The longtime executive director of the Stax Museum of American Soul Music in Memphis is leaving to oversee the expansion of a museum in Marion, Ark., dedicated to the story of the Sultana maritime disaster that occurred near the end of the Civil War.
The Sultana Historical Preservation Society announced Thursday the hiring of Jeff Kollath, who had been at the Stax museum for nine years and previously worked at historical, veterans and humanities sites in his native Wisconsin.
Kollath (left), who is in his mid-40s, officially starts work as executive director at the Sultana Disaster Museum on July 1, a day after he leaves his current job.
An enticement was an opportunity to build something fresh. Kollath will be deeply involved in devising exhibits for the new location of the Sultana museum.
"As a
museum professional, one of my greatest joys has been uncovering, interpreting
and telling the stories of everyday people and their extraordinary lives,”
Kollath said in a news release. “There are thousands of stories to be told in
this new museum. The Sultana disaster is something that still reverberates
generations later, and I look forward to working with the board and others in
making this important story come alive in our museum for guests of all
ages."
The society
touted Kollath’s experience in grant writing, budget development, facilities
management, public speaking and exhibit development and design. The Memphis museum where he has worked provides a deep look at Stax records, which was instrumental in the development of soul music.
“Jeff
expressed to the Board of Directors his passion for making history come alive
through high quality exhibitions, immersive educational experiences, and free,
accessible programming, and we could not be more excited,” the Sultana board said.
The society earlier this year awarded a construction contract for a larger, more dynamic museum than the current small one a few blocks away. The venue will be housed in the gymnasium of an old high school, with a couple additions.
Museum acquired this Grand Army of the Republic item remembering brothers who died on boat (SPHS) |
Pat Mitchell Worley, CEO of the Soulsville Foundation, which overseas the Stax museum, said the museum professional is “a lover of great stories at heart, and Stax and the Sultana, the greatest maritime disaster in America, are both that. He’s getting the chance to create a museum from the ground up, and draw on his passion for research and storytelling with this new opportunity."
Design for the front of larger museum in Marion (Courtesy Sultana Disaster Museum) |
Most
recently, Kollah was instrumental with the research required to tell the Stax
story as part of a recently released HBO docuseries.
“Since the boilers were the main cause of the destruction of the Sultana, we are hoping to have a display on how the boilers worked and what went wrong,” he said, describing the overall museum experience as immersive. “We have tons of information and a great number of artifacts to put into each display.”
Museum officials say the exhibits will build off the full story of the Sultana with information about the importance of the river, the Confederate prisoner of war camps at Cahaba and Andersonville, the bribery and corruption that led to the overcrowding of the boat, the explosion and fire, and the creation of the Sultana Survivors Association. (At left, photo of 1891 reunion banner, courtesy of SHPS)
Fogleman said construction at the gymnasium-auditorium has slowed somewhat after the discovery of issues related to water leaks in the roof and elsewhere.
"Before interior work can continue a new roof will be required. Some of this was anticipated but some was not. Since federal grants are involved, it slows the process."
No comments:
Post a Comment