Building/ Facilities (Sarah N)

Location

The Museum of Food in America is located in the heart of New York City’s Lower East Side (LES) neighborhood. This location is ideal for attracting tourists and locals alike.

Architectural Style

Though we have a fully modern and recently constructed building, in order to maintain the integrity of the neighborhood where we are located we chose an architectural style that reflects that of other buildings in the LES. But, we did incorporate a transparent and modern entrance.

Inspiration

Inspiration for our architectural style was drawn from El Museo del Barrio

Building Layout

Our building is split into two primary spaces; the left half of the building is generally reserved as a public space, while the right half of the building serves primarily internal/ staff and collections related functions.

Basement

Public: The basement is primarily dedicated to our Educational Programs and initiatives. It includes the Oral History Center, Teaching Laboratory and a Lecture Hall in addition to general Education Programming space.

Staff: The basement includes the Security Office, custodial storage and general museum storage.

Floor 1

Public: The first floor entryway is made of clear glass, thus allowing a sense of openness and transparency to visitors. This floor includes basic visitor amenities, such as restrooms, coat check, admissions, information. It is also home to our Museum Shop and a gallery space. There is a restaurant located on the first floor that is contracted out to various American Cuisine style restaurants, but is not associated directly with MOFIA.

Staff: The staff sphere of the first floor includes a loading dock, freight elevator and the Registration Department offices.

Floor 2

Public: The public area of the second floor is dedicated to gallery space and our Library/ Archive Space.

Staff: The staff space includes staff-only restrooms, a break room (which includes a kitchen), as well as the Finance, HR, Marketing and Development Department offices.

Floor 3

Public: The entire public space of the third floor is dedicated to gallery space.

Staff: The third floor staff space is primarily dedicated to the Museum Collections. It also is home to the Collections Management Staff offices and a collections laboratory.

Floor 4

Public: The fourth floor includes a gallery space as well as the Cafeteria. There is a space off of the cafeteria that is dedicated to Programming that involves food preparation and consumption.

Staff: The fourth floor staff space includes the Director’s office, Curatorial Department office space as well as a large general staff conference space.

Rooftop

The rooftop is used as a gardening space- it is both aesthetic and educational. The space includes a “sculpture garden” which is comprised of small to medium sized farm equipment.

Facilities Care and Maintenance

The building is fully accessible to people with disabilities. The entryway is ground level and we have an elevator as well as stairwell to move from floor to floor. Additionally, there are numerous benches and rest areas throughout the museum and signs are posted frequently to direct visitors through the space and toward various amenities. Our space is organized to promote a smooth flow of foot traffic. Also, we have a dedicated security staff team, an alarm system in case of fire, theft or flood when the security staff is not on the premises.

All of our staff is trained in customer service techniques so as to ensure that our visitors are treated with the utmost respect and attention. Our front-door staff (Admissions, Information) goes through additional training processes due to their close interaction with visitors.

Because food has a major presence in the Museum, special care is taken to ensure the protection of our collections. We use state of the art equipment and maintain strict policies and procedures in order to promote the care of our collections.

Equipment

· HVAC system and HEPA filters (strictly monitor and maintain proper RH levels in our collections storage and all display cases)

· CO₂ Fire Suppressant Systems in our Library/ Archives

· UV filters on all fluorescent lights and windows as necessary

· Use of proper building materials to avoid “off-gassing or” or other effects that may harm objects

· Our collections storage area is located away from exterior walls

· We have a large freight elevator to lift objects directly to the collections storage area

Policies/ Plans

· Integrated Pest Management Plan (extremely important because of the compact layout and presence of food within our building)

· Strict rules are in place to control the movement of food throughout the museum by both visitors and staff

· Comprehensive Cleaning Program (created in consultation with conservators)

· Emergency Preparedness Plan

· Use of Material Safety Data Sheets

· Established Emergency Response Team

· Guidelines on the procedures for handling hazardous materials are distributed to all staff

· Comply with OSHA safety standards

· Have a biological material disposal system in place

· Our cafeteria and the restaurant (as part of the contract agreement) are required to adhere to strict sanitation and pest management policies and undergo frequently inspections

Need Statement- Sarah SZ

Need Statement

Project: Food Memory Bank: The Museum of Food in America's Oral History Initiative

We are collecting oral histories pertaining to Recipes, Food Memories, Farm Histories, Ethnic food and its integration into American Diet, the creation of the American Diet, Immigrant stories, American Restaurants, Regional Foods, Food trends, Urban Growers and Farmers Markets; these oral histories will become part of our digital archive.

Preserving food memories is a foundational tenant of the Museum of Food in America. The collection and preservation of these oral histories will guide our future exhibition planning and provide a lasting resource to the community. In order to carry out this goal we will need two full time staff members trained in taking oral histories and one full time archivist. We will also need audio recording equipment, sound editing software, digital archiving software, and two dedicated archive computers. In order to obtain the oral histories we will need travel funds to send our historians around the region and translation and transcription services because we are dedicated to being multilingual.

The goals of this project are to collect and archive 1,000 oral histories in a two-year period. We will be coordinating with local, food related organizations in all of our target areas stated above, setting up meetings to inform people about our project to facilitate potential interviewees. The timeline for our project starts with six months of dedicated interviewing, followed by six months of editing and archiving; this process will be repeated the following year.

We will evaluate our progress every year, to make sure we are meeting our stated interview goals and keeping up with archiving and also checking to see if we have any gaps in the types of histories we are obtaining in order to better focus our interviewing in the future.

The budget for this program is $1,000,000. We are requesting $750,000, this money will be used for the purchase of new equipment and software, the salaries for three new employees, employee training, travel expenses and promotional materials. The additional $250,000 will come from a very generous private donation to the museum.

Collections/Exhibitions/Programs

This is really just and OUTLINE for me.. I'm currently expanding on all of thins forming my documents. But I figured I'd put this up incase anyone wants to look at it and see if I'm missing any major sections. *esther

Collections:

While collecting actual food is a challenge the museum is not focused on, we are focused on collecting memories of food. From production to consumption, through the eyes of various cultures, and from the history of the first American meals to the current and ever-changing issues surrounding food, the Museum of Food in and of America will strive to collect accounts of the way in which food effects and relates to every aspect of our lives.

· Objects (and photographs): Examples of objects we would like to add to the collection would include (but not limited to) food production items such as grinding stones, farm or factory equipment, food advertising or franchise memorabilia, objects of consumption or preservation such as utensils, appliances, etc.

· Memory: will be collected and preserved in both archival materials as well as oral histories. These accounts will be collected as the museum reaches out to different communities or companies, as well as via visitor feedback.

· Scholarship: The museum will both collect and contribute to the existing scholarship surrounding the complex topic of food in America.

Collections Policy & Procedures

Acquisitions:

•Documentation/Provenance

•Condition

•No Regulations by Donor

•Collect with intent to exhibit, ideally more than once

•Approval

•Deed of Gift

•Immediate entry of records into database and digitization before use in exhibitions

De-accessions

•Proper channels of donation before selling

Loans:

•Short term

•Long term

Care and Preservation of Collection

•Staff responsibilities to maintain integrity of collection (storage and supporting materials

Digitization:

•Digital records of all objects available for public access online

Exhibitions:

The museum will house both permanent and special exhibitions. It will also be a future goal of the museum to travel exhibitions.

*Three Exhibitions supplemented by programs

The History of Food in America (ongoing)

•Exhibit the long history of Foodways in America

•Strive to use food to push American History further back than conventional museums

•Document and present the evolution of the relationship between man and food

•This exhibit is to remain up to date (funds set aside for its maintenance)

Cultural/Community Highlights (rotating)

•Tell the complex stories of migration and immigration of numerous groups

•Ensure the presence of the voice of the group on display

•LES communities first

Science and Technology

•Use food to present lessons about chemistry, composition, innovation, etc.

Programs:

MoFIA’s Public Programs use the universally relatable topic of food to engage a wide audience and are uniquely educational and entertaining.

•Audio Tours (5 languages, after first two years, 5 more based on visitor feedback)

•Interactive Devices

•Collaborations with Fairs, Farmer’s Markets, Co-ops

•Film Series

•Lecture Series

•Cooking Classes (educational and fun)

•Food Bank Collection Events

•Guided Tours

Vision Statement: Draft - Patty

I think this needs some work but here is a draft:

MOFIA’s Vision Statement

The Museum of Food in America grew out of the idea that food is one of the most foundational and resonant aspects of a person’s life. Culture, law, conflict, economy, community, every aspect of life is informed by food. In America this statement holds true. Food in America is cultural, economic, at times spiritual, political, communal, related to diet, disorder, diversity, and of course taste! Museums specialize in important, engaging, and relevant topics for people from all types of ethnicities, backgrounds, classes, and areas of thought. MOFIA exists to fill the gap in American history, culture, politics and much more, through the lens of food and its relation to our lives and experiences in the United States.

Through exhibitions, programming, events, interpretive materials, and events MOFIA strives to be relevant to visitors, bring engaging food knowledge to anyone and everyone who walks through our door or visits our website, and gather rich histories and memories through our interpretive materials and oral history archive project.

We aim to be a leader in the research world, providing spaces in our institution for research through our collection and archive. We will provide access to our collections through our website and exhibitions. We will foster bonds with communities and their food cultures through our oral history project, the Memory Food Bank, and aim to uncover stories from all walks of life and from around the United States. Our vision is to be a resource to researches, teachers, students from pre-school to high school, under-graduate and graduate school and beyond, academics, families, teenagers, seniors, and tourists.

We will be the leaders in exhibitions and programming related to food in the United States and hopes to be published and written about in small and large popular and academic publications. We aim to be accessible to all visitors, from those who speak different languages, to the disabled, to families, and school children.

Our vision is supported by our values to educate, be resonant and relatable, be fun and playful, to be accessible to all types of visitors, as well as tackle issues and conflicts that are deeply embedded in food in the United States.

Mission short and sweet and extended - Patty

The Museum of Food in America strives to educate a diverse public about the history, innovation, and diversity of food in the greater United States through unique exhibitions and programming.

EXPANDED VERSION:

The Museum of Food in America (MOFIA) opened as an online presence in order to garner potential visitors before the opening of the Museum’s space in the Lower East Side. Housed in two newly designed buildings, the Museum provides:

• Rotating exhibitions focused on culture and food, history of food and food production, food trends and movements, innovations in food technologies, and food advertising.

• The Memory Food Bank Archive – an oral history project that will reach out to groups to speak about their food memories, recipes, and processes for creating, eating, and ritualizing food.

• A close partnership with chefs, and the restaurant attached to the Museum, to not only textually and visually educate audiences about food in America, but also taste it.

• A strong online presence, including an innovative and accessible website as well as social media such as Twitter, Facebook, and the MOFIA Blog.

These and multiple other projects and programs aim to educate audiences through exciting programming, engaging and resonant exhibitions, and state of the art media and interpretive technologies.

Demographics:New York City - Patty

Languages Spoken at Home Population

(5 Years and Over)

Speaks only English 3,920,751

Spanish or Spanish Creole 1,832,448

Chinese 323,529

Russian 194,602

Italian 139,536

French (incl. Patois, Cajun) 105,821

French Creole 89,039

Yiddish 82,732

Other Indic Languages 79,154

Korean 77,120

Polish 60,604

Greek 58,343

Hebrew 50,263

Arabic 48,981

Tagalog 45,767

Other Indo-European Languages 45,257

African languages 44,915

Urdu 38,489

German 33,066

Other Asian Languages 26,912

Hindi 25,015

Japanese 20,502

Serbo-Croatian 19,895

Portuguese or Portuguese Creole 18,369

Other Slavic Languages 16,631

Persian 12,397

Hungarian 11,308

Vietnamese 10,085

Gujarathi 9,377

Scandinavian Languages 5,708

Armenian 4,922

Other West Germanic Languages 4,825

Other and unspecified languages 4,465

Other Pacific Island Languages 4,445

Thai 4,250 Mon-Khmer,

Cambodian 1,976

Other Native North American languages 1,081

Laotian 157

Navajo 18

Miao, Hmong 4

Indo-European languages:

Asian and Pacific Island languages:

Other languages:

Demographics: United States - Patty

United States Languages Spoken at home (over the age of 5)

Total population 5 years old and over 283,149,507

Speak only English 227,365,509

Spanish or Spanish Creole 34,559,894

Chinese 2,465,761

Tagalog 1,488,385

French (including Patois, Cajun) 1,332,633

Vietnamese 1,225,036

German 1,122,014

Korean 1,051,641

Russian 864,069

Arabic 786,210

Italian 782,097

African languages 742,375

Other Asian languages 705,199

Portuguese or Portuguese Creole 661,437

Other Indic languages 652,929

French Creole 646,109

Polish 619,567

Hindi 560,112

Other Indo-European languages 446,682

Japanese 439,883

Persian 379,395

Other Pacific Island languages 354,830

Urdu 352,617

Greek 337,339

Gujarathi 332,804

Other Slavic languages 332,380

Other West Germanic languages 277,453

Serbo-Croatian 274,040

Armenian 231,493

Hebrew 213,049

Other Native North American languages 192,727

Hmong 189,662

Mon-Khmer, Cambodian 183,363

Navajo 170,621

Yiddish 169,235

Laotian 146,799

Thai 140,863

Scandinavian languages 133,942

Other and unspecified languages 125,532