FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Aug. 1, 2007
CONTACT:  Helen B Louise, (605) 773-3798, Helen.Louise@state.sd.us or Jay D. Vogt, (605) 773-3458, Jay.Vogt@state.sd.us

Louise new State Historical Society museum director

PIERRE, SD – Helen B Louise is the new director of the museum of the South Dakota State Historical Society at the Cultural Heritage Center.

“I’m excited. There’s a real passion that I have, because history is important,” said Louise, a native of the Puget Sound region of Washington state who most recently was director of the Kitsap County Historical Society Museum in Bremerton, Wash.

“I’m very impressed with the world-class quality of the exhibits in the Cultural Heritage Center and the high standards of the museum storage behind the scenes,” Louise added. “The storage reflects the respect and stewardship of the artifacts, and it’s very clean and organized.”

At the Cultural Heritage Center, only about 10 percent of the State Historical Society’s more-than 28,250-object museum collection is on display at any one time. The 18-year-old building houses both permanent and changing exhibits that tell the history of the state from before the arrival of Europeans in the mid-1700s through the end of the 20^th century. 

Louise, a graduate of the prestigious Cooperstown Graduate Program in History Museum Studies in New York, said the museum field as a whole needs to work on educating people more about the stewardship and care of objects, and not just displaying them.

“We need to preserve our historical objects for future generations,” said Louise, a member of both the American Association of Museums and the American Association for State and Local History.

“We are very pleased to have someone with the experience and know-how of Helen B Louise as our new museum director,” said Jay D. Vogt, director of the State Historical Society. “I’m sure she’ll do a splendid job of making people aware that we have one of the top museums in the state and region.”

The museum’s permanent exhibits were completed in April 2005. Previous director David B. Hartley retired shortly after that, and since that time, the museum staff has increased their efforts at outreach in the form of traveling exhibits and “education kits,” or small exhibits in suitcases that can be rented by schools or other museums and community groups. The museum currently has three traveling exhibits and 11 education kits.

“I’m impressed with our traveling exhibits and education kits,” Louise said. “This is a good time to turn our attention to expanding their use – serving the rural population so they can have the same access to the information as people in the larger cities. I hope we can serve every resident and also serve as a model to other museums across the state.”

Louise said another challenge facing museums today is utilizing technology throughout the galleries to create an interactive experience for young visitors.

“The greatest challenge facing all museums is how to stay relevant as the audience changes – presenting history in a way that’s relevant to the audience,” she said. “It’s an ongoing, long-term issue as technology evolves.”

Louise added that she’s pleased with the way technology is utilized in the interactive displays at the Cultural Heritage Center. One of the most popular exhibits contains a model cow that can be hand-milked.

Louise is married to Mike Wyne, a retired Seattle newspaper reporter and editor. He left a community college position teaching EMT courses to come to Pierre. She has one son, who lives in the Seattle area. Louise said she’s pleased with what she’s seen of Pierre so far.

“Everybody I’ve met has been friendly, welcoming and positive,” she said. “The region excites me because it’s Americana, and the history of South Dakota is a wonderful example of Americana.”

The museum in the Cultural Heritage Center is open Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. and Sundays and most holidays from 1-4:30 p.m. Call (605) 773-6000 for more information or visit www.sdhistory.org. Call (605) 773-4373 to schedule a traveling exhibit or (605) 773-6011 for an education kit.