This presentation is a pictorial overview of the revitalization of the Con Foster Museum, a local history museum in Traverse City, Michigan. The museum was originally built as part of the Work Projects Administration in 1935. After 50 years of collections accumulations, the site was ripe for conversion from an artifact warehouse to a vibrant and vital part of the cultural life of the community. The 1984 project was coordinated by Caroline de Mauriac working with consultants from the Michigan State University Museum, members of local city government and staff, and most importantly hundreds of community volunteers.

The original building was refurbished and retrofitted to serve as a more compatible site for the conservation and documentation needs of the collections. The exhibits and programs were designed to more effectively use the collections to interpret the history of the community and the surrounding region.

After the museum’s 50th anniversary re-dedication, Caroline continued working with community leaders, staff, and volunteers to operate the site. She also established a friends organization to support development of on going programs and exhibits.

CON FOSTER MUSEUMTraverse City, Michigan

Caroline de Mauriac, Director 1984-1987

Original WPA Museum circa 1935

Before we started,

Con Foster Museum contained nearly 50 years of collecting.

We gutted it all

and started over.

Refurbished woodwork inside and out

Phyllis Bowen strips and refinishes original exterior oak doors and interior curio cabinets.

Of course we preserved the collections

Volunteers, Bill and Vera Steffler, identify and describe artifacts for the museum’s collections records.

Inventoried artifacts

Designed a new interior for the Con Foster Museum

Susan Smith and Caroline build a scale model.

¼” scale model of the building

Built new exhibits

John Norton building new cases.

Volunteers learned preservation and exhibition techniques

Jan Hale makes copies of historic photographs for an exhibit about tourism around Grand Traverse Bay.

Selected artifacts for display

Volunteer, Kim Acker, learns to interpret artifacts for display.

Vera Steffler makes final preparations for an exhibit installation.

Installed new interpretive exhibits

Exhibit installation

Maritime Heritage Alliance Exhibits

New exhibits opened for the museum’s 50th anniversary

Many organizations helped tell the story of the region

Traverse City Fire Department

Grand Traverse Railroad Club

City Opera House Committee

New exhibits interpreted the area’s local history

Lumbering

Pioneer Trades

Early Native Culture

Agricultural Heritage

But look there’s more…

Cigar Store Indian circa 1900

After the re-opening, the museum continued to grow and change … .

.

with …

Special Exhibits

We made dozens of plexiglass boxes to display these lumber era folk carvings.

The Work of Local Artists

Contemporary potter, Frank Ettawageshik, studied the museum’s collection of prehistoric pot sherds to understand and recreate the pottery of his ancestors. He loaned pieces of his work for display and gave demonstrations of his techniques.

Schools Tours and Public Demonstrations

Volunteer, Sharon Leder, trained as one of many docents to give school tours.

Karla Finney, representative of the Grand Traverse Area Weavers Guild, demonstrates the Museum’s floor loom.

Special Projects

The Michigan Quilt Project, sponsored by MSU museum, coordinated an effort to inventory both old and new quilts across the state of Michigan.

Our event included an exhibition of quilts and quilted items drawing from the museum’s collections, local quilters’ work and community members’ heirlooms.

Marilyn Flarety, local quilt expert, helps collect quilt data.

“Quilted But Not Quilts”

“Quilts Revisited”

Special Events

Con Foster Museum’s Annual Folkways Festival featured local artists, craftsmen and performers during a three day event.

A re-enactment group of Metis and fur traders set up a rendez-vous encampment on the grounds of the museum. Pete Noetling demonstrates the

use of a schnitzelbank in finishing ax handles for trading.

Metis re-enactor, Steve Hubert, invites Caroline to join the rendez-vous.

Carol Fischer – Rug Hooker

Mary Decker - Spinner

School groups flocked to the Folkways Festival.

Dan Nickles - Blacksmith

Sally Meyers – Dried flowers and herbs

Musicians, Storytellers and Dancers

Victor McManemy - Folksinger

Leesa Wittus - StorytellerContra Dancers

So many unusual things to see and hear.

My work at Con Foster Museum was one of the most satisfying jobs of my professional career. Working to refurbish and revitalize Traverse City’s local history museum involved the efforts of countless volunteers, contributions from local businesses and organizations and the cooperation of the City of Traverse City’s Commissioners, Mayor and employees. Working with so many different types of people, in both temperament and talent, was challenging as well as rewarding. I feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to serve as their Curator/Director and am certain that as much as I was able to teach the community and volunteers about museum collections, exhibits and programs , I learned even more from the talented and committed individuals who helped make the project a success.

Caroline M. de Mauriac

This work is dedicated to Conrad Foster, founder and first Curator of the Con Foster Museum

and to my husband, Terry Shaffer, who encouraged me in my early career and continues to support me personally and professionally.

Northfield, MN Historical Society Costume Ball

– but that’s another story ...