Central Michigan University Museum of Cultural and Natural History

Collections Exhibitions Educational Programs Museum Studies

NEWS!!

CMU senior and museum studies minor Jennifer Thelen of Shepherd, left, and museum director Bill Pretzer, look over some of the "occupational" dolls from the Museum of Cultural and Natural History's upcoming exhibit, "Beyond Barbie: Dolls, Dress and Culture in Global Perspective." The dolls in the forefront, pictured from left to right, are: a winemaker from France, a lace maker from Belgium and a peddler from England.

Photo by Robert Barclay

NEW!

Beyond Barbie: CMU doll exhibit to entertain and educate

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Media Contact(s): Heather Smith, 989-774-1702

Program Contact(s): Bill Pretzer, 989-774-7165

An exhibit of dolls from around the world at Central Michigan University will provide both entertainment and education for visitors of all ages.

"Beyond Barbie: Dolls, Dress and Culture in Global Perspective" at CMU's Museum of Cultural and Natural History will open April 9 and run through January 2009. More than 100 dolls from more than 50 different countries will give visitors a firsthand look into these countries' cultures and traditions through their elaborate clothing.

Some of the dolls' attire represents the everyday dress of their countries, while others show clothing worn for special events or holidays. Many of the dolls are clothed in costumes representing national traditions; regional or social identity; or local occupations, such as a fisherman and a lace maker. Character dolls illustrating traditional stories or folktales also will be on display.

"The exhibition illustrates the diverse ways humans have of expressing their personalities, joys, labors and traditions through something we all share in common, clothing," said Bill Pretzer, museum director and associate professor of history. "These objects are exquisite examples of local textile traditions and each doll maker's individual artistry. Some are true representations of regional or national folk cultures and traditions, while others, made for the tourist trade, are less authentic but still symbolize their cultures."

The exhibition is based on the collection of more than 350 dolls assembled by former CMU faculty member Barbara Bissot. Bissot taught at CMU from 1962 to 1992, first as a fourth grade teacher at the university lab school and then as a professor of elementary education. Bissot's brother, Father Robert Bissot, donated the collection to the CMU Museum of Cultural and Natural History following her death in 2007.

Bissot's passion for collecting dolls began while teaching at a U.S. military school in Germany in 1956, and she added to her collection nearly every year until 2006 through her international travels. She made a point to seek out dolls crafted by local artisans to ensure their ethnic accuracy and representation of their countries and local cultures. She often used them as teaching tools in her classes.

In addition to the display of dolls, the exhibit includes a children's educational activity room and special programs, complemented by the museum's Web site, http://www.museum.cmich.edu, where visitors can view the dolls and learn about each one online.

Admission to the Museum of Cultural and Natural History is free and open to the public. Hours are Mondays through Fridays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays 1 to 5 p.m. The museum is located in CMU's Rowe Hall, which is on the corner of Bellows Street and East Campus Drive.

March 25, 2008

CMU culture crawl to expand throughout community

MEDIA CONTACT: Heather Smith, 989-774-1702

PROGRAM CONTACT: Jim Schultz, 989-774-3829

MOUNT PLEASANT — Those planning to attend Central Michigan University’s second annual Culture Crawl will get even more of a chance to enhance their cultural knowledge of the Mount Pleasant community as the event expands beyond CMU’s campus. <Read more>

Thursday, March 6, 2008

CMU museum selected for national conservation bookshelf

PROGRAM CONTACT:

William Pretzer, (989)774-3829

Valuable museum collections and artifacts at Central Michigan University will be preserved for future generations with the help of a national conservation effort.

CMU's Museum of Cultural and Natural History has been selected to receive the Connecting to Collections Bookshelf, a core set of conservation books, a variety of DVDs and access to valuable online resources awarded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

"IMLS has targeted small museums for this program since they often don't have the resources to acquire this type of technical information on their own," said William Pretzer, history faculty member and director of CMU's Museum of Cultural and Natural History. "These materials will aid in the museum's conservation efforts and be a tangible asset to students in the museum studies program."

The IMLS bookshelf is part of the organization's "Connecting to Collections: A Call to Action" campaign, which began in 2005 in response to a study that uncovered the dire state of the nation's collections as millions of archaeological pieces and historical objects, photographs, and manuscripts are threatened with destruction due to lack of proper care.

With a focus on special collections typically found in art or history museums and a selection of texts for zoos, aquaria, public gardens and nature centers, the bookshelf addresses such topics as the philosophy and ethics of collecting, collections management and planning, emergency preparedness, and culturally specific conservation issues.

The IMLS is the primary source of federal support for libraries and museums in the United States. The IMLS and its cooperator, the American Association for State and Local History, will award a total of 2,000 free sets of the IMLS bookshelf by the end of 2008.

According to the organization's Web site, http://www.imls.gov, the mission of the IMLS is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. More information on CMU's Museum of Cultural and Natural History can be found at http://www.museum.cmich.edu.

Monday, November 19, 2007
CMU museum showcases hands-on learning at local school

PROGRAM CONTACT:
Kirsten Nicholson, 989-774-3829
Daedre Craig, craig1ds@cmich.edu

Touch Stone, December 2007 newsletter

The students of Ganiard Elementary School in Mount Pleasant are crowing about a new exhibit from Central Michigan University's Museum of Cultural and Natural History.

In fact, they are aflutter over the 18 birds on display, which include ducks, owls, woodpeckers, hawks, cardinals, and more. The collection also includes a frog, a butterfly, and a fish. <Read more>

Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Local CMU student presents research on state park visitor programs
MEDIA CONTACT:
Tracy Burton, 989-774-1702

PROGRAM CONTACTS:
Roger Coles, Graduate Studies, 989-774-6099
William Pretzer, History, 989-774-7165
Jennifer Thelen, thele1jl@cmich.edu

Central Michigan University student Jennifer Thelen of Shepherd recently presented her research on improving programs at Ludington State Park to the Michigan Museums Association and the Association of Midwest Museums.<Read more>

New Museum Exhibit to Showcase CMU's Fine Feathered Friends
MEDIA CONTACT: Heather Smith, 989-774-1702
PROGRAM CONTACT: Kirsten Nicholson or Bill Pretzer, 989-774-3829

Visitors to the Central Michigan University Museum of Cultural and Natural History soon will get a "bird's-eye view" of a new exhibit scheduled to open June 11.
Showcasing the third largest collection of birds in Michigan, the new exhibit, entitled "Fine Feathered Friends: Birds of the CMU Museum," features the museum's renowned mounted-bird collection, from eagles to hummingbirds, turkeys to warblers, and everything in between. More than 400 mounted specimens, hundreds of bird skins, and dozens of eggs, represent over 125 species of birds.<Read more>

Museum Opens New Exhibit

Media Contact: Heather Hutchins (989-774-3197)

A rare reptile called a Tuatara from islands near New Zealand, a poster from 1917 on the effects of alcohol, a drum made by a member of a Pigmy tribe in the Congo and a CMU beanie are all part of the CMU Museum of Cultural and Natural History's first new exhibit in 13 years.

The museum's new exhibit, "CMU's Best Kept Secret -- Bicycles, Beanies and Birds ... Oh My," was designed by students in CMU's Introduction to Museum Work class during the fall 2006 semester. This exhibit, which will run through May 7, is in the museum's temporary exhibit gallery, adjacent to the main exhibit that illustrates how Michigan's animal and human inhabitants have formed the modern Michigan landscape.<Read more>

CMU Hires New Museum Curators!!

Media Contact: Heather Hutchins (989-774-3197)

MOUNT PLEASANT – The Museum of Cultural and Natural History at Central Michigan University will soon be under new leadership. Two new curators have been hired to take over operations of the museum located in Rowe Hall. They bring with them nearly 50 years of combined museum experience with a passion for Anolis lizards on one hand and material culture on the other.

Bill Pretzer will join CMU as director of the museum and curator for historical collections, and Kirsten Nicholson will take on the role of curator for natural history collections. Both will begin their new positions August 21. As curators of the museum, Pretzer and Nicholson will oversee the museum’s operations, including exhibitions, educational programs and management of the collections. <Read more>

Contact us at:
103 Rowe Hall
Central Michigan University
Mt. Pleasant, Michigan 48859
(989)774-3829
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