Objects and Identity of the George Washington Carver Museum

This paper will create an imagined historical exhibition plan focusing on the George Washington Carver Museum and discuss how the objects added from other museum collections and removed from the Carver would affect the narrative the Carver is trying to weave and the identity they seek to adopt. The Carver has a good deal of floor space and whether on purpose or not, has some historical gaps, especially in the settling of the Austin area, the Civil War era and how the communities coalesced during the Civil Rights era. I want to retain the personal feel of the Carver, but inject some more difficult topics that should be addressed to get a fuller picture of the African American experience in Texas and Austin in particular. I also want the museum to stay relevant in the face of a changing community demographic by reinforcing the African American community through objects, images and stories that still have relevance to the residents. This includes both those members who have lived in the community their whole lives and for the children in the community whose ties to the community may not be as strong as that of their parents or grandparents. Also, the Carver needs to provide access to these same stories for new members of the community who may not have the historical roots to the community but need to play a role in preserving the history of this area.UT Librarie