News Items about the Museum of Idaho
Celebrate the Season at Museum of Idaho
See it FREE! - Olde Fashioned Christmas and Winter Festivals
Bring the entire family to the MOI for Letters to Santa, our First Annual Christmas Tree Lighting
and a FREE community event!
IDAHO FALLS - The Museum of Idaho is proud to announce its first free display: Olde Fashioned
Christmas and Winter Festivals presented by Chesbro Music Co. This community event will open
at the MOI Friday, December 12 at 9:00 am and runs through Wednesday, January 7. Featured will
be an extensive seasonal collection of antique Santa Claus figures, homemade Gingerbread Houses,
Nativity Scenes and a collection of winter festivals.
Olde Fashioned Christmas is a collaborative effort on behalf of the MOI, the city of Idaho Falls
and the Interfaith Council of Idaho Falls. Chesbro Music Co. is the official presenting sponsor
of this display and is proud to offer this event for no charge to the community.
Another addition to the MOI this holiday season will be a 20-foot live, decorated Christmas tree
located in the plaza. The MOI is excited to welcome the community to its First Annual Christmas
Tree Lighting on Monday, December 15 at 6:00pm. After a short program, the tree will be lit for
all to enjoy throughout the rest of the season. After the tree lighting, all are encouraged to
view the display and then enjoy the "Viva La Voce" choir concert at the Trinity United Methodist
Church, located next door to the MOI. This concert will begin at 7:30pm and is free to the public.
Also located on the plaza is the "Letters to Santa" drop-off mail box. Families are encouraged to
have their children stop by to send their letters to Santa all the way up to December 24.
Olde Fashioned Christmas will be open at the following times: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and
Friday: 9:00 am - 8:00 pm, Wednesday and Saturday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, Closed on Sundays,
Christmas and New Year's Day. This event is FREE to the public, but donations to the museum
are welcome.
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Museum of Idaho Announces 2009 Exhibition Schedule
Here are the planned offerings for 2009:
Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition - One of the most viewed exhibits of all
time comes to the Museum of Idaho. Titanic features 125 artifacts recovered
from the ocean floor and the wreckage of the ill-fated cruise liner. For
75 years, the wreckage from one of the worst maritime disasters in history
was undiscovered and untouched. Titanic is a world-class exhibition with
more than 18 million viewers. Titanic is scheduled to run March 5, 2009 to
September 7, 2009.
Olde Fashioned Christmas and Winter Festivals - During the Holidays, the
Museum of Idaho will do something it has never done: offer free admission
to one of its exhibits. Thanks to an exciting sponsorship with Chesbro
Music Co., entry into Olde Fashioned Christmas and Winter Festivals will
be FREE! The Museum of Idaho is inviting people to share in the holiday
spirit. The Museum will be decked out for holiday season with the help of
the Interfaith Council, the city of Idaho Falls and community leaders.
To highlight the opening there will be the Annual Tree Lighting at 6:00 p.m. on
Monday December 15th. The exhibition is scheduled to run from December 12, 2008 to January 7, 2009.
Wheels... Are We There Yet? - This exhibition features vintage automobiles,
motorcycles, bicycles, and tricycles. The items will help visitors learn
more about America's love affair with transportation during the first
half of the 20th century. This exhibition is unique because all of the
items will come from people in eastern Idaho. The cars include Model A's
and Model T's from the early 1900's. January 16 - February 12, 2009.
Lincoln: Preservation of a Nation - The 16th president of the United States
is one of our country's most famous leaders. The Lincoln exhibition
celebrates the bicentennial of his birth and features artifacts and
information about the man, slavery, the civil war, and his close connection
to Idaho. Much of Idaho's early history is directly connected to President
Lincoln and his policies. Visitors will find out how he helped shape our
state. September 24 - December 5, 2009.
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Museum of Idaho to Hold Vital Records 101:
Emergency Planning and Response for Vital Records and Essential Information
WHEN: Thursday, October 16, 2008 (this seminar will be held twice)
Session 1: 9:00 AM- Noon
Session 2: 5:00 PM- 9:00 PM
WHERE: Maeck Family Foundation Education Center,
located adjacent to the Museum of Idaho
COST: FREE!
IDAHO FALLS - In the even of a disaster, would you be able to get your business or government office functioning
again? Are records valuable assets to your agency business? Would you be able to get a job without proper
documentation? The Idaho State Historical Records Advisory Board presents Vital Records 101 (ID109) held in
partnership with the Museum of Idaho in Idaho Falls. This informational presentation will be held in two separate
seminars on Thursday, October 16 at the Museum of Idaho's Maeck Family Foundation Education Center.
This presentation will provide the knowledge and skills required to identify, protect and make available your
vital records in the event of a disaster. It will also teach how to incorporate records emergency planning into
your plans. This seminar is for anyone interested in how to keep records and personal documents safe and in
good care. Business leaders, government officials, anyone involved in first response activities and the general
public.
The Museum of Idaho's Director of Curatorial Affairs, Kirsten Hansen comments, "The records of any agency,
business, or family hold tremendous potential. Who knew that a young girl's diary written 65 years ago would
end up being one of the best records of the Holocaust? Who knew that the business records of the Stock Market
Crashes of 1929 and the subsequent economic impact would have so much reference value as we face our own
troubled economic times? The safe keeping of these documents and records today could be the very thing that
future generations need to make sense of our choices, decisions and their own situations."
At the end of this course, participants will be able to: plan an emergency response program for records,
distinguish between a record and a vital record, identify protection strategies for vital records, write a Records
Emergency Action Plan, decide on recovery techniques for damaged records and other imperative skills.
This presentation is sponsored by the Idaho State Historical Records Advisory Board through grant funds
provided by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
For enrollment information for either session, please contact Kirsten, Director of Curatorial Affairs at 208-522-
1400 ext. 3014.
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Museum of Idaho Opens New Education Center
IDAHO FALLS - The Museum of Idaho held a dedication ceremony on Thursday, October 2, 2008 at 10:00 a.m.
to open and name a new Education Center. The Maeck Family Foundation Education Center is the building
across the parking lot from the Museum. It is being named after Bill Maeck and his foundation to
recognize the significant contributions he has made to the Museum.
The Maeck Family Foundation supports educational institutions across the United States, and recently
donated $300,000 to the Museum of Idaho's endowment fund. Over the years, Bill Maeck has been a
regular contributor to the Museum. Since 2004, he has been the major sponsor of the Snake River
Review scholarship program. The program is an essay contest for regional high school students.
At 10:00 a.m. on Thursday the Museum held a short ceremony to cut the ribbon for the new center
and unveil the sign for the center. Bill Maeck talked about the donation and his commitment to
the Museum.
The Maeck Family Foundation Education Center will provide space for the educational programs
at the Museum including: Discovery Days, Rocky Mountain Adventure, lectures, and guest speakers.
The facility received a new HVAC system, an updated lighting system, and fresh paint and carpet.
Previously the building was used for storage. It has some history of its own. It was home to the
first KFC in Idaho Falls.
 
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Museum of Idaho Announces Staff Expansion:
The Museum of Idaho has completed a major reorganization that provides the Museum with talented
professionals to guide it into the future. The Museum hired Rod Hansen as the Director of
Exhibitions and Kelsey Salsbery as the Director of Marketing. They take over the duties of
Program Director Nick Gailey who is retiring at the end of the year.
Rod Hansen is responsible for overseeing the high-quality exhibitions that the community
has come to expect from the Museum of Idaho. This includes tracking down items for exhibits,
working with collectors and other institutions, and coordinating the installation and removal
of exhibitions. Hansen grew up in the Teton Valley. He has a BA and BFA in theatre from Idaho
State University and a Masters of Fine Arts from West Virginia University. Hansen directed
and taught theatre at ISU before moving to St. Petersburg, FL to teach at the Pinellas County
Center for the Arts. He is thrilled to be back in Idaho and out of the path of hurricanes.
Kelsey Salsbery will focus on marketing, public relations, and promotions. She will handle sponsorships, event planning, advertising, media coverage, and community relations for the Museum. Salsbery graduated from Gonzaga University with degrees in Public Relations and Sports Management. She was the Director of Marketing for the Spokane Arena, Spokane Convention Center and INB Performing Arts Center before moving to Idaho Falls.
Completing the staff expansion, the museum also hired Karin Brown as an administrative assistant to provide support to the new Directors.
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