In 2024, I had the honor and privilege of being a part of the Co-Crafting Democracy Redux: Fiber Arts and Activism exhibition at the National Women’s Hall of Fame
The Museum Association of New York highlighted my piece in their August 2024 Newsletter.
The National Association of Women Artists Magazine’s article CELEBRATING 175 YEARS OF PRESSING FORWARD CONVENTION DAYS IN SENECA FALLS, NEW YORK included my piece
No matter how hard you try to move with intention, there are always things out of our control. A reviewer may have had bad coffee when they reviewed your application and that soured their palate for all prospective candidates that morning. You may not have learned about an opportunity until after the deadline has passed. Someone may reach out to ask you to do something you’d never considered and you’re forced to consider an alternative pathway. Or maybe a family member experiences an unexpected illness, and you need to take time off work.
September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. When my mom was diagnosed with Stage 3 ovarian cancer in 2022, my family navigated an extended period of uncertainty. Once my family came out on the other side, we all were all changed in very different ways.* Today my mom lives with cancer, which is managed by a wonderful medical team and she works to raise awareness through mentorship programs, volunteering, and sharing her story.
In the moment, I did my best to not let projects (paid/unpaid) fall off my plate or drop below my standard of quality, but they inevitably did to various degrees. Everything was a bit hazy making it hard to focus. I was forced to realize that I did not have the capacity to work as I normally did. It was tough to not feel like I was letting down myself and others.
Preservation work can become all consuming, but being a part of my mom’s journey with cancer forced me to recalibrate and realize I'm not a preservation robot. I’ve become a bit gentler with myself, which was necessary and I’d venture to guess many of you are like me - your own worst critique. Now, I can accept that the detours and roadblocks (of all sizes) on my pathway do not in fact put me behind in the pursuit of my goals. Instead they offer lived experiences that inevitably assist in my ability to shape a values based calendar and develop multiple strategies to achieve benchmarks that support the larger goals. These experiences have improved my ability to communicate, helped develop my volunteer assessment process, and increased my determination to reapply for/pursue opportunities. Fundamentally. these detours have improved my work.
We are all humans, we will all experience set backs, so let’s remember LL Cool J’s wise words that “Dreams Don’t Have Deadlines.” Let’s remember to move with intention, so that we can see and/or carve the different pathways that have space for rest, recharging, recalibrating - during the good times and the difficult times.
*My family’s journey is not unique, many of us are forced to navigate personal or familial medical emergencies, while striving to meet professional expectations. If you ever need to talk, I am here to listen.
Since 2020, it has been a pleasure to lead, support, and advocate parallel to existing campaigns for compensation transparency. These efforts have focussed on cultural heritage job boards across specializations. Many cultural heritage workers work with or as PLANNERS. It is not uncommon to meet a professional preservationist who has AICP credentials. Right now, I have the pleasure of supporting students in the Dana Crawford Preservation Program, some of whom are simultaneously pursuing a Masters in Historic Preservation and a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Colorado Denver’s College of Architecture and Planning.
It made sense to launch a write-in campaign with Adrienne Burke and Desiree Powell last year to ask the American Planning Association to require compensation information on their job board. Our work supported the preexisting efforts by Dash Henley and Sandra Rothbard - their efforts to successfully shift state chapter policies, while campaigning for change nationally. Advocacy campaigns need multiple strategies to help educate the public and those in power.
Fast forward a year later and we want to thank the American Planning Association for listening and learning; thank you for seeing the value in requiring compensation information for the APA’s national job board. This is an integral step in cultivating a more equitable and inclusive field - across planning specialties.
Thank you Dash and Sandra. Thank you Dee and Adrienne. Thank you everyone who sent an email, mailed a postcard, and/or had a conversation. We’re in this together.
What I’ve been reading, listening to, and watching.
News: Latinos in Heritage Conservation Urger Preservation of Endangered Sites With Latinx History
Survey: Black in Historic Preservation's Preservation + Belonging Survey
Article: The Most Loving Thing You Can Do
Event: Consultants Grumpy Hour
Assistance: Historic Preservation & Cultural Resources Mutual Aid Network; Culture Keeper Mutual Aid Network
Stephen and I went to a community clean up day prior to a local annual event, because it felt like a great opportunity to meet people and be helping hands. When you meet people you are inevitably asked “What do you do?” and for us cultural heritage workers we know that question can inevitably lead toward someone asking for volunteer help. Shortly into the event, I had folks walking up to me to learn more about my work and to inquire into how I'm looking to get involved in the community.
“Can you help with a grant?”
“Do you have time to read a redevelopment plan?”
“Is this building eligible for a historic designation?”
These asks vary in commitment levels and aren’t limited to the well meaning folks in our local communities. We’re asked to volunteer in a wide variety of capacities to support cultural heritage at the local, statewide, and national level. Around 2019, I realized that I needed to reassess my volunteering and as I slowly completed my commitments, I reflected on what I was looking for in volunteer roles. This newsletter isn’t the first time I’ve explored how to create process to determine when to volunteer, but in 2025 our cultural organizations are in a heightened need for help. The volume of volunteer inquiries/opportunities continues to grow for all of us. How we are showing up for our communities is important, but we also have to remember to seek balance.
Having boundaries requires having protocol to help you know when to say yes, no, or maybe later.
My assessment process puts volunteer opportunities in two larger buckets:
Personal
Benefit - ex: a litter pick up that happens on my street
Fulfillment - ex: you all know I love picking up litter, so I'll happily participate in an organized litter pick up in a town I may never go back to
Professional
Skill Building - ex: learning new or refining skills that I want to build, such as writing! Some of my writing has been compensated, but others pieces volunteer labor; writing about topics I'm passionate about to raise awareness is a good way to further hone my writing skills.
Networking - ex: building meaningful relationships with peers in the field, such as my tenure on the National Council on Public History's Nominating Committee
Marketing - ex: promoting my business in some capacity, maybe it is volunteering in exchange for a logo placement
One I've answered if a volunteer opportunity fits into one of my buckets, I then dive into more detailed questions such as the ones above. These questions are fundamental to simultaneously working against burnout, fostering intentional personal/professional growth, and supporting my communities.
What questions do you ask yourself/ organizations when you are trying to decide if a volunteer opportunity is right for you? Have your volunteer priorities shifted this year?
You can download my reflection exercise via this link.
We talk about Ann Pamela Cunningham frequently in discussions about the history of historic preservation, but what about Adina Emilia de Zavala?!? As we continue to rewrite the history of preservation (seriously, have you read Historic Real Estate: Market Morality and the Politics of Preservation in the Early United States?!?!) let's celebrate the many vs the few. I'd love to learn about a preservationist who has helped shaped your views and/or the movement more broadly.
What I’ve been reading, listening to, and watching.
Upcoming Event: Cultivating Community for Cultural Workers Through Mutual Aid
Article: Community Care: How Museums Can Respond to ICE Threats and Intimidation of Targeted Communities
Opportunity: National Council on Public History's Nominating Committee is looking for self nominations for a variety of elected positions
Webinar: Embedding Community Conservators in Public Libraries: Conservation as a Public Service
Article: We Shall Overcome: The 60th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act
Important News: Federal Agencies Roll Out New NEPA Regulations
Article: Yosemite Employees Worked for Weeks With No Pay Before the Government Hired Them
Digitally edited cyanotype created utilizing archival newspaper article, paper cutouts, and transparencies of drawings.
“I’m really excited, I always love working with Sarah in part I think that she has really creative ideas and comes up with these creative workshops, but she’s also a really good workshop leader,” Gilson said. “She works with everyone, all ages, all skills, and she’s always just working in these small tidbits of history and in a way that feels like you are exploring with her as opposed to being talked at by an expert.”
The Republic, a local newspaper for Columbus, Indiana, highlighted the upcoming Henry Moore birthday party. It is a delight to be partnering with the Columbus Indiana Architectural Archives again and to continue collaborating with Tricia Gilson. Use this link to read the full article.
We've known since before November 2024 that the cultural heritage field was being impacted by shifts in the federal/state/local government. The speed of efforts to eliminate staffing, funding, work products, etc. has been swift and disorienting. So, in addition to the aforementioned questions, I’ve also been looking at my values based calendar and seeing how it aligns with the shifting needs of the cultural heritage field. The values aspect of my calendar isn’t shifting, I’m still steadfast in my work to cultivate an equitable cultural heritage field through organizational planning and creative engagement strategies.What is shifting are my timelines - some efforts need some gasoline thrown on the fire and some efforts will be broken down into smaller benchmarks to ensure progress, but reflect funding/opportunity shifts.
I’m throwing some gasoline on the Bess McDole Prather Project. I’ve been trickling out findings over the years, pursuing fellowships, and spending a lot of time reflecting on end goals. Part of this research project has been comparing the locations/ number of women’s healthcare clinics in the 1930s in the geographic region Bess worked vs where Planned Parenthood locations are in the same area today. We’ve witnessed access to women’s healthcare decline in recent years, and seen the impact it causes. Instead of sharing tidbits, I recognize that I need to transition from reflections and research into work products that help people look across the passage of time. I look forward to sharing more with you all sooner than later.
How are your values influencing your calendar this year? In what ways is your work responding to community needs?
Marjory Stoneman Douglas was the founder of the Friends of the Everglades. Friends of the Everglades has fought against airports, rock mines, and now prisons. Spread the word. Speak up. Protect people. Protect our fragile planet. Read the full quote + see a doodle of mine here.
What I’ve been reading, listening to, and watching.
Article: Teens incarcerated in R.I. write obituaries for the forgotten: ‘No one should be just a number’
Article: Good luck avoiding politics, Wisconsin Historical Society
Map: 7 Revealing Findings from a First-of-Its-Kind Map and Analysis of American LGBTQ Bars
Legislative Update: Lawsuit Filed Against Trump, Army Corps, and ACHP Seeks to Invalidate Fake “Energy Emergency” Executive Order
Newly Online Resource: Black Panther Party Archive Digitized Thanks to Mellon Foundation Funding
Article: Trump Administration Sets Stage for Attack on National Monuments
News: Interior Closing Albright, Mather Training Centers For National Park Service
A sweet (pea) update for the Bozeman Landmark Project! The Bozeman (MT) City Commission has officially adopted Phase 1 of the Local Landmark Project!
The Local Landmark Project emerges from Bozeman resident’s desire to preserve the past in a way that is authentic to their community’s needs - today and tomorrow. The team (Community Planning Collaborative, Mulberry History Advisors, Karen Essic, and I) have loved the opportunities to hear from community members as this project develops and it has been an honor to be the engagement lead. We’ll be kicking off Phase 2 soon, and we are committed to listening to the voices across Bozeman throughout the process.
Utilize this link to view the report - even if you don’t have ties to Bozeman, I think you’ll appreciate learning about the work AND the resources.
If we’ve spoken about goals in the past couple of years, you have heard me say that I am working toward a calendar that reflects my values. Time is precious and this goal is about making sure I am being intentional with my 168 hours each week. I am continually refining my processes that help me say yes, no, or maybe later. Here is what I’ve been saying yes to lately:
Continuing to experiment with art based strategies to tell community stories! I’m partnering with the incredible Columbus Indiana Architectural Archives again this year, and we are going to celebrate Henry Moore’s birthday under the sun by creating cyanotypes! Participants of all ages will be able to find new ways to utilize archival images, newspaper clippings, and more to further their connection to Henry Moore, Large Arch, and the Cleo Rogers Memorial Library. Here is a sneak peak of some of the playful examples I’ve made for this event.
Becoming a Michigander (again)! Over winter, Stephen and I slowly moved to Michigan and became the newest caretakers of a beautiful cast stone home (c.1910). We don’t consider this move a “goodbye” to Ohio, but more of a “see you later.” Visit my Instagram to see how I’m choosing to commemorate this transition.
Being outdoors to stare at the sky, learn the names of wildflowers, and see what growth I can help foster. Gardening can mean many things to many people, but gardens fundamentally are about connection to nature, ourselves, our traditions, and our communities. Watching rhubarb grow that was planted by those who lived on this land before us further connects us to what matters. Camille Dungy wrote - “Every politically engaged person should have a garden” and I could not agree more.
What have you been saying yes to? What have you been saying no to?
When I touched base with you all in March, we explored what showing up looks like during times of upheaval for cultural heritage. Thanks to your generosity we raised over $1,500 for the Underground Railroad Education Center’s Teen Program. These funds will help the organization have a match for additional funding pursuits.
Let’s continue to find ways to show up physically, emotionally, and financially for each other.
What I’ve been writing, reading, listening to, and watching.
Upcoming Deadline: Endangered Latinx Landmarks
Webinar Series: Fundraising and Job Searching Strategies
Article: This Mahjong Game Shows How Gentrification Is ‘Aging Out’ Chinatown’s Seniors
Book: Landscapes of Retreat (free)
Article: US District Court Ruling Keeps Fight Against Mining of Site Sacred to Western Apache Alive
Statement: The Society of American Archivists Calls on Our Members to Support Tribal Communities
Article: DOJ: Trump can abolish protected monuments set aside by past president
Together we have fought and we will continue to fight for people to see that cultural heritage work is valuable and an integral part of our communities. As a member of the National Council on Public History's Labor Task Force, it was a pleasure to write a piece that commemorates the many people and organizations who have fought for compensation transparency in the cultural heritage sector. This piece is a part of a larger History@Work series on advocacy.
Screenshot from an episode of Summer Camp Island.
In my favorite cartoon - Summer Camp Island, there are a variety of magical creatures. If you’re a Glow Worm, one of the rarest/most important types of magical creatures, you generate magic and imbue other creatures with that energy. It’s safe to say that Lacey Wilson is a Glow Worm in the cultural heritage field.
Throughout Lacey’s career she has worked to elevate people/communities that have been historically excluded - through tours, community engagement, and most recently through the Teen Museum Studies Program at the Underground Railroad Education Center in Albany. I am grateful that the internet brought Lacey and I together, and that I’ve had the opportunity to become a part of her National Council on Public History family. She is a tireless advocate for the cultural heritage field and an incredible community builder. Lacey sees our field’s ability to empower the many vs the few and she is determined to ensure we all are pushing ourselves to be better/do better.
As we fight for our cultural institutions, we have to step up to protect the glow worms of the field. Lacey’s workplace is one of many that will be impacted if the Institute of Museum and Library Services grants that have been awarded are not reimbursed. How are you supporting our cultural heritage worker community right now?
Whether you know Lacey personally or just learned about her through this email, I hope you will join me in celebrating Lacey turning 35. Let's step up and fundraise $350 for the Teen Museum Studies Program at the Underground Railroad Education Center!!!
Step 1: Decide how much you can comfortably donate to this fundraising campaign. Any amount helps.
Step 2: Use this link to make your donation. In response to the donation form’s question “If you have a specific request for directing your donation, please note it below, “ write "Teen Museum Studies Program.”
Step 3: If you would like to officially join the Lacey Wilson Fan Club, please email me a copy of your donation receipt and I will mail you two buttons. Minimum donation of $5 required to receive buttons.
Book: On Tyranny Graphic Edition: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century
Article: Trump Calls on Smithsonian to Promote 'American Greatness'
Statements: Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation; Landmark Illinois; Latinos in Heritage Conservation
Interview: When the Pine Needles Fall w/ Katsi'tsakwas Ellen Gabriel and Sean Carleton
Meeting: Advisory Council on Historic Preservation March 2025 Meeting
Podcast: Good Hang with Amy Poehler, Episode 3 - Rashida Jones
Podcast: Tangible Remnants, Episode - Advocacy in Action w/ Melissa Jest
In 2020, when I asked us to Dismantle Preservation, I imagined it like a trained architectural historian would - as a building assessment. Together we took our imaginary Lustron apart and looked at everything from the foundation to the enameled steel roof panels. Where are the cracks? What nails have rusted? Is the insulation keeping us warm enough? Do we really want a combination dishwasher/clothes washer? We have assessed what to restore, what to replace in kind, and what needs to be fully updated to meet our modern needs. This was not just about the elements that make up the structure, but also about those who help put the pieces all together in whatever configuration serves those that turn a house into a home.
Together we imagined what historic preservation could look like if we support fair wages, acknowledge implicit bias within our work practices, confront the mental health toll of this work, etc.. We’ve continued those conversations in different ways and together we have increased salary transparency across different cultural heritage sectors. We’ve challenged the system of unpaid internships together. We’ve made the space to uplift our fellow colleagues and push for preservation to be better.
What we have witnessed across these conversations and others that challenged the relevancy of preservation is the desire to radically reconsider advocacy strategies within the preservation movement. We want advocacy and leadership like we see from Antonia Castañeda and Graciela Sánchez in San Antonio or Deborah Wei in Philadelphia - community elders who have been forcibly removed by police when peacefully protesting for their communities. Advocacy should show that preservation is worth taking risks for. As we navigate the tidal waves of news and misinformation, we cannot be paralyzed. We must stand our ground like our elders of today and of yesterday.
Let’s Show Up:
Let’s Share:
Let’s Organize
On Facebook @ Historic Preservation Professionals
On Discord @ Dismantle Preservation
Join me in amplifying the ways we can radically reimagine preservation advocacy, focus our support on the organizations who speak with urgency, and put pressure on politicians to protect cultural heritage. I am committed to sharing as many resources and calls to actions as I find on the Dismantle Preservation Discord and in the Historic Preservation Professional Facebook group to help you. History is worth fighting for. Preservation is worth sticking your neck out for.
Dana Crawford (1931- 2025) was an incredible advocate for communities. If you've spent time in Colorado, it is likely that you have had the privilege to engage with historic spaces she helped breathe new life into - Larimer Square, Union Station (Denver), downtown Trinidad, the Argo Gold Mine in Idaho Springs, and so much more. At the University of Colorado Denver's Dana Crawford Historic Preservation Program, we seek to further her impact through the work of our students and faculty. It was a privilege to listen to people's stories about Dana Crawford as I "inducted" them into the fan club; it was a joy to learn about the impact the Dana Crawford Preservation Program students are making and it is exciting to see them grow confidence as preservation professionals. These buttons will help all of us celebrate Dana Crawford’s legacy all year.
On a day that honors the contributions of workers, we are launching our “Share The Salary” campaign to call on the American Planning Association to require salary transparency on their job board. It’s time to ensure fairness, equity, and honesty in the planning profession. Hidden salaries and unpaid internships perpetuate wage gaps and disadvantage marginalized groups.
How You Can Help:
1. Email APA: Use their Customer Service Form to demand that they require salary ranges
for all job postings and stop sharing unpaid internships.
3. Send a Postcard: Download our free “SHARE THE SALARY”; postcard template and help us flood APA’s mailbox with this important call to action.
4. Spread the Word: Share our message on social media using #ShareTheSalary, #EquityInPlanning, and #FairPayForAll.
It will forever be one of my greatest honors to have worked alongside Athena F. Richardson to support Jawana Jackson's vision for her family home by developing a strategy based on her goals and identifying the ideal caretaker of the Jackson Home. The Jackson Home has gone from Selma, Alabama to The Henry Ford. It has moved to exactly where it should be to support future generations of socially conscience community members.
To Learn More About the Jackson Home:
Read: The House by the Side of the Road: The Selma Civil Rights Movement by Richie Jean Sherrod Jackson
Tour: The Jackson Home prior to disassembly
Watch: The physical move of the Jackson Home from Selma, Alabama to Dearborn, Michigan.
+These doodle reflections are part of an ongoing effort to move slower and embrace the journey of preservation and were done after a reveal of art installed at the former site of the Jackson Home on June 15, 2024.
Wondering what a library system’s 125th anniversary party looks like? The answer is - a whole lot of fun! Check out this photo gallery of participating stitching dolls at my station, creating clay sculptures, listening to music, and more! All photos taken by Mike Wolanin
Sometimes events will leave you drained, but the 125th anniversary party for Bartholomew County Public Library left me energized and amazed by Columbus, Indiana’s community. Their interest in coming together to celebrate their history, and connect with friends and old/new while doing that - it’s magic.
It was a pleasure to design a Tiny Henry Moore doll for the event and to help attendees craft a connection to the past.
~These digital doodles are a part of an ongoing effort to move slower.
The Anonymous Cultural Heritage Worker Salary Study provides a glimpse into how labor, in a variety of specialties, is being valued. What people have chosen to contribute in addition to numbers is just as compelling. Please take a moment to submit your information today and take some time to review the contributions* -
Here are just a handful of personal stories shared:
+ "No real raises in 5 years, since it was more important for me to get my employees' salaries up."
+ "I have 2-4 jobs at any given time to pay bills."
+ "My salary doubled by switching from a department director to executive director, but so did my responsibilities."
+ "I live paycheck to paycheck at 72K/year and I can’t imagine how others at lower salaries feel. This field is severely underfunded and good people will keep leaving or just not applying for jobs because the pay is often not a realistic number. "
+ "The current salary (Northwest) is the same as I had in the Northeast 8 years ago"
*you can use the link to submit your salary and to access both the raw data and an air table version of it.
A big thank you to Community Planning Collaborative for inviting me to be a contributor to the Florida’s Historic Preservation Toolkit. It was a pleasure to contribute illustrations and text to these resources. Use this link to learn more and to read digital versions of the toolkit.
I knew the best way for the Bess Prather Project to grow was to spend time in the Arizona Historical Society’s archives. Big thanks to the Arizona Historical Society for believing in the idea, seeing the value in this research, and for granting me a Research Fellowship.
The sketches above serve as a reflection for my week in the archives, and are a part of an ongoing effort to move slower.
Dr. Andrea Roberts has launched the Out(sider) Preservation Initiative, an evolution/extension of The Texas Freedom Colonies Project. Support from the Mellon Foundation will allow the initiative to invest in “commemorative practices and storytelling that reflect place-based migratory histories and bring those considered on the margins of state-sponsored preservation and placemaking to the center of the American commemoration landscape.”
It was a privilege to attend the initiative’s kickoff and I hope you all will choose to support/learn from both The Texas Freedom Colonies Project and the Out(sider) Preservation Initiative.
~These digital doodles are a part of an ongoing effort to move slower.
Punks on Paper is MOVING to UNC-Greensboro’s Archives! We are working with their team of archivists for a smooth transition, and the fliers will soon be available on their website! We need your help to grow Punks on Paper. The Punks on Paper collection would love to add your photos, fliers, cds, tapes, or records, of punk/hardcore music in North Carolina. Whether it is your band or a band you went to see - your part of NC music history is a story worth telling. Physical donations will be displayed on rotation in the UNC-Greensboro's public library. Digital files will also be accepted. Please contact Stacey Krim (SRKRIM@uncg.edu) to learn more about how to contribute to the Punks on Paper Collection.
*A true agent of chaos in our lives over many years and many pizzas. Forever grateful for his DIY spirit.
