Unalaskans filled the Museum of the Aleutians (MOTA) galleries last Thursday during an open house hosted by the museum's seven board of directors.
The museum remains closed to the public, but a seasoned interim director has been taking stock and setting a new course for the 17-year-old institution.
At the open house, MOTA board chair Suzi Golodoff welcomed a crowd of over a hundred, giving an update on what's been happening behind-the-scenes and introducing key players. She urged Unalaska residents to stay involved in the museum and "hold our feet to the fire," when it comes to ensuring the museum being run well.
"It's a special place, it houses our treasures and objects and artifacts...also kind-of speaks to who we are as a community, we are very vibrant and ever-changing." Golodoff said.
The Museum of the Aleutians has been shuttered since last November, when former executive director and current Unalaska City Council member Zoya Johnson resigned. Since then, the MOTA board has been in the process of hiring a new staff and overhauling institutional protocols.
Golodoff introduced MOTA's interim executive director. Cynthia Jones - known as CJ - served as the director of the Sheldon Museum in Haines for many years and since retiring, she's been doing contract work for museums all over Alaska.
"I've been in museums from Barrow to Nanwalek and Port Graham, south of Homer. And of all the facilities I have worked in, this one is a beautiful building. Whoever directed the architects in their design did an awesome job, I think it's well-laid out," Jones told the crowd at the open house. "And those of you who have been back in collections storage, it's state of the art, it really is, and very few museum in the state have such a wonderful facility as you have and you should be really proud as a community for what you have here."
Jones assured residents the museum was "in a good place" and the entire collection was "well documented and accounted for." She arrived on Jan. 22 and said she's planning on staying for about six weeks.
This isn't Jones' first time working at MOTA. She made trips here in 2009 and 2010 and has been involved in an ongoing effort to get MOTA accredited by the American Alliance of Museums in Washington DC.
Also at the open house was Curator of Museum Services Scott Carrlee from Alaska State Museums. Carrlee flew out from Juneau to help with MOTA's current transition. He said it's part of the statutory mission of Alaska State Museums to foster museum development in the state.
"We realize that we can't curate every single community, we can't care for the artifacts that matter to you...we can't tell your story from Juneau," Carrlee said. "And my job, believe it or not, is to help you. That's all I do all day long, I answer emails, I answer the phone, when Suzi called, I was there to pick it up and we had a conversation about the path forward for this museum."
Carrlee said he'll be working with the MOTA board over the next few months in conducting a nationwide search to "re-staff this museum with the most professional, high-quality people we can find."
"Scott and I are both willing to help [the board with the hiring process]," Jones said. "We aren't going to be making their decision for them, but in anyway they want us to, we will assist."
The applicant deadline for the executive director position is March 25.
Carrlee told the open house crowd he was enthusiastic about the museum's future.
"You could Maker's Fairs in here, you could have kids building Legos, working with the collection," Carrlee said. "I've told the board that in the future, what I think they should be looking for is 15, 20 years from now, who is going to be the director of this museum who is from this community. That's what I would like to see. Bringing a young person up, getting them inspired about the history and the culture of this area, and having them take over this museum. I think that would be fantastic."
All of the museum's current board members attended the open house. Unalaska high school English teacher, local historian and author Jeff Dickrell is the most recently appointed member. He was appointed by the city council on Jan. 12 and will serve as board vice chair. The board's secretary/treasurer is local marine biologist Melissa Good. Other board members are Unalaska City Manager David Martinson, Iliuliuk Family & Health Clinic Medical Director Dr. Ann Nora Ehret, Brenda Tellman of the Qawalangin Tribe and Patricia Gregory of the Aleut Corporation.
The museum's board decided to host an open house to give the community a chance to meet museum officials, hear the current status of operations and take a rare look at the non-public part of the museum.
Opened in 1999, the museum is a non-profit corporation. The City of Unalaska owns and maintains the 9,250-square-foot facility, which houses approximately 35,000 objects.
Board chair Golodoff said the museum won't reopen to the public until the board has hired a full staff.
"We're hoping before the summer...yeah, we're hoping," Golodoff said. "I think we'll be up and running before you know it."
