide enriching connections to annual meeting members.

Participants connect as they see fit. Once the MAC Pals Program Committee connects mentors and mentees, it is up to them to figure just how they wish to connect at the annual meeting. That can differ widely for different participants – anything from meeting for a meal once through the meeting to attending sessions together, the reception, tours, etc.

Additionally, there’s a great opportunity to connect at the MAC Pals Reception. This will be held on Thursday, April 4th from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the conference hotel’s Michelangelo Room. Come meet up with your pal. Join us for iced tea, lemonade, cupcakes, and excellent and focused connection!

Really – whatever works for you as a participant, you can find an enhanced MAC experience by participating in the MAC Pals Program. If you are an experienced professional, it really can be so rewarding to “pay it forward” to newer members. And for those newer members and students, you can reap the benefits of knowledge from those who have been in the profession for longer than you may have been. It’s certain that if you participate in the MAC Pals Program – whoever you are – you will have a better, richer annual conference experience!

-A. Stankrauff

[macdetroit2019-blog]

Need a hotel room? Fill out this form today!

Currently, all the rooms in our hotel block are filled but don’t lose hope. Fill out this form or follow this link: https://goo.gl/forms/YpnPeQzQxXqv7pOp2 to get your name on a short list for a room reservation at the Marriott RenCen. 

We’re looking forward to seeing you in Detroit!

[macdetroit2019-blog]

Since 1915, the Burton Historical Collection (BHC) has served as a repository of genealogical and regional historical materials.  As the designated repository for City of Detroit government records, the BHC houses materials from the Detroit Housing Commission, City Planning, Detroit House of Corrections and Mayors’ papers.

Clarence Burton (1853-1932), a lawyer and businessman who founded the Burton Abstract and Title Company, donated his vast historical collection to the Detroit Public Library in 1914.  The collection had been amassed for more than four decades, with a primary focus on the history of Michigan, Detroit, the Old Northwest and Upper Canada.  

The genealogical component of the BHC is worldwide in scope with resources for most ethnic groups and for every state in the U.S., Canada and most European countries.  Types of materials include census, land, military and church records, family histories, obituaries and birth, marriage and death indexes.

Among the many treasures in the BHC are:

A letter from 11-year-old Grace Bedell to 1860 presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln encouraging him to grow “whiskers” to improve his appearance and his chances of winning the election.

The 1769 deed to Belle Isle and wampum belt exchanged between British Lt. George McDougall and the Ottawa and Chippewa tribes. The wampum belt and other items gave McDougall ownership of the island in the Detroit River.

The Lone Ranger and Green Hornet memorabilia from the papers of George Trendle, creator of the radio dramas at WXYZ radio station in Detroit.

To see these items and much more, please come for an hour-long tour of the BHC reading room, underground closed stacks and vault.

[macdetroit2019-blog]

The MAC2019Detroit LAC hopes that you use a very powerful tool, Sched,  during the upcoming conference April 3-6 in Detroit, Michigan. Sched features easy color codes for sessions/events, and a filter-by-day option to enable easy browsing and tracking of MAC 2019 Detroit’s conference schedule.

Visit mac2019detroit.sched.com to create a user profile. Once logged in you can use the application to create your own personalized schedule, check out the speakers scheduled for each session, keep track of where you need to be next, and track where your friends are during the conference.

There are Android and Apple apps available so you can bring your meeting along in your pocket. Sched even makes it easy to connect to your social media accounts so your followers know how much new information you’re learning and how much fun you’ve had. So, don’t miss out, go to mac2019detroit.sched.com to get started now!

-J.M.

[macdetroit2019-blog]

Reminder: Call for Posters

The Detroit 2019 Annual Meeting Program Committee invites poster proposal submissions on all aspects of archival practice and research, including from allied and related fields. Submissions are welcome from all MAC members, especially students and new professionals.  Poster presentations may also be solo or group projects.

The MAC Annual Meeting will be held April 3-6, 2019, in Detroit, Michigan, and poster presentations are encouraged to touch on this year's theme of "Innovation, Transformation, Resurgence." Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

an innovative archives program

examination of a practical, problem-solving endeavor

explanation of a research investigation

unique archival project or case study

Proposals must be submitted using this online form and are due Thursday, January 31, 2018.

For more information about proposal evaluation, the submission process, and presentation tips visit the MAC 2019 Call for Poster Proposals website.

[macdetroit2019-blog]

Are you or a colleague thinking of attending your first MAC meeting this spring?

Consider applying for the Emeritus Scholarship for First-Time MAC Meeting Attendees!

This award provides a one-time travel stipend of up to $500 or two $250 stipends to graduate students or practicing archivists who have not previously attended a MAC meeting. The award may be used to cover registration, travel, lodging, workshop fees, and any other meeting expenses. MAC membership is not required, nor do applicants need to reside in the MAC region.

Applications are due February 1 and may be downloaded from the MAC website at https://www.midwestarchives.org/mac-emeritus-scholarship.  This early deadline enables the successful applicant(s) to receive the scholarship committee's decision in time to make travel plans for the spring Annual Meeting.

Applications must include an essay of no more than 500 words and one letter of support. Applications and supporting documentation may be submitted either electronically or by postal mail, and must be received or postmarked by February 1. Electronic submissions are preferred. Please send all submission information to:

Vicki Cooper Special Collections and University Archives Nunn Drive, SL 106B Northern Kentucky UniversityHighland Heights, Ky 41099859-572-5742 cooperv2@nku.edu

[macdetroit2019-blog]

[macdetroit2019-blog]

Early Bird Registration Ends Today!

Don’t miss out on all the exciting things MAC 2019 Detroit has to offer! Lock in the special early bird rate today! 

$135 for MAC members $165 for nonmembers $65 for students

Register here: https://www.midwestarchives.org/2019-mac-annual-meeting

[macdetroit2019-blog]

[MAC] Call for Archival Resources on the Web

Do you have an exciting digital exhibit, website update, or online description project?  The MAC Newsletter is looking for articles for the Archival Resources on the Web feature!  If you are interested in sharing the work you've done to make archives accessible via the internet, we would love to hear from you!

Articles my be submitted by anyone and should be sent directly to Assistant Editor Lauren White (laurenashleywhite@gmail.com) by May 1.

[macdetroit2019-blog]

MAC Detroit 2019 Workshops

There's still time to take advantage of the MAC Detroit early bird rates, and while you're at it, don't forget to register for one of these pre-conference workshops:

Records and Information Management: The Archivist's Loyal Friend Who Should Attend? Anyone who wants to provide guidance on identifying records that should/should not come to the archives or to those interested in building support for a RIM program.Text and Data Mining Basics for Beginners Using Open Source, Off-the-Shelf ToolsWho Should Attend? Anyone curious or interested in text and data mining research methods. No coding skills required!

Digital Preservation Peer Assessment Workshop

Who Should Attend? Anyone interested in evaluating current digital preservation practices at their institutions.

All workshops are $50 and will be held Thursday morning, April 4th from 8:00am-12:00pm.  For a full description of each, visit the conference program or Sched.

[macdetroit2019-blog]

Reminder! Scholarships are still available

2019 Archie Motley Scholarship for Minority Students

MAC is soliciting applications for the Archie Motley Memorial Scholarship for Minority Students. The scholarship is designed to provide financial assistance to minority students pursuing graduate education in archival administration and to encourage ethnic diversification of the MAC membership and of the archival profession as a whole. Two $750 scholarships, accompanied by one-year memberships to MAC, will be awarded. Applications are due in March 1, 2019. Further details can be found at this site http://www.midwestarchives.org/motley.

Other Opportunities: Society of American Archivists' Mosaic Scholarship

The application period for the Society of American Archivists' (SAA) Mosaic Scholarship is currently open, with a deadline of February 28, 2019. The Mosaic Scholarship was established to provide financial and mentoring support to minority students pursuing graduate education in archival science, to encourage students to pursue careers in archives, and to promote the diversification of the American archival profession. The award is given to applicants who demonstrate excellent potential for scholastic and personal achievement and who manifest a commitment both to the archival profession and to advancing diversity concerns within it.

Up to two scholarships of $5,000 each will be awarded, contingent on available funds. In addition, each scholarship recipient receives a one-year complimentary membership to SAA and complimentary registration to the Society's Annual Meeting for the year in which the scholarship was received. For more information on the scholarship, eligibility requirements and application instructions, please visit: http://www2.archivists.org/governance/handbook/section12-mosaic. Click here to apply!

[macdetroit2019-blog]

Learn more about our plenary speaker, Viranel Clerard from an interview with NBC Left Field!

Viranel Clerard is the founder of the Detroit Mural Project, which is dedicated to photographing all the street art in the city of Detroit. As the city undergoes changes, Clerard believes it is important to archive wall murals that are several decades old, as well as the work of new artists shaping the city. He sees his work documenting art murals as one more avenue of community building and making Detroit a stronger place.

You can see Viranel Clerard's photography here: https://detroitmurals.com/