Gratitude for Training and Educational Experiences

One of the things the Gammelgården staff, interns, and volunteers are grateful for this year is the many opportunities we have been given for training and hands-on educational experiences.

We have had opportunities to attend the MOMCC (Midwest Open air Museums Coordinating Council) conference twice (once in Kansas and the other time in Illinois); take multiple classes with the Midwest Art Conservation Center; and attend a Swedish embroidery class at North House Folk School thanks to a grant from Springboard for the Arts‘ Creative Coalition.

We had the Scandia Fire and Rescue and the American Red Cross do training with our staff and tour guides to help prepare us in the event of an emergency or crisis.

Some of the staff and interns also attended classes and presentations that Gammelgården offered. They learned how to do tapestry weaving with the Textile Center, drawing with the artist who illustrated “Making Minnesota”, puppetry with In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre, and dyeing with natural materials. They also learned about 19th-century fashion with the Living History Society of Minnesota; and historic buttons and cabinet cards with the Minnesota State Button Society.

Gammelgården, by hiring Northern Bedrock Historic Preservation Corps, supported the education of two crews in July and September who learned how to:
– do the first steps in historic renovation of the Pastor’s House;
– cut glass and do glazing for the window restoration of the Stuga under the guidance of Mark of Historic Design Consulting LLC;
– do mortise and tenon joints to create custom window screens for the Pastor’s House;
– clean historic textiles and 3D objects; and
– accession artifacts and enter them onto CollectiveAccess (the collections management system the museum uses that is available through the Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums).

Staff, volunteers, and interns also enjoyed learning from organizations and performers that were at our free community events including Minnesota African American Museum and Cultural Center, Renee Vaughan‘s Nordstär Ensemble, Feleboks, and Mariachi Alma de Mexico.

2025 truly was a year of learning and education at Gammelgården Museum! Thank you to all the professionals, colleagues, and organizations that helped increase our knowledge and advance our skills so we can share them with visitors at Gammelgården!

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