DAVENPORT - What do the Adler Planetarium, the Seattle Museum of Flight, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, and the Putnam Museum all have in common? As of January 8, all of these institutions are part of the prestigious Smithsonian Affiliates program. The Putnam joins 159 other museums and cultural institutions across the United States in this partnership that was begun in 1996 by the Smithsonian to share America's artistic, scientific and historic heritage. Aaron Glavas, national outreach manager for the Smithsonian, was on hand Thursday to announce the partnership with the Putnam Museum.
"The Putnam is very honored to be selected by the Smithsonian Institute as an Affiliate," said Kim Findlay, president/CEO of the Putnam Museum. "This partnership allows us to bring national treasures from the Smithsonian to our community to create even more impactful exhibits and programs to the people of the Quad-Cities."
Smithsonian Affiliations is a unique outreach initiative that allows emerging and established museums to obtain Smithsonian collections for a prolonged period. The program's mission is to make the extensive Smithsonian collection more accessible to American people by sharing artifacts and other resources with museums and cultural institutions across the country. The Putnam Museum underwent a proposal process in 2009 and was officially approved as a Smithsonian Affiliate this month. The two nearest Affiliates are in Dubuque, Iowa, and Dixon, Illinois.
As an affiliate, the Putnam will have the privilege of securing long-term artifact loans from various Smithsonian Institution Museums to enhance our future exhibits and programs. In addition to the long-term loans, the Affiliate program also gives the Putnam the opportunity to incorporate outreach services they offer - from curriculum development in local schools to lectures, workshops, study tours and other programs.
The Putnam anticipates its first long-term loan will arrive in Spring 2011, and will be space-related to enhance a new discovery exhibition space. In the interim, six of the Putnam's most unique and relevant artifacts will be on display, including Miss Hokkaido (Japanese Friendship doll); a Winter Count from the 1700s (Native American hide tracking winters); slave shackles; an Abraham Lincoln political banner; Bix's coronet; and the original Blackhawk War Treaty.
The Putnam Museum and IMAX ®Theatre is a 501(c) (3) educational corporation, providing the greater Quad Cities region with quality of life experiences since 1867. The Museum is the primary repository for the area's unique treasures - over 170,000 artifacts and specimens that tell the stories of the region, the people who live here and their connections to the world. The IMAX® Theatre is equipped with 270-sloped, stadium-style seats; a screen six stories high and seven stories wide; a six-speaker, 10,000 watt digital sound system; and Academy Award®-winning IMAX® projection system. Visit the Putnam Museum and IMAX® Theatre at www.putnam.org. IMAX® is a registered trademark of IMAX Corporation.
