From WOOD COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM
The Wood County Museum received the Award of Achievement for Best Exhibition from the Ohio Museums Association (OMA) for the exhibit For Comfort & Convenience: Public Charity in Ohio By Way of the Poor Farm.
The OMA Awards program is an annual celebration of the outstanding achievement of Ohio museums in visual communications, individual and institutional achievement, and the tireless work museum professionals undertake to help advance Ohio’s museum community both locally, and on a national level.
Nominations for these awards are incredibly detailed. This in-depth process helps to illustrate how these institutions and individuals have gone “above and beyond” the normal call of duty to support their institution, serve their public and advance the cause of the museum community.
The “For Comfort & Convenience” exhibit explores the administrative story about public charity in Ohio that dates as early as 1816 using photographs, ephemera, and interpretive panels. It also explores the rise of the Ohio State Board of Charities in 1867, its transition in the 1930s to the Ohio Department of Public Welfare, Division of Aged, and how the preservation of former Wood County Infirmary as the current Wood County Museum impacts the story of public charity in Ohio. With the help of local photographer Jeffrey Hall, a journey of over 5,000 miles to all 88 counties documented the current condition of each former poor farm site.
The exhibit was made possible by the Ohio Arts Council and the Ohio Humanities Council, with a generous in-kind donation of photography services by Jeffrey Hall.
This is the third award for this exhibit; the Museum was recognized by the Ohio Local History Alliance and the Ohio State Historic Preservation Office.
For more information, contact the Wood County Museum at 419-352-0967 or visit www.woodcountyhistory.org.
