This March, sixteen objects from the Montana Historical Society’s vast collections are competing in “Montana Madness” for the title of Montana’s Most Awesome Object. Will you play along and help select the winner?
The competition, modeled on the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament, will pit object against object from the Montana Historical Society’s museum, archives, and library collections.
Throughout the month, objects will face-off in online polls that will be promoted on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #MontanaMadness. But the game isn’t limited to Facebook and Twitter. Anyone can download a Sweet Sixteen bracket and vote on the objects they think should advance in the tournament at our website.
Those voting through the website can enter a sweepstakes to win a one-year family membership to the Montana Historical Society, a signed copy of Montana's Charlie Russell: Art in the Collection of the Montana Historical Society, by Jennifer Bottomly-O'looney and Kirby Lambert, or a 7 ½” x 9 ½” print of Night Storm, by Blackfeet artist Gale Running Wolf, Sr.
To up the ante, I'll throw in another prize just for Teaching Montana History readers: snap a picture of your completed bracket and email it to me and I'll enter you in a second contest for as an as-yet-to-be-named but fabulous prize. Predict the champion object for the prize. If more than one person predicts the champion, then I'll start working backwards to choose the winner: who predicted both objects in the championship? All of the objects in the Final Four? All of the Elite Eight? You get the idea. If there is more than one person whose bracket is perfect it will be prizes all around. For the competitive among you, I'll throw out this tip: GOTV efforts are NOT cheating. If you want to see a particular object advance, either out of loyalty to the object (Lewis and Clark Bridge near Wolf Point, anyone?) or to improve your chances of winning, encourage your friends, colleagues, and students to vote. Put the link up on Facebook and Twitter. Send it out to your Christmas list. It's all fair play.
We'll be running four contests at a time--the first four end March 11. They are:
#1 Seed: The Smith Mine Disaster Board vs. #16 Seed: "Square & Compass" Branding Iron
#5 Seed: Lewis and Clark Bridge Near Wolf Point vs. #12 Seed: Faro Board and Casekeep
#4 Seed: White Swan's Painted Robe vs. Fort Benton Weather Vane
Elk Tooth Dress vs. #10 Seed: A’aninin (Gros Ventre) Tipi Liner
May the best object win!
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