To the Members of Museum-L:

The Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum is in search of ideas, resources
and inspiration regarding public programming. I'm working on a long-range
public programming plan (in conjunction with exhibits, collections and
facilities plans) which will include strengthening existing programming
(adult and children's) and developing new. We're especially interested in
finding out what works in similar communities and in networking and
cost-sharing with other regional museums and educational institutions.

I would enjoy hearing from other museum professionals about what has worked,
what hasn't and what _you_ would like to do in your wildest dreams. Please
send  comments, examples, organizational tips and other suggestions. A more
detailed description of the museum, community and existing programs follows.

We have a modest program schedule which relies on local resources. It
includes quarterly (or more often) local history programs, monthly family and
children's programming and art and photography shows, featuring local and
regional Western artists and photographers (and workshops and seminars based
on these shows) Specific programming needs are: adult programming which goes
beyond the slide-show/video/lecture format to something more participatory;
programs for retired adults such as brown-bag seminar series; interesting
programming for secondary schools; and of course children's programming which
goes beyond story-telling, arts and crafts and the like.

_The Museum_ The Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum (OWM) is located in
Cheyenne, Wyoming. Founded in 1978 by the Cheyenne Frontier Days (CFD)
General Committee. The original focus was to provide a home for/display the
CFD carriage collection, one of the country's largest. Our annual operating
budget is around $400,000, with 4 Full-time and 6 Part-time employees. Our
collection now includes: contemporary Western Art (small but important),
women's costumes of 1865-1930, photos and other 2-dimensional CFD
memorabilia, and artifacts, etc. relating to Cheyenne and Wyoming history.
Current exhibits include "Dust and Glory: 100 years of Cheyenne Frontier
Days", our showcase. New to the scene is the "Hole in the Wall Kids Room", a
hands-on discovery area for children and their parents, which has been wildly
popular but the focus of which needs to be tightened and re-directed. The
museum is privately funded with donations, memberships, admissions revenue
and other earned income. We're associated with, but not directed by the CFD
family (more to follow). The museum has two small endowments for programming,
the Marie Jordan Bell fund, which supports programs about and for the West
and Westerners and the Helen Pickett Memorial Children's Programming Fund.
The Pickett fund is new and we'd like to use this program series as a model.

_Cheyenne Frontier Days_ is the world's largest outdoor rodeo and premier
western celebration (to quote their press). The annual 10-day celebration
features 9 rodeos, 9 night shows (1996 performers include Garth Brooks and
George Strait) 4 parades, 3 pancake breakfasts and an "Indian Village". We
celebrated the 100th Annual CFD this July 19-28. CFD is a volunteer-driven
event (more than 2,000 volunteers work on the show) which contributes
millions to the city's economy. More than 1/2 of the OWM's annual attendance
comes during CFD.The common feeling and purpose which results from putting on
this event each year has led to a community involvement and unity which is
unusual in a town the size of Cheyenne. As part of the CFD family, we have a
lot of support from this group, but are not governed by it. (Representatives
of the two CFD governing boards sit on our board and CFD is our landlord)

_Cheyenne_ itself is on the large side of a small town with around 60,000
people in the city and environs. Cheyenne is the capital city of Wyoming and
is at the intersection of I-25 and I-80. We're less than 2 hours away from
Denver and at the opposite corner of a very large state from Yellowstone
Nat'l Park. Because we're the capital city and we're so close to Denver, with
good transportation, Cheyenne is and always has been more cosmopolitan than
many cities the same size. We're home to a small but surprisingly good
symphony orchestra, a thriving community theater group and a community
college. Not to forget the Wyoming State Museum which is a valuable resource.
F.E. Warren Air Force Base is located in Cheyenne and contributes a great
deal to our civic life.

Thanks in advance for your help and time and for sharing your expertise.

Peggy Nelson
Coordinator of Public Programs
Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum
P.O. Box 2720
Cheyenne, WY 82003

e-mail: [log in to unmask]
phone: 307-778-7290
fax: 307-778-7288