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07/09/2007

Native American exhibit coming to Cal U

By Chasity Capasso, For the Herald-Standard

For more than 100 years, Mohawk ironworkers have constructed some of the
most well-known bridges and skyscrapers in the United States and Canada.

Nicknamed "sky walkers" because they typically work without safety gear
such as harnesses, the Mohawks have worked on virtually all of New York's
major construction projects, including the Empire State Building, the
George Washington Bridge, Madison Square Garden and the World Trade Center.

On Sept. 1, "Booming Out: Mohawk Ironworkers Build New York," an exhibit
created by the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, will
come to California University of Pennsylvania, in efforts to provide a
unique educational and cultural experience for students and residents.

Tim Buchanan, executive director of special initiatives for Cal U's School
of Lifelong Learning, helped the university become a member of the
Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) program, a
part of the Smithsonian that allows exhibits to travel to various locations
across the United States. Cal U is the only school in the Pennsylvania
State System for Higher Education to welcome a SITES exhibit to campus.

According to Buchanan, registrars at the Smithsonian Institute had to
ensure that Cal U's facility met their standards before the university was
approved to host a SITES exhibit.

"They had to be sure that our security, facility and maintenance was up to
their level," Buchanan said. "Luckily, we have a state of the art
exhibition space here. The Smithsonian will not put a show into a facility
when it could be damaged or stolen."

Joyce Hanley, executive vice president for Lifelong Learning, said that
Buchanan worked to build a "cultural partnership" between the university
and the Smithsonian for more than a year.

"Tim worked diligently to get Cal U to become part of the SITES program,"
she said. "He spent more than a year talking with them, building a
relationship with them and proving that our facility met their standards."

According to Hanley, the campus' museum, located on the third floor of the
Louis L. Manderino library, used to host exhibits from the Carnegie Museum
in Pittsburgh. "Booming Out" will be the first exhibit from the Smithsonian
Institute to be held in the library's Gallery of Fine Arts.

In addition to "Booming Out," Cal U will host two other SITES exhibits this
year.

"We will also show an exhibit called "A Magic Web," about the tropical
rainforest of Barro Coloarado Island starting Nov. 24 through Jan. 10 and
another on Caves on Jan. 11 through Feb. 10," Buchanan said. "In the
2008-09 school year, we will host the Earth and Space exhibit, which will
be a three-dimensional display of planets, hurricanes and other visual
representations from space."

'"Booming Out' will be mainly focus around the Mohawk Indians, their
culture, and how they can walk in air on a beam six inches across up 30 or
more stories high," Hanley said. "What's interesting about this particular
exhibit is that it will run during 9/11, and the Mohawks were the people
that put up the structure and also dismantled it after the plane crashes.
They were there at the beginning and the end."

Because Cal U is more than a three hour drive from Washington, D.C., many
Cal U students and local residents miss out on the opportunity to see these
exhibits.

"Many people can not afford or do not have the resources to make the trip,"
Hanley said. "Bringing the exhibits here will give people who otherwise
would never have seen them a chance to experience a part of the
Smithsonian."

"It is not common for more universities to have even one SITES program come
to their campus, and we will host three in one year," she added. "These
exhibits are an education opportunity for students and a cultural
opportunity for local residents."

Teachers from local elementary, middle or high schools can register their
class for an educational field trip to see the exhibits on Sept. 28,
National Native American Day. "We definitely would like to encourage
teachers to contact us about planning field trips for their classes,"
Buchanan said. "This is really an interactive educational experience
because teachers could plan lessons both before and after their students
come and see the show."

"During the field trip day, the university's welcome center will be open to
host tours and activities for the kids," Hanley added. "We will have
handouts for teachers and they will be able to download lesson plans from
our Web site. It's a great experience for kids to learn about the exhibits
in the classroom and come to see them in person."

"Booming Out" will run from September 1 to October 12 and will consist of a
series of artifacts and photographs. For gallery hours, call 724-938-4345.
For more information on the exhibits or to schedule a field trip, call
Joyce Hanley or Tim Buchanan at 724-938-1560.