HOOD RIVER — The History Museum of Hood River County has added new exhibits and refreshed existing displays for the first time in about a decade, said Executive Director Lisa Commander. The idea came up about a year ago, and with the help of the research and collections committees, volunteers and Museum Assistant Jeff Oxford, it is now a reality.
On Feb. 28, the museum opened their doors for the first time since December. Board members and volunteers gave tours of the new exhibits and answered questions. Commander estimated they had 50-60 people attend the reopening.
The museum closed to the public in December so museum staff could move, replace and build the new exhibits.
The most notable exhibit is the Nikkei Generations display. Nikkei are known as the first generation Japanese Americans who settled in Oregon. Oxford said his background in art curation helped him make the exhibit interactive. After you make your way into the museum and enjoy the Native American beadwork display case, you are met with a reality that many Japanese Americans faced in the 1940s, when they were sent to concentration camps. Photos of the camps line the wall and stories are written on placards that tell of the Nikkei experiences living in the Gorge.
Chicken wire is put up to emulate the feeling of the camps and the names of about a hundred Japanese Americans who were incarcerated are hung around the exhibit.
Museum staff also saw an opportunity to expand into the upstairs area that has always been available to the public but had very few relics on display.
Now, more than 30 paintings from local artists are hung around the upstairs and the evolution of watersports in the Gorge is the feature exhibit. Museum staff also managed to find one of the earliest iterations of a windsurf board.
One display that Commander admits was not planned is the new Sasquatch showcase. Oxford took the idea and ran with it. He said he worked with The Dalles Discovery Center to gather information and visual displays.
“We’ve had some people kind of shake their heads about the Sasquatch exhibit, [but] that’s part of the area of the Columbia River Gorge,” Oxford said. “And we’ve just presented information for people to take in, give them context, so then they can decide [if] they want to believe it or not.”
There is more to come from the museum, with plans to erect a Latin American exhibit with bilingual labels. Commander said the Latino population plays a vital role in the Columbia River Gorge and she believes people should know and understand their history. She added there is no timeline for completion, but they will hold a grand opening when it is finished.
•••
The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $8 for non-members and $6 for visitors aged 65 and over. Members, children under 10 years old and currently serving military personnel and family are given free admission. Teachers and schools may also request tours from staff on the museum website or call 541-386-6772 for more information.
Commented