Volunteer Olivia Cappellini Provides Fresh Ideas for the Greater Leavenworth Museum

“Museums have always been such a motivational space for me,” said Olivia Cappellini, a Cascade High School senior who is now regularly volunteering at the Greater Leavenworth Museum. “I love seeing excited kids at the museum.”

Cappellini has been volunteering every other Sunday at the museum, and Matt Cade, museum board president, is thrilled to have her help.

The Greater Leavenworth Museum is just a year into its new space, on Front Street, above the Nutcracker Museum. It celebrates, with both original and new exhibits, the diverse heritage of people over the centuries who helped shape the Upper Valley. Tickets are only $5 for adults, and even less for youth and seniors and free for young children and museum members.

Working at the museum is a great fit for Cappellini. She hopes to pursue museum studies in the future, possibly through a master’s program after completing an undergraduate degree majoring in history, science, business or communications.

She’s been working the museum’s front desk. “I greet visitors, check them in and answer questions they have about the exhibits.” Cappellini has also helped other volunteers revamp the archival process, using new software, PastPerfect, which was purchased thanks to an Icicle Fund grant.

“It was time to graduate from using Excel spreadsheets and handwritten journals,” said Cade.

Cappellini said she’s been learning, along with other museum volunteers, about the proper storage of museum pieces, including temperature and humidity controls and acid-free envelopes for documents.

Cappellini uses her volunteer time to observe visitor behavior. “It’s interesting what visitors gravitate toward, what they notice and don’t notice, what questions they ask.”

A desire for continuous learning is something Cade and Cappellini share. Cade said, “If a question is asked that we can’t answer, we write it down and try to solve it.”

The museum, like all museums, is at a unique point in time, Cappellini said. There are issues of inclusivity. There are also innovations in new ways of displaying and interacting with museum goers due to the complications of COVID-19 and technological advances. “It’s exciting be a part of that change,” she said.

Cade sees Cappellini’s involvement in the museum as a win-win. “Her potential to observe, participate and share ideas is unlimited.” And while she graduates next spring, Cade hopes they can entice her back in the summers. “We’ll have a summer internship or job for Olivia. We’re expanding and would love her help.”

One upcoming addition to the museum that both Cade and Cappellini are excited about are story baskets by Julie Edwards and Bernadine Phillips, members of the p’squosa (Wenatchi) tribe. Their modern story baskets, which relay tales that have been told for generations, help show the continuum of indigenous people from the past into the present.

Recently, the museum has been open six days per week. Earlier, because of COVID-19 complications and volunteer shortage, they were only open three days a week. “We’ve had more than 3000 visitors over 108 days,” Cade said, pleased. “We haven’t marketed very much because we need more volunteers.”

The museum’s capital campaign, which includes matching funds, is ongoing. “Every donation counts,” said Cade. “We’d love to have 250 people each give $10 because the museum is for the whole community.”

Cade mentioned there are many ways to help the museum, which is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. One pressing need is for a volunteer who could help the museum refresh their website and work on content development.

With Cappellini’s help, Cade would love to see more collaboration with the school district, including getting more student volunteers, maybe creating a group of junior curators, and making connections with the history and social studies teachers in the district.

The Greater Leavenworth Museum is open daily, 11am to 4pm, at 735 Front Street. To learn more about the museum, or to donate, visit www.leavenworthmuseum.org.