UW Staff Tour the Burke!

Did you know that what you see in the Burke Museum galleries represents less than 1% of the museum collection? Many UW staff members who participated in the new staff lunchtime tours program were surprised to learn that 99% of Burke collections are stored out of public view. On their tour, staff members also learned how the Burke develops exhibits, what kinds of research happen here, and gained insider knowledge about the objects and specimens on display in the permanent galleries.

UW staffers listen as a Burke docent tells the story of the "SeaTac Sloth," on view at the museum

These new lunchtime tours are part of a grant the Burke received from the Institute for Museum and Library Services Museums for America program to increase recognition of the museum on the UW campus. Staff members are such an influential group of people at the UW, so it has been exciting to share the museum’s resources with people from all over campus through these tours. Each of 7 summer lunchtime tours has been completely booked, but if you missed out this time around, we will be offering more staff tours during the fall quarter.

For those outside the UW community, guided tours of the museum galleries are still available. Tours must be booked in advance of your visit and can be customized depending on the age and focus of your group. Read more about Burke guided tours here. For the ultimate museum tour, become a Burke member to receive an invitation to the members-only Behind the Scenes Night – a once-a-year chance to go beyond the public side of the museum and tour the collections.

Posted by: Karin Hoffman, Campus Outreach Coordinator

Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition celebrations are kicking into gear

Posted by: Karin Hoffman, Communications

This year Seattle is celebrating the centennial of the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition (AYPE), a world’s fair that showcased the resources of the region and celebrated the development resulting from the 1897 Yukon Gold Rush. The fair was held on the University of Washington campus, and while only three original buildings from AYP remain – Architecture Hall, Cunningham Hall and the Engineering Annex – much of the landscape designed by Richard Charles Olmstead is still recognizable.
From April to May volunteers from the Friends of Seattle’s Olmstead Parks will be giving tours that highlight Olmstead’s vision to create a campus in which "the magnificent views...will...be by far the greatest features...” Anyone who has sat at Drummheller fountain on a clear, sunny day and taken in the view of Mount Rainer would agree. It’s magnificent!

The tours will take place on the last Saturday of every month and start at 10 am at the Burke Museum. The 90 minute tours are free, but registration is required. For more information check out the Web site for Friends of Seattle’s Olmstead Parks.