History of local media showcased in new student-developed permanent exhibit
Thanks to the efforts of an excellent museum studies intern, the Galt Museum & Archives | Akaisamitohkanao’pa has redeveloped part of its Discovery Hall permanent exhibit gallery to showcase the history of local media in southwestern Alberta.
Thanks to the efforts of an excellent museum studies intern, the Galt Museum & Archives | Akaisamitohkanao’pa has redeveloped part of its Discovery Hall permanent exhibit gallery to showcase the history of local media in southwestern Alberta. From the early days of newspaper through advances in radio and television broadcasting, media outlets have played a critical role in sharing the stories of our community.
“Our partnership with the University of Lethbridge museum studies program has been very beneficial for both students and for the museum,” says Tyler Stewart, curator for the Galt Museum. “It was great to have an Art History/Museum Studies student like Cass Williamson take charge of a project like this and share important stories of how the news historically played a role in everyday life and continues to do so today.”
A fourth-year student in the Art History/Museum Studies department within the Faculty of Fine Arts, Williamson conducted research during the spring 2022 academic term into the history of media in Lethbridge. This research was then transformed into engaging new interpretive panels for visitors to read, which are also accompanied by photographs and objects from the Galt Museum collection.
“The Museum Studies internship was an incredibly rewarding experience through which I was able to learn new skills and build confidence to enter the museum field,” Williamson explains. “I feel that I have a better understanding of the many considerations that go into developing content for an exhibit and I’m very excited to see my work realized in Discovery Hall.”
The relationship between the university and the museum is a long-standing one, many students have gained practical, hands-on experience at the Galt over the years — a vital aspect of landing a job in the field after graduation. Interns have taken on projects within curatorial, programming, education and collections departments within the museum, helping to engage the community with the history of southwestern Alberta.
“The Museum Studies Internships at the University of Lethbridge are really unique to our institution and offer students the opportunity to build connections and develop skills for their future careers,” explains Devon Smither, who is a professor of art history at the University of Lethbridge and supervised Williamson’s internship.
“Our students have been working at the Galt for many years, gaining insight into the variety of career choices available as well as acquiring behind-the-scenes perspectives about how cultural institutions operate,” says Smither. “Many of our students choose our program precisely because of the internship opportunities and I can think of a great many recent graduates who are now working full-time as curators, museum technicians and educators in museums.”
This exhibition redevelopment features artifacts that have never before been on public display, including the camera of local photographer Vernon Decoux who documented many critical events in Crowsnest Pass history. Also on display is a handmade radio transmitter built by John “Jock” Palmer, the founder of CJOC Radio — one of Lethbridge’s most important early news outlets.
“While it’s thought of as a ‘permanent’ exhibit gallery, we strive to regularly update content in Discovery Hall to share different stories and perspectives,” Stewart explains. “With such rich local history and our incredible collection of artifacts, there are always new ways of reflecting the community back to itself.”