Community Answering the ‘Challenge”

Community Answering the ‘Challenge”

Earlier in 2021, the Wright Museum of WWII in Wolfeboro announced a $60,000 Challenge Grant from the Biber Foundation, which has raised $54,000 from the community and $81,000 in total. For every $2 raised, the Biber Foundation will donate $1, as all proceeds will support Project25, an on-going construction and renovation project that began in December 2019.

“This project address core priorities that will strengthen our position as a cultural hub of the region,” said museum Executive Director Mike Culver, who said the Challenge Grant period runs through October. “We hope to raise money right until the ‘bell’ tolls,” he added.

The result of two years of formal strategic planning and architectural analysis, Project25 addresses five priorities, which include enhancements to exhibit galleries and storylines, space for educational programs, collections care, vehicle maintenance and street presence.

These enhancements, according to Alan Harding, trustee on the Biber Foundation’s Board, help advance the mission of The Wright. He cited the museum’s contribution “to the economic viability and cultural attractiveness” of the Town of Wolfeboro as an important consideration in their deliberation process.

“My only wish is that the Town leaders recognize the benefits that the Wright Museum and all the other museums bring to the entire Wolfeboro community,” said Harding, former longtime chairman of the Wolfeboro Economic Development Committee.

“The Wright seeks to not only educate and inform visitors, but also invite them to relax, interact, explore and address current social and cultural issues.”

Executive Director Michael Culver

According to Culver, Project25 takes on increased significance in light of the pandemic and ongoing social unrest. “It is critical we continue to further develop our facility space to be as inclusive of as many people as possible,” he said. “We must serve not only as a museum and trusted educational source, but just as importantly as an inviting community space.”

Further explaining its role as a community space, Culver said The Wright seeks to not only educate and inform visitors, but also “invite them to relax, interact, explore and address current social and cultural issues.”

“Contemporary audiences want their museum visit to not only enrich them intellectually, but satisfy them socially,” he added.

To contribute to the Biber Foundation’s Project25 Challenge Grant, send a check to Wright Museum (marked ‘challenge grant’), P.O. Box 1212, Wolfeboro, NH 03894, call (603) 569-1212, or click here.

The region’s leading resource for educators and learners of all ages on World War II, The Wright features more than 14,000 items in its collection that are representative of both the homefront and battlefield.

Grant from New Hampshire Charitable Foundation

Grant from New Hampshire Charitable Foundation

A grant from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s Arthur and Esther Nighswander Fund, John J. and Priscilla L. Griffin Family Fund, and Walter A. Brooks Fund will substantially improve the Wright Museum’s technology infrastructure.

“This is a grant that will enable us to improve all aspects of our back-office operations, including internal and external communications,” said Executive Director Mike Culver.

In addition to computers, a printer, and subscription to a cloud-based server, the grant provides for technical support. “So much of our office equipment was outdated, which became more obvious with the pandemic last year when we tried to work from home,” added Culver. “This grant does not just help us secure technology, but it also provides us with the ability to work with a consultant who can offer training and support during this transition to better technology.”

The grant from the Charitable Foundation builds off a prior grant earlier in 2021 from the McIninch Foundation, which invested in an upgrade to the museum’s collection software and several curatorial items.

“Financial support like this is crucial to our operation, as it will increase our efficiency and effectiveness as a staff,” said Culver. “We are thrilled with these capacity-building investments, because they directly impact what we do on a day-to-day basis.”

The region’s leading resource for educators and learners of all ages on World War II, The Wright features more than 14,000 items in its collection that are representative of both the homefront and battlefield.   

Biber Foundation Awards $60,000 Project25 Challenge Grant

Biber Foundation Awards $60,000 Project25 Challenge Grant

The Biber Foundation has issued a $60,000 Challenge Grant to the Wright Museum of WWII in support of Project25, an on-going multi-phase project that began in December 2019.

The result of two years of strategic planning and architectural analysis, Project25 addresses five priorities, which include enhancements to exhibit galleries and storylines, space for educational programs, collections care, vehicle maintenance and street presence.

According to Executive Director Mike Culver, the Biber Foundation will “generously donate” $1 for every $2 raised, an opportunity he characterized as “unprecedented” for the museum.

One of the largest matching grants ever received by the Wright Museum, this exceptional opportunity will enable the museum to significantly enhance its capacity to meet the region’s cultural needs during a period when the pandemic has challenged all non-profit cultural institutions.

In looking to the 2021 season (opens May 1), The Wright is committed to delivering the best possible museum experience, welcoming visitors of all ages into the expanded museum.

The Museum is especially proud that one area of focus this year will be on the contributions of women to the wartime effort.

Presented by Service Credit Union, “WASP: The Untold Story” will recount how WWII-era women became trained pilots who tested experimental planes and repaired aircraft. In “Women and the War Effort: Recruiting Posters of WWII,” visitors will learn how America used propaganda through posters to recruit women to participate in the war effort in the military and on the factory floor.

Project25 dramatically improves the Museum’s ability to bring in and develop world-class exhibits right here in Wolfeboro. The Wright Museum encourages people and organizations to support the Biber Foundation’s Project25 Challenge Grant, which will enhance the museum and help revitalize our local economy.

To contribute to the Biber Foundation’s Project25 Challenge Grant, send a check to Wright Museum, P.O. Box 1212, Wolfeboro, NH 03894, call (603) 569-1212, or click here. Contributions must be received by October 30th, 2021.

The region’s leading resource for educators and learners of all ages on World War II, The Wright features more than 14,000 items in its collection that are representative of both the homefront and battlefield. The Wright Museum is open May 1 through Oct. 31 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays.

The Wright Reaching for ‘The Cloud’

The Wright Reaching for ‘The Cloud’

Prepared to open on May 1, the Wright Museum of WWII has its sights set on upgrading its back-office operations to the cloud, a move Executive Director Mike Culver said underscores critical needs.

“We are working with a server, software and computers close to ten years old, much of which is not even supported anymore,” he said. “With staff often working remotely and the need to ensure all our information is as secure as possible, the cloud is our only option.”

Recently, The Wright received a $3,000 grant from the McIninch Foundation to upgrade its collections management software to a newer cloud-based program. This software will not only streamline how the collection is managed, it will enable the museum to share it with the public.

“The pandemic has us thinking in new and creative ways,” added Culver. “We have a beautiful 20,000 square foot facility here with plenty of space, but we need to focus on digital access to our collection and improve our back-office systems. This is an important time for many cultural institutions, as we seek to operate under the ‘new normal.’’

As for the anticipated costs of moving to the cloud, Culver estimated $10,000.

“We have been working with a local consultant who has really helped us understand what is needed and how to get there,” he said. “The hope is we can find partners — local foundations, sponsors and individuals — to help fund this project.”

If funding can be secured, Culver said the impact would be “tremendous,” as he cited the project  would “help define the Wright for many years.”

“From how we store information and share our collection to how we communicate with our supporters and the general public, our entire operation would change,” he said.

The region’s leading resource for educators and learners of all ages on World War II, The Wright features more than 14,000 items in its collection that are representative of both the homefront and battlefield.

If you would like to help the Wright Museum reach the cloud, you can make a donation here – thanks for your support!   

The Wright Receives Grant Award from McIninch Foundation

The Wright Receives Grant Award from McIninch Foundation

The McIninch Foundation recently awarded $3,000 to the Wright Museum of WWII, which Executive Director Mike Culver said will “significantly enhance” its curatorial department.

“We are so grateful to the McIninch Foundation for this grant because it goes to ‘behind the scenes’ operations,” he said. “The grant will greatly impact what the public sees both at the Museum and online, and it will also be instrumental to the work of staff and to researchers who can’t come to The Wright.”

Justin Gamache, curator at The Wright, said he is “thrilled” at the award.

“As a result of this grant, we’ll be able to upgrade our collections management software to a newer cloud-based program that will help us streamline our collections process,” he said. “As we embark on a reorganization project in our archives, this new software will allow us to produce more detailed records and better track items in our collection.”

Curator Justin Gamache examines artifacts waiting to be photographed and added to the museum’s collections management database.

Culver added, “The software will also enable us to more easily share images of collection items on our web site and social media platforms.”

Other items covered by the grant award include a camera, lightbox and scanner, all of which will enhance The Wright’s ability to digitally capture and share its collection.

“Not everyone can visit us, so the grant helps our collection become more accessible to everyone through digital channels,” Culver said. “We can reach more people with our collection as a result of this grant, and we are truly grateful for that.”

The region’s leading resource for educators and learners of all ages on World War II, The Wright features more than 14,000 items in its collection that are representative of both the homefront and battlefield. 

Wright Museum awarded $10,000 grant by Madeline G. von Weber Trust to enhance Exhibit Interactives

Wright Museum awarded $10,000 grant by Madeline G. von Weber Trust to enhance Exhibit Interactives

The Wright Museum of WWII in Wolfeboro, NH recently announced a $10,000 grant from the Madeline G. von Weber Trust to invest in new technology that will add interactivity to its artifact exhibits.

Interactive touchscreens are layered with video, photographs and audio sound, adding new dimension to its collections and bringing them to life. These interactives are also self-directed, which enable visitors to further explore areas that interest them. The touchscreens will allow exhibits to contain layers of information that is customized for different audiences, including children, schools and families.

The new interactives will also allow the Wright Museum to mount virtual exhibitions that expand its offerings, add depth and detail to the existing displays, and create ongoing changes in visitor programs.

“While we may only be able to display five military vehicles at one time in our gallery, a virtual exhibition can feature all of our vehicles,” said Michael Culver, executive director.

The Wright is also the recipient of diaries, photographs, and other fragile memorabilia, which he said lend themselves to digitization.

“We recently acquired materials from a family whose grandfather was a WWII sergeant and who had kept a log during his time as a POW,” he added. “By scanning this material and making it into an interactive with the addition of family photos and interviews, we can make this extraordinary historical document available to the public. The result is a piece of WWII history that is made to come alive in a more complete manner than would be possible otherwise.”

The Wright Museum of World War II in Wolfeboro is open to the public for the 2018 season daily through October 31. Museum hours are Monday-Saturday: 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. and Sunday: 12:00-4:00 p.m. The Museum is a not-for-profit institution focusing on the American home front as well as the war front during World War II.