ROGERS HISTORICAL MUSEUM RECEIVES SOUTHEASTERN MUSEUMS CONFERENCE TECHNOLOGY AWARD
RHM received a Technology Award in recognition of their innovative use of Gallery Installations
Outreach Specialist Luke Brewer, Director Serena Barnett, Collections Manager Jennifer Kick, and Operations Coordinator Jennifer Sweet, with the music interactive featured in “A Parade of Apple Blossoms”.
Rogers, Arkansas — Rogers Historical Museum is pleased to announce they are a recipient of the 2023 Southeastern Museums Conference Gold Award for Gallery Installations, Under $1,000 Budget Category. The SEMC Technology Competition recognizes excellence in the use of technology within southeastern museums and celebrates the accomplishments of innovative work.
The award-winning entry is a music interactive included in the museum’s temporary exhibit, “A Parade of Apple Blossoms”. This exhibit highlighted the Apple Blossom Festivals of the 1920s that were a grand celebration of the apple industry in northwest Arkansas. These festivals featured elaborate costumes, Apple Blossom Queen contests, period music, regional tours, and more that turned Rogers and the surrounding area into “A Parade of Apple Blossoms” each spring.
Museum Director Serena Barnett says, “The RHM staff and I are so honored that our exhibit music interactive was chosen as the gold winner in the SEMC Technology Competition this year”. Barnett explains that, “During the early development of the “A Parade of Apple Blossoms” exhibit, the museum’s exhibits team discovered sheet music in the permanent collection of four songs written in the 1920s relating to our region’s apple industry and Apple Blossom Festivals. We knew then that we needed to find a way to share this historic music in the exhibit. These songs not been played or heard by anyone in nearly a century and we wanted to celebrate these musical contributions from our region’s apple heritage.”
The award-winning entry is a music interactive included in the museum’s temporary exhibit, “A Parade of Apple Blossoms”. This exhibit highlighted the Apple Blossom Festivals of the 1920s that were a grand celebration of the apple industry in northwest Arkansas. These festivals featured elaborate costumes, Apple Blossom Queen contests, period music, regional tours, and more that turned Rogers and the surrounding area into “A Parade of Apple Blossoms” each spring.
Museum Director Serena Barnett says, “The RHM staff and I are so honored that our exhibit music interactive was chosen as the gold winner in the SEMC Technology Competition this year”. Barnett explains that, “During the early development of the “A Parade of Apple Blossoms” exhibit, the museum’s exhibits team discovered sheet music in the permanent collection of four songs written in the 1920s relating to our region’s apple industry and Apple Blossom Festivals. We knew then that we needed to find a way to share this historic music in the exhibit. These songs not been played or heard by anyone in nearly a century and we wanted to celebrate these musical contributions from our region’s apple heritage.”
Rogers Historical Museum’s award-winning music interactive on display in the “A Parade of Apple Blossoms” temporary exhibit.
To create a recording of each song, the museum collaborated with the Arkansas Arts Academy High School music department’s music instructor Dr. Patrick Sallings and student vocalists Tess Ferrigni and Shayla Mac. Barnett notes that, “By pairing their musical talents with modern audio recording technology, we were able to bring these songs from the past back to life and allow them to be shared with our museum visitors.”
As technology continues to gain importance throughout the museum field, expectations and standards were exceptionally high for this year’s applicants. The SEMC Technology Competition received a record number of applications from a wide variety of museums across the southeast.
Winning entries were expected to demonstrate innovation, effective design, accessibility, creativity, and recognition of institutional identity. Recipients of the awards were judged by an appointed jury of museum professionals across the region who specialize in the fields of digital media and technology.
Award winners were celebrated at the 2023 Annual Meeting Awards Ceremony on November 15, 2023, in Louisville, Kentucky as well as in the Fall 2023 Edition of INSIDE SEMC, a digital publication of the Southeastern Museums Conference. This designation recognizes Rogers Historical Museum’s contribution to professional standards in Southeastern museums.
About the Southeastern Museums Conference:
The Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC), a nonprofit membership organization, is an association of museums, museum staff, independent professionals and corporate partners. We focus on the Southeastern United State including: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands.
SEMC works to:
Provide educational and professional development opportunities
Improve the interchange of ideas and information
Encourage respect and collegiality
The Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC) is dedicated to providing a safe, inclusive, and welcoming conference experience for everyone. We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment in any form.
For more information about the Southeastern Museums Conference, visit https://www.semcdirect.net/.
As technology continues to gain importance throughout the museum field, expectations and standards were exceptionally high for this year’s applicants. The SEMC Technology Competition received a record number of applications from a wide variety of museums across the southeast.
Winning entries were expected to demonstrate innovation, effective design, accessibility, creativity, and recognition of institutional identity. Recipients of the awards were judged by an appointed jury of museum professionals across the region who specialize in the fields of digital media and technology.
Award winners were celebrated at the 2023 Annual Meeting Awards Ceremony on November 15, 2023, in Louisville, Kentucky as well as in the Fall 2023 Edition of INSIDE SEMC, a digital publication of the Southeastern Museums Conference. This designation recognizes Rogers Historical Museum’s contribution to professional standards in Southeastern museums.
About the Southeastern Museums Conference:
The Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC), a nonprofit membership organization, is an association of museums, museum staff, independent professionals and corporate partners. We focus on the Southeastern United State including: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands.
SEMC works to:
Provide educational and professional development opportunities
Improve the interchange of ideas and information
Encourage respect and collegiality
The Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC) is dedicated to providing a safe, inclusive, and welcoming conference experience for everyone. We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment in any form.
For more information about the Southeastern Museums Conference, visit https://www.semcdirect.net/.
