Historic Cherry Hill

HISTORIC CHERRY HILL: INITIATIVE TO STRENGTHEN PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE HUMANITIES

MULTIVOCAL LEARNING: ALBANY'S HISTORY FOR ALBANY'S STUDENTS [IN ANTICIPATION OF THE RETURN OF ONSITE VISITATION AND IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING, PENDING NEW PANDEMIC GUIDELINES, HISTORIC CHERRY HILL NOW PROPOSES TO PARTNER WITH THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD EDUCATION CENTER (UREC), HOUSED AT THE STEPHEN AND HARRIET MYERS RESIDENCE AND THE ALBANY COUNTY HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION AT TEN BROECK MANSION (TB) TO: (1) DEVELOP THEMATICALLY-LINKED PROGRAMS WITH CONCRETE CONNECTIONS TO THE NYS CURRICULUM. TOGETHER, THE FIELD TRIPS WILL TO BUILD A STRONGER UNDERSTANDING OF HISTORICAL ISSUES AND THE DIVERSITY OF VOICES AND OPINIONS THAT HAVE MADE AND ARE MAKING HISTORY IN THE UNITED STATES. TOGETHER, THE FIELD TRIPS WILL TO BUILD A STRONGER UNDERSTANDING OF HISTORICAL ISSUES AND THE DIVERSITY OF VOICES AND OPINIONS THAT HAVE MADE AND ARE MAKING HISTORY IN THE UNITED STATES. IN SUPPORT OF THE PROJECT, WE WILL (2) WORK WITH TEACHING THE HUDSON VALLEY TO BUILD A SITE TO PROMOTE THESE PROGRAMS AND PROVIDE ACCESS TO PRE- AND POST-VISIT MATERIALS TEACHERS CAN UTILIZE.] [PURPOSE: TO BUILD A STRONGER UNDERSTANDING OF HISTORICAL ISSUES AND THE DIVERSITY OF VOICES AND OPINIONS THAT HAVE MADE AND ARE MAKING HISTORY IN THE UNITED STATES, WITH PARTICULAR FOCUS ON HISTORIC SITES IN THE UPPER HUDSON VALLEY OF NEW YORK STATE. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: WORKING WITH TWO SUBRECIPIENTS, THE RECIPIENT WILL DEVELOP THEMATICALLY-LINKED PRE- AND POST-VISIT PROGRAMS WITH CONCRETE CONNECTIONS TO THE NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL CURRICULUM THAT ALLOW CLASSES TO TRAVEL TO MULTIPLE HISTORIC SITES IN THE VICINITY OF ALBANY, NY, THEREBY BUILDING A STRONGER UNDERSTANDING OF HISTORICAL ISSUES AND THE DIVERSITY OF VOICES AND OPINIONS ABOUT REGIONAL HISTORY. EXPECTED OUTCOMES: THE RECIPIENT WILL DEVELOP TEACHING MATERIALS THAT CAN BE UTILIZED IN ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY CLASSROOMS; AND IT WILL DIGITIZE 100 ITEMS THAT ILLUSTRATE THE PROJECT GOALS AND ARE CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND/OR UNAVAILABLE AT SUBRECIPIENT PARTNER SITES. INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: THE CURRICULUM MATERIALS DEVELOPED THROUGH THIS PROJECT WILL PRIMARILY BENEFIT ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE RECIPIENT?S REGION AND THROUGHOUT NEW YORK STATE, WHERE THE GRANT PRODUCTS WILL ALIGN WITH THE STATE?S CURRICULUM GUIDELINES. THE GENERAL PUBLIC WILL ALSO BENEFIT THROUGH ACCESS TO THE MATERIALS DIGITIZED AND MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE PROJECT?S WEBSITE. MORE BROADLY, THE PROJECT WILL SERVE AS A NATIONAL MODEL FOR THE INCORPORATION OF DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES IN THE PRESENTATION OF HISTORIC SITES THAT ARE USED BY SCHOOLS FOR TEACHING PROGRAMS. SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: THE ALBANY COUNTY HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION AND THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD HISTORY CENTER, BOTH IN ALBANY, NEW YORK, WILL RECEIVE FUNDS TO JOIN HISTORIC CHERRY HILL IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOL PROGRAMS AT THEIR RESPECTIVE SITES THAT ADDRESS THE CORE THEMES OF THE PROJECT.]

HISTORIC CHERRY HILL WILL DESIGN AND FABRICATE A MULTI-SITE EXHIBIT AND RELATED SERIES OF PROGRAMS CENTERED ON WILLIAM JAMES KNAPP, WHO WORKED IN NINETEENTH-CENTURY ALBANY AS A MUSICIAN, PIANO TUNER, MUSIC STORE CLERK, PORTER, AND NURSE. IN COLLABORATION WITH THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD EDUCATION CENTER, THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER, AND ALBANY BARN, THE PROJECT TEAM WILL IDENTIFY POP-UP SITES THROUGHOUT ALBANY, CONDUCT CONTENT RESEARCH, AND WORK WITH LOCAL ARTISTS TO CREATE SITE-SPECIFIC INTERPRETATIONS OF JAMES KNAPP’S LIFE. AS A RESULT, VISITORS TO ANY OF THE POP-UP SITES WILL EXPERIENCE RELEVANT AND ACCESSIBLE INSTALLATIONS THAT FOREGROUND BLACK LIFE IN 19TH-CENTURY ALBANY AND RECOGNIZE OUR DIVERSE, SHARED PAST AND ITS LEGACIES.

HISTORIC CHERRY HILL WILL BUILD ON PREVIOUS FUNDING AND AUDIENCE RESEARCH TO COMPLETE THE FINAL DEVELOPMENT PHASE OF A NEW APPROACH TO INTERPRETATION FOR THE SITE. WORKING WITH AN INTERPRETIVE PLANNER AND DESIGNER, THE MUSEUM WILL FOCUS ON THE COMPLETION OF SCHEMATIC DESIGN AND DESIGN DEVELOPMENT. THE NEW TOUR AND ORIENTATION EXHIBITION WILL BE DIALOGIC, IMMERSIVE, AND INCLUSIVE, SHARING THE COMPLEX STORIES OF THE DIVERSE MEMBERS OF THE CHERRY HILL HOUSEHOLD AND EXPLORING THEMES, SUCH AS RACE, PRIVILEGE, WEALTH, INEQUALITY, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE--THEMES IDENTIFIED IN FOCUS GROUPS TO BE IMPORTANT TO THE MUSEUM’S TARGET AUDIENCES. THE PROJECT WILL CULMINATE IN A FINAL DESIGN BOOK WITH PLANS, ELEVATIONS, AND SPECIFICATIONS SCHEDULES, WHICH WILL GUIDE THE IMPLEMENTATION PHASE TO COME, HELPING TO RESHAPE THE INTERPRETATION OF THE MUSEUM FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF VISITORS.

HISTORIC CHERRY HILL WILL CREATE HISTORY IS NOW, A TEEN INTERPRETER PROGRAM AND HISTORY LEARNING LAB. THE PROGRAM WILL INCLUDE TRAINING LOCAL TEENS TO CONDUCT TOURS AT CHERRY HILL, OFFERING TEENS MENTORING OPPORTUNITIES, AND PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCES, INCLUDING A SERIES OF CULTURAL SENSITIVITY, DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION TRAININGS. THE TEEN COHORT WILL ALSO LEARN FROM SENIOR CITIZEN VOLUNTEER INTERPRETERS TO PROMOTE INTERGENERATIONAL LEARNING. FOLLOWING TRAINING IN HISTORICAL METHODS, MATERIAL CULTURE, COMMUNICATION, AND OUTLINES OF U.S. HISTORY THROUGH IMMERSION IN CHERRY HILL?S STORIES AND TOUR DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR, HISTORIC CHERRY HILL WILL PARTNER WITH ALBANY?S SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM TO EMPLOY TEENS AS INTERPRETERS.

WE CARRY IT WITHIN US: REINTERPRETATION AT HISTORIC CHERRY HILL [IN 2020-2021, WITH FUNDING FROM THE INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES, HISTORIC CHERRY HILL INITIATED AN INTERPRETIVE PLANNING PROCESS THAT CULMINATED IN THE DESIGN CONCEPT FOR A NEW VISITOR EXPERIENCE. THE PROPOSED PROJECT, WE CARRY IT WITHIN US: REINTERPRETATION AT HISTORIC CHERRY HILL, WILL BUILD ON THIS WORK?AND ON A BODY OF SCHOLARLY AND AUDIENCE RESEARCH PERFORMED OVER 2020-2021?TO COMPLETE THE FINAL PLANNING PHASES OF SCHEMATIC DESIGN AND DESIGN DEVELOPMENT. THE NEW TOUR AND ORIENTATION EXHIBITION WILL BE DIALOGIC, IMMERSIVE, AND INCLUSIVE, SHARING THE COMPLEX STORIES OF THE DIVERSE MEMBERS OF THE CHERRY HILL HOUSEHOLD AND EXPLORING THEMES, SUCH AS RACE, PRIVILEGE, WEALTH, INEQUALITY, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE, THEMES IDENTIFIED IN FOCUS GROUPS TO BE IMPORTANT TO OUR TARGET AUDIENCES: HERITAGE TOURISTS, MILLENNIALS AND RESIDENTS OF OUR IMMEDIATE COMMUNITY.]

HISTORIC CHERRY HILL WILL DEVELOP PROGRAMMING ALIGNED WITH ITS REINTERPRETATION PLAN AND IN PREPARATION FOR THE COMMEMORATION OF THE UNITED STATES SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL AND 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE END OF SLAVERY IN NEW YORK. BUILDING UPON PREVIOUS IMLS FUNDING AND AUDIENCE FEEDBACK, THE MUSEUM WILL CONDUCT HISTORICAL RESEARCH ON ENSLAVEMENT, TRANSCRIBE AND DIGITIZE DOCUMENTS, AND CREATE A NEW TOUR AND PROGRAMMING TO SHARE THE COMPLEX STORIES OF THE DIVERSE MEMBERS OF THE CHERRY HILL HOUSEHOLD. MUSEUM STAFF WILL CONTRACT WITH HISTORIANS, AN INTERPRETIVE SPECIALIST, AND AN EVALUATOR TO ASSIST WITH THE PROJECT. THE RESULTING PROGRAMMING AND NEW FOCUS TOUR WILL HELP RESHAPE THE INTERPRETATION OF THE MUSEUM FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF VISITORS.

HISTORIC CHERRY HILL WILL WORK WITH A CONSULTING INTERPRETIVE PLANNER, DESIGNER, AND EVALUATOR TO DEVELOP A FRESH PLAN FOR THE SITE?S INTERPRETATION. THE PLAN WILL INCORPORATE INSIGHTS FROM A NEWLY FORMED COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD, AUDIENCE RESEARCH, AND A PANEL OF INTERPRETIVE SPECIALISTS AND SCHOLARS. THE NEW PLAN WILL BETTER ADDRESS AND ENGAGE TARGET AUDIENCES, INCLUDING HERITAGE TOURISTS, MILLENNIALS, IMMIGRANTS, AND REFUGEES. THE MUSEUM?S STAFF AND TRUSTEES WILL WORK WITH A TEAM OF CONSULTANTS TO IDENTIFY RESONANT THEMES, INTERPRETIVE MESSAGES AND MODALITIES, AND POTENTIAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR USE IN A NEW INTERPRETIVE PLAN AND INTRODUCTORY EXHIBITION TO THE HISTORIC HOUSE. THE PLAN WILL HELP RESHAPE THE MUSEUM FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF VISITORS.

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

HISTORICAL AFRICAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCES AT CHERRY HILL: LESSONS FOR THE DIGITAL AGE

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

PURPOSE: TO SUPPORT AN EXHIBITION OF VISUAL ART WORKS COMMISSIONED TO RESPOND TO THE LIFE OF JAMES KNAPP, A 19TH-CENTURY BLACK RESIDENT OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.