Museum proponent and recent commenter Neil Hardin has thrown out a challenge to those who have questions about the downtown museum project:
Talked with Lakeview’ P.R. person, Kathleen Worth [sic], and she says she will put together a meeting anytime to answer questions about the museum, it’s process, the name, etc. It’s your chance to participate. Any takers?
Of course, I’ll be more than happy to meet with Ms. Woith. However, I know that some commenters are anonymous and wish to stay that way, so here’s your chance to ask some questions and get some answers. I’ll work with Neil to set up a time and place and will post it here for any who would like to come. In light of Neil’s latest comment, here’s the new plan: I’ll set up an appointment with Ms. Woith to ask her our questions. I’ll accept questions up until the day I meet with her.
As for anyone who can’t come, don’t want to come, or don’t want to reveal their secret identity, please leave your question(s) in the comments section of this post. I will make a reasonable effort to ask all questions that are submitted, as long as they’re pertinent and respectful.
CJ: Here’s the info I received back from Ms. Woith (my apologies to her for misspelling her name):
Each meeting is tailored to the individual group or interest, so that would not work if we were working with unidentified people. They can send questions to my email or phone and I would be happy to answer them. We respond to anyone who contacts us. If CJ Summers wants to call and set something up, that would be fine. However, we won’t respond to personal attacks.
Kathleen Woith
Vice President of Communications & Community Relations
Lakeview Museum of Arts & Sciences
1124 W. Lake Ave. Peoria, IL 61614-5985
309/686-7000 ext. 129
Fax 309/686-0280
http://www.lakeview-museum.org
I would urge you to contact her directly to set something up, no sense in me playing the middle man since she seems quite willing to discuss things. I hope this opens a beneficial dialogue. There may be some points where everyone agrees to disagree, but I sincerely hope there are more areas of agreement than disagreemnt.
After the JS editorials today I am concerned about the future of this project. I think it would be a real loss to the community if the project does not move forward in essentially the way it has been proposed.
Just for clarification, when she says, “that would not work if we were working with unidentified people,” to what is she referring? It wouldn’t work to set a time and place and let people show up? Granted. We don’t have to do it that way. I assume it will still be okay for me to gather questions from my readers and ask them of her myself, though, wouldn’t it?
Please assure her (as I will, too) that there will be no personal attacks. I may disagree with decisions that have been made, but I have nothing against any of the museum backers personally.
I will call and set up an appointment and will accept questions up until the meeting. I don’t know how many questions will be submitted, but if it ends up being a lot, I’ll pick and choose which ones to ask so that we respect Ms. Woith’s time (and, frankly, my time, too). I think this dialog will be good. Thanks for organizing this up to this point, Neil.
I think she was referring to tailoring the meeting to a specific group or interest. I hope this works at least to find some common ground.
Thanks for doing this guys!
Just a few questions that I’m sure many others have as well….
1) How much retail space will be available? Total square footage?
2) Why not increased density? Too much open space will make the downtown “Lakeview” just a nicer version of their existing suburban facility. If the museum doesn’t need the space, why not increased space for retail / hotel projects? MORE DENSITY! If not, just expand the existing museum. There seems to be some existing land around the museum and YWCA / Owens Center area.
3) Why not use IMAX instead of ‘off-brand’ IMAX. The name has appeal to greater numbers. What are plans to make the screen usable for special events or showing of first run movies?
4) Staffing Levels. Are there going to be more employees for a larger, more complex facility?
Imax is a publically traded corporation. There’s alot of information about their setup charges and fee structures available. It would be interesting to hear the what the difference in costs are between the Imax and what Peoria Museum Square proposes.
A few questions:
Why are you not following the principles of the Heart of Peoria Plan?
Will the different groups involved in the new museum have equal say in how the museum is run?
Will the Peoria Historical Society still have control over the collections that are used in the new museum?
Give examples of historical artifacts that will be displayed in the new museum.
Will the new museum take the Duryea from its current location in the Peoria Public Library?
Do you plan on obtaining any artifacts/ collections that are currently displayed elsewhere in the Peoria region?
Why are you only doing African-American oral histories? Are there not other groups that have impacted the Peoria area just as significantly? (For example; Germans, Irish, and Lebanese?)
Why has the Peoria Public Library not been included in this endeavor?
Will the Peoria Street exhibit have representations of buildings that exist currently or once existed in Peoria?
Damn Chris! That just about covers it all.
Here’s a simple solution. Cat will be doing their thing… and that WILL draw people. Now, what the city needs to do is put up a “museum” that not only will have local interest, but will have national or even WORLD interest, as well. That means we should FOCUS on one or two aspects within a museum framework, and make it world class in doing so. What should we celebrate? Why, distilling of course. Have a DISTILLERY museum… celebrate all aspects of the distilling process… historical items of Hiram Walker’s and the rest.
And, because the old Pabst plant was just a few miles north, why not throw a BREWERY type museum in, as well? Brewing memorabilia is HUGE and will be for years to come. Put up a bar set-up like one you would have seen from the 30s or something. Have an interactive bartender… amass the best collection of distilling and brewing items that the world would come to see. If we FOCUS on being the best there is at these items, people will make a POINT of coming here. If it’s just generic Peoria based HISTORY, we’ll be lucky to draw school busses.
Cheers to the DISTILLERY museum!! That would surely draw more people from outside the area!!
Hello, this is Kathleen Woith from Lakeview Museum. I see you have many questions for us and that is wonderful. I will answer your questions over the next few days, and any others you may have. Your comments are always welcome, too, because we want to hear the good, the bad and everything in between! It won’t be just me answering, I would like to pose your questions to our partners and the experts, also.
From the beginning this has been a true community project. We have involved literally hundreds of people from throughout the region and the midwest to help us plan the new museum.
Today we’re talking about the name, so give me a day or so for answers.
Thank you for all of your interest,
Kathleen Woith
VP of Communications & Community Relations
Lakeview Museum
kathleen@lakeview-museum.org
Why not talk to George Pasqeul and get some old restaurant memorabilia as well?
WHAT ABOUT PEO HISTORIC HOMES? THEY HAVE TONS OF STUFF.
Will work on answers soon, it’s been a busy day here! Thought you might be interested in this:
Museum Partners Going Back to the Public to Choose Favorite Name
We heard you!
The Museum Partners asked for the public’s opinion on proposed names for the new museum and more than 4,000 responses and votes came back!
Love them or hate them or something in between — the four original names —
Port of Exploration Museum, Amazeum, Museum on the Square and ExploraSphere — inspired passionate and impassioned opinions. Reactions ranged from “All these names are terrible!†to “fascinating names, I can’t decide which one I like best.â€
So the Museum Partners are going back to the public to help choose a name. What will the new choices be? They will be revealed when the vote reopens Friday, Sept. 22. Polling will continue through noon, Monday, Oct. 2. The Naming Committee will meet that week to choose a name. The Partner Group Boards will consider the names with an announcement to come in November.
What will the choices not include? Some of the write-in names popular with the public just aren’t available or can’t be used. Including words in the names such as Riverview, River’s Edge and Riverfront aren’t available because they are trademarked or close to names of other museums.
Popular sentiment ran in favor of recognizing the museum’s home city in the name and that is being considered by the group. Other names suggested were trademarked names of existing museums, such as the Exploratorium or Discovery Museum.
Another name that won’t be an option is Lakeview Museum. The museum was gratified to see that more than 150 people wrote-in or commented that they would like to retain the name — especially since the museum finally will have a “lake view.â€
With the collaboration of all the partners, including the Peoria Historical Society, the African American Hall of Fame Museum, the Peoria Regional Museum Society, Lakeview Museum, the IHSA, and others, the museum is growing into an entity that embraces all of the disciplines. Art, history, science and achievement will be explored and displayed in a museum unlike any other in the country. Lakeview Museum was created by 26 groups who joined together in the early 1960s. Today, that legacy is continuing with the groups who are forming the new regional museum. The new museum will continue the tradition of offering outstanding exhibitions and programs created by the partners.
The Museum Partners continue to involve the community in the process with the new vote.
If PEORIA is not in the name the 2nd time around, this grand PR scheme will fail again. Thank you for listening to those who will be paying for and whom museum is intended for. PEORIANS.
Looks to me like the museum group can’t win. Ms. Woith has been quite open about being willing to answer questions and provide information. Sarcastic comments from “anonymous” bloggers are nothing more than cheap shots. At least the museum group is trying to do something good for the community and doesn’t hide behind “anonymous” comments.
Neil,
Don’t be so quick to take offense. Peoria has a long history of groups “trying to do something good for the community.” The casino boat, Hooters, river front development, Civic Center in the red, etc., etc.! You can’t blame Peorians for being a little upset with our city elite. Many people in this city see this as another rich-business guy-loving-the-limelight-scheme.
A Special Message to “Anonymous” Maybe YOU ought to get into the arena and do something! From Theodore Roosevelt:
“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows achievement and who at the worst if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
From a speech given in Paris at the Sorbonne in 1910
Neil – how do you know “anonymous” doesn’t have a lot to do with things in Peoria? You obviously have no idea about anything. Your negative attitude, your presumed intelligence, and your sarcastic responses do nothing but make people think you are the biggest idiot on the planet. I have one thing to say to you – get a freaking life man!
I think Ms. Woith has done much more than she had to. Its great to see that she is interested in taking another approach to things for the better interest of people in Peoria. Its great to have someone that sees and understands and can connect with people outside their office. Just another reason weblogs are gaining in momentum.
I honor your approach and understanding, good points Neil.
Very classy, “anonymous.” If you had anything to do with anything in this town you wouldn’t be “anonymous.” And when one resorts to name calling–such as “biggest idiot on the planet”–it’s only because you have nothing intelligent to say and you have lost the argument. Cheers!
Sarah: Who is the “rich business guy” you refer to?
Alright, Neil and Anonymous, break it up! Let’s try to keep things civil here….
I am not the same “Anonymous” as the previous commenter, so I am officially changing my name to “BiteMyTongue”. *This* anonymous commenter was quite sincere when I said “Thank you for listening to those who will be paying for and whom museum is intended for.” It may have been a little sarcastic, and yes, I do think the whole thing is a big PR scheme, but I am grateful for how this is turning out. Peoria Museum Square has garnered alot of press, mostly negative, but now it will be twisted and the voice of Peorians will be heard; you’ll get more press and hopefully this will be something we can be proud of.
Let’s be honest though, the names presented sucked. We all know that, and so do you. PEORIA should be in the title, even if the focus groups in Chicago don’t like us. I am not ashamed of Peoria and you shouldn’t be either. Why is the name “PEORIA” such a bad word around here?
Criticising anonymous posters on blogs brings up a larger issue. I echo the same sentiments that the average ‘man on the street’ says. I understand that putting your name on a comment adds credibility, but people remain anonymous for many reasons. Without anonimity, alot of opinions would not become vocal. Not everyone wants to stand up infront of the city council, be on TV, or be “Googled”.
Yikes. Where’s a spell check when you need it!?
I appreciate the Mayor’s Circle coming together for this, and people trying to do something to help revive downtown. However just who is going to regularly frequent this museum? It will need some sort of regular constituency to be viable. I fear this is another Peoria High Society staple that diverts desperately needed funds and attention from the neighborhoods of this city.
Neil,
Returned To Peoria reference to Mayors Circle and “Peoria High Society Staple” should answer your question about who “the rich business-guy” is in my reference above. The former mayors of the Mayors Circle aren’t exactly poor or known for the brilliant way they brought Peoria back from the brink during their term in office. I am no silly fool, I realize that you must have the bucks, to have the leisure, to devote to projects like this. But, to answer your question about “what business guy,” correct me if I am wrong, but the Lakeview board, excuse me Regional Museum Board, has every big name lawyer, retired CEO, etc. in Peoria. No need to mention names. Good or bad, most Peorians probably see this as just another “Peo High Soc Staple.”
It appears that we all have an opportunity now to have an open dialogue with the folks at Lakeview. I would like to see more citizens using this forum to do so. Does anyone out there have anything else they want answered?
C.J., do you have any more details on when Kathleen Woith and hopefully Jim Richerson and the other “partners†are going to address the questions from the citizens of Peoria?
No, I don’t know exactly when the questions will be answered, but it sounds like it will be within the next week. I’ve asked Ms. Woith to e-mail me the answers (as opposed to posting them as a comment here) so I can dedicate a whole post to them (unedited and uncut, of course). I figure that will give them more visibility and make it easier to comment on them. She wrote me back this morning and said she’s “involving the partners in the answers, so it may take a few days.” So it sounds like it will be worth the wait since we’ll be getting answers from the partners themselves.
I have to say that the questions that have been asked so far are excellent — between Central Peoria and Chris you all have covered just about everything, as far as I can see. But if anyone can think of anything else, feel free to ask it here.