Historical Society Becomes Westport Museum For History & Culture

WESTPORT, CT — To better reflect its "evolution into nationally recognized museum and cultural institution," the Westport Historical Society is changing its name to the Westport Museum For History & Culture, effective Sept. 28.

The name change comes on the heels of the museum receiving a national award from the American Association for State and Local History, and the new name will take effect at the launch of its 2019/20 exhibit "Becoming Westport."

"The name change is part of a strategic planning process that the organization underwent from 2014 to 2017 with the help of a state program funded by CT Humanities," said Sara Krasne,
Westport Museum Board Chairperson, in a statement. "The Board of Directors voted to change the name back in 2017 but elected to wait until this year to formalize it after some milestones had been reached."

The program in which Westport Museum participated is called the Standards and Excellence Program for History Organizations and allowed the organization's Board of Directors to re-evaluate operations, funding, mission and more.

"Becoming Westport" runs from Sept. 28 through June 30, 2020.

From the Westport Museum For History & Culture announcement:

Official roll-out of the name will take place at the Westport Museum's annual benefit dinner, Night at the Museum Saturday, September 28th which will feature celebrity Chef Chris
Scott who was a finalist on Bravo's Top Chef and a Q&A Keynote by CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota.
Live music, costumed interpreters and silent auction of uniquely Westport experiences will round
out the event.

That evening will also mark the opening of "Becoming Westport" the first exhibit under the
museum's new name. Featuring archetypes of individuals who helped build the town, the exhibit
follows the evolution of Westport from colonial settlement through the 20th century.

"We've been working hard toward meeting best practices of museums nationwide, including providing interactive exhibits and programming that use our local story as a relatable way to explore regional and national stories," said Westport Museum, Executive Director, Ramin
Ganeshram. "The name change reflects the work we have done toward this goal to date and the
national recognition we have received for it."

The Museum's 2018/19 exhibit "Remembered: The History of African Americans in Westport"
was widely praised for its high level of quality which received regional and national accolades.
Westport Public School 3rd, 8th and 10th graders saw the exhibit as part of current curriculum.
Other initiatives over the last year from free public activities to creating a welcoming campus
open to all have pushed the organization further toward the accepted standards of modern
cultural institutions.

"I commend the Board of Directors for their work over the last years to move the organization toward a more inclusive interpretation of history," said Ganeshram. "The work we've done over the last two years is in keeping with the evolution of many colleague organizations in Connecticut and around the country."

In 2014 Fairfield Historical Society changed its name to the Fairfield Museum and History
Center and in 2018 year Stamford Historical Society followed suit. Nationally, Richmond
Historical Society was renamed Virginia Museum for History and Culture in 2018. Similar name
changes have been undertaken by historical societies in Ohio, Colorado and elsewhere.

Westport Historical Society's change in directive also follows a trend among local cultural
organizations to become more expansive and regional in their scope. The Westport Library's
transformation project, completed in 2019, evolved the library from a simple repository for
books to a multimedia center with state of the art performance venues that have lured visitors
county and statewide. The Westport Arts Center recently moved to a larger locale, changing its
name to Museum of Contemporary Art reflective of the world-class shows and expansive scope it
has achieved in the last few years.

"We're proud of our many steps forward over the last two years," said Krasne. "The new name more adequately represents the work the Museum is doing daily to fulfill our mission to inspire the holistic discovery of our town’s history inclusive of our collective heritage and its place in the larger American story."