(Photo | Courtesy of The Museum at Warm Springs)
The Museum at Warm Springs kicks off its annual Membership Drive this week. This year’s Drive honors Warm Springs longtime Board of Directors member and ancestor Kenneth Smith. The Roundhouse Foundation is generously matching proceeds from new Museum Memberships.
“Ancestor Kenneth Smith was a great believer in our Museum and was especially devoted to helping build the Membership Program, so it’s in his memory that we conduct this year’s Membership Drive,” said Museum Director Elizabeth A. Woody (Warm Springs, Yakama and Navajo).
The Museum At Warm Springs, which was designed and built to Smithsonian Institution standards, opened in 1993. It holds great cultural and historical importance to the people of The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and also to Oregon. Twenty-eight years later, the staff continues to organize an exciting schedule of annual exhibits and deepen and cultivate its creative and educational connections with the Warm Springs community and surrounding communities through workshops and public programs.
Many Oregon collaborators are helping spread the word about the Membership Drive. They include: Caldera Arts, Central Oregon Community College, Central Oregon Visitors Association, Complexion Magazine, Crook County Historical Society, Deschutes County Historical Society, Hallie Ford Museum, High Desert Museum, Jefferson County Historical Society, Jefferson County Library, Madras Chamber of Commerce, Oregon Community Foundation, Oregon Cultural Trust, Oregon Folklife Network, Oregon State University-Cascades, Redmond Chamber of Commerce, The Roundhouse Foundation and The Source Weekly.
There are several levels of annual Membership, which begin at $25 for elders and students. All Members receive these benefits: free admission for one year, 10 percent discount in the Museum Gift Shop and special invitations to exhibits and programs. There are three ways to join: visit museumatwarmsprings.org (click Join to see Membership levels and payment information), call Debbie Stacona at 541-553-3331 or email: dstacona@museumatwarmsprings.org.
“The Museum at Warm Springs is about educating the world about preservation, advancement and sharing of Indigenous cultures throughout the Northwest and beyond,” says Woody. “The Museum is also an important Oregon cultural treasure. We invite you to support The Museum by becoming a Member and hope to see you soon.”
Save the Date
On Friday, August 27 and Saturday, August 28, 2021 the Museum will host its Annual Honor Dinner and Celebration in Portland. This year’s honorees are U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo (Mvskoke) and author and Warm Springs elder George W. Aguilar, Sr. (Wasco).
Museum Health and Safety Protocols During the Covid-19 Pandemic
The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Tribal Council requires all visitors and staff to wear masks while in the Museum. Other health and safety procedures are in place, which include allowing only a certain number of visitors in the Museum at a time and temperature checks at the entrance. All protocols are designed to keep the public and staff safe during the ongoing pandemic.