Director's Message

Fall 2000

A special thank you to A.G. Edwards (Lead Sponsor), Commerce Bank, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Polar Beverages, the YBA and all our corporate sponsors for making the Higgins Faire the most successful to date! A record-breaking 2,000 visitors participated in the festivities that included music, sword demonstrations, Shakespearean fencing, a halberd marching display, and lots of children's activities. The Canterbury Caterpillar is a particular favorite of young children, and the Crusader Café was a huge success. Thank you! Thank you also to the Donovan Group for their exciting new design of the Faire promotional flyer.

The Board of Trustees unanimously approved a five-year Strategic Plan, which will map the course of the Museum through the year 2005. The plan took one year to prepare. The Strategic Plan Committee was chaired by Jim Donnelly with Leo McManus volunteering as facilitator. It involved nearly all the Trustees and numerous committees. Parts of the Plan are already in motion; including a Planned Giving Program, and an expanded Annual Appeal Campaign. These two programs enhance the current Renaissance Society and Membership Programs. Please contact Linda Barringer, Director of Development, at (508) 853-6015 ext. 16 or lbarringer@higgins.org for more information. The Board of Trustees also approved a Capital Campaign Planning study. This will focus on the Museum's building, facilities and endowment needs. We will begin with two studies - architectural and feasibility. We would expect to make a public announcement for a major Capital Campaign during the Museum's 75th anniversary Celebration in 2003.

Make sure you don't miss our special exhibition A Double-Edged Weapon: The Sword as Icon and Artifact before it closes on November 5th. This exhibition, designed by Bill McMillan, and co organized by our two curators Chip Karcheski and Jeffrey Singman is receiving rave reviews. Our next exhibition will be wonderful and we look forward to greeting you at the opening reception of Romance In Steel: The Heritage of Armor this coming January.

In curatorial news Walter Karcheski attended the Gesellschaft fur historische Waffen-und Kostumkunde meeting (say that fast three times!) in Budapest this past June on behalf of the Museum. Chip's book on Rhodes armor continues to have strong sales, and Jeffrey is planning our next joint publication with the Royal Armouries, England. Partnership projects are evident throughout this calendar, you will notice that we have developed new joint programs with the Worcester Center for Crafts, WISE, the Mass College of Art, and area schools. These collaborative projects are important and we intend to remain the leader in developing them in the Worcester region.

Congratulations to David W. Hillis, Trustee, on receiving the annual Achievement Award of the American College of Addiction Treatment Administrators. And to the Museum's Director of Education and Programs, Heather Feland and her husband Andrew on the birth of their son last June. Mayo Morgan, Executive Committee, attended the annual New England Museum Association summer meeting in Lexington. We saw Honorary Trustee Chapin Riley this summer. Paul Morgan and Richard Prouty gave him the special VIP tour of the many changes at the Museum since his last visit. Many of us recently attended a surprise birthday party in honor of Don Kipp. Staff, Trustees, Incorporators and friends were invited and over 130 attended this fun event. It was a lovely occasion, and a good opportunity for all of us to get together without concern for Museum business!

- Kent dur Russell, Executive Director & CEO