Summer – Page 7 – Clayton McLain Memorial Museum

Hiring: Museum Supervisor

May 4, 2023May 5, 2023 Clayton McLain Memorial Museum

FULL-TIME SEASONAL POSITION

Clayton McLain Memorial Museum and Archives
101 Hill Avenue, Cut Knife, SK

Seasonal: June 14 through August 2023
Hours: Wednesday through Sunday 9am – 5pm
Wages: $17 / hour
Deadline to apply: Friday, May 26, 2023

The Clayton McLain Memorial Museum consists of 12 heritage buildings containing artifacts that once belonged to the area’s early settlers and Indigenous Peoples. It is located adjacent to Tomahawk Park, home of the World’s Largest Tomahawk.

The Museum Supervisor will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the museum and the supervision of a Heritage Assistant. The Museum Supervisor will report to the Board of Trustees.

Job description:

Prepare the heritage buildings for the season opening, which includes cleaning the buildings and displays. Note maintenance or repair issues.
Welcome tourists and local visitors to the museum, lead groups through the buildings, answer their questions based on the information provided.
Perform visitor services and other administrative tasks as required, including gift shop sales and inventory, guest book records, and seasonal visitor statistics.
Account for monetary donations; make bank deposits; purchase supplies, as necessary.
Create and implement work plans to ensure building interiors, artifacts, and display cases are cared for and cleaned, and that the museum grounds are tidy and maintained.
Catalogue artifacts as time permits.
Assist the Board with the museum’s Canada Day event and Coffee at the Museum afternoons.
Assist with Facebook and Instagram posts.
Other tasks as assigned by the Board of Trustees.

The successful applicant will enjoy working with the public, be self-motivated, and familiar with local services and attractions. Training will be provided in heritage industry standards.

Please note applicants do not need to be within a certain age group or returning to an educational program in the fall.

The museum may be able to accommodate some flexibility with weekend schedules over the course of the summer. A successful applicant who has a keen interest in museums may be eligible for additional learning opportunities.

Interested? Please email your resume with a cover letter to cmmmcutknife@gmail.com.

To print a copy of this posting, click here.

Museum, Summer

Hiring: Heritage Assistant

May 2, 2023May 5, 2023 Clayton McLain Memorial Museum

FULL-TIME SEASONAL POSITION

Clayton McLain Memorial Museum and Archives
101 Hill Avenue, Cut Knife, SK

Seasonal: June 28 through August 2023
Hours: Wednesday through Sunday 9am – 5pm
Wages: $15 / hour
Deadline to apply: Friday, May 26, 2023

The Heritage Assistant will:

Welcome tourists and local visitors to the museum; answer their questions about the buildings, exhibits and displays, and other duties, as required. Training and an information binder will be provided.
Ensure that building interiors, artifacts, and display cases are cared for and cleaned, and that the museum grounds are tidy and maintained.
Assist with the museum’s Canada Day event and Coffee at the Museum afternoons.
Assist with Facebook and Instagram posts.
Other tasks as assigned by the Museum Supervisor or Board of Directors.

This position will provide an introduction to the work of museums and heritage institutions, the travel and tourism industry, and for those interested, a taste of event planning, and communications and marketing. If applicants have a particular area of interest, please mention that in your cover letter.

The successful applicant must be willing to learn, be a hard worker, and be comfortable meeting new people. Organizational and time management skills are an asset.

Please note applicants do not need to be within a certain age group or returning to an educational program in the fall.

For more information, or to submit your resume with cover letter, email cmmmcutknife@gmail.com.

To print a copy of this posting, click here.

Museum, Summer

Recipe for Chalk Paint

October 2, 2022October 2, 2022 Clayton McLain Memorial Museum

This is the chalk paint Terri mixed up that’s working such wonders in the Duvall House:

Ingredients:

1 cup flat or eggshell latex paint
1/3 cup warm water
1/3 cup Plaster-of-Paris

Method:

Stir together warm water & Plaster-of-Paris. (Add more water or plaster to thin or thicken the mixture, as needed). No lumps.
Pour into paint and mix thoroughly.

Notes:

1:3 Plaster-of-Paris to paint.
Keep paint stirred, with lid on when not in use.
Use stiff bristle brush; chalk brush recommended.
Scrape peeling paint and flakes prior to application; wall surface does not have to be smooth.
Apply paint in a circular motion; goal is to work the paint mixture into wall surface.

** Chalk paint has 101 uses. Do a Google search. You’ll be amazed…

Terri beginning scraping paint — Very poor lighting but Terri is just about to get started scraping the mint green paint that hasn’t flaked or peeled off yet.

~ Debbie M.

Museum, Summer

Chalk Paint

September 26, 2022 Clayton McLain Memorial Museum

The Duvall House was built in 1928. It was moved from the farm to the Museum site prior to the Town of Cut Knife’s Centennial in 2012. The house needed some maintenance work and a few upgrades before it was ready for the public, and a fresh coat of paint was high on the list. The walls were filled and sanded; colours were selected to reflect the time period; the house interior was painted. Then came winter.

The upgrades did not include winter heating and the freeze / thaw cycle over the next few years were not kind to the paint. A number of different treatments were tried with varying degrees of success but still the paint peeled and flaked – until Terri suggested chalk paint. Chalk paint is a mixture of plaster-of-paris, warm water, and latex paint. It’s applied with a chalk brush and is worked into the existing wall plaster.

A test wall a few years ago proved to be very encouraging. So, this past Labour Day weekend, Terri and I set to scraping and painting the Duvall House front entrance. The results have been amazing! We’ll be checking it out closely next spring and if there’s no sign of deterioration, be prepared to see a call out for volunteer painters!

A few photos:

mixing the chalk paing — Terri preparing the paint. Note the two chalk brushes closest to the brown jars.

duvall house wall first coat — *First coat of mint green over the previous paint.*

duvall house wall 2 coats, crayon covered — *Second coat of mint green paint even covers the wax crayon scribbles!*

duvall house, 2 coats, pictures up — Picture returned to the wall. Mission accomplished.

Coming soon… the recipe for Chalk Paint!

~ Debbie M.

Museum, Summer

Have You Seen These Yet?

August 14, 2022August 29, 2022 Clayton McLain Memorial Museum

Last year, Lucille had a wonderful idea. She wanted to have ordinary photos of the Museum buildings transferred to canvas for posterity. Happily, we’ve begun that process. Visitors to the Duvall House are now able to view six canvas prints: an aerial view of the Clayton McLain Memorial Museum grounds, four heritage buildings still standing, and Ovenstown, the first building to be moved on site, now demolished.

If you haven’t been to the CMMM yet this year, Angie will be taking tours until the end of the month, and Coffee will be served at the Duvall House on Wednesday and Friday afternoons until September 2.

If you have had a chance to view these canvas prints in person, then you’ll agree that the photos below just do not do them justice.