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Silsbee Ice House Museum
The Smithsonian Institute could be coming to the Ice House Museum in Silsbee, if Curator Susan Kilcrease is successful in her bid to bring the joint venture of the Texas Historical Commission (THC) and the Smithsonian Institute to Southeast Texas.
At the April 21 Silsbee City Council meeting, Kilcrease presented the museum’s opportunity to host the exhibit. Museum on Main Street (MoMS) is part of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service Division making an effort to engage rural communities and making an effort to revitalize underserved communities.
The 2024-25 MoMS tour is set to feature museums assembles under the theme: “Crossroads: Change in Rural America,” exhibiting the impact of the population shift from rural to urban areas over the last 100 years.
“Six museums will be chosen across the state in communities of less than 15,000 people to host a Smithsonian Institute exhibit in their museum for six weeks,” Kilcrease advised in an announcement to garner local support. “The exhibit will rotate through the six museums in Texas in 2024.”
The museums chosen will be asked to create their own exhibits locally personalized to the theme the Smithsonian has chosen. This year the theme is “Rural America 100 Years Ago and Today.”
“I think we are the perfect community and museum and I already have a theme,” said Kilcrease. “If we are chosen, we will have the opportunity to work closely with the Texas Historical Commission and with the Smithsonian museum staff for up to a year. A few of the trainings are in Austin, and our learning opportunities and networking opportunities are absolutely overwhelming.”
Kilcease is following recommendation that the chosen museums partner with other local organizations to accomplish the overall effect.
“I have met with a number of nonprofit organizations and they want to participate,” she said. “I am seeking other organizations … responsible for creating and paying for an exhibit. My thought would be to make the themed exhibits city-wide, such as a mural festival like Beaumont has done so successfully, a walking downtown history tour, and a citywide historic auto tour of historic locations in Silsbee, and others as Part 2 of the main museum exhibits and the Smithsonian exhibit.”
According to Kilcrease, the deadline to apply is May 15.
“We are going after this,” she affirmed. “Decisions will be made in June regarding whether we are chosen.”
According to Kilcrease, MoMS training begins in August and continues through the exhibit’s opening in August 2024. Many of the initial workshop discussions will delve into the Smithsonian exhibit’s content, how it relates to our community’s history, how and where to identify the stories and customs that make our town unique, and most importantly, how to turn this heritage into experiences that visitors can enjoy for years to come.
The Smithsonian relies on partners like state humanities councils, state museum associations, and state agencies to help manage tours at the state level.
As the new official state coordinator, the THC Heritage Tourism team will be a liaison for all things related to MoMS in Texas. THC will cover the exhibition rental fee ($10,000 – $11,000); coordinate all host training (three in-person workshops), one site assessment, and virtual consultations, including most associated expenses, with some exclusions; assign a dedicated staff member to serve as the main point person at the THC, as well as a team of Heritage Tourism staff to help facilitate training and participate in site assessments; extend access to a network of history and preservation specialists as needed, including exhibition training courtesy of our colleagues in the Museum Services Program, who will provide both live webinars and ondemand content for easy remote learning.
They will also provide communications and marketing support at the state level, including press and media releases, social media marketing and more.
The Silsbee Ice House Museum and Cultural Center is housed in a 1927 ice house at 818 Earnest Ave. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for children age 5 and older. — Dannie Oliveaux