The NIC website review

I chose to review the website of the NIC, short for the Nicolaysen Art Museum & Discovery Center, located in Casper, Wyoming. Here is a little background of why I chose to review the NIC website.

Background: During the mid-1980s my mother-in-law organized a few of the children’s exhibits which included hands-on art activities. Many of her exhibits brought in families, as well as donations from these families which assisted with the funds to build the current building the NIC resides today.

Review: The NIC website communicates the necessary information to draw in visitors. Even though the NIC website doesn’t show photos of the displayed art in the museum, it doesn’t shy web-viewers from retrieving information about the museum. The website focuses on posting information on future events and exhibitions, past exhibitions, and educational opportunities in the museum.

As stated on the website, the NIC is split into two parts; the art museum which displays contemporary works of art of the Rocky Mountain Region from artists around the nation, and the discovery center for visitors to get a hands-on art experience. The museum’s mission statement is one sentence but covers the museum’s purpose. The statement reads, “The Nicolaysen Art Museum educates and enriches the community through engaging experiences in contemporary art.”

After browsing the NIC website, I noticed the NIC seems to be highly involved with the community. Upcoming events are posted for the entire year which not only includes new art exhibitions but new classes, educational programs, and community art events. The NIC also rent available space for events, such as, weddings, receptions, and other events needing space. Even though renting out the NIC for non art events has nothing to do with the mission of the museum, it may be one way for the NIC to raise money to keep the museum going and to advertize the museum to those who may not have a reason to visit in the hope they will visit in the future.

What’s nice about museum websites is the additional information visitors may not see, or even care to see, in the museum when they go to visit, for example, information about past museum exhibitions or the museum collections not on display.

The discovery center link of the website invites all visitors, if they visit the NIC and they become inspired by the art they see, to be creative too. Visitors can start their work of art right in the museum. The website uses photos to give web-viewers an idea about the area where they might be able spill some creative juices out on a piece of paper. The website advertises the discovery center for users of all ages but I think kids would love it more than adults.

The NIC website gives just enough information to intrigue one to visit and/or get one to attend one of the museum’s free events. The NIC website highlights and expands the mission statement by using a website but a web-viewer needs to physical visit the museum to know if the mission statement is consistent with the practices. Almost all museum websites are advertisements to draw in visitors.

More information is available at http://www.thenic.org/.

A Palouse Horse

When I was growing up my family owned an Appaloosa horse. His name was Red because he had red hair with white spots on his behind. I thought he was a great horse and now that I live in an area that has a museum dedicated to the Appaloosa I thought I would visit. Over the weekend I decided to visit the Appaloosa Museum & Heritage Center in Moscow, ID. I never knew that the name of the Appaloosa originated in the very region I live in today, called the Palouse region. The Palouse region has many rolling hills in which wheat and legumes are grown. Non-Native American people called the Appaloosa horse “a Palouse horse” because the horse was mainly in the Palouse region and were bred by the Nez Perce Native American tribe. It was also called “a Paloosey horse” so eventually people combined the words and the name evolved to be Appaloosa. The spotted horse is found all over the world but it was the Native Americans of the Nez Perce tribe that bred them to be unique in this region of the world.

The museum is split into three sections. The west side of the museum is dedicated to the heritage aspect of the Palouse region, including displays of the Native American tribe of the Nez Perce and cowboy getup, like saddles and tools needed for travel. The east side is all about the Appaloosa competitions and history of the horse in the last 60 year or so. It also includes a kid’s corner. Lastly, the gift shop is in between both sides of the museum.

A museum guest book is available for visitor to sign and above the book is a donation box. Visiting the museum is free to the guests, but a sign encourages visitors to make a small donation if they enjoy the museum. In front of the gift shop, a wooden life-size carved and painted Appaloosa stands with a saddle on its back and a bridle on its head.

The museum offers a short 10 minute video available in a viewing area. From the video viewing area the wall curves around into the heritage part of the museum. On the wall hang painted art of the old west cowboys and Indians and, of course, the Appaloosa. The curved wall ends at a corner where the art became a mural of the Palouse rolling hills. Displays of tools for working on horses are laid out like an image from an old cowboy’s working shop. In the middle of the room stand many glass cases filled with items handmade from the Native Americans such as bags and dresses. Other cases have items that were used on horses before cars were around. For example, lead ropes, bridles, and horse blankets. According to one museum staff member the Native American headdress on display was recently added to the museum in the last year. The headdress is made with several eagle feathers and is at least 5 feet in length.

Many Americans learn about Chief Joseph in school. Well, if you didn’t know,Chief Joseph was a part of the Nez Perce tribe. The Nez Perce ran to fight General Howard’s cavalry through Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. The trail they followed was long and brutal. In the museum is a trail map display and information about the battle and Chief Joseph’s famous words said during his surrender.

"Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever.”

Over on the east side of the museum a visitor could access recent history of the Appaloosa. There are exhibits of old horse journals from the early 1960’s and many photos of the Appaloosa’s various hide patterns of spots. The museum also focused on the horse club with a hall of fame for outstanding Appaloosas.

The fun part of the museum for children is the kid’s corner because it is the only region of the museum designed to be hands-on. All throughout the museum I wanted to touch things, like the old saddles. Finally, something you can play with! The kid’s corner has a coloring table and the seats are saddles. All different types of saddles, even a lady’s saddle which ladies would ride with both legs on one side of the horse. There’s different size horseshoes connected to a rope that’s tied down the ledge, real horse hair and directions how to braid, and ropes with directions on how to tie different knots that would be used on a horse. Kids can dress up in cowboy boots, a hat, and vest while riding around on a stick horse. Children’s books about horses were also available for kids to be read to or to read themselves. Very fun!

Behind the museum is a fenced in area with a couple of Appaloosa horses. There is also a picnic area with three different plaques with information about the Chief Joseph Trail.
Like any museum that has its own themed gift shop, visitors can take home Appaloosa memorabilia. They have play-sized Appaloosa horses, t-shirts, and shot glasses. Since part of the museum is dedicated to the Nez Perce tribe, handmade jewelry and beaded bags are available for purchase.

Not to forget about those who help to keep the museum going, there are two areas in the museum where donor names are displayed.

Overall, the museum displays interesting history and focuses on the uniqueness of the Appaloosa.