Lutz: Museums are meant to be touched -- New director of Amherst History Museum says her archive is 'alive'

By Phyllis Lehrer
Staff Writer

Published on October 27, 2006

'Hello. I'm here. I'm harmless.' That's what Patricia Lutz told ghosts or poltergeists at the Amherst History Museum at the Strong House when she was alone in the building for the first time.

She introduced herself to any spectral spirits as the museum's new director, replacing Fiona Russell, who resigned.

Lutz introduced herself to the public during a recent conversation at the museum and her cheerful personality should dispel any ghost's concerns. She talked about her career, plans for the museum and the field in general.

Her path to the world of museums began in the food business. Lutz, who grew up in Chicago, started as a waitress and worked her way up. She participated in training programs run by the Marriott Corp. The museum/food overlap began when she ran the corner bakery in the Field Museum and was a restaurant manager at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.

'I loved being in the museum setting,' she said.

And there is a similarity between the two, she said. 'You're looking after customers and looking after the building,' said Lutz, who lives in Connecticut but is planning to relocate.

She went back to school, a community college where a professor told her to go to Smith College. The initial reaction: 'No way.' After looking at three schools Smith was it. She became an Ada Comstock Scholar in 2001.

'I always had a goal to write. I write poetry and some of it has been published.' At Smith she majored in English but took an anthropology of museum course.

'I was hooked,' she said, and switched to American studies. 'Historic houses always fascinate me. I see the museum as a living book, bringing history alive.'

While taking classes, she was an intern at the Emily Dickinson Museum for three summers, interned at Historic Deerfield and worked at the Smith College Museum of Art.

She enrolled in the Tufts University Professional Museum Study program, which required her to undertake a hand-on project. She designed displays, curated and mounted artifacts, and wrote press releases and the program for an exhibit at the Boston Public Library. For the past year, she worked in the development department at the Wadsworth Athenaeum in Hartford.

Lutz said museums are changing.

'There's a shift. They are not stagnant, but more about community, not a mausoleum, a stone monument or 'Don't-touch.' It's more hands-on, more social, which is a good thing. A museum belongs to people; it should feel a welcoming place,' she said.

Whenever she travels, Lutz visits museums. A standout is the textile museum in Lowell.

'I love the way they use the space. The design was great, and it's interactive, alive. They use sound, all the senses, it's fascinating.'

And the role of the director is changing. Instead of hiring curators to do research, museums need strong managers to raise funds since money is critical.

At the Strong House, the challenge is funding, she said. It would be wonderful to have staff and offer interactive displays, money for shelving, lighting, temperature control, or having the oral history tapes available with the push of a button. The wish list never ends, she said.

Right now she is the only paid staffer and works part time in the winter and full time in the summer. However, she quickly notes the saving grace: The docents who are invaluable and the generosity of the community step up to help in what has to be done. The museum conducts two major fund-raisers: A garden tour and a house tour and both will continue, she said.

Lutz said her first goal is to raise the visibility of the museum. First up is the new Founder's Day Celebration that will be held Feb. 13 with the presentation of the first Conch Shell Award.

Lutz also proposes more events and a lecture series. She said she wants the materials to be more accessible and to create data bases of the collection. A new sign is in the works. The gift shop will be revamped to include local artisans.

'We should support them,' she said.

She also spoke of 'Museum in a Box' to bring history to schools and creating a collection catalog for those unable to visit the upper floors. Lutz also sees the museum taking a lead role in Amherst's 250th anniversary celebration that begins in 2009. She thinks that the garage could be used for a self-guided exhibit in the summer.

The museum will close Nov. 1 but will be open Dec. 1 for the Merry Maple celebration. Santa will visit with children at the museum where refreshments will be served. The museum will open for the season May 5 with a community day, crafts and demonstrations.