CONCORD, MA.- Few communities in New England are older than Concord, Massachusetts. Fewer still can boast a more distinguished history, and there may be no other community whose history—the everyday and the nationally important—is better represented by a collection of artifacts. In honor of the 125th anniversary of the Concord Museum, the special exhibition, Crowdsourcing a Collection, offers new and unexpected perspectives on this remarkable collection. Thirty individuals who make up the Museum’s diverse community and ten sister institutions have been invited to serve as Guest Curators for Crowdsourcing a Collection. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin is the Honorary Curator.

Each Guest Curator has selected an object that has personal meaning from the Museum’s collection and has explained the significance in writing or video. Guest Curators include historians Nathaniel Philbrick and Laurel Thatcher Ulrich; Senator John Kerry; novelist and physicist Alan Lightman; author and Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree Robert Coles; craftsman and North Bennet Street School president Miguel Gómez-Ibáñez; arts journalist Joyce Kulhawik; Nanae, Japan mayor Yasukazu Nakamiya; Concord Honored Citizens Marian Thornton and Dot Higgins; and many others. In addition, the exhibition includes the “favorite” objects of Concord residents from the past, including Henry David Thoreau, Louisa May Alcott, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Visitors to the Museum will be able to vote for the object that tells their own story.

As the Concord Museum reaches beyond its walls to celebrate the 125th anniversary, new discoveries will be made daily about a distinguished collection and the many personal ways in which the objects carry history into the present. This special exhibition is on view in the Wallace Kane Gallery at the Concord Museum from October 22, 2011 through March 18, 2012, free with Museum admission.

Associated Public Programs

125th Birthday Bash!
In celebration of the 125th anniversary of the Concord Museum, on Saturday, October 22 enjoy free admission all day (9:00-5:00) and a host of special free family-friendly activities. Explore the new 125th anniversary exhibition, Crowdsourcing a Collection (9:00-5:00), then learn more with curator David Wood on a Gallery Walk (2:00). Listen to lively music played by local musicians and bands, play outdoor historical games, and visit the craft tables (10:00-4:00). Enjoy a slice of birthday cake and an apple cider toast (1:00). Write or draw a favorite memory of the Concord Museum or Concord’s history for our 125th Anniversary Time Capsule (ongoing).

Hidden Treasures: An Afternoon with Leigh Keno
You’ve seen him on Antiques Roadshow, Find!, and the new reality show Buried Treasure. Now, hear what the engaging and accomplished Leigh Keno has to say about collecting and enjoying antiques in the 21st century. Leigh Keno’s lifelong immersion in the world of art and antiques has made him one of the foremost experts in the field. Come learn more about the exciting new finds he has made as founder and president of Keno Auctions and the star (along with his twin brother Leslie) of Buried Treasure. Keno’s afternoon talk recounts his most dramatic discoveries of extraordinary works during his nearly 30-year career in the auction world, as a dealer, and on television.

Object Lessons: An Evening with Leigh Keno
On Saturday evening, November 5, come meet celebrity and antiques expert Leigh Keno, up close and personal, in a small evening gathering at the Concord Museum. Leigh is as enthusiastic in person as he is on his 15 seasons of Antiques Roadshow. He will share with a small group his approaches to exploring and understanding objects using examples from the Concord Museum’s distinguished collection. Learn more about the beauty, craftsmanship and inventive spirit of American antiques and hone your skills as an antiques connoisseur in this special evening with Leigh Keno. The evening includes a visit to the Concord Museum’s 125th anniversary exhibition, Crowdsourcing a Collection, featuring 40 guest curators and 40 new perspectives.