2018 Award of Excellence
The Gaston County Museum of Art & History
“1872: Full STEAM Ahead”
An exciting project that tied technology, innovation, history, and critical thinking skills together in programs for 4th grade students. A grant-funded portion of the project covered field trip expenses for visits to the museum. The project focused on a court case from 1872 that helped broach topics of textile mills, mill workers’ lives, and the economy of the textile industry at the local mill-owned store.
2018 Award of Excellence
The Museum of the Southeast American Indian
“Return from Exile” Exhibition and Programming
An innovative approach to using a traveling exhibit as a foundation for programming and outreach within a community and to interweave the museum’s other exhibits into the greater narrative of the traveling exhibit. The museum worked with 8th grade students and combined art and history in an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the impact of Indian Removal - students explored the concepts of removal, resilience, and return to homelands in the two day program.
2018 Award of Excellence
The North Carolina Collection Gallery
“Sir Walter Uncloaked: The Man, the Myths, the Legacy”
This exhibit was a playful approach to the 400th anniversary of Sir Walter’s life (and death) and was tied to a larger program on campus. The use of the tabloid magazine format was timely, allowed the curatorial staff to explore the myths and realities of Raleigh’s life, loves, and contributions in a dense wordy format but yet easy to read and follow with well chosen images.
2018 Award of Special Recognition
Emma Lee Locklear for her dedication to the Museum of the Southeast American Indian
Ms. Emma Locklear has become a beloved supporter of the Museum and has recently donated a unique and interesting quilt to the collections. This quilt was a family heirloom and is a “pinecone patchwork design” worked by Maggie Lowry, the daughter of famed American Indian folk hero Henry Berry Lowry. The museum called Ms. Emma “a visionary and true steward of Lumbee history” in their application and it surely seems fitting!
2018 Award of Special Recognition
Steve Compton for his dedicated support of the North Carolina Pottery Center
After reading the nomination, it’s clear that Steve has become a fixture at the Pottery Center and that his work has proved invaluable to the staff and visitors. His love of North Carolina Pottery shows through his work as a researcher and author, working in the collections to catalog and document pieces for both exhibits and the museum’s online portal and by serving on the center’s Board of Directors for many years. The museum’s application described Steve’s work and I’m tired just from reading all he’s done!
2018 Professional Service Award
Pam Meisterfor her tireless work on behalf of the Mountain Heritage Center and North Carolina Museums
Pam has served the Mountain Heritage Center for nine years, after a long career working with museums in Georgia, South Carolina, Louisiana, and North Carolina. Pam has been a mentor for others in the museum field throughout her career, most notably through the formation of the Southeastern Museums Council’s Jekyll Island Institute, providing workshops on skills vital to museum work that get missed in traditional programs, and sharing her knowledge through various portals at conferences, meetings, and online. After a long description of all the great things that Pam has accomplished and given back to the museum world, the application ended with a great synopsis: “Her leadership and inclusion of staff, students, and community members [in museum work] is simply top notch.”
2018 Dennis T. Lawson Memorial Award
Dr. H.G. Jones for his dedication to the preservation of North Carolina history
A quiet man who didn’t toot his horn too very much, Dr. Jones accomplished much in his long career. Beginning as our State Archivist in 1956, just after his service in WWII, Dr. Jones embarked on a lifetime of service to our state’s history. Some of his work still enables us to quickly and easily research things today – he spearheaded the effort to microfilm our state’s newspapers (which then lead to their easy digitization because we are using those negatives still!). His investigative report on the National Archives was cited during the Nixon Tapes trial and helped that institution become more independent, provide even more transparency on government, leading to a greater “check and balance of history.” Dr. Jones helped plan our state’s Civil War Centennial, the Roanoke Island 400th, and the Revolutionary Bicentennial. He helped persuade the Governor and the legislature that we needed to build a new Archives and History Building – on Jones Street! He later became the Director of the Office of Archives and History and oversaw the growth of our historic sites, from the restoration of the Capitol to the addition of Reed Gold Mine, the Wolfe Memorial, and Duke Homestead to the department. Dr. Jones left Archives and History to become the Curator of the North Carolina Collection on campus at UNC, again serving the history of our state in a voracious way, publishing books, articles, and preserving our documents, photographs, and cultural landscape for years.
2018 William T. Alderson Lifetime Achievement Award
Donald B. Taylor for his tireless work to preserve and interpret Bentonville Battlefield
Donny has been a fixture within State Historic Sites for a long time, working at a handful of other sites before landing at Bentonville Battlefield as their manager. Under Donny’s tenure at the Battlefield, the Site grew through the acquisition and preservation of 2,000 acres of battlefield areas! Additionally, Donny oversaw improvements to the interpretation of the battlefield and its trail system and the resulting increase in annual visitation. He also kept his cool during the largest event the Department ever managed, the 150th anniversary of the battle on track despite LOTS of mud and over 65,000 visitors in two days!
