Crowdsourcing a Collection: The Concord Museum’s 125th Anniversary Exhibition

The following information was provided by the Concord Museum regarding the 125th anniversary exhibition.

Few communities in New England are older than Concord. Fewer still can boast a more distinguished history, and there may be no other community whose history — the everyday and the nationally important — is better represented by a collection of artifacts. In honor of the 125th anniversary of the , a special exhibition offers new and unexpected perspectives on this remarkable collection. Twenty-five individuals who make up the Museum’s diverse community, 10 sister institutions, and five iconic residents from Concord’s past, have been invited to serve as Guest Curators for Crowdsourcing a Collection. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin is the Honorary Curator.  The exhibition is sponsored by Skinner, Inc.; the Media Sponsor is WGBH.

Each Guest Curator has selected an object that has personal meaning from the Museum’s collection and has explained the significance in writing or video. Guest Curators include historians Nathaniel Philbrick and Laurel Thatcher Ulrich; Senator John Kerry; novelist and physicist Alan Lightman; author and Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree Robert Coles; craftsman and North Bennet Street School president Miguel Gómez-Ibáñez; arts journalist Joyce Kulhawik; Nanae, Japan mayor Yasukazu Nakamiya; Concord Honored Citizens Marian Thornton and Dot Higgins; and many others. Visitors to the Museum will be able to vote for the object they find to be the most significant. This exhibition demonstrates that individuals responding thoughtfully and personally to historical objects together create meaning. This process is called crowdsourcing. 

As the Concord Museum reaches beyond its walls to celebrate the 125th anniversary, new discoveries will be made daily about a distinguished collection and the many ways in which the objects carry history into the present. The anniversary exhibition is on view from Oct. 22, 2011 through March 18, 2012. 

Saturday, Oct. 22

Free Admission for all at the Concord Museum’s 125th Birthday Bash!

• Explore the new 125th anniversary exhibition, Crowdsourcing a Collection, with curator David Wood on a Gallery Walk, 2 p.m.
• Listen to lively music played by local musicians and bands 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
• Play outdoor historical games 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
• Visit the craft tables 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
• Enjoy a slice of birthday cake and an apple cider toast 3 p.m.
• Write or draw a favorite memory of the Concord Museum or Concord’s history for our 125th Anniversary Time Capsule (ongoing)

The Museum is open from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Admission for the day and all activities are FREE, thanks to the generosity of Middlesex Savings Bank.

Saturday, Nov. 5

• Antiques Expert Leigh Keno Comes to Concord
  

You’ve seen him on Antiques Roadshow, Find!, and the new reality show, Buried Treasure. Now, hear what the engaging and accomplished Leigh Keno has to say about collecting and enjoying antiques in the 21st century. Keno will be the Concord Museum’s Guest of Honor for two special events in Concord on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011. During his more than 30 years in the auction business and as a dealer, Leigh Keno has helped build some of the top institutional and private collections of American furniture, paintings, and decorative arts in the world. He has written extensively on American furniture and decorative arts, lectures throughout the country, and is currently an Editor-at-Large for Traditional Home magazine. In 2005, President George W. Bush awarded Leigh Keno with the National Humanities Medal.  

• Hidden Treasures: An Afternoon with Leigh Keno, 2 p.m.
  

Leigh Keno’s lifelong immersion in the world of art and antiques has made him one of the foremost experts in the field. Come learn more about the exciting new finds he has made as founder and president of Keno Auctions and the star  — along with his twin brother Leslie — of Buried Treasure, a new primetime reality show. Keno’s afternoon talk, titled “Hidden Treasures,” recounts his most dramatic discoveries of extraordinary works during his nearly 30-year career in the auction world, as a dealer and on television. In honor of the Concord Museum’s 125th anniversary, this special event is open to the public FREE, but by reservation only. Space is limited, so reserve early by calling the Concord Museum at (978) 369-9763. The event will be held at 51 Walden Street.

• Object Lessons: An Evening with Leigh Keno, 6-8 p.m.  

Come meet celebrity and antiques expert Leigh Keno, up close and personal, in a small evening gathering at the Concord Museum. Leigh is as enthusiastic in person as he is on his 15 seasons of Antiques Roadshow. He will share with a small group his approaches to exploring and understanding objects, using examples from the Concord Museum’s distinguished collection. Learn more about the beauty, craftsmanship and inventive spirit of American antiques and hone your skills as an antiques connoisseur in this special evening with Leigh Keno.  The evening includes a visit to the Concord Museum’s 125th anniversary exhibition, Crowdsourcing a Collection, featuring 40 guest curators and 40 new perspectives. Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served. 6-8 p.m.; $30; $25 for Concord Museum members, by reservation only. Space is limited, so reserve early by calling the Concord Museum at (978) 369-9763.

For further information contact the Concord Museum at (978) 369-9763 or visit on-line at www.concordmuseum.org and www.facebook.com/concordmuseum.