By SARA GIBONEY
UNK Communications
KEARNEY – Director of the G.W. Frank Museum of History and Culture, Will Stoutamire, recently received the National Council on Public History New Professional Award.
Stoutamire received the award for his work reinventing the former Frank House, which is located on the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus.
In February, the Frank House name was changed and a rebranding began. The rebranding continues to unfold through new exhibits and programs that will launch during the next year. The museum will eventually feature digital interactive exhibits, augmented reality and online learning, bringing the historic home into the modern era.
The Frank Museum will share community history and serve the educational mission of UNK in innovative and creative ways, Stoutamire said.
The Frank House was initially founded to showcase the grandeur and elegance of Kearney’s industrial boom. Stoutamire is working to provide a more inclusive historical view of the house and community by exploring the complexity of the social and cultural tensions of the Gilded Age.
He received the award March 19 at the NCPH annual conference in Baltimore, MD.
The G.W. Frank Museum of History and Culture was built as the private residence of George Frank, Sr., and his wife, Phoebe, in 1886. It was one of the first houses with electricity on the Great Plains and featured steam radiators and indoor plumbing.
The home was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The museum saw a record 5,985 visitors in 2015. The Frank House is located on the west end of campus and offers tours from 2-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon-5 p.m. Saturdays.
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Source: Will Stoutamire, 308.865.8284, stoutamirewf@unk.edu
Writer: Sara Giboney, 308.865.8529, giboneys2@unk.edu
