Sunday August 19th is a special day for the Fredericton Region Museum. Not only is it our Open House, it is our second time giving the public a glimpse into our world – the world of artefacts.
At last years Open House the Fredericton Region Museum decided to try something new. We wanted to give people the chance to explore our world, a world that lets us connect with the past. We decided to offer an accessioning exercise in our upstairs workrooms. These rooms, normally off limit to the public, were filled with staff and keen learners, eager to develop a relationship with local artefacts.
The exercise, headed by staff, led guests through a categorizing activity. This form of categorization, known as accessioning, not only creates a sort of inventory of the artefacts, but it also gives one a chance to explore and examine the artefact itself.
Armed with blue gloves, a paper, and a pen, guests categorized dozens of objects. The beauty behind these types of exercises is that you get to touch little pieces of history. You build a sort of relationship with the objects, and in turn those objects tell you a story. Kate Dixon, Fredericton Region Museum Staff, recalls that “people were surprised by how much work is involved in behind the scenes work in a museum.” The positive feedback from the exercise was astounding, and the Museum is excited to make this an annual Open House event.
If you have ever wanted to become a part of a museum team, have a love of artifacts, or want to get involved in your community, come check us out! We are excited to work with groups on our special, behind the scenes, events.
This activity is only being offered at our Open House, so come out August 19th between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Make sure that you don’t miss it!
“Do I have to come from 10 to 4 (and bring my lunch) or is it only for part of a day?”
The activity will be done throughout the day as people show up. The activity takes about an hour.