Julia 'ecstatic' about Sault, new job (3 photos)

Julia Piskiewicz wants to turn the Sault Ste. Marie Museum into a booming cultural hub.

“We would like to see the museum become a central place for people to congregate and interact with each other, but also learn at the same time,” Piskiewicz told SooToday.

Piskiewicz started as the new curator/director of the Sault Ste. Marie Museum, with its three storeys and landmark clock tower at the corner of Queen and East Streets, on August 22.

“We have three floors of exhibit space, which is pretty unique for a community museum…we have a large building to work with, so I want to fill it with a lot of events and activities.” 

“I really want to do youth events, that’s really important because youth are the future of our community, and I want to do trivia nights, board game nights, those are really popular nowadays, and I’d love to do film nights.”

Trivia nights for youth, Piskiewicz said, “would involve Sault Ste. Marie trivia, historical trivia that relates to our history and culture, and it teaches people as well…museums need to be educational institutions.”

“I’d love to see more touch screen interactive displays, we already have a couple set up and Michael (Gingras, the museum’s multimedia exhibit designer) is already working on more.”

The museum currently employs three full-time paid staff members (Piskiewicz, Gingras and Ric Datson), assisted by 10 volunteers.

“I would also like to have artifacts in our collection be interacted with, available for our visitors to touch…a lot of people are hands-on learners,” Piskiewicz said.

The museum’s discovery room already offers children the chance to  handle artifacts, dress up in historical costumes and look at historical photos through old photo viewers.

“I’d like to bring artifacts out into the exhibit spaces…the idea would be if there’s an interesting object under glass or behind glass, for visitors to be able to handle other objects outside the glass,” Piskiewicz said.

“That makes the museum more accessible…not everyone learns and interacts with the world visually, touch plays a really important part.”

Piskiewicz said she is currently focusing on replenishing the museum’s volunteer base.

That process has already started, and volunteer drives will continue.

“We’d love to see more volunteers come in and volunteer whatever time they have, and if anyone has any special skills, we’d love to see them come in and give us a helping hand.”  

“With volunteers come tour guides and more visitor services, and we’re hoping to do special events in the evenings,” Piskiewicz said.

“We’re hoping to do membership appreciation and volunteer appreciation days or evenings, I’d love to have a yearly gala held here featuring pieces from our collection, with people interacting with each other.”

Piskiewicz is a Toronto native and is a graduate of the University of Toronto’s Art History and Medieval Studies program, with a post-graduate certificate in Museum Management and Curatorship from Sir Sandford Fleming College.

She first moved to the Sault in 2013 and worked as a research assistant at the Art Gallery of Algoma (AGA), helping the gallery prepare for its 40th anniversary year in 2015.

She has returned to the city to begin her new duties at the museum after a stint at the Fort Frances Museum and Cultural Centre.

“I love the Sault…I’m ecstatic, I love museums, it’s a passion.”

“My parents took me to every museum possible when I was growing up (while on vacations in Canada and Europe) and that’s where I ‘got hitched’ to the museum field, and I decided to make it a career,” Piskiewicz smiled.

The Sault Ste. Marie Museum receives funding from the City of Sault Ste. Marie, as well as donations from individuals and groups.

That support is greatly appreciated, but Piskiewicz said “I would love to see more engagement from our stakeholders, which include donors, patrons, visitors, businesses…I would love to see more support and I want to see more fundraising through fun events.”

Piskiewicz takes over from Kim Forbes as Sault Ste. Marie Museum curator/director.

Forbes became the museum’s curator/director in December 1998.

Forbes retired this summer.

“He is very helpful, a mentor, he is a wealth of knowledge, it is incredible how much he knows…he still likes to volunteer his time and stay involved at the museum, which we greatly appreciate,” Piskiewicz said of Forbes.

“He certainly was a very accomplished curator/director and he certainly  served us well,” said Allan Hackett, Sault Ste. Marie Museum board chair, speaking to SooToday. 

“He certainly is a wonderful resource and his depth of knowledge is magnificent…he retains strong interest in remaining engaged with the museum on a volunteer basis, and that’s delightful,” Hackett said.