Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives: Had a hoot at the Hootenanny!

Matthew Lovegrove and Lindy Gray
of Woodland Telegraph

On behalf of the Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives, I want to thank all those that made the Saturday night Hootenanny a success: to everyone who came out and took part in the event; to Matthew Lovegrove and Lindy Gray for the wonderful music; to Barb Higgins for sharing her knowledge; to all those who cooked the food; to those who helped set up and clean up; and to volunteer Ann Tasker for keeping the museum doors open for the event.

As workplace neighbors, Arts Building director Georgina Brandon and I would often see each other and talk about collaborating on a project together. We did some brainstorming and at one point, the question was asked “What did people eat for dinner back in the old days?” We invited Nadi Fleschhut from One Straw Society to join the team, brainstormed some more, and decided to take a look at food from multiple perspectives – historically, artistically, and in the current context of the local 'food movement'.

Over the last few months Georgina, Nadi and I have done a lot of meeting, emailing and organizing to get this all in place. It has been really exciting to collaborate with these other organizations and realize a shared goal. The energy that is created when people come together is truly amazing – things really happen! A group of children dug up and planted a community garden, people created works of art, delicious traditional recipes have been made, stories are being told, new faces are turning up at the museum, and communities are coming together.

Miro Hawkes with a bowl of
salmon chowder and borsht

The mantra in the museum world these days is “stay relevant”. This exhibit has really hit the nail on the head. It is an extremely relevant topic and by having this exhibit at the museum, we hope to serve as a place to remember, to discover, and to imagine. For us to continue to do this kind of public programming, we need the support of the diverse communities that exist on the Coast. Get involved, volunteer, become a member, have a voice and let us know what you think!