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Home My WebLink About8.2 HCAC Annual Report, Oct 2015-Sept 2016 C3t Ili t .,�. 111 . .. U STAFF REPORT QIFO V- HERITAGE AND CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION DATE: October 13, 2016 TO: Honorable Chair and Commissioners FROM: Laura Johnston, Cultural Arts &Heritage Supervisor SUBJECT: Heritage Park&Museums Annual Report, October 2015-September 2016 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The Commission will receive a report on Heritage Park and Museums attendance, activities and events conducted October 2015 through September 2016. RECOMMENDATION: Receive the Report. FINANCIAL IMPACT: None. -DESCRIPTION: The City of Dublin's adopted Vision Statement notes its commitment to cultural heritage and balancing history with progress, and its adopted Values in Building Community through "locations and events that bring people of all ages together," "venues for family-based activities," and "foster(ing) heritage and cultural development. Dublin's 10-acre Heritage Park and Museums — home to the Murray Schoolhouse Museum, Kolb House historic home, and other historic properties including St. Raymond Church, the Sunday School Barn and the Dublin Pioneer Cemetery — play a key role in accomplishing these goals for community building. Heritage Park has particular appeal to the oldest and youngest segments of the community, providing an ideal venue for family events and fostering interest in and understanding of the community's history and the many cultures who have settled here. This report includes information and statistics on this year's exhibits, special events, park visitors, formal tours,volunteer efforts and facility rentals. ITEM NO: 8.2 Page 1 of 6 TEMPORARY EXHIBITS In addition to the perinanent exhibit at the Murray Schoolhouse,which depicts the journey Dublin's founders made from Ireland to New York and across the United States to settle here, the Museum presents two smaller temporary exhibits each year,which are researched,built and installed by Staff and volunteers. From October 17, 2015 to January 31, 2016, The Murray Schoolhouse Museum's Little Classroom featured "Dublin Schools: 1915, 1950 and Today." The exhibit depicted three classrooms from different eras of Dublin's past, from the classic little red school house of the 1950s to today's modern, high-tech classroom. Alumni from various local schools loaned memorabilia including school projects, art projects, writing projects, report cards, t-shirts, letterman jackets and school district records for the display. The display also included several yearbooks post 1960 through the present and charts depicting the rapid growth of Dublin Schools in the 1960s and compared it to a similar growth spurt today. The Spring exhibit, "Farm-to-Table: Dublin's Farmers,"which ran April 13—July 31, 2016,was conceived as the formal kick-off to a yearlong celebration of Dublin's agricultural past. The exhibit included original farm logbooks where Harold Kolb recorded daily farm activities, an egg-sizer, a seeder over 100 years old, and photos of the Kolb farm and various other farms throughout Dublin. This exhibit had a small opening reception at which exhibit researchers and city historians chatted with guests about Dublin's agricultural past, guests' own farming experiences, and how farming made Dublin the city it is today. Local artists discussed their work in translating local history onto a 20'x10' mural, and Master Gardeners discussed the addition of a Farm Yard vegetable garden outside the Kolb House kitchen. Although the "Farm-to-Table" exhibit closed in July, the Year of the Farm continues as the `Farm Yard' vegetable garden, planted at the Spring Fair, sprouted corn, beans, pumpkins, tomatoes and sunflowers over the summer. Staff is working with volunteer gardeners and three Boy Scouts to complete three Eagle Scout Projects at the Park. Design is underway for a compost bin, a potting table with a sink and a "Mud Pie Kitchen" for the children's play area. All three projects will be completed within the year and will utilize reclaimed wood and materials. SPECIAL EVENTS Harvest Fair More than 700 visitors enjoyed traditional fall fun at the Dublin Heritage Park and Museums Harvest Fair on Saturday, October 17. Highlights included Hands-on History activities such as tractor-drawn wagon rides, gold panning, and cider pressing; lively music by Dublin Bluegrass Jam Band, and the Irish/Old Tyme Jam Band; and the McGrath Irish Dancers performing reels and jigs. The Heritage Museum opened a new exhibit on "Dublin Schools: 1915, 1950 and Today," which ran through January 31, 2016, and two new displays in the Kolb House, depicting morning chores on the Back Porch and evening pastimes in the Parlor, circa 1948. Ghosts of Dublin Dublin Heritage Park and Museum's Ghosts of Dublin event on October 30 drew 161 people for flashlight tours of the cemetery and a lecture by local author-historians Rita Szollos and Steve Minniear. The crowd was more than double what was originally expected, and customer response after the event was overwhelmingly positive. Volunteer guides led flashlight tours through the historic Cemetery. The Kolb House windows were decorated as they might have been on a dark and spooky fall evening during the 1940s. Participants were treated to hot cider and light refreshments. Due to the overwhelmingly positive response to the first event, Staff has created an event this year to include live ghosts in the Cemetery including Mr. Dougherty, a black and white silent film projected on the Hay Barn, and stories of ghostly encounters will be told in the Sunday School Barn. Staff hopes to repeat this educational, family-friendly event annually around Halloween. Page 2 of 6 Holiday Teas Heritage Park and Museums kicked off its holiday season with the annual Holiday Teas December 5-6, 2015. The Children's Holiday Tea hosted 21 children and family members. Attendees were treated to holiday music, a performance from the Tri-Valley Youth Performers, and a visit from Saint Nick. The Country Holiday Teas hosted 67 attendees, including a large group from the Dublin San Ramon Women's Club. Teen volunteers from Dublin High School assisted Staff with set-up and clean-up, and helped served tea. Volunteers from the Dublin Historical Preservation Association sold several holiday gift items. The Dublin High School Culinary Academy was contracted to prepare menu items including chocolate-dipped strawberries, tea sandwiches, caprese skewers and scones. Spring Fair& Farm Tea Despite drizzly weather, an estimated 350 people attended Heritage Park and Museum's farm-themed Spring Fair on May 7. The farm theme was new this year, replacing a French-themed festival that had been declining in attendance in recent years. Children planted vegetables in a Farm Yard garden, which were prepped by Dublin Pride volunteers led by Master Gardeners Jim and Sue Farr. Seeds were donated by Renee's Garden. Challenge Dairy sponsored the Dairy pen, where visitors could milk Elsie, Heritage Park's new model cow, and try making butter, whipped cream and ice cream by hand. The event also included live music all day, wagon rides and arts and crafts activities, plus shopping at 25 arts and craft, food, nonprofit and local business vendor booths. Attendance for this year's Spring Fair was significantly below the prior year, largely due to the inclement weather. The first weekend in May also plays host to other holiday happenings throughout the Bay Area, including Mother's Day weekend, Kentucky Derby and Cinco de Mayo festivities. This year's event was lengthened two hours, from noon to 5 PM., compared to the previous year's (1:00-4:00 PM.), in order to maximize exposure for sponsors and vendors. Concurrent with the Spring Fair, Heritage Center volunteers hosted a Farm-to-Table Tea in the Sunday School Barn,with two seating times. Volunteers served tea and foods emphasizing local, seasonal ingredients to 36 guests. This year's farm teas attendance was down, perhaps in part to the change in theme from French Faire to Farm-to-Table. Past tea participants may have appreciated the French theme more than a farm theme. The weather may have also played a part in the lack of participation as there were only two walk-in attendees. Surveys were sent out after the tea and provided positive feedback regarding the new farm theme. Music Jams Bluegrass and Irish/Old Tyme Music Jams are hosted at Heritage Park on alternating Tuesdays. On average, the Bluegrass Jam attracts 12-20 musicians and attendees per week and the Irish/Old Tyme bands host on average 10-18 musicians and attendees per week. Staff began tracking attendance in June. VISITORS A Visitors Comparison shows the number of people who visited Heritage Park and Museums as part of a formal tour, as walk-in guests during public exhibit hours, or attended a special event at the Heritage Park. Tour guests were counted and recorded by the tour guide. Volunteers at the Visitor Center in the Murray Schoolhouse recorded the walk-in guests. For ticketed special events, such as Teas, guest attendance was drawn from ticket sales data. For non-ticketed events, such as the Spring Fair, the employees working the event estimated attendance. Visitor Comparison numbers do not include people visiting Heritage Park for City-run classes (counted in class attendance numbers), private rental functions, or simply walking through the park without visiting the museum Page 3 of 6 • VISITORS COMPARISON 2015/2016 17 .1. 10,2413.5 Attendance Oct- Jan- Apr- Jul- YTD �� i q •awryi r Type Dec Mar Jun Sep TOTAL c7lz: " g e 6 ," , 75 55 15 0 145 20 26 151;':',,, Adult—Tour 0 197�` Child—Tour 0 188 642 0 830 55 100 595 , 3 0 750; Walk-In 271 234 335 461 1,301 '618 269 360 354 1,601 Special **929 0 ***386 0 1,214 1058 T5 *530 0 1,745 Events Total 1,275 477 13,378 461 3,591 1,751 552 1636 354 4,293 Visitors *Special Event Exhibit Attendance:Spring Faire =450, Farm Tea = 80 **Special Event Attendance:Harvest Fair=750, Ghosts of Dublin=91, Holiday Teas=88 ***Special Event Exhibit Attendance:Spring Fair= 350, Farm Tea = 36 TOURS In addition to a total Visitor Comparison, the City also tracks the number and type of tours. Tours are especially popular with elementary schools, as third graders study local history. Third graders from Amador, Dougherty, Dublin, Green, Kolb and Murray elementary schools and St. Raymond's School and Valley Christian School visited the Heritage Park this spring. (Frederiksen did not visit during the 2015-16 school year, but City Staff does not have information on why not.) About half of the classrooms touring also participated in add-on activities, such as tractor wagon rides, old-fashioned laundry an d gold panning. Although tour numbers appear down, attendance was actually up, as several schools booked larger tours, probably with two classes combined. TOURS COMPARISON 2015/2016 h Oct- Jan- Apr- Jul- YTD ':t Im 1 - ::7 Tour Type Dec Mar Jun Sep TOTAL - ! - School Tour 1 5 17 0 23 0 4 23 0 27 Community 4 1 1 0 6 1 2 ;2 2 7 Tour Total Tours 5 6 18 0 29 6 25 2 ;;! 34 VOLUNTEERS There are 29 registered volunteers at the Heritage Park and Museums. Volunteers are grouped by interest and may choose to participate in a variety of specialized work groups including. Docents/Greeters, Collections and Archives, Gardeners, Photography, Walking-Tours and Tractor Volunteers. Staff is actively recruiting volunteers and has added seven new volunteers this quarter. • Three walking tour volunteers led school tours and hands-on heritage activities for 25 Dublin classrooms. Page 4 of 6 • Twenty-two volunteers staffed the Tea Room and Hands-on Heritage activities during the Harvest Fair, Spring Fair and Farm Teas. In addition, more than 50 high school students volunteered over 550 hours of service at various special events. • Nine greeters staffed the museum desk and led public tours during open hours. • • Heritage Park volunteer,local historian and `Trail Trekker'Rich Guarienti,led a free walking tour for ten participants on a one-mile loop of Heritage Park buildings and nearby historic sites,including the Green Store and Alamilla Springs. • Four garden committee members,led by Jim and Sue Farr, helped to beautify gardens throughout the park, weeding, raking and pruning. They now also care for the new Farm Yard, a vintage style vegetable garden planted during the Spring Fair. The garden committee tends the grounds once a week,weather and schedules permitting. • Approximately 50 volunteers participated in projects at Heritage Park during the annual Dublin Pride community volunteer event. Volunteers assisted Staff and volunteer Farm Yard project coordinators Jim and Sue Farr with raking, loading soil, wood chips and waddles around the garden area. Volunteers also helped maintain the Cemetery by raking weeds and leaves off unmaintained graves and installing wood chips along walkways. • Approximately 25 local Boy Scouts cleaned and weeded the graves of United States military veterans over Memorial Day Weekend and placed war memorial medallions and flags on the graves. VOLUNTEER HOURS COMPARISON 2015/2016 � . Volunteer Oct- Jan- Apr- Jul- YTD OftJ ai r f LA t Sep T e Dec Mar Jun Se TOTAL -' Type m Museum 503 598 682 354 2,137 622 618 612 638 ; 2,490 Volunteer* Student 261 160 150 2 573 304 76 144 144 668 Volunteer Total Hours 764 758 832 356 2,710 926 694 756 X782 3,158 *Museum volunteers also include garden volunteers, who tend to the flower and vegetable gardens immediately surrounding the heritage building and historic Cemetery. The lawn and other plantings are.maintained by MCE, the City's maintenance contractor. It also includes those who volunteer in our archives and collections. FACILITY RENTALS St. Raymond Church has been available to the public for private rental since prior to the expansion of the Heritage Park and Museums. The Sunday School Barn became available for private ren on May 1, 2012. This year saw a sharp decline (down 48%) in facility rentals at Heritage Park, due in large part to construction of the Pulte Homes Heritage Park housing development across the street from Old St. Raymond Church. Potential renters have either been discouraged or unable to access the Church due to truck traffic and street construction. Potential renters were hesitant to hold a wedding, funeral or memorial in the Church with loud and constant construction. However, the houses along Donlon Way are near completion, and Staff expects rental inquiries to resume in the coming season. Page 5 of 6 . FACILITY RENTALS COMPARISON 2015/2016 �r %� Oct- Jan- Apr- Jul- YTD Rental Type Dec Mar Jun Sep TOTAL St Raymond 4 5 3 0 12 Church Sunday School Barn 9 2 4 2 Both 1 0 1 0 2 Total Rentals 14 7 8 2 31 NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH: None. ATTACHMENTS: None. Page 6 of 6