I often think back to February 20, 2020. That was the day we opened our exhibition, Transient Matter: Assemblages of Migration in the Mediterranean in the Manning Hall Gallery. This exhibition was curated by Prof. Yannis Hamilakis (Department of Classics) and three graduate students- Darcy Hackley (Joukowsky Institute of Archaeology and the Ancient World), Sherena Razek (Department of Modern Culture and Media), and Ayşe Şanlı (Department of Anthropology). It highlights the stories of the migrants who have undertaken the dangerous crossing of the Aegean Sea to seek refuge on the island of Lesvos, Greece. In the process, it raises important conversations about humanitarianism, citizenship, and migration. Two weeks later, we had to shut down the gallery abruptly and suspend our work at the Collections Research Center in Bristol due to the pandemic.

The shutdown was traumatic since we had no idea how serious the pandemic was or how long it would last. As we transitioned to online work, we sought out projects that lent themselves to digital technologies. For example, all collections databases require constant updating and editing and ours is no exception. So Dawn Kimbrel (Registrar) oversaw Patricia Duany, Lauren Banquer, and Janice Nosal (Mellon Collections Assistants) in some much needed data clean-up. They also accomplished several subprojects ranging from revising aspects of our policies to developing mounts for rehousing our collections. Another notable project was taking our Transient Matter exhibition online. Mae Jackson (Operations and Communications Coordinator) worked with the curatorial team and accomplished this project in record time. Prof. Hamilakis reports that it has seen considerable use in classrooms internationally. 

The next challenge was how to deliver our programs remotely. We were concerned about how they would be received- if programs were not held in person, would people attend them online? Leah Burgin (Manager of Museum Education and Programs) proved that online programming can offer some real benefits. We celebrated Rhode Island’s Archaeology Month with a series entitled “Women Do Archaeology.” Inspired by 2020’s centennial commemoration of the 19th Amendment, we highlighted the work of the women archaeologists and anthropologists affiliated with the museum. We had better attendance for these online programs than we normally get in person and, in fact, had people zooming in from across the nation as well as from different countries.

Linked to this program was our successful book launch for Michèle Hayeur Smith (Museum Research Associate). Her book, The Valkyries’ Loom: The Archaeology of Cloth Production and Female Power in the North Atlantic published by the University Press of Florida is the first systematic study of the social implications of textile production in the Norse colonies of the North Atlantic from the Viking Age to the 19th century. Prof. Jonathan Conant (Departments of History and Classics) provided commentary.

We also rolled out our first virtual education module, “This Land is Home: A Seasonal Round in Native New England.” Created by Leah Hopkins (Mellon Community Engagement Specialist), it is a self-paced online program that explores how the seasons shape traditional and contemporary Indigenous lifeways in New England. The program is designed primarily for 3rd-5th grade students as a virtual substitute and upgrade for the outreach programs we normally take to classrooms throughout Southeast New England. This engaging learning experience is now available for free to educators and students of all levels from our website. 

One of our most popular programs, first held in the spring of 2021 and continuing to the present, is Gather. Make. Sustain, a series of workshops, artist talks, and demonstrations featuring Indigenous artists working in a variety of media. Conceived of and organized by Leah Hopkins, it showcases how contemporary artists are creating environmentally and culturally sustainable artwork and maintaining traditional knowledge systems through the acts of gathering materials and storytelling (see Programming). 

Our Move project has been restarted this fall after an university mandated pause on all infrastructure projects due to the pandemic. We have hired the noted Boston-based firm Ann Beha Architects to conduct an assessment of two Brown-owned buildings in Providence for the museum’s potential relocation. We have established a Principals Group and Working Group to help collect the different kinds of information we need for our planning. The former group meets every month and the latter every two weeks. The Ann Beha team has completed their work and submitted a report to Provost Locke.

I’m excited to announce the opening of a new exhibition this fall curated by Bolaji Campbell, Professor of African and African Diaspora Art in the Department of History of Art and Visual culture at the Rhode Island School of Design. It is entitled A Very Drunk Hunter’s Dream: Modernist Expression in Africa and features contemporary art from Ghana and Nigeria in the museum’s collection. Inspired by the title of Susanne Wenger’s batik, it features the work of T. Ackam, Anne Bankston-Hemans, Ato Delaquis, Ablade Glover, Ashiru Olatunde, Kwe Oden, Larry A. Otoo, and Twin Seven-Seven. The exhibition celebrates a new generation of artists who embraced the new medium of expression and foreign aesthetic sensibilities to map a deeply engaging visual vocabulary that is cognizant of their cultural and historical past

Finally, like many other institutions across the country, we have experienced considerable staff turnover (see Announcements). A number of staff members have left the museum to take new positions at Brown and elsewhere. We wish them well and hope that they stay in touch. We have also made a number of exciting hires. These include Christina Hodge, our new Associate Director, Ariel Bordeaux, our new Administrative / Communications Coordinator, and James Whitney, our new Manager of the Circumpolar Laboratory Inventory Project. Watch our social media for more details about our new colleagues. This summer will be hiring a Registrar and four new Collections Assistants under our “Transforming the Haffenreffer Museum” grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

We hope that you and your families are staying safe and healthy. As the pandemic becomes more manageable, we look forward to rebuilding our community and strengthening our networks of association as we seek to pursue projects that demonstrate anthropology’s continuing relevance in reimagining the challenges of the modern world.

Robert W. Preucel, Director

Cover photography by Juan Arce