Museum Sponsors Essay, Image Contest for Area Students

Editor's Note: The following information was provided to Patch via a news release from the

The Waukesha County Museum is sponsoring an essay and image contest for students in grades 2-12 to celebrate the current exhibit, Behind the Vaults: Treasures form the County Museum Collection.

Students are asked to write an essay and take a photograph or create a drawing that best represents what person, place, event, or object they feel is a true Waukesha County treasure, past or present. Winners will have the honor of having their winning entry placed on public display in the Behind the Vaults exhibit and will be invited to a special awards and prize ceremony in May. Entry deadline is April 27.

Students in grades 2-12 who live in Waukesha County are encouraged to enter. Entries will be judged in five age categories, Grades 2-3; Grades 4-5; Grades 6-7; Grades 8-9; Grades 10-12. To enter, please visit the museum’s website at www.waukeshacountymuseum.org to download the contest details and entry forms.

“As one of the main school age educational institutions in Waukesha County, we want to hear from our youth as to what is important to them in their community. This is a wonderful and creative way for their opinions and voices to be heard,” said Kristen Hoeker, director of education and programming at the museum.

The museum’s current temporary exhibit, Behind the Vaults: Treasures from the County Museum Collection, runs through August 2012. Behind the Vaults is a visually and historically rich 2,000-square-foot exhibit showcasing more than 130 rare and fascinating artifacts from the museum’s permanent collections and archives.

The exhibit showcases a sampling of the more than 18,000 objects, 250,000 images, millions of archival materials, and innumerable stories that make up Waukesha County and its museum. The exhibit gives viewers a behind the scenes look into how museums work and the value they hold in safeguarding a community’s collective memory over time.

For more information about the essay contest or current exhibit, contact 262-521-2859 or visit the museum’s website at www.waukeshacountymuseum.org.