Millet Museum pulls back curtain for 25th anniversary
News
Posted By Vince Burke QMI Agency
Posted 1 month ago
MILLET - For a quarter of a century, the Millet Museum has been collecting, and showcasing its town's rich history.
From family heirlooms to military stories of local soldiers, sailors, and airmen, the museum has strived to preserve these local stories and give its present and future residents a glimpse of the past.
Those 25 years were celebrated July 10, and for the event that glimpse of the past included pulling back the curtain to show visitors just how the museum, and its staff, keeps the town's history alive.
A behind the scenes tour was part of the weekend of events, which included a cake cutting and ceremony with dignitaries, including Wetaskiwin MLA Verlyn Olson.
Museum executive director and curator Tracey Leavitt said she enjoys showing visitors just how much is stored behind the scenes, and how those items make it into the collection.
"What we found it that people who have come to the museum regularly to see the displays, they didn't realize how much more space we actually have, and where we hold all these other 9,000 pieces that are not on display," she said.
Leavitt said the museum is always collecting, but selecting what becomes an item for inclusion is not always easy.
"Every single piece cost so much to look after, and it has to be important to look after forever," she said.
"We sometimes get four or five boxes of things, and sometimes only take two or three. It could be that we have 14 typewriters that are exactly the same."
Leavitt explained those donated pieces which have a story behind the items hold more historical significance, and in turn, may be kept by the museum over other donations.
Leavitt said there have been a lot of programs and exhibits over years. Her favourite was a program was a few years back with Griffiths-Scott Middle School in Millet, which went from a research project to an exhibit of its own.
"They got to look at objects in our collection, and we set up interviews with a local historian to talk about whatever topic they had," said Leavitt, who added one of the projects focused on aboriginal history in the region, and actually has become part of a permanent display at the museum
The museum, located in the same building as the Town of Millet, along side Highway 2A, was created in 1985, through a partnership with the Town.
There have been 11,000 objects collected over the past 25 years, and 11,000 volunteer hours devoted to the exhibits on display.
Leavitt said although the museum is the main place for displaying Millet's history, walking tour programs, and historical murals around town, help ensure the entire community is part of the museum.
