Night at the Museum, Behind the Scenes Tours and More at the MEA-MFT Conference

Are you coming to the MEA-MFT Conference in Helena? We hope you spend some time with us!

Free Opening Reception Wednesday, October 19, 5:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
If you are arriving Wednesday evening, I hope to see you at the opening reception we’re hosting at the Montana Historical Society with Montana Council for Social Studies and Montana Council on History and Civics Education. Stop by to say hello, catch up with your colleagues, explore our exhibits, and discover K-12 curricular connections to history, art, and IEFA. We’ll have food! We’ll have take-aways! And—as always—we’ll have amazing exhibits! Never been to our museum? You’ll want to check out our collection of C. M. Russell art—considered one of the top three collections in the world. You’ll also want to tour our permanent exhibits, “Montana Homeland” and “Neither Empty Nor Unknown: Montana at the Time of Lewis and Clark.” Been here before? You are sure to enjoy our new exhibits, “Big Game, Big Stories: Montana's Hunting Heritage” and “From the Heart: Stan Lynde's Comic Creations.” And, if you turn in a completed scavenger hunt before you leave, you’ll earn one OPI Renewal Unit.

Bring History Alive Institute, Thursday, October 20, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:50 p.m. 
We’re so excited the conference is in Helena that we’re also offering a full-day institute at the Montana Historical Society. (We’ve limited it to 30 people so sign up ASAP to reserve your spot.) In “Bring History Alive!” you’ll have a chance to tour behind-the-scenes in collection storage, the Archives, the Photo Archives and the Library collections. You’ll also have the opportunity to practice Visual Thinking Strategies in the Russell gallery, connect the narratives of Pretty Shield to artifacts displayed as part of our Neither Empty Nor Unkown exhibit, and learn about ways your students explore history using art, artifacts, photographs, and documents—even if they can’t come to our museum. (Lunch: $10)

Montana: From the Trenches to the Home Front
Can’t commit to an entire day at the historical society? Montana Historical Society staff are presenting a session on Thursday, October 20, 2016, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. to help you prepare for Veteran’s Day and the upcoming World War I centennial (U.S. entered WWI on April 6, 1917).

And—of course—we’ll be in the exhibit hall, where we’ll enjoy talking with you one-on-one about how you are—or could be—using our resources in your classrooms.