MIDDLEBURY — Middlebury’s Henry Sheldon of Vermont History, now in its 140th year, contains thousands of furnishings, paintings, documents, household objects and artifacts that provide a glimpse into Addison County and Vermont’s past.

Each item tells a story — and Sheldon Museum officials are on a new mission to tell those stories in a way that will truly resonate with the masses.

“I think the objects are a way in,” Sheldon Executive Director Coco Moseley said of the museum’s embarrassment of riches, most of them accumulated by Henry Sheldon (1821-1907), a local clerk, businessman, railroad postman, organ maker and entrepreneur.

“There’s a lot of talk in the museum world right now about how museums go from being about something to really being for somebody. That’s a big driving force in our work right now — to reimagine our presence and role in the community,” Moseley added.

In an effort to keep Sheldon’s collection relevant and vibrant, Moseley and her colleagues have embarked on a “Shape the Sheldon” campaign, which they describe as “an exciting journey to create a new strategic vision.”

Moseley is rounding out her first year as the Sheldon’s top administrator. She’s spent that time getting better acquainted with the museum’s collection, programming, staff, volunteers and audience. One of her observations: The museum has a sound foundation, but she believes it’s mission could benefit from some tweaks to make it more relatable to visitors of all ages and backgrounds.

“I have really felt that the Sheldon is in need of new energy and new perspective, in terms of how we think about a local history museum,” she said.

Moseley brought her observation to the museum’s trustees, who concurred with her sentiment and green-lighted the “Shape the Sheldon” campaign, which will involve a panoply of stakeholder engagement, ranging from an online survey to community listening sessions.

Sheldon officials believe community members are thirsting for new ways to interpret their history. What emerges from the Shape campaign will inform new programs, initiatives and exhibits to meet the community’s expectations.

“I see it as a way to enliven the collection so you can see the story behind the object, the significance beyond what you’re looking at. And that comes from active engagement and where we are in the 21st century,” Moseley said.

Thanks to a small grant through the Vermont Community Foundation, the museum has hired consultant Sarah Audet of the Hedgehog+Fox Collaborative to help with the Shape effort. Part of that has involved framing questions for prospective museumgoers to get answers on how the Sheldon could be reimagined in a way that ensures its offerings appeal to the broadest possible cross-section of the community — as well as those visiting our area.

COCO MOSELEY

“We know the Sheldon has a core group of supporters … but we really want to expand that possibility for feedback beyond people who are already connected to the museum,” Moseley said. “I think the Sheldon can grow as a resource for learning, connection and inspiration in our community.”

Failure to grow and captivate a younger audience would be bad news for the museum, its boosters acknowledge. The Sheldon’s volunteers and fans are getting older.

“We’re thinking a new paradigm is needed for the Sheldon,” Moseley said. “We want it to be a viable community asset now and into the future. Not only is it an important source for local history, it provides us with this incredible thread that connects us with our past. I do think the Sheldon can also be a place that can help us envision our future.”

BROADER APPEAL

Moseley cited several recent offerings at the Sheldon that were designed to broaden its appeal. They included:

• A community conversation on climate change held last month that was titled, “Simple Astonishment.” Featuring panelists Megan Mayhew Bergman, Cindy Hill, Caleb Kenna, Jon Mingle and Liza Cochran, the conversation was guided by images from the museum’s archives and modern photographs by Kenna, a local photographer.

“The room was packed,” Moseley said of the turnout. “I was floored. The energy in the room was really vibrant. People were engaged and thankful to be working in a space where we were thinking about the challenges we face, and how we can use our history to help inform the conversation going forward.”

• Creation of a new makerspace space for kids and their families. This mini-makerspace fosters community connections and provides a platform for creativity and innovation, through fun activities ranging from painting 3-D animal pets to stop-motion animation.

The makerspace space is located in an under-used museum spot that was used for textiles storage and preservation.

Moseley thanked Middlebury College, the Vermont Children’s Trust Foundation, and the William F. Brooks Jr. Endowed Fund for Education Initiatives for their support of the makerspace.

“Kids and their caretakers can come to the museum and be inspired, create and start to think about the museum as a place for fun and engagement,” Moseley said of the new amenity. “Kids and families come in and can make something one day, then come back in a week and do something totally different.”

• A new educational curriculum in the museum piloted this year on Charity Bryant (1777-1851) and Sylvia Drake (1784-1868) of Weybridge, regarded as one of the nation’s first recorded same-sex couples.

The Sheldon partnered with Vermont Humanities on the program, which recently served a group of 7th- and 8th-graders from Mount Abraham Union High School, who learned about history, tolerance and understanding.

“It was an incredible experience,” said Moseley.

CURIOSITIES & PASSIONS

Ellery Foutch is president of the Sheldon Museum board and an associate professor of American Studies at Middlebury College.

“It is crucial for the Sheldon Museum to connect with the community it hopes to serve, to gauge their interests and curiosities and passions,” she said in an emailed statement. “Without the community, there would be no museum. The Sheldon Museum has played many different roles and had many different identities over the past 140 years of its existence. For it to continue to thrive in the future, we also need to hear what our community wants from our local museum — what folks think a museum should be and do for our community.

“We hope the museum isn’t just the equivalent of our town’s attic, storing its treasures in static and unchanging forms — we’d like to be a vibrant place of community connection and engagement with the past, present, and future,” she concluded.

Keep an eye on the museum’s website for more information about Shape the Sheldon (tinyurl.com/m7r49h36).

You can also email your Sheldon ideas directly to Moseley at [email protected].

Reporter John Flowers is at [email protected].