What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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THE YEAR AHEAD 10 WHAT'S UP! FEBRUARY 7-13, 2021 FYI Shiloh Museum Upcoming Events Exhibits: Opening Feb. 8 — "I Just Know I Like to Paint," an exhibit about Ozark folk artist Essie Ward. Opening April 28 — "Meet the Searcys," a look at the North- west Arkansas family who's eponymous home is on the Shiloh Museum grounds. Opening June 15 — "Gone Fishing," a photo exhibit about the sport in Northwest Arkansas. Online programs: Feb. 17, noon — "Nelson Hack- ett's Escape from Fayette- ville and Slavery," a Zoom program with Dr. Michael Pierce from the University of Arkansas, about the slave who fled Arkansas in 1841, his flight to Canada, aboli- tionist efforts to prevent his extradition back to Arkansas, and the diplomatic crisis that his return provoked; one of the virtual Shiloh Sand- wiched-In series. March 17, noon — "Northwest Arkansas Fashion Week," a Zoom program by Robin Atkinson, CEO of the NWA Fashion Forum, about the history, focus, purpose, and stories of the annual event; one of the virtual Shiloh Sandwiched-In series. Right now, the museum is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and is closed on Satur- day. INFO — 750-8165 or shiloh museum.org Online, On Campus, Inclusive Shiloh Museum sets goals for growth in 2021 BECCA MARTIN-BROWN NWA Democrat-Gazette N ever ask Allyn Lord her objectives for the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History — at least, not unless you have time to hear the answer(s). Asked her biggest goal for 2021, her first response is, "Will you permit me more than one?" Then Lord, the museum's director since 2005, makes her list: Fully ramp up our digitization program. "Shiloh Museum of Ozark History has the largest collection of historic image in Arkansas, at nearly 1 million," Lord says. "From the collection's earliest days, we recognized the significance of these resources for the public. But in this day and age, access to digital images is vital, so we began a digitization program which includes creating and maintaining high-quality images online, with their accompanying information, for use by researchers, students, authors and others. The program will provide a compelling user experience, facilitate open access to digital collections, and reflect the breadth and depth of information and collections held by the museum about the Arkansas Ozarks." For the Shiloh Meeting Hall, complete the roof replacement, window repairs and repainting. "While we celebrated the renovation and opening in 2018 of the historic 1871 Shiloh Meeting Hall, the longer-term goal was to adapt the second floor of that building into an exhibit hall, displaying the history of the many organizations that called the building home over the years," Lord explains. "This year the roof will be replaced, the windows will be repaired, and the exterior painted, and we'll be installing those exhibits soon thereafter. We'll do all that in 2021 because, by year's end, we'll celebrate the sesquicentennial (150th birthday) of the hall." Work with the newly created position of museum development manager to strategize a three- to five-year plan. "The goals and vision themselves haven't changed, but our progress in working towards them certainly has," she says. "The audacious vision of a museum campus covering a full city block — meaning that four adjacent properties needed to be acquired — took a giant leap in 2020 with the purchase by the city of a next-door duplex (which is now our digitization center, exhibits shop, and offices) and with the donation by the Tyson Family Foundation of the second next-door duplex (which is temporarily a storage facility). We will soon engage a master planner to work with us and involve the community in visioning how the property will eventually be used. Additionally, as downtown Springdale evolves into a dynamic destination, the The paintings created by folk artist Essie Ward (left) of Marshall grew in popularity when she was invited to participate in the Smithsonian's Festival of American Folklife in Washington, D.C., in 1970. The Shiloh Museum of Ozark History has 59 Essie Ward paintings, believed to be the largest and most complete collection of her work. Ward, who died in 1981, will be remembered in a new exhibit, "I Just Know I Like to Paint," opening Feb. 8. Photographer/ digitization project manager Bo Williams (left in photo at right) and research specialist Rachel Whitaker pause next to the copy stand where historic images will be photographed. Making the Shiloh Museum's collection of nearly 1 million historic images available online is one of the goals of the museum's director, Allyn Lord. (Courtesy Photos/Shiloh Museum) See Shiloh Page 40