Paperwork...and other exciting stuff!

It might seem like I've been MIA since the underwear exhibit opened, but really I've been holed up in my office catching up on paperwork!

When I'm in the middle of an exhibition, I don't have time to do donation paperwork, so I end up with a stack of it after the exhibition opens.  I'm making it a priority to try to set aside time every week to keep up with it, even if I am up to my eyeballs in exhibit planning, so I don't have to spend another week like last week.

This semester we have two new interns, Rebecca and Mary, who are doing a great job with cataloging all of these new donations.  They are each interested in doing an exhibit too, as well as populating a new artifact slideshow feature on our brand new website, scheduled to launch later this year.  Mary is working with our archivist one day a week, and Rebecca is taking photographs of the artifacts in the Street of Shops.  I'm happy to have the additional help with all of my collections projects.

The staff is also busy making our wish lists for this year's Capital & Replacement campaign.  Members will be receiving this annual appeal in October.  We work really hard to come up with new and exciting funding opportunitites that make our jobs easier.  Our budget is so limited, we can't afford many of these items without the generous support of our donors.  If you are one of them, THANK YOU!

Work is also in progress for Taste of Our Town this Thursday night.  We have a good crowd coming and we're looking forward to this event.

My Tea with the Curator on Monday September 29 is SOLD OUT!  We will be taking a tour of the underwear exhibit after a program on the history of women's underwear.  It promises to be a good time!  I completed the finishing touches on my program yesterday and printed out my notes.  This will now be a brand new outreach program too -- perfect for women's groups!

I also spent some time this week cleaning up my office.  I had piles everywhere!  Underwear that was not ultimately part of the exhibit has been returned to storage.  Research materials from the library have also been returned.  Donations have been processed and moved to the volunteers' office next door for cataloging.  Papers have been properly filed.  Lots of catalogs and magazines have been tossed in the recycling bin.  I had started to forget what color my desk was, since I haven't seen it in so long!

I think that's about it.  Some of the other things on my To Do List include:

• Contacting the Brader owners who will be displaying their drawings in the next Keller Gallery exhibit, The Legacy of Ferdinand Brader, opening December 5 at our Holiday Open House.
• Creating a program based on my book Canton Entertainment.  I was asked if I had a program based on the book, and I had not thought of that!  I'm booked for it in November.
• Designing program and tickets for Taste of Our Town.  I have the 2012 program to tweak, which is much, much easier than starting from scratch!
• I still have some cleaning to do in my files.  My filing cabinet is busting at the seams!  I have trouble getting rid of things.  Being a Curator is only a few degrees away from being a hoarder.  :-)